Sir David Amess MP
This weekend, the media were full of praise for a man whose committed faith motivated him to live - and ultimately, to die, in the service of the people.
On Friday 15 October, Sir David Amess MP had been meeting constituents in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, when he was stabbed multiple times. His tragic death led to an outpouring of tributes and treasured memories.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, spoke of his shock and sadness at the loss of ‘one of the kindest’ people in politics. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called it a ‘dark and shocking day’.
The family of Sir David said their hearts are shattered and called for people to ‘set aside hatred and work towards togetherness’.
There can be a certain scepticism among Christians about the mainstream media’s treatment of their faith.
But what clearly surfaced amid the coverage of the tragedy was the strong Christian faith which Sir David cherished deeply.
Sir Keir said: ‘His Catholicism was central to his political life and he was highly respected across Parliament, within the church and in the Christian community.’
‘I was born a Catholic and I will die a Catholic,’ Sir David once declared at a parliamentary debate on education regulations and faith schools (March 2015).
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell described how the MP’s beliefs were central to who he was: ‘David Amess didn’t wear his faith on his sleeve. He wore it in his heart. That’s the best place for it. It means it runs through your very being.’
Mervyn Thomas, Founder President of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), was a long-standing friend of Sir David. Writing in Premier Christianity magazine’s blog he says:
‘David was great fun to be around. He was always cracking jokes and had a great sense of humour. David was also deeply religious. He was a devout Catholic and a God-fearing man. He was kind, compassionate and deeply caring. That came across in everything he said and did.’
As a Christian, Sir David believed that there was a bigger story – an eternal story – which meant that even after death there is more.
‘This is not the end of Sir David Amess MP,’ a statement from his family said. ‘It is the next chapter and as a family we ask everyone to support the many charities he worked with. There are so many to mention, so find one close to your hearts and help.’
This is not the end of Sir David. And this is not the end of his story.
Written by Andrew Horton, Head of Content, Jersey Road PR.
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