I’m Lucy, and I’m really excited to have just started work as JPIT’s new full-time intern.
Having spent the last three years fossilising among medieval manuscripts and piles of books while studying for an undergraduate degree in English at the University of Cambridge, I’ve landed in this new and exciting adventure working and living in the Big City, navigating the Tube network and balking at the price of a pint.
With every day that passes, ignoring issues such as the climate crisis and the plight of asylum seekers becomes an increasingly impossible act. Ignoring them is damaging to the society in which we live – not just in the future but right here and now. This is something which is especially obvious as Covid-19 continues to highlight pre-existing inequalities in our society. I believe that the Church can and must bring a distinctive, Christ-like voice to the face of modern politics. Churches at both a grassroots and an institutional level can be powerful forces for positive change in society, striving towards bringing heaven’s kingdom to earth.
I grew up in a lively, friendly Baptist church in the midlands. As I have grown in faith throughout my school and university years, I’ve become increasingly convinced that faith should manifest as a genuine and powerful desire to seek after social justice, creating a society which is more Christ-like in its leanings. To me, Christianity has always spoken most strongly when it does so with an eye for justice, peace, and hope.
A particular passion of mine is for peace work, especially campaigning for nuclear disarmament. I was very involved with this area at university, and I hope to bring this to my work at JPIT this year. Getting engaged with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament at university was a turning point for me as a Christian. Creating a world free from the horror of war and the fear of nuclear annihilation came from a desire to actively pursue a model of Christ-like peace-making in a really practical, involved way.
Though peace-making is a long-standing interest of mine, I’m also looking forward to widening my brief and getting stuck in with other strands of JPIT’s six hopes. As I write this, Extinction Rebellion have set up camp all across the country to demand climate justice. This is no longer an issue which society can ignore, and I’m hoping to get involved with some environmental work this year, helping to ensure the safeguarding of God’s creation.
When I’m not working, I like reading medieval literature, writing shoddy poetry, and baking – as a vegan coeliac, this last hobby can present some challenges…!
It’s a strange time to be starting new work, and although a Zoom ‘graduation ceremony’ has begun to prepare me for the weirdness of conducting life over the internet, I’d appreciate prayers for a smooth induction into the team.
