In a merging of the old and new, the Church of England is using the social media to call upon Christians worldwide to pray for London and other cities affected by several days of rioting.

The Church has issued a special prayer, which reads:

Gracious God,
We pray for peace in our communities this day.
We commit to you all who work for peace and an end to tensions,
And those who work to uphold law and justice.
We pray for an end to fear,
For comfort and support to those who suffer.
For calm in our streets and cities,
That people may go about their lives in safety and peace.
In your mercy, hear our prayers,
now and always.
Amen

The prayer is being widely distributed via Twitter and Facebook, as well as many church websites.