Or London 1, as the case may be.
Today I was blessed to be standing before one of the great Cathedrals of the world, Westminster Abbey. There was much to see, even though it was closed to sightseeing (being Sunday) and even though I showed up between services.
From the outside it is an imposing ediface. As you walk around there are many statues, images, windows, architectural features, notices and a good view of Parliament Square all to keep you interested.
Two things stood out to me.
The first is that this is a church of tradition that has been around through the ages. Yet on the front of the Abbey (at the northern end) are new statues representing recent martyrs. I was quite struck that the building would have such recent additions. I was also struck by the diversity of those depicted, and especially those that were coupled in the middle over the doors: Martin Luther King, Oscar Romero & Dietrich Bonhoffer. I have loved the stories of these three men for years; if you don't know their stories - check them out. Very much worth the time and effort to learn who they were.
The other thing that struck me was that there was a prayer carved into the stone of the church, just below the modern martyrs.
It reads:
May God grant to the living grace
To the departed, peace
To the church and the world, peace and concord
And to us sinners, eternal life
Amen
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