Belfast: ‘Old wounds opened again’

The atmosphere in Belfast is “tense, weary and deeply unsettled” – and also contains challenges for evangelicals, a church minister says.

Speaking in the wake of disturbances following a vicious stabbing attack in the city, Andrew Irwin told en of the situation in the city and some of the underlying tensions and issues.

“There is real grief and concern over the original incident. Yet what has unfolded since is confusing because there is a growing fear of how quickly that grief has been pulled into something darker, with anger, intimidation, racism and violence spilling onto the streets,” he said.

“In many parts of the city where hope is lacking, and people are tired now, there is a deeper sense of exhaustion too, as if old wounds in the city have been opened again in a new and painful way and no one is quite sure what to do.”

Irwin, who is ministry lead of St Paul & St Barnabas Church, said there was a “tension between speaking truth against the perils and evils of our age while also being contextually aware: we can say plainly that violence, racism and intimidation are evil, while also listening carefully to the fear, anger and frustration that many working-class communities are carrying, which remain valid”.

He added: “This is about the gospel and its outworking in contexts like ours. This concerns truth, neighbour-love, sin, and hope – but it is also a challenge to evangelicalism across the UK, which I might contend is quite middle-class and absent from communities of great need and stretched resources.”