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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York

Good morning.

I've only been to the Holy Land once. I always thought there were plenty of Calvarys to visit without having to go to Jerusalem. But I'm glad I made the journey. Seeing the places where Jesus lived out his earthly ministry brought the scriptures to life. What I found most moving, however, was not the historic sites, but the living church. For this brought the present into perspective.

Jerusalem is a holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims The history of how we have dealt with one another is not a good one. Al the moment there is a kind of uneasy truce in Jerusalem itself, the fact is the Palestinian Christians in the occupied territories do face persecution, and therefore remind us all of other persecuted Christians in the world, and indeed all people who are persecuted because of their faith, belief, political and philosophical conviction.

‘Live as free people says,’ the letter of Peter and at the Lambeth Conference, a gathering of Anglican Bishops from around the world, we will be issuing a call to the world to encourage a much greater respect for the integrity of different people’s religious faith, and we will cry out to God for all those who are persecuted.

One of the world’s largest Christian communities, the Anglican Communion is, at its best, a glorious experiment in Christian charity and forbearance, living together in love, accepting difference, and showing the world another way.

Set us free, Lord. Free, to practice here on earth the welcome and hospitality that you show us in Christ. And bless the churches of the Anglican Communion this week. Bind us together. Nor for ourselves, but for the sake of your world.

Amen.