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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Bishop David Walker

Good Morning.

鈥淲ho will rid me of this turbulent priest鈥� King Henry reputedly exclaimed, exasperated that Archbishop Thomas Becket would not fall in with his will. And so, on this day in the year 1170, four knights took the king鈥檚 cries as licence to murder, and Becket met his death, in Canterbury, in his cathedral. Words carry power, especially words that come from the mouths of people in important positions. Almost two years after the event, fierce debate continues in the USA as to whether the words of then President Trump, on the day when his election loss was to be ratified in Congress, amounted to a call for insurrection.

Yet words can also be a powerful tool for good. The words of Nelson Mandela, emerging after many years in prison, not to call for revenge but to lead his nation towards a future in which all might share, may well have prevented significant bloodshed. The words of astronaut Neil Armstrong that his moon-landing was 鈥渙ne giant leap for mankind鈥� eschewed any note of American supremacy - a winning of the space race - in favour of an achievement in which citizens of many nations could take pride. At a far humbler level, the words each of us use, when we offer forgiveness, seek reconciliation, admit our faults, comfort the suffering, or encourage someone to achieve greater things, are words that change lives and change the world.

And so, Lord, I pray:

May the words I speak today, and every day, be words of kindness and encouragement. May they build up, not destroy. May they inspire only good and never evil. When I need to challenge or to criticise, may I do so with courage and respect; that those who hear my voice may catch the gentle murmur of yours.

Amen.