Morning prayers happens at IHQ every Thursday. Now I'm not saying I'm a creature of habit - but I confess that I always sit in the same seat - back row, right in the corner against the window. Those of you who are familiar with the new IHQ know it is a beautiful glass building. If I described it as transparent that would be an understatement. There's no hiding - everyone can see exactly what is happening as there are no walls - everything is glass. So when I sit in the corner I am just a few feet away from the pavement of the very busy Queen Victoria Street. If prayers are a little boring (I know it's hard to believe but even at IHQ we occasionally have some less than stimulating meetings!) it means I can amuse myself watching what's happening in the street. The flip side is that we are rather like goldfish in a bowl and I often wonder what people passing by make of us - we must be a strange looking bunch.
Sometimes tourists come right up to the window and take photos - which can be a bit embarrassing. Commuters heading to work cast a furtive glance - they want to see what's going on but don't want to stare - Brits don't like to appear rude, do we??
But the vast majority actually just pass by without giving us a second glance. Despite the unusual sight of about 50 people in funny uniforms, singing, clapping their hands, or sitting with eyes closed in prayer at 9.15 on a Thursday morning, as they head to work or go about their business passing within feet of us, we are a complete irrelevance - an odd group bothering no one in their own little world.
I confess I find myself wondering 'Is that actually what we've become - just an irrelevance'? If so, I don't feel too happy about that. So what am I going to do about it? What do you think?
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