Dear London. Part 2
Letters to our city. Written by Karen Blake
Dear London,
For those who took part in C3’s ‘Live in Lockdown’ - Friday night quiz for any given length of time, you may recall a certain phrase that quickly became a popular theme of the quiz, a hashtag, and even a song. (Channing has since added chords and harmonies, so be on the lookout for a new album release coming soon to a virtual store near you!)
The phrase was: I believe in Karen.
While this created a lot of fun during *that* season of 2020, it also set me on a course to reflect upon the importance and power of believing in others. And, by contrast, the not-so-great impact that not feeling believed in can have on a person.
When we say we believe in someone, we are often referring to having confidence in that person’s ability to do something great or be of great character. We see potential in a situation. We give weight behind our demonstration of love.
The bible is full of examples of God believing in His people. One that springs to mind is the story of Gideon (found in Judges 6). Gideon had somewhat of a self-esteem issue, but God continued to call courage out of him until he was ready to face the Midianites. God chose and believed in Gideon.
I also love the scripture in Hebrews 12 that talks about us being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses as we run our race with endurance. If that doesn’t paint a picture of heaven cheering, “You can do this! Keep going! I BELIEVE IN YOU!” then I’m not sure what does.
Think about it. When you know someone believes in you, how does that make you feel? When I think back to moments in life that I’ve felt believed in, it stirs up emotions of being empowered, motivated, full of hope and courage, feeling loved and seen... maybe even ready to take on the world!
The flip side of that is of course the flip side of those things mentioned. Feeling that no one believes in you can cause one to be unmotivated to step out. Perhaps to feel like no one cares or that there’s no point in trying.
There are so many people in this great city of ours that are feeling downtrodden or stuck, hopeless, maybe even fearful about making a much-needed change in their life. Worried that they’re not ‘good enough’. Maybe someone you know is facing something that requires just a small word of encouragement that shows them that someone loves them - believes in them to overcome.
How can we help someone to feel believed in? For Gideon, one example was that the angel of the Lord referred to him as a ‘mighty man of valour’. Perhaps we can do this for others: speaking words of life and faith over our friends and colleagues as a starting point.
So, with all that in mind...
Dear London, I believe in you.
Dear London…
While we can’t meet all together just yet, join us as we continue to build community this month at C3 London at 10:00 at C3 London Online.