Service of Hope

Good morning and welcome to Westminster Abbey.

Today thousands will gather today inside in solidarity, to spread a

message of hope in response to the terror attacks which took place just

two weeks ago. This morning, as you can see, life

continues as normal on Westminster Bridge but it is forever scarred. In

the heart of London you can see the three iconic landmarks. The Palace

of Westminster, Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey. All united in

a nation's grief. I watched this morning as many stopped at the lamp

posts still on Westminster Bridge, covered in floral tributes and

today's an opportunity for all of us to stop, to remember and to pay

tribute to the lives of those which were lost. And lives which will

never be the same after that fateful afternoon.

Inside the Abbey today are some of the injured and the families

of those so tragically killed just two weeks ago.

We are also joined by the men you and women of the emergency services

who ran to treat those injured. Many who ran from the hospital and across

bridge -- across Westminster Bridge. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

and Prince Harry will be arriving short lane the abbey also home --

shortly and the Abbey also home today to a number of Members of

Parliament who have made the short walk from the Palace of Westminster.

For many of those who are here today, this is where they came a

fortnight ago. The Abbey, as it has been, at many points in its history

came a place of refuge as the cordon came down around Westminster. Some

of those have come here today to mourn. Some to contemplate. And many

as well, acknowledged the response to the attack. But all are here, I

think it is safe to say, all gathered today in this special

place, as a show of defiance and a show of hope. That's the hope that

says that those who attack our freedom, our democracy, our values,

will not break our spirits. That attack on Westminster Bridge lasted

just 82 seconds. In those brief moments

of violence, an estimated 50 people were injured and five

lives were extinguished. The following film

is 82 seconds long. It still feels so raw, doesn't it

Kurt Cochran died on that day. Kurt Cochran's nephew said

he was one of the happiest His family have been struck by the

reaction around this country and the shall world. Of his family are in

the Abbey today including his wife. Aysha Frade was on her way to

collect her children from school. Her husband John has said his life

was completely fallen apart. John is here today, alongside their two

daughters. Leslie Rhodes' neighbour, Christine Carney, she was told by

nurses at his bedside at King's College Hospital to say goodbye as

they were switching off his life support machine.

She played his favourite song by Queen,

PC Keith Palmer's family said Keith will be remembered

as a wonderful dad and husband, a loving son, brother and uncle.

The Palmers are also in the Abbey with 16 members of the family,

including his wife Michelle. This might be a national occasion but for

the families, this is the first time they'll all be together in the same

place and theirs is a shared grief. I don't know about you, but I

remember following what happened on social media on that day and then

subsequently on radio and television, desperate for details.

Checking with those I knew who were in London, thought might be in

London, hoping and praying that everyone was OK. Many were doing the

same, as I'm sure the Mayor of London was. And he is alongside

Sonali Shah. Sadiq Khan, as Mayor of London, the

threat of something like this must have always been in the back of your

mind. Where were you when you heard what was happening and what were

your initial thoughts? I was a the City Hall. The threat will he for a

while has been severe. Which means an attack is highly likely. The

previous Commissioner had a mantra - when there is an attack, not if, so

we prepare and plan for these things and have practised them and hope

aprayed we never had to implement all the things we had planned and

prepared for. What is important is we as a city have shown our

resilience. This service today is one of hope, we are not going to be

cowed by terrorists. What was pleasing with a was the emergency

services running towards danger, showing the very best of humanity

and London. We saw the very best of London in the vigil you organised

the next day, did you feel the city needed that? Our city is very

diverse. The victims of the attack were from all corners of the world.

Many people were confused and weren't sure what to do to show

solidarity. We thought Londoners and visitors, the best way to show

solidarity, to come together, to say we are not going to be cowed by

terrorists, we will not allow you to destroy our shared values and shared

way of life. And it was important for the rest of the world to see the

very best of our city. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, thank you very

much. Sadiq Khan will take his place in a

receiving line alongside Craig Mackey, the Assistant Commissioner

of the Metropolitan Police. He was also a key witness to events that

day, yards away from PC Keith Palmer when he was stabbed.

You can see a collection of multi-faith leaders from across the

country, being processed through the Abbey. They'll be taking part in the

service a little bit later on. Including the likes of Rabbi David

Mason. And Lord Singh of Wimbledon from the Sikh community. And Rabbi

Baroness Neuberger. In the days following the attack #WeAreNotAfraid

and #We Stand Together were shared. And

I'm sure you saw the women from all different backgrounds holding hands

on Westminster Bridge, showing solidarity and condemning the crime.

It's been an incident which has brought many together and as we look

at these multi-faith leaders taking their seats in the Abbey, this

morning many of them will be leading prayers in front of the congregation

later. It wasn't just in London, either. There were vigils held in

Leeds, in Birmingham, in Manchester. Oxford. Leicester, Sheffield,

Bradford and Swansea. A book of condolence was also opened at

Belfast City Hall. And in Edinburgh, the flags were at half-mast.

Those events of two weeks ago still very fresh in the memories of the

families who are here today and in ours as well, as we watch.

Westminster Abbey, so close to where those events took place.

Over the course of the last two weeks or so, many have talked about

and paid tribute to the response of the emergency services. Many of them

are with us today. There were 68 paramedic and ambulance crews who

responded to the attack, they were supported by firefighters, police

and the air Ambulance Service. There were many heroes on that day.

Westminster Bridge is a heaving mass of people. There is often a traffic

jam of the it's full of tourists. Many of our staff use it every day.

Not just to come to work but we use it to travel between our hospital

sites. So it feels part of St Thomas'. I was at a commendation

ceremony at New Scotland Yard. It was a really good day, a really good

feel. I stayed behind to tidy up some of the chairs in the room. And

the news came on to say that there was sounds of explosions. I was

driving back from a meeting when a colleague of mine contacted me to

say that the incident was taking place. When I heard Westminster

Bridge had been attacked, I felt physically sick. My first thoughts

were to get into the control room to make sure the first responders were

there on the scene. Every hospital in the NHS needs to have a major

incident plan and I took the role to look after our patients and our

staff. We mobilise our fire rescue units. We had around about 50 people

attend the scene. . It became apparent that a police officer had

lost their life. I knew then that that was something that I couldn't -

it is not that I couldn't deal with it, but I had to put that emotion to

one side. I've spoken to a few people since and apologised because

I never mentioned Keith, I never said that I knew that Keith had

passed away. A number of our staff, they ran on to the bridge without

any thought of whether it was safe to do so because it happened to

quickly. They had no idea what they were going into. You know the

responses of people is amazing, isn't it? Whether you are a member

of London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, you are a police

officer, everyone runs towards that. There are lots of members of the

public as well. So, those are times when you see London at its worst and

London at its best at the same time. It has different impacts on

individuals. I know some of our staff haven't had the courage to

walk across the bridge yet. I don't think the dust is going to settle

here for a very long time. I think this will live with people for

years. Some people will always live with it.

The memorial is vital to enable everybody to come together to spend

some time to reflect on what occurred. Events such as these, the

starting of the healing process. Dame Eileen Sills, who we have just

seen, is part of the congregation in Westminster Abbey today. Her

colleagues are here from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, one of the five

hospitals which took in patients on the day. She is here not just with

the medical staff but also the backroom staff who run the

switchboards. They took hundreds of calls in the days after the attack.

Those calls came in from all over the world, from people looking for

information about their loved ones. We mentioned that there are over 400

members of the emergency services in the Abbey today. Two of them are

with Sonali. I am with Tom George and Doctor Fenella Wrigley. We have

just been hearing about the hard-working hospital staff in the

days after the attack. How have you and your team's been preparing for

something like this, preparing to work together with other emergency

services? For a number of years, working really closely with the

police and London Ambulance Service so that when an event like this is

unfortunately happens, everything comes together, we knew the

relationships and how the teams worked and we came together like

clockwork if you like. So many eyewitness accounts that every

injured person had members of the public with them who stayed on the

scene to help out. So you also worked with the public, didn't you?

We did, we worked with our stakeholders, the public and

London's air ambulance who deployed a team to assist our crews. We would

like to pay tribute to the families and friends of everyone who was

injured and died in the incident. That is what today is about. How

important is it to also thank those who responded to the incident?

Absolutely. It was an absolute tragedy what happens two weeks ago.

As the mayor said, London is very much open for business and you can

see that on the streets. It is very proper that we respect the family

and friends of the loved ones who died in the way that we are doing

this morning. Thank you. Lovely to hear from them. If you are

just joining us, we are broadcasting a special service of hope from

Westminster Abbey following the terror attack of two weeks ago. On

that day, millions around the world followed the news as it unfolded. It

was a daylight any other day, really. The bridge was packed with

tourists, school parties, people going about their daily lives. There

was one message to St Thomas' Hospital, the hospital at the end of

Westminster Bridge. It read, the term forces sweetheart was first

used by British Tommies in World War I, referring to the nurses who

tended to the wounded soldiers. The message went on to say, Londoners

know who their sweethearts are, the doctors and nurses who ran to help

people on Westminster Bridge. Chief Superintendent John Sutherland wrote

of the police that They are the headlong

rush of blues and twos. The first to the scene.

The first to the chase. The first to confront.

The first to protect. And, sometimes, they pay

the greatest price of all." The family of PC Keith Palmer know

the truth only too well. There has been a renewed appreciation of

officers on the front line in recent weeks. In Newport, there was an

anonymous card left by a stranger on the bonnet of a police car, with

flowers and chocolates attached to it, and a note written inside,

simply saying, thank you. Police constable Keith Palmer was

killed protecting parliament that they two weeks ago. MP James

Cleverly spoke in the House of Commons the next day. With your

indulgence, sir, I would like to turn for a moment to PC Keith Palmer

who I first met 25 years ago as Gunnar Keith Palmer. A member of the

Royal Artillery. He was a strong, professional public servant. And it

was a delight to meet him here again only a few months after being

elected. Would my right honourable friend the Prime Minister, in

recognition of the work that he did, and the other police officers and

public servants here in the house do, consider recognising his

gallantry and sacrifice formally with posthumous recognition?

James Key cleverly knew PC Palmer well. -- James Cleverly. He will

have known he was a season ticket holder at Charlton Athletic and last

night the club had a minute's silence in his memory, with 22 of PC

Palmer's colleagues alongside the pitch. All the player match fees

will be donated to the Palmer surnamed family. Also here in the

Abbey today is be Leader of the House of Commons, who is with

Sonali. David Lidington, as Leader of the House of Commons, you had to

address the lockdown chamber and keep everyone informed. Describe the

scene for us. Initially there was inevitably some confusion. We heard

a loud crash, the car going into the wall. I thought it was a road

accident. Then we got reports of people running and shots being

fired. The news came through within a few minutes. The Deputy Speaker

and I decided that the best way forward would be for me as leader to

say, look, this is the limited information the police have said

they are willing to put to the public at the moment, this is

serious we have to remain in lockdown. People responded calmly

and they knew the gravity of the situation. PC Keith Palmer would

have been so well known around the House of Commons. Yes. He was one of

the regulars. Not just at the gate, or on duty at the rear entrance to

the chamber itself, behind Mr Speaker's chair. He was a familiar

and friendly face to an awful lot of us. That sense of initial shock was

very quickly overtaken by a sense of horror and then just after heartfelt

sympathy for his family and also the families of the other people who had

lost their lives. David Lidington, thank you for talking to us.

The Leader of the Commons made that speech to

the House of Commons at around three o'clock on that Wednesday afternoon

two weeks ago. Over the course of those hours, that afternoon,

thousands of messages appeared on social media. An outpouring of unity

and solidarity, and hope as well, which is the whole purpose of

today's's service at the Abbey. Ben O'Sullivan from Cardiff tweeted, we

will not be broken, we will not be cowed, you shall not destroy our

democracy, we are all Londoners today. David Cobb reform London also

tweeted, my city, our city, the world's city, we stand together, we

stand tall, we will prevail. On the day the Prime Minister

Theresa May was whisked away from the Palace of Westminster, just

moments after the attack. It was in a press conference later, held

outside Number Ten, that she said, the location of this attack was no

accident. The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital

city, said the Prime Minister. Where people of all nationalities,

religions and cultures come together and celebrate the values of liberty,

democracy and freedom of speech. The Prime Minister is unable to be

here today, she is in Saudi Arabia. The Home Secretary Amber Rudd will

be giving a reading later as part of the service.

And someone else taking part in the service later is also alongside

Sonali. Commander Mak Chishty will be reading a prayer later in the

service. What is your assessment of the way the public has reacted in

the two weeks after the attack? I think we have had a tremendous

response. At a time when people are confused, dazed, hurting, we have

seen people coming together strongly to show that we are united, and send

a strong message of community cohesion and unification. London is

often described in the way you have just described it, tolerant, open

and diverse. But something like that can change people, it can make

people worried. Where do you see hope and optimism? The whole purpose

of terrorism is to shock communities, to disrupt and divide

them. London's difference has been a strength. We have stood together and

it is occasioned like this when you get inspiration and hope, and I am

certainly hopeful for the future. Prayers for those who have been

injured and lost their lives, but ultimately dressing for the future

to keep us safe and well. We have seen a lot of public displays of

defiance. The public have come out, they have genuinely been hurting and

grieving together, it has been authentic and genuine. People have

seen that, we have been hurt together but we are also going to be

spirited together, and today is about showing unity. And you feel

that London will remain united? I have no doubt about that. This time

around, there has been a slight increase in hate crime for a couple

of days, but it shows a tribute to our community and country that we

will not let terrorism divide us. Commander Mak Chishty, thank you.

We will see him later leading the congregation at Westminster Abbey in

prayer. The Abbey has thought long and hard about how to produce

today's service, with the message centrally of hope and humanity. At

its heart, it will feature an act of commitment, where everyone in the

congregation will have a lighted candle. The Dean, Doctor Johnson

Maule, who will lead the service, will read a verse from John's

gospel, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not

overcome it. And the central three foot candle you can see in the

lantern is already burning. The light will be taken from there,

passed on first to the Duke of Cambridge, and then shared,

person-to-person, right across the congregation.

Paying their respects today are ambassadors from some of those

countries affected by the attack. In fact, 200 representatives, we have

been told, from the diplomatic corps, in the Abbey today. Including

High Commissioners, ambassadors and various other members of staff as

well. It's worth remembering, a point that has been made on numerous

occasions, that people from 11 different countries were either

killed or injured on Westminster Bridge two weeks ago. China,

Romania, France, South Korea, Greece, Germany, Poland, Ireland,

Italy and the United States. All of those countries are represented here

today. As French president Francois

Hollande on the day of the attack said, France, which has been struck

so hard lately, knows what the British people are suffering today.

And the Eiffel Tower was switched off, the lights there turned down

out of respect to the victims of the attack. Also in Germany, the

Chancellor Angela Merkel said her thoughts were with the British

friends and all the people of London.

And in further solidarity, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate was lit up in the

colours of the Union Flag. And in Germany, a minute's silence was held

on the steps of their parliament. And in Spain too, the home of a

charade, at least 100 people attended a memorial to commemorate

her. -- the home of Aysha Frade. The Spanish flag was flown at half-mast

and three days of mourning was announced.

And we see now outside Westminster Abbey, the arrival of the royal

party. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are here alongside Prince

Harry. Meeting the Dean, Dr John Hall and

one of his first duties this morning, the Duke of Cambridge, will

be to lay a wreath at the innocent victims memorial.

Prince William visited St Thomas' Hospital to

speak with those who had responded to the

Palmer's honour at the foot of a traditional

blue police lamp at the National Memorial

He left a handwritten note which read:

"For PC Keith Palmer and all those who have served our community

so valiantly, your legacy is our way of life."

The Innocent Victims' Memoerial has been outside the Great West Door of

Westminster Abbey since 1996. It is there to remember civilians, men,

women and children, who suffered death and torture and oppression

throughout the world. Dr John Hall just telling the royal

party they will now be led inside the Abbey, where they will take

their seats with the rest of the congregation. Prince Harry was at

this same memorial last year. He laid a wreath here to mark those

killed in the terror attack in Tunisia in 2015. And the Dutchest of

Cambridge, too, was speaking at a charity event, the day after the

attack two weeks ago. She opened her remarks there by saying, "I know you

want it join -- to join me by sending your thoughts and prayers to

those affected by the terrible attack in Westminster." As they come

through those Great West Doors, they will be introduced to the

presentation party, which includes The Reverend Anthony Ball, the

Canyon Steward, the Receiver General and the Mayor of London who we've

spoken to already, Sadiq Khan. And the acting met Police Commissioner,

Craig Mackey is there, he, of course a significant witness in the ongoing

investigation. He was just yards away from PC Palmer. Yards away from

PC Palmer when he was stabbed, protecting Parliament.

The violent assault two weeks ago against Londoners and visitors

to this city from around the world, and the killing of a police

constable on duty at the Palace of Westminster, have

Today we remember in particular those who lost their lives.

Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes, Keith Palmer,

their families and friends, and all those who were injured.

We commend them to the care and keeping of Almighty God.

We give thanks for the vigilance and dedication of the police

and security services, and we pray for them in their vital

work of keeping our communities and nations safe from terror and random

We pray today for the communities

of our United Kingdom, so rich in their diversity,

that we may all celebrate what each contributes and that we may live

At a time of sorrow, a time when we are tempted

The special service choir and congregation will now sing our first

team. # In simple trust

like theirs who heard # Where Jesus knelt

to share with thee # Take from our souls

the strain and stress # Breathe through the

heats of our desire # Let sense be dumb,

let flesh retire # Speak through the

earthquake, wind, and fire Now the Home Secretary will bring a

message of hope out of suffering from the book of Jeremiah.

A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.

She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.

Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears,

They shall come back from the land of the enemy,

Your children shall come back to their own country.

# Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord

# O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint

# If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss

# I look for the Lord, my soul doth wait for him.

# Before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch

# O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy

# And with him is plenteous redemption

# And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins

# Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the holy ghost

# As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be

Wanting to justify himself, a lawyer asked Jesus,

Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,

and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went

Now by chance a priest was going down that road,

and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him,

But a Samaritan while travelling came near him, and when he saw him,

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured

Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn,

The next day he took out two denarii,

gave them to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him,

and when I come back, I will repay you whatever

Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell

He said, "The one who showed him mercy."

Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

The choir will now sing a song of the new Jerusalem from Revelation

chapter 20 one. CHOIR SINGS: A Song

of the New Jerusalem The Dean of Westminster will now

address the congregation. In the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. No man is an island entire of

itself, wrote John Donne, in 1624. Any man's death diminishes me

because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for

whom the Bell tolls. It tolls for thee. So we are all affected by the

attack a fortnight ago on Westminster Bridge, and at the gates

of the Palace of Westminster, and we are all left bewildered and

disturbed. But our sense of loss and diminishment is pale by comparison

with that of the families of those who died. Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran,

Leslie Rhodes on the bridge. And police constable Keith Palmer on

duty at the gates of Parliament. And all those who were injured. Our

hearts go out to them in sympathy and prayer and love. Anyone who has

walked on Westminster Bridge or in Parliament Square in recent days has

seen bunches of flowers in row upon row in the square, and tied to the

lamp posts on the bridge. Candles have been lit and messages left.

Messages of love and support. Messages too of determination and

defiance in the face of evil and terror. Messages from younger and

older people, friends and former colleagues of those who were killed.

And simple statements of courage. We are not afraid. And we stand

together. In his devotions on emergent

occasions, John Donne, a poet and Dean of St Paul's Cathedral,

stressed that our companionship, our mutual involvement and dependency is

not within our own nation alone. He mentioned Europe as a whole, but

today we would recognise our common citizenship more widely. London is a

world city. With visitors from every country on the planet and residents

drawn from 270 nationalities, and speaking 300 languages. Those killed

and injured included Londoners, but also people from the United States

of America, from Romania, France, South Korea, Italy, China,

Australia, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Poland and Ireland. What

happened a fortnight ago leaves us bewildered. What could possibly

motivate a man to hire a car and take it from Birmingham to Brighton

to London and then drive it fast at people he had never met, couldn't

possibly know, against whom he had no personal grudge, no reason to

hate them, and then run at the gates of the Palace of Westminster to

cause another death? It seems likely that we shall never know. No doubt,

it was an imitation of the attacks in nice -- Nice Anne Boleyn, but

what on earth did he hope to achieve? -- Nice and Berlin. Such

random acts of aggression are nothing new. We are reminded of the

death of these earlier -- Fusilier Lee Rigby, the bomb attacks on the

Underground and the London buses in 2005, and so much more here in

earlier terror campaigns. And we are conscious of the determined and

committed protection offered by the police and security services. Even

so, every act of aggression leaves us disturbed and, somehow,

diminished. Our first lesson reminded us of the

suffering of the people of Judea. It referred to being sacked. They were

taken into exile it Babylon itself, about 50 miles or so of modern

Baghdad. The psalm tells us how they felt, by the waters of Babylon, we

sat down and wept, when we remembered you, owe jerds. - other

Jerusalem. They are suffering lasted and is reflected in the suffering of

those in Iraq and Syria in our own day of the millions of people

dispossessed and living in poverty and fear in refugee camps or in

their own homes, but deprived of everything we're accustomed to rely

on for our own health and welfare. We weep for the violence. For the

hatred. For the loss of life. For all that divides and spoils our

world. It was not meant to be like this. It should not be like this.

Violence and hatred are not the answer. The best-known story Jesus

told, the parabole of the good samaritan has a message for us. At

first sight it seems quite simple - a man has been mugged and left half

dead by the roadside. Two people hurry past, leaving him to find for

himself. Not apparently caring about him at all. One man, by contrast,

stops. And does whatever he can, in first aid, pouring on oil and wine

to cleanse the man's wounds. And then bandaging him. He takes him to

an inn and looked after him until the next day. Then he pays the inn

keeper to care for him, promising to come back and cover the cost of any

further help. That's all good in itself but the man who cares for the

one who has been mugged is not of the same faith or nationality as

him. In fact, the two communities, the dues and the samaritans have

been enemies for centuries and despise and indeed hate one another.

That enmity is o no bar to the samaritan doing a good deed for the

Jew. Jesus praises the good samaritan. There is another twist to

Jesus' story. The people who should have been the first responders. The

ones who walked past quickly were of the same faith and nationality of

the injured man. But they did nothing. They were bound by their

religious duties not to touch a dead body and they feared the man was

dead. Jesus condemns them. Condemns them for their lack of comoon

decency. They've failed the test of compassion and love, the test of

mercy, which Jesus rates far more highly than adherence to narrow

religious conventions. In this and in other ways, during his ministry

on Earth, Jesus leads us to leap over the barriers that divide us,

whatever they are. And to reach out in brotherly and sisterly love to

those of other faiths and nationalities. We have called this a

Service of Hope and despite the horror of a random killing and

hatred shown two weeks ago today, there is much for which we can be

thankful. And much to offer us hope. The day after the Westminster

attacks, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and other faith leaders condemned

the violence and together stated that such aggressive and destructive

acts, against innocent victims, were no part of Islam or any of the world

faiths. Later a great concourse of people gathered at Trafalgar Square

to witness a quiet demonstration of solidarity between the faith

communities that make up our city and nation. The next day the

archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster stood with the chief

Rabbi and leading Shia and Sunni clerics just outside the Abbey, to

demonstrate the mutual respect of the three Abrahamic faiths and their

solidarity as leaders and four days later, 100 women, most of them

Muslim, formed a human chain on Westminster Bridge. We Stand

Together. Just as in this service the world faiths are represented and

will pray together. Above all, for the gift of hope. In a few moments

we shall light candles and make an Act of Commitment. Our prayer and

commitment is to live together peacefully and respectfully, rich in

our diversity and to sing together in harmony.

Cellist Natalie Clein is in the nave and will play Song of the Birds.

MUSIC: Song of the Birds performed by Natalie Clein.

This is now the moment of togetherness, celebrated by

candlelight. # I will lift up mine

eyes unto the hills # My help cometh even from the Lord,

who hath made heaven and earth # He will not suffer

thy foot to be moved # And he that keepeth

thee will not sleep # Behold, he that keepeth Israel

shall neither slumber nor sleep # The Lord is thy defence

upon thy right hand # So that the sun shall

not burn thee by day # The Lord shall preserve

thee from all evil # Yea, it is even he that

shall keep thy soul # The Lord shall preserve thy

going out and thy coming in # From this time

forth for evermore. # # As it was in the beginning, as now

and ever shall be. The light shines in

the darkness, and the darkness O God, who through the mighty

resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ has delivered us

from the power of darkness and brought us into

the light of your kingdom. Grant that as he was raised

from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk

in newness of life and seek those things that are above,

where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, world without end. Together let us affirm

our shared humanity and our resolve to bring light

and life to all. In the name of Almighty God,

our creator, redeemer, and sustainer, and in remembrance

of those who have died or been injured, let us pray for the gifts

of healing and peace. In the name of God, The Most

Gracious, The Most Merciful. O God, we raise our

hands in prayer today. We ask you for your mercy and your

blessing at and on this gathering. We ask you to bless the souls

of those innocent people who lost their lives

in the terrorist We ask you to grant peace,

comfort and patience to their grieving families,

friends and loved ones We ask you to keep our city

and country safe and secure always. And we ask you to safeguard

and strengthen the bonds of unity and friendship between our diverse

communities, and to protect us from the forces of

division and hatred always. Grant us peace,

goodness, and blessing. Life, grace and kindness.

Justice and mercy. Source of our life,

bless us all together with the light of your presence,

for in the light of your presence, you give us, our Living God,

law and life, love and kindness, justice and mercy,

blessing and peace. And in your eyes, it is good

to bless all your people Blessed are you, God,

blessing your peoples with peace. People are either your brothers in

faith or similar to you in humanity. We are constantly reminded

in the Islamic teachings of the Prophet and the Imams

that the best of Muslims is one who utters beautiful words,

who does virtuous deeds, who gives to the poor,

who helps the needy, First God Almighty created the

light, and all beings. So who is good and who is bad? O people and

siblings of destiny, do not wonder, deluded by doubt. The creation is in

the Creator, and the creator is in the creation. Take pervaded and

permeating all places. Be present O merciful God Almighty

and protect us so that we, while wearied by the changes and chances

of this fleeting world, may repose upon your eternal changelessness,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Lord, make us channels

of your peace. Where there is hatred

let us bring your love. Where there is injury,

your pardon, Lord. Where there is despair

in life, let us bring hope. And where there

is sadness, ever joy. Longing for God's

kingdom of justice, mercy, and peace,

let us pray as Jesus Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power,

and the glory, The congregation will now sing our

final hymn. It is a celebration of love and life.

To the Church, The Queen, the Commonwealth, and all mankind,

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain

As the royal party go through the Abbey, their Royal Highnesses will

meet the families of those killed in the attack, and some of the injured

as well. As they move through to the Jerusalem chamber, a presentation

line as they except the main body of the Abbey, meeting the likes of

Christopher Stokes, who we heard from, the Reverend Jonathan Osborne,

the chaplain for the Metropolitan Police. He has been spending an

awful lot of time with the family of PC Keith Palmer over the last two

weeks or so. He accompanied Michelle Palmer when she wanted to see where

her husband had died. And spend some time looking through the book of

condolences. At the Palace of Westminster. Also there, the

reverend rose Hudson Wilkin, who has also been incredibly busy as the

chaplain of the Speaker of the Commons. James O'Donnell, also in

that presentation line, the Abbey's organist and master of the

choristers. Today has been about remembering

those who lost their lives a fortnight ago, but also paying

tribute to those who saved others, who ran towards the trouble when

instinct tells you to run away. Chief Superintendent John Sutherland

wrote about the police officers he works with, and he concluded with

these words. There are still lives to be saved and lost folk to find,

and vulnerable people to protect, and men of violence to be faced

down. Two weeks ago, in the face of the unthinkable, we discovered and

expressed a renewed sense of appreciation for the men and women

who stand on the thin blue line. As you watch this, there are probably

still questions you want answered, the investigations will continue to

run. And there are people who still need protecting, but I hope this

service has given you the opportunity to reflect this

afternoon. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not

overcome it. From all the BBC team, goodbye from Westminster Abbey.