The Archbishop of York has described the response of people to his week-long fast and vigil for peace as "breathtaking".
In an interview conducted in York Minster on Tuesday 26th August the Archbishop reflected on the number of people who had joined him to pray, including those without faith, who did so in order to “show solidarity” for the world to be at peace.
Dr John Sentamu started his vigil of "Hope and Trust for the Peace of the World" on Sunday at 0600 and is praying on the hour, every hour from 6am to 6pm until Sunday the 31st of August.
The Archbishop says he has been joined by people from all over the world, including 30 tourists from the Ukraine who took part in prayers through their interpreter. The Archbishop said: "We live in a global village, everybody's my neighbour. It's my duty and all our duties to see one another as created in God's image and likeness and therefore of infinite worth, which means that every life matters."
The Archbishop also reflected on the importance of prayer as a response to global events and crises, quoting Jim Wallis: “Hope means believing in spite of the evidence and watching the evidence change. That is what prayer is about.”
He has also called on the United Nations Security Council to act to create a safe haven for those who are being persecuted. He commends the Government for providing humanitarian aid but says we need to open our doors to those who are "genuinely looking for asylum."
Listen to the Archbishop's interview here.