AMID the darkness of last week's atrocities there were some specks of light.

In Britain, a declaration was made jointly by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the Chief Rabbi and the Chairman of the Imams and Mosque Council of the United Kingdom.

Part of it read: 'We and all people of good faith and goodwill - whatever their religious, ethical or racial background - are appalled by these terrible attacks on American cities.

'Such evil deeds have no place in the world we seek to build and share. As Christians, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders, we believe that it is vital amid so much anguish and suffering to nourish all that we hold in common and to resist all that would drive us apart.'

Manzoor Moghal, chairman of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: 'The Islam religion does not condone such an atrocity. Nor does it condone violence, murder or assassination. Islam calls for submission to the will of God and calls for peace at all times.'

In Washington DC, an inter-faith time of prayer took place beginning with an Islamic Call to Prayer and ending with a Jewish Cantor sounding the shofar for healing and peace.

A petition for peace was signed by Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical, Historic Black Church, Jewish and Muslim leaders.

All these are little buds of hope. Let us learn the lesson: "No peace among the nations without peace among the religions.

"No peace among the religions without understanding between the religions.

"No understanding between the religions without dialogue between the religions."

Atrocities have been caused by people of all faiths and by secular states too. We all need to rise above this. Let us seek the best in our traditions and discard the worst.

We need a peaceable Christianity, a peaceable Islam and peaceable state powers that seek to solve problems by long and slow talk.

We desperately need to hold ourselves together across the faith and race divide. We need to build friendships across the boundaries of faith within Redditch and across the globe. People of all faiths and people of no particular faith need to share in our common human struggle to live together.

Where is God in all this? For me, I can only believe in a God who is present amid the sorrow.

A God who weeps over the deaths. A God who will weep again if further innocents are killed in reprisals. A God who is not the director of all events, but a God who weeps is the only God who can help.

Only a God who suffers and silently breaks the cycle of violence can help.

Noel Sharp

Minister

Trinity Church