BBC Radio 4 2016-06-17

Good morning. The whole country has been shocked by the violent death of Jo Cox and it is very proper that this should be marked by a suspension of referendum campaigning and cancelling any planned celebrations after the Tooting bye election. It is a tragedy for our political life and a terrible sadness for Jo’s husband and two young children, whom we all think of especially at this time of grief. It is a shock which does I think, bring two things to the fore. First the violence which simmers under so much of life. We are very fortunate to live in a country that, compared to so many others, is ordered and civilized. For the most part we go about our business feeling safe. This is the first sitting M.P. to be murdered since Ian Gow was assassinated in 1990. Nevertheless there are bitter resentments and personal feuds in many of us, daily pressures and frustrations, as well as sporting and political passions which arouse us. Sadly too there are disturbed minds and disordered emotions , which can erupt in a terrifying way, as for example in the recent violence of some football fans.

The second aspect of this tragedy is the way it highlights the public vulnerability of those who stand for election. In recent years politicians have been castigated, very often unfairly. But the fact is that most of them are hard working, dedicated people. It is interesting how often when a politician dies it is said of them, they were a very hard working constituency MP. Jo in particular had a life of service, first through Oxfam and then as a member of parliament. She was not only respected but much loved by all who knew her, as the tributes bring out so strongly But the very fact that someone stands for election, and then stands up for various causes, some of them unpopular, can bring them an extraordinary amount of abuse, especially now of course with the plethora of social media. It is not pleasant, can be very hurtful and now in the case of Jo Cox has taken extreme form.

We need the law, we need the police and security services to maintain a minimum order for civilised life to function at all. But deeper than that we need to be aware of the latent violence that is under the surface in so many situations. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said
You have heard that our forefathers were told, “Do not commit murder; anyone who commits murder must be brought to justice. But what I tell you is this: anyone who nurses anger against his brother must be brought to justice. Whoever calls his brother “good for nothing”” deserves the sentence of the court.” Strong words. Jo Cox’s husband has urged people to "fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous". And where we have to begin, as Jesus stressed, is by dealing with what might be inside us.