Multicultural London

Multiculturalism has a downside perhaps but mostly it is a joy to be in the midst of it. Two cases yesterday. I was in Golders Green and I spoke with a Trinidadian lady who had come to Golders Green becasue she knew it had Jewish shops and she was after a Jewish prayer shawl. I warned her that it would not make her pray any better but pointed her in the direction where the Jewish shops are mainly situated. As I spoke with her one of my members passed. She is a Londoner but her father is Japanese and so she is very aware of those cultural nuances. Then on my way back I passed two African women talking in a language that sounded suspiciously like Hebrew. One of them confirmed to me that it was. I mentioned the falashas but she did not seem familiar with that word. I don't recall ever meeting a Hebrew speaking African.

10 People I met tracting last Saturday

We gave out tracts last Saturday in Golders Green. Most people try to ignore you but here re ten that, for various reasons I interacted with. (I can't remember the order in which they came)

1. The tract was entitle forgiveness and one woman simply said "we all need more of that" with which I could not disagree.
2. An Algerian Muslim, keen to be friendly and convinced that our only hope is God's mercy but adamantly opposed to the idea that Jesus is anything more than a prophet.
3. A lady from Nepal who I had thought was a Filipina.
4. A lady we have known for many years who mostly sits under Charismatic ministry. I was glad to see her because the last time she was with us I had corrected her prayer.
5. A Filipino who came to the house once to groom our dog. He said he was a believer too.
6. The son of one of my very elderly members currently in hospital. It was good to hear about this member's situation face to face.
7. I have never had this before but a teenage boy flounced past and said "I am gay" the implication being that he could not take my tract on forgiveness, although I said he was welcome to take it.
8. A man who saw the tract and said "rubbish". I like to be quick on my feet and so I replied "So are you" - not exactly a Christian response, on reflection. What I meant was that we are all rubbish without Christ. I don't think he was offended.
9. A young woman who I am sure was Jewish sat nearby and read the whole thing carefully. I wanted to interact with her after but she went, although I saw her later and she was urging her boyfriend to read it.
10. A red haired Ukrainian lady called Aleksandra who said she was looking for a church to attend.

Welsh rarebit day?

Seen at Golders Green today

Tracting

Christians today disagree on the value of trying to give out tracts in the High Street. I can see both advantages and disadvantages. We continue to try and go out once a month, however, and I find it stimulating. Last time we went most did not take tracts but some did. One lady wasn't going to but then did.

Among the refusers were a lady who claimed to be an atheist. Apparently there is a lack of evidence so I suggested she take a look around. She was unconvinced so I pointed out that God had sent me to her to tell her that there is a God/ She was unimpressed. It is hard to see what more could be done.

Another refuser said he did not believe in Christianity. I try not to get wound up but I did tell him he was a silly man as the whole reason I was there on the streets was to reach people who don't believe.

I also saw three Hindu priests dressed in saffron accompanied by a minder. They were heading for the opticians. They politely refused my Christian tract.

At one point I saw someone I knew. I thought it was someone else, a woman who grew up coming to the church, at first but then I realised who it was. I don't think what I said was out of place.

Some of the time there was a lull and at one point the wind blew a tin can about so that it danced in quite a delightful way for about 30 or 40 seconds. God puts on these little shows sometimes quite unexpectedly just to amuse us.

At one point a girl stopped to sit on a bench nearby and take a stone out of her shoe. I remember thinking - if only all problems were as easy to solve.

Busy Past Week

Last week was so busy that there was no time to make note of it all. On Monday morning I got myself over to the LTS where I had planned to meet with one of the students (Paolo Patuelli, who is from Italy). We are so glad to be mentoring someone again this year, especially a family man. Then it was on to the Evangelical Library to hear a very good lunch time lecture on the Pentateuch from Dr Ian Densham. This was a helpful look at some of the issues and included helpful pointers on preaching from that part of the Word. I was only sorry that we didn't have more people there. I picked up a couple of books on Jansenism which I have begun to read. I then drove to a home in Wembley to visit the oldest member of my church. It's always good to see Lilian. In the evening I was over in Ashford for a Bible Preaching Trust committee. The Bible Preaching Trust makes small grants to ministers in financial need. It was good to agree on grants for men in Scotland, the north of England and Spain this time.

Then on Tuesday I was supposed to be involved in a prison Bible study but that was not possible so I went over to Highbury and Andrew King very kindly helped me get my forms sorted out for getting into this work more thoroughly with CPR. I then went on to the Royal Free Hospital to visit my longest standing church member. It's always good to see Ken too.

Wednesday began with attendance at a funeral at Golders Green Crematorium. I got to know South African David Strauss when he moved in next door to the church and started attending. The place burned down a few years later and he ended up in the north of the borough and keeping contact was difficult, although we would see him from time to time and he would phone fairly often. David was a most interesting character and not always the easiest to deal with, very much an Afrikaaner I guess he was a professing Christian. I then headed down to Clerkenwell to meet up with Tom and Donna Drion (like the Kings, home schoolers I discover) for lunch in the chapel there where Tom is heading up the GraceLife work with Ross Orgil. Tom studied in John Macarthur's Master's Seminary. They seem to be making real progress with a multi-national congregation,. It was good to meet. From there I went on to a regular appointment speaking at a BUPA home in Golders Green. In the evening it was our midweek meeting on Providence, making further use of John Flavel's excellent Mystery of Providence.

The rest of the week was less busy in some ways but with a regular meeting with my fellow elder, sermons to prepare and a newsletter plus two short talks for the Friday night clubs I was not twiddling my thumbs and appreciated the extra hour.

Things seen #94

We haven't had a "things seen" for a while but I was in Golders Green recently when I heard a car hooter go. I turned to see what the issue was. I saw an old man shambling across the road against the red light. Reaching the other side of the road where did he go but into the betting shop.

It reminded me of conversations I used to have with my old dad about gambling. He was a keen though moderate gambler (I've often thought that if all gamblers were as moderate as my dad was it wouldn't be the problem it is). Those conversations would always include my dad saying "life's a gamble" or "crossing the road's a gamble". On the latter point I always used to feel it all depends on how you cross the road. The way this old man crossed was all of a piece with him entering the betting shop, going on to lose his shirt no doubt.

Finchley and Golders Green

So the election is on us. I found this useful info at politics.co.uk for the Finchley and Golders Green constituency.

Sitting MP: Rudi Vis, Lab, standing down

Candidates:
Alison Moore, L
Mike Freer, C
Laura Edge, LibDem

Majority Election Result 2005: 741 Lab (1.7%) Majority Election Result 2001 3,716 L (8.5%)
2005 Swing: 3.4% L to C

Constituency info:

Pop c 106,000 constituency covers Finchley, GG, Childs Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb in London Borough of Barnet (N London). NW of Hampstead, SE of Mill Hill and SW Friern Barnet.
Following a review, Boundary Commission modified constituency. It gains part of the Woodhouse ward from Chipping Barnet and small parts of GG, Finchley Church End and Garden Suburb wards from Hendon constituency, while it loses most of the Coppetts ward to the Chipping Barnet constituency.

Early medieval period - Finchley sparsely populated woodland. From 12th century farming began. Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (later GNR) reached here 1867. 1905 tram services established in Finchley, eventually replaced by trolley buses. 1933, Underground New Works Programme (35-40) announced. Lines through Finchley electrified and connected to Underground, Archway to E Finchley via new tunnel.
After WWII, introduction of London's green belt undermined pre-war plans for Underground here, and upgrading between Mill Hill E and Edgware abandoned. Line used by steam freight trains until closed completely, 1964.
GG has been place in the parish and manor of Hendon since c 13th century. Building of Finchley Rd (1827) resulted in development of a hamlet and by late 19th century around 300 people in the area.
1907, transport links improved by opening of GG tube station, leading to development of area west of Finchley Rd. Establishment of Hampstead GS brought major changes to area east of Finchley Rd. Temple Fortune Farm demolished and a retail district established along front of the road.
Finchley and GG constituency has a large and well-to-do Jewish population. Represented by Margaret Thatcher and a safe Con seat until Vis's unexpected victory 1997.
Lab's tiny majority certain to be overturned by Con gain in 2010. Possible an exceptionally good result for Cons could give them a share in excess of 50% here, as though national figures indicate this is unlikely, the swing to the Cons is sure to be above average here, looking at the nature of the voters.

Demographics: Housing: Owner-Occupied 63.1%, Social Housing 11.9%, Privately Rented 21.6%, Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom 6.4%
Education: Full time students 7.3%, Graduates 16-74: 44.6%, No Qualifications 16-74 15.8%
Ethnicity: Not born UK 35.9%, White 74.2%, Black 5.2%, Asian 12.3%, Mixed 3.2%, Other 5.1%
Faith: Christian 40.0%, Hindu 6.8%, Jewish 19.6%, Muslim 6.0%
Gender: Male 47.3%, Female 52.7%
Age: Under 18 21.0%, Over 60 19.0%
Local issues: Taxation, 'Static screening unit for Finchley Memorial hospital' campaign, Post office closures

Previous election results

2005 General Election:

Turnout 61.9%
Rudi Vis L 17,487 40.5%
Andrew Mennear C 16,746 38.8%
Sue Garden LibDem 7,282 16.9%
Noel Lynch Green 1,136 2.6%/Jeremy Jacobs UKIP 453 1.0%/Rainbow George Weiss Rainbow Dream Ticket 110 0.3%

2001 General Election:

Turnout 57.3%
Rudi Vis L 20,205 46.3%
John Marshall C 16,489 37.8%
Sarah Teather LibDem 5,266 12.1%
Miranda Dunn Green 1,385 3.2%/John de Roeck UKIP 330 0.8%

1997 General Election:

Turnout 69.7%
Rudi Vis L 23,180 39.7%
John Marshall C 19,991 39.7%
Jonathan Davies LibDem 5,670 11.3%
G Shaw Referendum 684 1.4%/Ashley Gunstock GreenPlaid Cymru Alliance 576 1.1%/D Barraclough UKIP 205 0.4%

Busy Golders Green 2

I was in Golders Green on Monday when who should come past but Gordon Brown - that's who I think it was anyway (it's his official car). I was in Childs Hill one day some years ago and, quite unexpectedly, the Queen came past. Ah, London life.

Busy Golders Green 1

I was in Golders Green last Friday just after an accident involving a Toyota Corolla. Two pedestrians were apparently mown down but not killed when the car ploughed through protective roadside railings shortly before 2pm. It smashed into the Kim Chee Korean restaurant next to Barclays Bank. Apparently a 21-year-old woman driver suffered a suspected broken arm in the collision, while a man, 23, suffered a dislocated shoulder. Being a Toyota there is the possibility of a mechanical failure.

Kenneth Copeland & Co

Kenneth Copeland and his associates have been in Golders Green recently, at the former Hippodrome, where the El Shaddai church now meets. Large crowds have been queuing to hear them. A report gives some idea of it all here. Kenneth Copeland and his kind are a menace I fear.