“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you” (Isaiah 60v1).
Over recent months I have said to my sister: "It feels like our country has gone downhill." I remember when I first started coming into London 18 months ago, there was not one trip where I couldn’t smell “weed” aka cannabis on the street or the train, or hear news stories about building more prisons, families in temporary accommodation, knife crime, county lines, and homeless people in need of love and transformation… I’m sure there is much more that I haven’t even added here. I want to share one story from my everyday context.
I often pass a young homeless man called Sam when I come out of the tube station in North London. I’ve chatted to him a few times and he always has a smile and asks how I am. One evening fairly late, I’d come out of the tube station and he asked me if I’d talk to him. So, I did. I asked if I could pray for him; he’d told me he’d been in hospital, and in other conversations, he told me he’d been given a place to live but it turned out to be temporary. I got to the point where I’d had enough. I said to the Lord: “I have to help him. His life is being wasted.”
The thing is, Sam is just one case. According to Homeless.org, in London alone, there has been a 10 percent increase in homelessness since 2024 and, according to gov.uk stats, Asians make up 11.8 percent of homeless people in London. There is so much stigma and shame attached to a person being homeless. This is particularly bad for South Asians or even Asians, who are often blamed for their homelessness as it is attributed to bad deeds or karma, leading to a life of suffering. Many times, we do not take time to listen and understand what’s happened to an individual and what their story is. On the other hand, we have a broken system where councils ask homeless people for an address before they can be helped. I think the word “homeless” gives it away! So how do we as the church step into these spaces and bring the hope of Jesus wherever we are?
Hope for the nation
Jesus says: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5v14). We carry God’s presence – His aroma – wherever we are. He calls us to not only be hearers but doers of the word. As I began reflecting, I had another thought – what if God is allowing us to experience the brokenness around us, so that our hearts are broken for those around us, and we can reflect the heart of Jesus?
Jesus wasn’t someone who walked by, but rather met people where they were. Think for example of the woman who bled for 12 years or the man born blind. What if we are called to help the “Sams" of this nation, to rise up in government, healthcare, education, arts, media, IT and much more – so we can bring change for His glory alone?
What if we are waiting for God to move, but He is waiting for us to move? What if we walked out in the boldness of the Holy Spirit? I believe that, as the spiritual warfare intensifies and days feel darker, the prayers of God’s people must arise in desperation. I believe in the power of prayer, but I also believe in action. God is with us wherever we go. We as His people, with the power of God at work, can make a difference. We know how the story ends, but we are also living in the time God called us to be here for this time in history – and so we must step into our identity, step into the call of God for our nation and beyond.
Change is here. Are we ready to go and reach beyond?
