All of Britain was once again united in alarm as a series of renewed explosions ravaged the Central London Underground on Thursday afternoon. In the midst of the Metropolitan Police’s full-scale effort to hunt the suspects related to the attacks, church leaders and faith groups have been endlessly releasing messages of reassurance and support to disapate nervousness.
A statement released by the Evangelical Alliance UK (EAUK) in response to the latest explosions on 21st July, has sent prayer requests to all Christians to pray for the troubled city of London.
EAUK has expressed relief that there are apparently no casualties following the serious terrorist incidents. It stated, "Coming hard on the heels of the outrage of July 7 initial responses were to fear the worst. However, whilst the facts remain unclear it would seem that on this occasion evil has not succeeded."
"These events do nevertheless raise major questions involving security, community cohesion and the maintenance of a robust, yet calm national spirit in the face of such provocation."
"The Evangelical Alliance encourages its members to pray for protection for all those travelling at this time of tension," it concluded.
In a separate "Call to Prayer" statement, the EAUK Director Rev Joel Edwards encouraged Christians with the unchanging hope in Christ through His death on the cross and His resurrection.
Rev Edwards has just recently taken part in the Atonement Symposium jointly held with the London School of Theology on 6th-8th July, which gathered around 200 delegates for a debate over the theology concerning the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
"Regardless of our differing understandings of the mechanics of atonement, we are assured of the reality, that God so loved the world...that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself...that in the incarnation and death of His Son, He not only enters our situation, but brings redemption to the most apparently hopeless of situations," Rev Edwards firmly declared.
"The life, death, resurrection, ascension, reign and anticipated return of Christ, give us reason for hope in the darkness of atrocity and for eternity."
Rev Edwards believed that Christians are "called into exile" (Jeremiah 29) despite the constantly changing pattern of world events, and they should be "seeking the peace and prosperity of the communities".
Along with the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA), EAUK offers the following points for prayer:
- Pray for the injured - for healing and comfort, especially for those who are critically injured.
- Pray for hospitals that are continuing to cope with casualties - that they would work effectively and patients will receive the care they need.
- Pray for peace and comfort for the families of those who have died and pray against any more fatalities.
- Pray for those individuals in the emergency services that have been dealing with casualties – pray for God’s peace on them.
- Pray for those churches in central London that have been responding to the crisis by opening their doors and providing comfort. Pray that they would continue to be a source of hope for their communities.
- Pray for any Christians involved - that they would know God's peace and be able to share it with others.
- Pray too for Christian organisations like the Salvation Army as they respond in practical ways to help.
- Pray for harmony in communities - that relations would not be damaged in the aftermath of such events.
