Many you have commented back to me your appreciation for sharing these thoughts from “across the Pond” as well as including some of our pictures – it has been my privilege.

One of the highlights of our trip was attending a Hillsong London Sunday service the day after we landed.

Hillsong’s mission is quite simple – “Our heart and soul is to introduce and connect people with the living and powerful God.”

The video excerpt shown below was taken during the service and the song is called Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) from their recent album entitled No Other Name.

As I listened to the song my mind could not help but rabbit trail as I thought of where I was at the moment while appreciating the history behind the song.

My thoughts were along these lines.

Here we are in England listening to a song at a church service.

The words and music to the song are widely known (as Amazing Grace) and were originally penned by John Henry Newton (1725 – 1807) who was born near London.

Newton was once the captain of several ships involved in the slave trade, transporting helpless Africans to the West Indies to work the sugar plantations.

He turned from the life of a slave trader and later wrote a pamphlet called Thoughts on the Slave Trade in which he described the horrific realities he witnessed and of which he was party.

In the 2006 movie, Amazing Grace, Newton’s character makes the following statement while talking with William Wilberforce:

“Though my memory is fading, two things I remember clearly.  I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”

Newton was Wilberforce’s former pastor and mentor.

He became Wilberforce’s ally, providing young William sought after counsel as he headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty-six years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.

Abraham Lincoln studied Wilberforce as he considered how to address the slave conditions which led to the Civil War.

We toured London the day after attending the church service. The circle was complete as we got to view Westminster Abbey from a distance, which is where Wilberforce has been laid to rest.

We had hoped to step inside the church but the day got away from us.

You could be thinking, “Thanks for the history lesson, but what’s the point?”

The point is this.

The lives of Newton and Wilberforce connected centuries ago.

One affected the other.

They were two stars shining in the sky during the time they were allotted on this Earth.

Although they could not see a fully scripted view of their lives, they were faithful in the things they were called to do and made a difference in the lives of many, many people.

What about each of us?

We have a limited view of how our lives can and do affect others.

We tend to have a George Bailey, It’s a Wonderful Life view of things at times where we can’t see the connections made to others lives and the impact we might make on another (good and bad).

I know I have asked this question and my guess is you have as well, “Does my life really matter?”

Our view is partial, sometimes distorted, and foggy.

A familiar verse certainly sheds light on this fact:

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (I Corinthians 13:12 – NLT)

We might be able to address this to a degree by:

•  Living life on purpose
• With intentionality
• And for something and someone greater than ourselves.

Adopting this type of mentality might be the antidote to satisfy the question “Does my life really matter?”

At least it might be some food for thought.  Thanks for allowing me to share these moments from our trip.

In what ways do you live life on purpose, with intentionality, and for something or someone greater than yourself so as to address the question – does my life really matter?

 Photos courtesy of  Jessica Lamos and Bruce R. Cross