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Good Morning! Today is the 42nd anniversary of one of those horrific multiple killings that occurred in Northern Ireland throughout the Troubles. It’s become known as the Kingsmills Massacre when ten Protestant workmen were murdered by republicans; one of a series of viscous tit-for-tat killings at the time.

At the moment Â鶹ԼÅÄ Northern Ireland is re-running a series of television programmes, looking at key historical events in the recent history of Northern Ireland, to the accompaniment of the music of the time. The programmes aren’t all about violence - sport and other significant happenings get a look in but the series is, inevitably perhaps, dominated by the Trouble with shots of politicians of various hue reacting to events scenes of armed soldiers on patrol and of rioting in the streets. But there are also pictures of long lines of grim faced mourners attending the funerals of the latest victims at the time.

And scrolling along the bottoms of the pictures, explanations of what was happening along with names, many names of people who had been killed. And I recall the pain the fear, the anger and the confusion with at times a sense of near hopelessness as we wondered if the violence would ever end.

But, watching these programmes, so much of the programmes’ content seemed very surreal, so much so that at times I felt like asking, “Did that really happen? It was, all, if even for a moment, quite hard to believe. But, yes, those things did happen; they were a background to some 30 years of my life. For many people, the scars and the anger and the perplexity remain.

Lord, we remember all whose lives have been turned upside down by violence; may they know your peace. Amen