Though Wednesday brought fear to London, God has made opportunities for his love to be shown.
We bring you a report from David Foster and the Manor Park Christian Centre, who have had opportunity in the aftermath of the attack to show God's loving care to London Met police.
London Terrorist Attack & MPCC’s Ministry to the London Met Police
One important ministry of the Catering Team of Manor Park Christian Centre has been to cater for regular Police Breakfasts that we host for the London Metropolitan Police here in Newham. The MPCC Catering Team come in the day before to set-up and decorate the tables and to start the food preparations. Since another Police Breakfast was planned for this morning, Thursday 23rd March, the MPCC Catering Team were just finishing all their preparations when the terrorist attack took place on Wednesday afternoon.
The Police Breakfasts are always an opportunity for our Catering Team to lovingly serve the Met Police here in Newham. A small number of police, usually up to 36 police, from the 1,000 strong police force here in the London Borough of Newham are given an opportunity to attend these breakfasts. As Met Police Chaplain here in Newham, I have the opportunity to share a short relevant Biblical message with the police officers who are in attendance at the Police Breakfasts and then to pray for them.
With the unfolding aftermath of the terrorist attack in Central London, I received a telephone call late on Wednesday afternoon from the London Met Police to say, not surprisingly, that the Police Breakfast we were planning would need to be cancelled. This was certainly understandable considering the circumstances. After a quick consultation with the MPCC Catering Team, the decision was made to still prepare at least some of the food which had already been purchased and to instead take it to the main Newham Met Police Station in Forest Gate at 10:15am on Thursday morning. I then sent word to the Met Police to let them know about the new plans.
When the food was delivered this morning at the Forest Gate Police Station, I was quickly ushered into the Acting Newham Metropolitan Police Borough Commander’s office where he said: “David, I hope you don’t mind me doing this, but..." ...whereupon he grabbed me and gave me a big bear-hug. With tears in his eyes, he said: “Thanks so much to all your Catering Team. You don’t how much this means to us!” We both stood together for a few moments, choking back the tears.
What I was then told was that many of the London Met Police who had been policing the area of the terrorist attack since Wednesday afternoon were from Newham. With over 1,000 police officers stationed in Newham, many of them are often called upon to also help with events such as the terrorist attack. Word had been sent to these police officers, who had been working for over 19 hours straight in Central London since Wednesday afternoon without having any opportunity to eat, that there was food waiting for them at the Forest Gate Police Station. As hungry, tired police officers started arriving at the station from Central London, I sent word to our Catering Team that more food was needed, if possible. They quickly prepared more food, which was delivered to the Forest Gate Police Station. Upon arrival, one of the commanding officers took a photo of the food and sent the photo to New Scotland Yard as a testament to the loving care and service that had been shown to London’s Met Police.
Some of the police officers commented that the Police Breakfast had ended up having a far greater impact upon London’s Met Police than we had originally planned. For the MPCC Catering Team, what could have initially been seen as a disappointing cancelled ministry opportunity was turned into a far greater opportunity than could have ever been imagined. God’s purposes and plans stood firm. God’s Word holds true. “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (NIV, Psalm 33:11).
David Foster
Manor Park Christian Centre
