eyes open

Spent three days at Webber Street hanging out with the homeless this week, and wow, they were some eye opening days.

Seeing and hearing some of the stories. One guy said he couldn’t do anything to stop it. One guy blamed it on not putting any roots down. I couldn’t help but realise how lucky I was to be brought up in a stable household, to have a roof over my head, food in my stomach on a regular basis.

Then I compared the guests to Webber Street to the people in poverty stricken lands all over the world. It puts into perspective how rich this country is and how rich I am. I shouldn’t be thinking about what latest phone I should get or what latest style of clothes I want to buy but realise how much stuff I already have. I have to challenge myself continually not to be attached to this stuff and not worry about it.

Do you know how lucky you are to have the internet to look at this blog?

good samaritan

Found this video on youtube and used for a kids club this week. It’s a fun modern day verson of the parable of the good samaritan.

is ignorance so bliss?

‘Climate change isn’t happening, it’s a cycle.’

‘I don’t know the millions of people starving around the world.’

‘I need to buy cheap clothes, I don’t know who makes them.’

When we say these things, do we mean them or do we not want to change? Is it to much effort for us to care about these topics? Are we far to happy in our comfort bubble to worry about our neighbour on the other side of the world that we have to make excuses?

It’s time we took a stand and did something about the problems in the world.

‘There is no God so I don’t need to worry about it.’

Do people mean this or are they scared to do something about the truth?

Sneak Peak

Some photos of the place I’m working at on the Isle of Dogs in London…

Sick of being Still

Illness, frustrating.

Spent the last couple of days feeling very light after being very sick. Not fun.

I spent the day in bed yesterday. I hate not being able to do anything, I feel so useless.

It’s funny how we as human species need to be busy constantly, it’s almost like a drug for us. We have to continually be doing something and find it so hard to just sit and be still. So often we can say yes to so many things that we aren’t focussing properly on each individual task and giving our full attention to it, instead we are thinking about the next thing we have to do, checking our watch while trying to pay attention.

Question, do we hear God when we are rushing around?

‘Be still and know that I am God’

instant coffee

Simple joys in a person’s life can make so much difference. I have decided that a good coffee can brighten up a dull day, I may even call myself a coffee snob.

Thanks to a very good friend, I discovered a place called Monmouth near London Bridge which may serve the best coffee in London. It’s one of the highlights of my week when I can enjoy a freshly ground creamy latte from there.

I’m learning to take pleasure in these small things in life especially in the middle of a buzzing city. It’s so easy to rush around at 60 mile an hour but then you miss so much. You miss so many joys, so many opportunities to bask in God’s creation, the chance to meet many interesting people and to simply enjoy life.

You could say that moving through life so quickly would be like drinking instant coffee.

table manners

Living with so many people who have all got different timetables causes problems when you want to see each other. We try to have meals together and this is probably the best chance we get to catch up, to learn more about to each other and just relax in each other’s presence.

Our view of someone can be completely changed over a meal, we may have a professional view of someone until we eat with them and see them relax, or we may be visiting people for the first time and a meal time can show us how they operate. It’s amazing how important the kitchen table is in some households even when they aren’t used for food, they hold the key to serious discussions, doing homework with the kids, a catch up over a cup of tea or making t-shirts with your girlfriend.

Sitting at a table with or without food, this was one of the ordinary places that Jesus regulary used to reveal his ministry. So many times he is hanging out at a table with a bunch of folk, getting to know them, teaching, or sharing passover.

I won’t be able to look a kitchen table in the same way again.

communally to community

I’ve been living with ten other people now for about four weeks and at the moment I would say we are living communally but not as a community just yet.

The difference between the two I would say is a spiritual connection. This connection enables us to be ourselves with one another, to have a close caring love and the ease of being honest with one another.

A friend told me today that one way to notice that you are developing community is if you start having arguments. This is because we are all different and if we are being honest, disagreements can happen. It can be healthy at times if it clears the air but of course not so good if it is constant.

I see the girls in the team forming close bonds alot quicker than us guys, being honest I feel jealous of this at times. However I’m starting to learn patience and know that in time the bonds will go stronger.

Another friend told me the other day that I think too much. This is true. His advice was too stop looking for community and just let it happen.

communally to community.

I’ve been reading the book ‘Exiles’ by Michael Frost and this came up when commenting on John Peck description of the journey of community:

“…..involves four stages: pseudo-community, where a false niceness reigns and all members are on their best behaviour trying to fake community as best they can by not raising important issues or expressing their frustrations with one each other; chaos, when the skeletons finally come out of the closet, and the masks of pretense are stripped away; emptiness, a time of quiet and transition; and finally, true community, marked by both deep honesty and deep caring.”

To finish, it is good for us all remember that those who seek community, destroy community but those who love people build community.

Modern Tradition

“These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God”

Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees refering to their traditions. I found myself laughing at the Pharisees and how they loved their ancient traditions but failed to see the truth.

Then I looked at myself.

How many traditions do I uphold without thinking, without challenging. Some schools were closed in London today due to Eid celebrations, this was the first time I heard that this was occurring. I discussed this with a friend and he challenged me in thinking how I would feel if this replaced Christmas. How would I react?

Are Christmas holidays a tradition?

I had never thought them as that but they are. The Father doesn’t say “Go on, put your feet up, relax and celebrate the birth of my Son’. Wouldn’t he rather you celebrated his birthday everyday by the way you live out your life.

Living in the footsteps of Christ.

I’ve got a story to tell

A Story.

A Life.

A Journey.

A Testimony.

We all have one and it says a thousand things to somebody in the world. The challenge is to tell people it so they can hear it.

On tuesday and wednesday on this week the City Vision team that I’m apart of in London shared those stories about how Christ seeked and called us to him. It’s so amazing to hear the journey they went through before and after, the trials and obstacles that stood in their way and how they matured through the experiences. It’s important to hold friends’ testimonies close and tell them to people whom they may help.

You never know, your story could change someone’s life.