Against an increasingly polarised political and social backdrop sit some stark statistics which are cause for both deep reflection and positive action. For example, last year, there were nearly 15,000 hate crimes recorded*, and, whilst recording is increasing, this is still believed to be a woefully under-reported category of crime, as many thousands face violence, ill-treatment and micro-aggressions on the basis of personal characteristics such as race or ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or transgender identity.

Every incident and hate crime can have long-lasting or even tragic consequences. Yet Christians affirm that every person is made in the image of God and this gives us hope; because we believe in a world where every person knows they are of incalculable value and that they are infinitely loved. We believe in a world where we love our neighbours and seek to live in accordance with God’s call to honour, respect, and enable all people to be their God-given selves. We call this vision ‘the Kingdom’ and it begins with the greatest of all commands, which Jesus tells us all else hangs upon: love God, love your neighbour, and love yourself (Mark 12.30-31).

Next Sunday, 4th February at 5.30pm (on the eve of Race Equality Week) we will hold our annual intercollegiate service with university sermon. This year the focus will be ‘Love Between the Lines: Conquering Hate with Hope’ and we are delighted to be welcoming the Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark, to preach the university sermon.

In his recent book, Splash of Words, Mark Oakley reflects that: ‘The whole scriptural enterprise is that of trying to read love between the lines’ and that is what we hope this upcoming service will empower us each to do; to read love between the lines we draw between people, communities, and nations and, as love expands our passion for justice, so it will diminish the power of hate.

Reflecting deeply upon this theme and offering our longing for justice up in worship is transformative in changing our own hearts; but we are not left in reflection, we are also sent out in mission to put that love into action and change our communities, society and world. What positive action could you take to show love for your neighbour this week?

*gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023