The Houses of Parliament

Pictures all courtesy of Unsplash

It is interesting to learn that the British House of Parliament, known as the Palace of Westminster, is in a dire state of repair. The mother of parliaments is in desperate need of renovation and restoration. The Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, has been restored at great cost, and the possibility of doing the same with the rest is a necessity but would require a great deal of time and expense. 

The building obviously has historic and global importance and is vast as it covers an area of eight acres. It also has elaborate carvings, stained glass windows, and important decorations. It apparently costs in the region of 3 million pounds a week to maintain it, and yet it is a hazardous place with the possibility of a severe fire starting someday. There have been 25 fires in the building since 2016, all, admittedly, minor. The vaults below the main floors are full of wires and pipes, with puddles, tape, foil, warning signs and old tins to catch the drips. There is also asbestos in the building to which 117 people were accidentally exposed and who will require regular health checks for the next 40 years. 

The building was burnt to the ground in 1834 and was rebuilt in a Gothic/Elizabethan style. It took until 1876 for all the work to be completed. Prior to completion, the Lords were able to move into their chamber in 1847, and the MPs moved into the Commons in 1852. The Commons chamber has never been big enough to accommodate all MPs, and after being bombed in the Second World War, it was decided to keep it as it was before. Its smallness creates an intimacy but is not really suitable for genuine work to be accomplished; such work is done in the many rooms in the Palace.

William Wilberforce - Purpose in life

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

It is important that we find a purpose in life, an overarching aim that supersedes everything else. In the eighteenth century, at the age of twenty-five, a young man came to faith in Christ and knew that his life’s work was to serve God. He was a politician and served in the Houses of Parliament as an M.P..  His initial thought was to give up politics and become a church minister but was persuaded that God could find work for him to do in the political arena.

That man, hardly known today, became instrumental in helping to transform British society and relieve the misery of many millions of people. He continually faced opposition for his efforts and was constantly vilified by enemies with vested interests in what he was determined to abolish. Twice he was waylaid and physically assaulted, his injuries did not lead to death, but many of his friends and supporters wondered whether he would one day be assassinated. It seems that God protected him and made sure he lived until his life’s work was completed and the aim fulfilled.