When Margaret Thatcher listened to John Stott
Posted in Blog, Christianity
All Souls Orchestra and Choir under Noël Tredinnick arranged a series of Christian concerts, ‘Prom Praise’, first at the Barbican and later at the Royal Albert Hall. More than once, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to these with a party of friends. On 13 February 1988 she took her seat in the Albert Hall and listened as John gave the closing address at Prom Praise.
‘Fifty years ago today,’ he said, ‘on 13 February 1938 a young man knelt at his bedside and opened the door of his heart – or personality – and invited Christ to come in. I was that young man. I have now had fifty years in which to test the reality of Jesus Christ. Tonight, on my fiftieth spiritual birthday, I want to bear witness to him, and to the length, depth, breadth and height of his love.’
Margaret Thatcher remembered her visit to Prom Praise as ‘a joyous and uplifting evening’. After the event, she wrote to Richard Bewes to thank him and record how it was ‘an inspiration to hear the words of testimony and hope in Jesus Christ’.
You can read more about John Stott in my ‘Inside Story: The Life of John Stott’ (UK) ‘Basic Christian’ (USA) published by IVP and now available as an e-book.
