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Good morning. Anniversaries of atrocities such as the Birmingham pub bombing can touch us at a deep level. Even after forty years and even if we've had no direct involvement, we can still be moved.

Maybe we remember other things that took place in our own lives all those years ago. Perhaps simply trying to imagine how it’s been for those who've been cruelly robbed of relationships, of memories or a life without pain, makes an impression on the existence we generally take for granted.

A difficult aspect of this particular tragedy has been the apparent lack of answers about exactly how or why it happened. Some families have campaigned energetically for help to discover the truth about the bombing

Maureen Mitchell, who was seriously injured aged 21 at the time, has previously spoken about how she could never forget what happened and has been drawn each year to a memorial site to lay flowers.  She’s been part of a group seeking to unite victims and survivors of such traumatic events and has even had conversations with those accused of perpetrating terrorist attacks.  Ten years ago, when asked about this approach Maureen explained, "People say, ‘how can you sit in the same room as these people?’ But it was a personal thing to me, I wanted to do it and hear their stories."

Such bravery and determination, honouring loved ones and seeking answers gives a powerful message about the best qualities of the human spirit: Those who pursue truth, engage with possible enemies and refuse to be crushed by suffering, show the world that terror and tragedy do not have the last word.

Desmond Tutu’s famous words help us to pray today: