God! My God! It’s you– I search for you! My whole being thirsts for you! My body desires you in a dry and tired land, no water anywhere. Yes, I’ve seen you in the sanctuary; I’ve seen your power and glory. (Psa 63:1-2 CEB)

“If you are seeking, seek us with joy, for we live in the kingdom of joy. Do not give your heart to anything else but to the love of those who are clear joy, do not stray into the neighborhood of despair. For there are hopes: they are real, they exist –do not go in the direction of darkness – I tell you: suns exist.” – Rumi

The Kings Hall Methodist Church was built in 1916, located in Southall, west London; this large three-story building eventually closed in 2013. One of the reasons was the large influx of Asians, now the largest Sikh community in London and Methodists moved out to the suburbs. But is that a good enough reason to close your doors? Where is the sanctuary of God, and what is the gospel? Jesus gave us a clue in Mathew 25:35-38 `for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in;  `I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,`Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? `When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? (Mat 25:35-38 NKJ) When we start to show the love of God to all people, regardless of their color, ethnic background, race, religion or sexual orientation the power and the glory of God is seen.

Don’t close doors, open them, create sanctuary wherever you are.