August is always a month for reflection for those of us praying and working for a world free of nuclear weapons. Remembering the previous uses of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is always an important event in the calendar.
This year Christian CND member Rebecca Dillon was invited to Coventry Cathedral to take part in the annual Hiroshima Day service. The service was a chance for reflection on the consequences of nuclear weapons being used, as well as to pray for those who still live with the consequences of the bombings.
Elsewhere a service was held in Romford, organised by Christian CND Exec member Geraldine Ellis and addressed by long-standing Christian CND member Bruce Kent. The gathering heard that the remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must also include efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons, including Trident in the UK.
Many other Christian CND members took part in events around the country to mark Hiroshima Day and Nagasaki Day three days afterwards. There was also the annual Fast at the Ministry of Defence to remember the victims.
As Christians, we believe that all lives are created by God, and are precious. That is why we mourn those who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and we pray for those who find these commemorations difficult. We commit ourselves to continue to work and pray for a work where nuclear weapons do not exist and we pray that God will give us strength and wisdom in our work.
