Dear London, (Part 10)
With Sam & Ellen Clerk
London, what a remarkable city you are. So rich in history and a pillar of the modern world, opportunity is endless here. From the West End, to the parks and palaces. From the BFI IMAX, to the museums and galleries. London, your offerings are grand and that’s why we moved from little New Zealand on the other side of the world, to your vibrant, bustling city.
When we first arrived, we were filled with huge amounts of excitement for the new adventures and opportunities we were looking forward to experiencing. However, we soon began to realise that, London, you can be hard work! Battling the weather and the tube can be downright frustrating, especially when the District Line is down (come on London), and despite the fun and exciting events and activities, we would quickly run out of time for rest and proper connection. Amidst all the busyness, you turned into a place where we were surprised to feel lost and lonely.
It was ultimately the love and community at C3 London that helped us break out of our shell. Walking into that furniture shop felt like home. Dinner parties with Jess and Jason, and later with Channing and Brian, made us feel like we belonged and C3 London, became a home away from home. Now that we’ve moved out West—because, as we’ve discovered, west is best—we host our own dinner party with the hope of being that home for others and pray that we can be a vessel for God to reach the people of this city and make them feel as welcome as we did.
London, though you can be extravagant, you are just as often ordinary. Whether it’s an hour on the Tube, switching from the District Line to the Victoria Line, stopping at the nearest Sainsbury’s for a meal deal, and eating on the go between appointments. Walking outside, putting my jacket on because it’s cold, then back inside it’s jackets off because the heaters are blasting—you get the picture.
Through all of this though, your scale can seem like a boulder blocking the way to connection for those who are struggling. But there is One who can move that stone, because He moves mountains and parts the sea. His name is Jesus. Jesus is turning this city from grey to gold. Jesus is transforming lives from East to West. Jesus is the one who saves, the One this city is seeing as the countercultural path to true life. Jesus is Lord, King of Kings, Comforter, Saviour. In both the grand and the mundane, the love of Jesus remains constant, present in every corner of this city. Every packed Tube carries his children. He sees each one, knows them down to their very atoms—far deeper than we can ever comprehend.
Lord, you are good. Thank you for what You are doing here. Thank you for guiding us to this city. Thank you for walking alongside us, even when we put up our own walls. Thank you for blessing this city with those gathered in this room, because something is shifting here in London. We ask that others who come here, find community and support. Through your Church and the organisations we support, we pray that lives will be changed—not just practically, but at the heart level too. There are so many in this city who need a home. For some, it’s a physical need for shelter, while for others, it’s the deeper need for community and connection. Father, we pray that Your love would be known throughout this city. We pray that the millions in London feel Your presence. In the midst of the noise, the rush, and even the isolation, we ask that You meet people exactly where they are.
We thank you for C3 London and the growing community that has been built here and we pray our friends, neighbours, colleagues and even strangers on the tube, will be drawn to you and this community. Especially those who are new to this city, or who feel lost in its enormity, the homeless, the forgotten, and the ignored, that they find You Lord and their home. May they feel loved, just as Jesus loves—unconditionally. That they remember that their value is not in their works or achievements, but in the simple truth that they are Yours. We pray that others will experience the love, family, and connection that we have been so blessed to find. And we pray that each of us here at C3 London will be a light, guiding the people of this city to You. London, we love you.
Join us in church this Sunday in Parsons Green. Click here for info and to see what’s coming up this month.