A Wake-Up Call to Christians: Reclaiming the Power of Prayer and Community
The Trocadero, an iconic Grade II-listed building in central London, is set to host an Islamic community center in its basement. The Westminster City Council has approved the plans, allowing the Piccadilly Community Centre to utilize the building’s entrance on Rupert Street. This initiative, spearheaded by the Aziz Foundation, promises to be “indispensable” for the Muslims who live, work, and visit the area.
The new community center will occupy the ground floor, upper, and lower basements, previously home to a Metro cinema until 2006. In addition to providing prayer space, the center aims to foster interfaith dialogue, addressing the significant shortfall of such facilities in the West End. With a capacity to accommodate 390 people, it is set to become a vital part of the local religious landscape.
In the heart of a Christian country where churches are closing and those that remain open, like St. Paul’s Cathedral, charge for entrance, the availability of free prayer spaces becomes more poignant. When I once asked if I could enter Canterbury Cathedral for prayer, I was told it was only possible during services or for a fee. Many churches are closed to the Christian community from Monday to Saturday, offering little quiet space for personal prayer. Consequently, Christians often only gather on Sundays, and even then, prayer is often the least emphasized practice in many churches. In England, Christians cry out for deliverance even as they face closed doors within their own faith communities.
What can we, as Christians, learn from the Islamic world about prayer and its power? The Islamic community’s dedication to prayer, seen in the establishment of accessible spaces like the new Piccadilly Community Centre, highlights a commitment to daily, communal, and individual prayer. This development at the Trocadero underscores the importance of making prayer accessible and central to daily life, a lesson that can profoundly benefit the Christian community.
Originally built as a restaurant in 1896, the Trocadero was transformed into an exhibition center and entertainment venue in the 1980s. Its upper floors now feature a 740-bedroom hotel and a rooftop bar. The Aziz Foundation, founded by businessman and philanthropist Asif Aziz, sees this development as a way to support local community initiatives and enhance cultural understanding in this vibrant part of London.