Love London

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls Ps 42. Lockdown has given us lots of time to be alone.  The normal humdrum of life has quietened . Despite all the difficulties  we face in this time, we have been given an opportunity for prolonged deep, peaceful rest. But I find myself wondering, if I am making the most of this extraordinary opportunity or am I anxious to do as much as possible? I understand the desire to be fruitful, but some of life's most fruitful times come from times of prolonged rest . Paul made his greatest contribution to his ministry when he could no longer preach, teach and travel. I wonder if Paul would have had the time to write the books of the bible if he wasn't imprisoned or if he spent all his time worrying and trying to maintain what isn't  possible to maintain while in prison? Paul is not alone in being productive during times isolation and reflection. Isaac newton, Shakespeare and many others composed great works during quarantine....

"As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses...in hard work...understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;" (2 Cor 6:4-6) Things are tough for almost everyone living in London. The COVID death rate rivals that of the Blitz. People are attending virtual funerals and many people have been furloughed. Yet despite all of this, I have been overwhelmed by random acts of kindness from complete strangers. As I was walking down a narrow side walk, a guy coming the opposite way sweetly yelled, 'you go first, darling'. We both burst out laughing. Those of us who live in London, will appreciate how rare an event this is. Normally a polite bump out of the way is as good as it gets.  This shift in kindness in London is palpable. Perhaps it's as a result of the opportunity we have all had to reflect on what really matters. Perhaps it's because we understand that things a...

For most of us, the start of 2020 has felt surreal. Except for a few visionaries out there, many of us never expected our lives to be turned upside down in such a short period of time by a viral pandemic. It's been so uncomfortable to change my whole routine: no friends over for meals, no leisurely picnics in the park, and getting a Tesco delivery has become the highlight of my month.  How do we respond to this crazy turn of events? For me, the answer is love in action. Love my city in whatever way I can: by staying at home where possible thereby protecting the vulnerable, by being a mom and loving my family, by serving my community through my work and by praying to God for all those who are sick and suffering at this time.  I feel so privileged to be a physiotherapist during this pandemic. I have had the incredible opportunity to love my community and to play a small part in caring for people through my work. Lets look for opportunities to make love real and...