In recent days the news of disturbances in Egypt has dominated the headlines. Whether or not disturbance is the right word for the carnage on the streets of Cairo I am not sure, for hundreds have been killed and thousands more have been injured as troops moved in against civilians.

Here is not the place to pass judgement as to the cause of this civil unrest for that is a complex political argument that has yet to be resolved. We can reflect however on the effects of the troubles on those innocent bystanders caught up in this wave of fury, and to do so on one group in particular, the Christians of the ancient Coptic tradition.

They represent a significant minority in Egypt and can trace their roots back to the very earliest years of the Church. It is their church buildings, businesses and homes that have been targeted recently in a wave of sectarian strife. The damage caused by some can so easily lead to the castigation of many for over many years Moslems and Christians have lived peacefully with each other, respecting their individual traditions, and still do.
The Christian West owes so much to this early foundation of faith in Egypt. The Church of Alexandria is one of the original four Apostolic Sees of Christianity, alongside Rome, Antioch, and Jerusalem. It is said that the Church in Alexandria was founded by Mark the Evangelist around AD42 and it is from Egypt, through the Desert Fathers, that the monastic tradition grew, later to be developed in such a powerful way by Benedict, now recognised as the patron of Europe.
In this time of stress, we owe our Coptic sisters and brothers our concern and our prayers as we do all the peoples of Egypt. A Coptic friend once pointed out to me that Egypt was after all the only country outside Judea that the Lord visited as a tourist whilst on Earth. May peace soon return to a troubled land.