During August I enjoyed a relaxing two weeks holiday in the beauty and quiet of Cornwall. While there, however, the TV news brought pictures of very different scenes in the streets of some of our cities. We have all been shocked at the sudden outburst of violence, vandalism and looting that took place last month. The debate continues about why this should have happened and how we should respond. I was struck by the contribution of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the debate in the House of Lords following the recall of Parliament. Dr Rowan Williams expressed sympathy with those affected, paid tribute to police and volunteers, and called for a renewed commitment to the building of strong communities. Reflecting on the loss of confidence in society that many had experienced, Dr Williams said: "In the events we have seen in recent days, there is nothing to romanticise and there is nothing to condone in the behaviour that has spread across our streets. This is indeed criminality."
However, we also saw many positive acts of citizenship among young people, local communities, churches and other faith groups. The Archbishop suggested that this was a moment for a renewal of civic identity and civic solidarity:
"People have discovered why community matters. They've discovered why solidarity is important. They have begun to discover those civic virtues that we've talked about in the abstract. I believe that this is a moment which we must seize, a moment where there is sufficient anger at the breakdown of civic solidarity, sufficient awareness of the resources people have in helping and supporting one another, sufficient hope (in spite of everything) of what can be achieved by the governing institutions of this country, to engage creatively with the possibilities that this moment gives us. And I trust, that we shall respond with energy to that moment which could be crucial for the long-term future of our country and our society."
Rev David Goodwin
