Glasgow Reverend, Kelvin Holdsworth, has used his Easter Day sermon to speak out against the Sri Lanka bombings, which have so far taken the lives of 207 people.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Reverend Susan Brown, has also spoken out in support of Christians in Sri Lanka. 

She added The Church of Scotland St Andrew’s congregation had gathered in the centre of Colombo for worship and heard the bombings in a nearby hotel. 

Rev. Brown said: "The minister gave people the chance to go home immediately, but most people did not leave, instead staying to worship God and to pray together for everyone touched by these dreadful acts.

“Let us all pray with and for St Andrew’s, Colombo and for all those caught up in the bombings, for those injured, for the families of those tragically killed and for the leaders of Sri Lanka to offer wisdom in their response to these terrible events."

She added: "We are tremendously sad to hear news from Sri Lanka that more than 200 people have died in bombing attacks targeted at churches and hotels.

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"That these attacks have been perpetrated on Easter Sunday, the highlight of the Christian year, is devastating to all the churches in Sri Lanka and to Christians around the world.

"The World Mission Council has tried to be in touch with the local partners there, the Presbytery of Lanka and the National Council of Churches of Sri Lanka, but has had no news back so far."

In his Easter Day sermon at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow Rev. Holdsworth said: "The answer to the world's troubles does not lie in the fire of the bombers in Sri Lanka or the bullets of the terrorists in Northern Ireland.

"Light, life and love. These are the true way of the world. Death and destruction won't win. Violence will never conquer. Death will never have the last word."

His comments on North Ireland were in relation to the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry this week.