The last time I visited London for a theatre trip, the journey was punctuated with an unexpected heartwarming moment.
When I think of the London Underground, I usually associate it with “Will I miss my station?” anxiety, uncomfortable proximity to strangers (there are few places where you find your nose an inch from an armpit) and a noticeable avoidance culture– eyes to the floor, eyes to the ceiling, eyes locked onto a smart device but never holding the gaze of the human being opposite you.
This journey was different. Through the tube window, I watched an elderly women grappling with her bags and cumbersome shopping trolley in order to traverse the platform gap. There was noticeable trepidation. A young man, standing just inside the train doors, immediately jumped onto the platform, offered a hand, and helped the woman safely onto the train. His reward was a beaming smile and a quiet, “Thankyou.” A simple but beautiful exchange.
The phrase “Mind the gap” for many of us will be synonymous with the London underground but paying attention to the metaphorical ‘gaps’ in our own lives can sometimes be a little more tricky. Life circumstances can leave us feeling that we have relational, emotional, and spiritual chasms that feel too large, too scary, or impossible to navigate alone.
People across centuries, cultures and beliefs instinctively know we’re meant to look out for each other but how can that be outworked in the busy fabric of our daily lives? We may be a neighbour who steps in to care for a child when a parent falls ill, a teacher mentoring a struggling student, or a friend offering support in a crisis. It may be that we see prayer as an opportunity to “Mind the gap” between heaven and earth for others. Jesus’ whole life – from birth to the cross – was one that modelled self-giving service to meet people in their ‘gaps.’ He healed the sick, fed the hungry and communed with the marginalised.
At the Bower House Counselling Service our care and compassion may be expressed in the welcoming smile of a support worker, the making of a cup of tea or a counsellor accompanying a client as they slowly grow around their grief.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” (Desmond Tutu)
In the light of such a quote, perhaps “Mind the gap” becomes much more than a safety announcement. It might just be a call to act to bridge the spaces between us whenever we can.
(Cara Thompson is one of the Service Coordinators at the Bower House Counselling Service)