Restoring Kingdom Builders

During the Summer Olympics this year, I’ll be interested not only in the competition, but also in the city where it’s being held … because London is my favorite place in the entire world.

It’s crowded … and inexpensive hotel rooms are small … and the food isn’t all that great … and the weather can change on a dime … and Tube riders can be rude … and you’re under constant surveillance … but I’d rather be in London than anywhere else.

Why?

First, evangelical Christianity came to America through London.

The trappings of London are still Christian, even if the British people are Christian in name only these days.  But much of our spiritual heritage came from the Continent through London and then on to America.

For that reason, London feels like the closest thing to Christian National Park.

Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, preached at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached at what is now known as the Wesley Chapel.

John Wesley Statue in front of Wesley Chapel

Charles Wesley, John’s brother, is also buried in London.  (I haven’t yet found his gravesite.)  He wrote hundreds of hymns, including “And Can it Be That I Should Gain?”, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” and “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

Isaac Watts, one of the world’s greatest hymnwriters (he wrote “At the Cross” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” among others) is buried in Bunhill Fields (the non-Conformist, non-Church of England cemetery in The City, London’s financial district).

Tomb of Isaac Watts, Bunhill Fields

John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, is buried in Bunhill Fields as well.

Tomb of John Bunyan, Bunhill Fields

John Stott, my favorite Christian author, pastored All Souls Church on Regent Street for many years.

And Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a master preacher and the pastor of Westminster Chapel near Buckingham Palace, preached there for decades.

Nicky Gumbel, creator of The Alpha Course, still serves as pastor of Holy Trinity Brompton in Knightsbridge.  Even though the church meets in an old Anglican church building, they offer a contemporary service that’s unforgettable.

Holy Trinity Brompton, London

And Handel wrote The Messiah at this house (now a museum).

Handel House and Museum

And then there are all the famous churches:

*Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

*St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral

*St. Bride’s Church (the tower became the pattern for wedding cakes)

St. Bride’s Church

And so many more …

Second, London is the place where the British resisted the Nazis during World War 2.

Winston Churchill is my all-time favorite political hero.  Without Churchill, Americans might be pledging allegiance to Hitler rather than the American flag.

Statue of Winston Churchill

You can visit Churchill’s underground War Rooms in London and take photos of everything down there.  I’ve explored the war nerve center twice and find it thrilling to be able to stroll through the rooms where Western Civilization was saved.

Cabinet War Rooms

Even walking down Whitehall (the center of British government) toward Trafalgar Square is exciting.

Whitehall, Center of British Government

Third, you’ll find Beatles’ history everywhere in London.

The place most tourists make a beeline for is Abbey Road.  It’s in a residential neighborhood and doesn’t feel all that special … until you try and stop traffic by walking across the zebra crossing.  (For non-fans of the Fab Four, one of the most famous record album covers in history is when the Beatles were photographed walking across the street together for their last album, Abbey Road.)

Abbey Road Zebra Crossing

But London has many more Beatles’ sights, even though they may not look all that spectacular today:

*Trident Studios, where they recorded “Hey Jude”

Former Trident Studio Building

*Paul McCartney’s London home … just a five-minute stroll from Abbey Road Studios

Paul McCartney’s House, London

*3 Savile Row, where the band played their final concert on the rooftop

3 Savile Row

Finally, I love the general atmosphere of London.

I love the Tube (most of the time) …

Tube Train

and the variety of plays (many relatively inexpensive) …

Theatres in Central London

and the train stations (Charing Cross, King’s Cross, St. Pancras, Victoria Station, Waterloo Station, among others) …

St. Pancras Station

and Greenwich, where official time is kept …

Greenwich Park from Royal Observatory

and the Tower Bridge …

Tower Bridge

and anything to do with Sherlock Holmes …

Sherlock Holmes Pub

and the cultural treasures of The British Library (where they display the Magna Carta, ancient Bibles, scores from Beethoven, manuscripts from Jane Austen and Lewis Carroll, and handwritten Beatles’ lyrics, all in the same room.)

The British Library

I guess the reason I love London so much is that as a kid, it seemed so far away … like I could never, ever go there.  And yet so many of the people and things I loved are found there.  I thank God that He has allowed me to visit the city many times … and I hope to be able to visit many more times in the future.

And every time I watch Sherlock or Spooks, I get to go there again.

So I’ll be watching the Olympics not just for the athletes, but to see places where I’ve spent a happy morning or a leisurely afternoon.

And dreaming about the day when I can go back … even though I do London very inexpensively.  (Burger King and KFC cheap.)

The great Samuel Johnson, compiler of the English dictionary, once said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”

This is one man who will never tire of London.