Guest blog from Robin Nelson, student intern at Central, Edinburgh
Joseph Bazalgette is my hero.
He changed the world and you could have lived never knowing that he did it. Chances are, you’ve never heard of him, yet he’s saved more lives than almost any historical figure. He was a radical for his times who faced much opposition and frustration from the powers of the day.
His achievement?
He designed and engineered the London Sewage System.
You cannot walk anywhere in London above or below ground where Joseph has not left his mark. Returning to the city while it was enduring the torment of its second cholera epidemic, his simple yet revolutionary work literally saved London and its people from themselves.
Want a picture of what a year can look like working with students in a local church? That’s it.
After my first 2/3 months I’ve learnt that chances are, no one will hear of you. You won’t appear much on Google or have a celebrity preaching ‘platform’. But the vision, task and legacy we have is breathtakingly beautiful.
Our Vision? To see students literally saved from themselves.
Our Task? Radical, yet simple; make disciples that make disciples.
Our Legacy? An invisible, yet indelible mark all over our university campuses and the lives of students.
There are moments of frustration; becoming a student intern doesn’t deal with your sin. There are also plenty of mundane every day tasks; becoming a student intern doesn’t make Monday mornings any less painful!
These mundane moments and frustrations are however interspersed with moments of elation; students becoming tentative steps to become disciples, others beginning to make tentative steps to make disciples. Jesus it seems is well and truly alive. He is working to build his kingdom amid our mundanity and frustrations.
Chances are, you’ll never be heard of, yet we will see, in this life or the next, more lives saved than almost any historical figure.
Ciara works as the Fusion Scotland Developer. If you would like to contact her, email ciara@fusion.uk.com
Or follow her on twitter @ciaramcbrien1
