A vigil for the people in war-torn Afghanistan was held in Welwyn village on Saturday.

People gathered in St Mary's churchyard with lit candles and prayed for relief from the humanitarian crisis caused by the Taliban taking control of Kabul.

The event was organised as a response to the feelings of shock, powerlessness and hopelessness among the residents of the village.

As well as lighting candles and offering up prayers of comfort, villagers had been thinking of ways that they could show solidarity and empathy to the dispossessed.

They prayed for God to bless them with discomfort at easy answers and half-truths so they can live a life of truth, with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, in order that they might reach out to comfort them and turn their pain to joy.

Finally, they asked God to bless them with enough foolishness to believe that they can make a difference in the world, so they can do what others claim cannot be done: to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.