Revd Jacintha Danaswamy, Curate, St Mary’s Walthamstow, writes:

On Sunday, we had the privilege and joy of accompanying members of St Mary’s as they were baptised and confirmed in a service at St Andrew’s Church, Leytonstone. 

It was beautiful to see candidates commit to grow in God’s love before their families and friends. During the service, one of the candidates shared a testimony – a story of faith which was profoundly moving to hear. The story was not only deeply touching, but it greatly enriched all who heard it, including me. 

October is Black History Month, and this year’s theme is ‘Honouring Communities’ – an invitation to think about the stories of our communities, from well-known stories that visibly shape the world around us to less familiar, hidden or forgotten stories. 

The history and life stories of black people in Britain can at times be extremely painful and challenging – the Atlantic Slave Trade and the Windrush Scandal hold deep wounds for many. Yet interwoven into these stories of difficulty and sorrow are moments of great courage, resilience and strength: the building of communities that support and sustain each other; the joy and contributions of everyday lives; and the celebration of achievements that have shaped history. 

‘Honouring Our Communities’ aims to make these contributions visible.

Towards the end of the Book of Acts, Paul tells his story of his encounter with the Living God on the road to Damascus – how he moved from hunting and persecuting Christians to becoming one of the most passionate followers of Christ. He was transformed in such an extreme and profound way that it not only completely redirected the path of his life, but in sharing his experiences, many others came to know the love of God as well through the power of his story. 

Paul recalls how Jesus said to him: 

‘But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.’ (Acts 26:16) 

This is the third time in Acts that Paul tells his story, and on this occasion, he does so while standing in chains in front of a Roman governor and king. But Paul knows his story, and he knows that it carries the power to transform and to touch the lives of those that hear it – and so he continues to tell it. 

This week, I pray that we will have moments to reflect on our own life stories and on our journeys of faith – both the challenges and the joys we have experienced – and as we reflect, I pray we will look to our communities and listen to the hidden and sometimes forgotten stories. And as we celebrate Black History Month, I pray we will seek to make all of our stories visible, and that we all may be enriched by them.

Much love,

Jacintha