Hundreds of people poured into St James's Churchyard tonight as part of the Illuminate Bermondsey and Illuminate Rotherhithe project in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower sailing with the Pilgrim Fathers to the new world.
The Mayflower famously started its journey at Rotherthithe with a local man, Christopher Jones, as its captain for the voyage that changed the history of the world for ever.
Twin processions - one from St Mary's, Rotherhithe and one from the Blue in Bermondsey, full of people holding beautiful lanterns and other illuminated displays, converged at St James, where everyone had refreshments of pizza, hot chocolate and soup.
It's a poignant thought that as this happy community event took place with its procession of light wending its way through our streets, an event of great darkness had taken place on London Bridge, just down the road from us. Lives had been lost, and others had been traumatised and injured.
On the eve of Advent we are reminded again of the words of St John:
'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it'
John 1.5
And we pray for everyone affected by today's events in our capital.
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