Thought For The Day – Tuesday 8th July 2025
True Responsibility, Resilience and Respect
We are so we very blessed to have a precious life today to make a positive difference with.
Quite simply, we owe it to others to be good and to do good
Yesterday, on the 20th anniversary of the London Attacks of the 7th July 2005, a National Commemoration Service was held at Saint Paul’s Cathedral.
The families of the victims attended, as well as the injured and survivors, and the emergency services and first responders of that day.
Some were missing a family member from this life, as they had been for twenty years.
Others, and so many, had other daily scars and trauma, whether they and that be visible or invisible.
“It is still a very painful experience. and whenever I think about it, it is incredibly real and as if it is happening again. But you grow and you learn what is important to your life”, said survivor Michael Henning in a news report yesterday.
“I feel that in all stages of life, the loss and the pain changes. For me, in some ways, I lost a little more every year”, said Jill Foukles, speaking at a service at the Memorial to the Victims of the 7th July 2005 in Hyde Park, attended by the Prince of Wales. Jill’s husband, David, was killed on the 7th July 2005.
We very deeply pray for healing, harmony and love in this life and the next.
The service at Saint Paul’s Cathedral yesterday involved all faiths. It represented the whole community coming together in support and remembrance. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London and former Prime Ministers Theresa May and Tony Blair were amongst those in attendance at the service. “The service was what all memorials aspire to be: powerful, moving; sad; and uplifting”, said Sky News’ journalist Martin Brunt yesterday. He reported on the attacks then, and was himself on the public transport system in London at the time.
Terrorism is evil, illegal, hateful, immoral and cowardly. All religions, all peoples and humanity are against terrorism.
In a particularly poignant moment of yesterday’s service, the names of all killed on 7th July 2005 were read out. Each and every name a beautiful, precious and sacred life, with a story and a family. Each with a legacy of love and inspiration.
The readers were: Saba Edwards, whose mother Behnaz Mozakka was one of the victims; and Thelma Stober, who was injured by the attacks when Thelma was thrown underneath a train.
Saba read out the names of those killed on the Piccadilly Line service between King’s Cross and Russell Square.
Thelma read out the names of those killed: on the Circle Line train between Liverpool Street and Aldgate; at Edgware Road and on a bus at Tavistock Square.
In the service, four candles were lit representing the four places where 52 people lost their lives.
As the names of the victims were so beautifully and so correctly read out by Saba and Thelma, 52,000 white petals, for the 52 victims, fluttered down from the ceiling and dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.
As detailed in the moving extract from the service below, Saba and Thelma read the names out so perfectly, including, so emotionally, Saba of her mum.
This is true responsibility, resilience and respect: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cvgw1d17nl3o
