28th January 2026

Sunday 8th February has been designated as Racial Justice Sunday.

I am dismayed that, over fifty years after Martin Luther King Jr became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (at the time), we still need to set aside time each year to explore what it means truly to love our neighbour. In recent times it seems that we have slipped back toward an earlier age with politicians and commentators using inflammatory, racist language to stir up fear and hatred. They do this without shame and with no concern for the harm their words inflict. The targets of their rhetoric might be asylum seekers, migrants or just people who happen to be black.

So how should we respond? Jesus calls on us not to tolerate or accept our neighbours but to love them, regardless of their race, colour or beliefs. This is not an easy task, it will make us stand out from many in modern British society, apparently, but the task is urgent. We could start by spending some time with the materials the Racial Justice Sunday writers’ group has put together. It is free and available on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website.

Nick Parsons