Dear friendsIt has been such a sad week for our community. We share in the outpouring of grief for the loss of two precious lives, Max and Mason, in Knowle West last weekend, and pray for their families in this devastating time. Both boys went to Knowle Park school when they were younger, and I'm pleased that members of our pastoral care team were able to support St Barnabas church when they opened for prayer - we are local people supporting local people.I'm so thankful for the Knowle West community who have come together in the face of this tragedy, primarily to show love, and also to speak up and speak out for wider justice for them all: this is a community that often feels unloved, but it is not unlovely.I wonder how you have reacted to the news? We may feel that we need to make sense of this, "this happened because ..."; we may feel angry, helpless, afraid, hopeless - these are all usual and expected responses. You may have been reminded of other experiences you have had where you have experienced shock, loss, pain, and this may also have brought strong emotions to the surface. There is often no sense to make of pain and sorrow, and sitting with these emotions and reactions, bringing our stories of pain and loss into the story of the love of God in Jesus Christ, who knows what it is to suffer, allows each of us to be held, and in time, to be healed.My prayer is that as you read these words, you may feel a sense of God's presence with you - I often say "like a gentle breath, a whisper in your ear, or a hand in the small of your back" - that reminder that we are never alone, never forgotten, never abandoned. May the Lord be with you in this moment.We gather on Sunday for worship - at 8.30am with our traditional Holy Communion service, and at 10.30am for our Sung Eucharist, with Sunday Spirit for our young people. You are invited to be part of this beautiful story.With all good wishesBecky