AS I sat in the Service of thanksgiving for the life of William Burnett on 5th May 2019, I was greatly stirred yet comforted to know that now is the hour for a proper closure since he passed away on 2nd March 2019. There were 16 of us at the serene yet moving service because we all had been touched and or inspired by the life of William, a quiet, sincere, yet engaging person here at Kings Cross Methodist Church.
William came to the International Service of the Kings Cross Methodist church in 2016 at the invitation of Michelle Lam. The deciding hour came when they met over a three course dinner prepared by Michelle. He was utterly moved by the hospitality and generosity shown to him, especially when Michelle told him that “God loves you (William)….” and subsequently, they had had a long conversation….
William lived very far away from the church but he was never late for church service. He often stayed on to attend the Cantonese service because he loved to be among the people of God. He never missed the united services where Christmas, Chinese New Year and Easter were celebrated across the three congregations. He also participated in the Get Away Day organized by the International Service. When we heard of his desire to be baptized, Linda Gilson met him over the baptismal and confirmation class before baptized him on 9th January 207.
I still remember the moment when Linda poured the water over him and prayed for him in the chapel. For he was the first English person that the church had baptized since 2011. Therefore, it was not easy for me to say goodbye to him. The baptism of William reminded me that the gospel is meant for all, regardless of color, creed or culture of the individual and people are open and receptive to the good news of Jesus Christ. I had been told repeatedly that the English are private people and we had welcomed less than five English men into the congregation since 2011. William had been the only one that the church baptized.
The baptism of William also invited the church to reflect on her understanding of reaching out. Michelle knew William through her friend Angel. Together, they met him at regular intervals. It was over a series of meals and gatherings that the good news was finally shared with him. Later, he gathered the courage to come to the church. The Chinese in UK don’t have many English friends. If we do, we would be reluctant to share our faith because faith is personal. Unless they ask for it, we don’t share. But the testimony of William told us otherwise – we need to take the initiative to share with our friends because we never know when the final hour might come.
Linda and the two interns from Methodist Chaplaincy House had played a vital role in bridging the gap between the two communities. Their mother tongue and the colour of their skin would make the guests feel very comfortable among the Chinese community. Their open and receptive spirit also put members of both communities at ease. The exchange of stories over the Chinese table had bridged the gaps and paved the way for the gospel to enter each other’s lives. I was therefore not surprised to see William found his space in the warmth and friendly environment.
The service was concluded with tea and coffee around a table that was packed with the favorite foods of William. As I browed over the table, the cakes, biscuits, sausages and drink are unfamiliar to me. However, the quiz over the life and movies of Bruce Lee still rang loud in my mind because Kung Fu movies were William’s favourites. Meanwhile, I know I have to do my study on the life and movies of Bruce Lee as I look forward to meet William someday.
Rev Hii Kong Ching,
Kings Cross Methodist church, London