Dear London,

I'm so sorry for your grief, dear friend.

In this age of terror, we still get up each day and go to work with hope in our hearts and we're never ready; never ready for another human to hurt us so bad. 

Where do we go, with the pain, the red hot anger and the gut wrenching sadness of knowing we can't undo what is done?

In Australia, we might muster the best of ourselves and say, 'No worries, we'll get through this' as we did after the Lindt cafe siege in December, 2014. 

For you Londoners, you might stiffen that upper lip you are all so famous for - yet again - and just 'get on with it'.

But when the streets go quiet, our true feelings of bewildered helplessness seep out of our souls as we try to fathom the why of all this. 

We are with you and praying for you. We pray for your comfort. We pray that you might have the resolve to resist bitterness along with the terror that would try to provoke it. 

May God's grace strengthen you to 'fear not', to choose to love your neighbour, and to draw one another closer.

You are not alone. Across the oceans we send you our long distance love.

Louisa ❤️ 
(and the Common Grace community, and Sydney)

 

 

Louisa Hope was taken hostage and injured during the Sydney Siege. A committed Christian, Louisa is our Common Grace Ambassador for our 'Love Thy Neighbour' justice campaign, and a sought-after speaker in both the secular media and at Christian events. See Louisa share her story in this video.