A comment from Mark about the Silent Minute:

The Silent Minute started in 1940 by Major Wellesley Tudor-Pole OBE. During The Blitz he asked people to devote one minute of prayer for peace at 9pm each evening. He said:

“There is no power on earth that can withstand the united cooperation on spiritual levels of men and women of goodwill everywhere. It is for this reason that the continued and widespread observance of the Silent Minute is of such vital importance in the interest of human welfare.”

Tudor-Pole went to the King and Prime Minister with his request and won both their support.

To emphasise the power of the Silent Minute, in 1945 a British intelligence officer was interrogating a high Nazi official. He asked him why he thought Germany lost the war. His reply was, “During the war, you had a secret weapon for which we could find no counter measure, which we did not understand, but it was very powerful. It was associated with the striking of the Big Ben each evening. I believe you called it the ‘Silent Minute’”.

The Silent Minute was later revived by Dorothy Forster following the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and the commencement of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What about now?

With the fallout from Brexit seemingly reaching new heights daily, once again it feels as if we are facing a crisis in our nation at this time. Whilst we will have different views and political allegiances, we hopefully hold the same concerns about the divisions in our nation at this time and the need for reconciliation.

So I encourage you to revive the Silent Minute and to commit to pray for one minute or more every day.

How can I get involved?

• Commit to pray for one minute each day. As a church we’re recommending we pray at 9pm, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, but if another time is better for you, pray whenever you can and for as long as you are able.
• Set an alarm. If it helps, set an alarm on your phone for the same time each day to remind you to pray.
• Pray for… our political leaders, the government and for our nation (to help, here is a simple prayer for our nation from the Church of England).

So I pass on this encouragement to pray, recognising that wherever we are and whenever we pray, let us be people who are united in prayer.

Every blessing.

Mark

Vicar, St Stephen’s Church Tonbridge