We came together last Sunday to remember and pay tribute to British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.

As always, it was a respectful but sombre occasion.

All the more so this year for we have been so aware that actually our world is very much not at peace.

Wars are currently taking place around the globe with, for us, perhaps the most obvious frightening examples of Israel and Palestine and the on-going major conflict here in Europe between Russia and Ukraine. But there are also civil wars in Syria and Sudan, active conflicts in Yemen, Myanmar, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Even without full on war, the rise in violence is huge and disturbing. As we stood and prayed, I was aware that only a few days ago the USA declared an end to their nuclear test ban and defence spending in Europe is hugely on the rise. And we are constantly reminded of the huge disquiet in democracies around the globe and of random acts of apparently senseless attacks on peaceful citizens going about their normal business.

It seems it has become so very, very hard for many to turn the other cheek, to accept that everything cannot always go completely right. Now blame is our national and the international currency.

I believe that our society and others around the world have become more fractious due to a combination of political extremism, huge economic inequality and the destabilising effects of cynically manipulated digital technology.

It has led to a decline of trust in traditional institutions and a sense of fragmentation. This has amplified divisions and eroded social cohesion. I make no apology for pointing this out. At home and abroad political polarisation is increasingly driven by emotional and identity-based divisions rather than a simple disagreement on policy.

While I was proudly reflecting on the sacrifice and bravery of those who put themselves in harm’s way so that others might thrive, I could but wonder what many of those involved would make of today’s world. Would they, I wonder, now feel that much of what they hoped for had not survived and that some of it had been very much in vain?

Here in Monmouthshire my colleagues and I work hard to support communities and to bring people together. We try to reduce and eliminate discord. We do not always succeed, but that is one battle worth fighting for.