London City Mission

I've been reading a great fat work of serious history called Earthly Powers. The subtitle summarizes it well: "The clash of religion and politics in Europe, from the French Revolution tot he Great War." It's slow going for my plaque-encrusted brain, but edifying and enlightening. I picked it up because it promised to sketch the substitution of political for spiritual salvation, over the course of the 19th century.

It's all that, but I've learned a great deal more. One of the things I was only aware of by passing reference was the great Victorian charitable empires built in the second half of that century. I was amazed and inspired to discover more details of those gigantic endeavours. One of the greatest was the London City Mission, or LCM. Evangelicals founded it and send many hundreds of missionaries into London to minister in the slums. The hardships and dangers they faced rival those confronted by their colleagues who went overseas. I eagerly await this book to find out more.*

LCM still exists, and wonder of wonders, it survived the 20th century with its faith intact.

* It's endorsed by Keller, for all his fans out there!