We had a brilliant time giving away gifts bearing the message of #MadeToGLOW on Saturday, and received delighted responses from the children and parents who received them… And then, early on Sunday morning, we did a rapid changeover in our window… from before to after:
Our gallery of stars features 27 famous ‘saints’ – and a 28th catch all to represent the huge cloud of witnesses who might not be as famous to passers by – who have shone so brightly in the sphere they were placed that they transformed it with the light they carried.
You can read about everyone who’s featured below… and we recommend you do. It’s an incredibly inspiring and uplifting experience, and we’ve been thrilled to see so many passers by doing exactly that yesterday and today.
But meanwhile, here’s a photo of the accompanying larger poster which introduces people to the source of the light all the people featured in the window are glowing with:
And, just as we promised, here’s a bit about each one of our featured stars…
C.S. Lewis
Inspired by THE LIGHT to write stories and books that lead others to THE LIGHT. We are all: Made to GLOW
William Wilberforce
Inspired by THE LIGHT to end slavery in his time. We are all: Made to GLOW
John Newton
Inspired by THE LIGHT to leave running slave ships and write Amazing Grace. We are all: Made to GLOW
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Inspired by THE LIGHT to write poetry celebrating the beauty of God’s creation. We are all: Made to GLOW
Martin Luther King JR
Inspired by THE LIGHT to fight for the truth that all races are equal and made in God’s image. We are all: Made to GLOW
Mother Teresa
Inspired by THE LIGHT to leave everything behind to care for the destitute in Calcutta. We are all: Made to GLOW
George Frideric Handel
Inspired by THE LIGHT to compose The Messiah and to give the proceeds to orphans. We are all: Made to GLOW
Rembrandt
Inspired by THE LIGHT to paint God’s loving welcome in the Return of the Prodigal Son. We are all: Made to GLOW
Elizabeth Fry
Inspired by THE LIGHT to make prisons more humane. We are all: Made to GLOW
Eric Liddell
Inspired by THE LIGHT to run his very best at Olympic level, and feel God’s pleasure in it. We are all: Made to GLOW
Edith Cavell
Inspired by THE LIGHT to care for soldiers from both sides in WWI and to help allies escape. We are all: Made to GLOW
Florence Nightingale
Inspired by THE LIGHT to ‘do good for him alone without reputation’ through nursing. We are all: Made to GLOW
Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Inspired by THE LIGHT to stand up for the truth and care for others in disobedience to the Nazi regime. We are all: Made to GLOW
Abbess Hilda of Whitby
Inspired by THE LIGHT to lead a community committed to prayer, hospitality and spreading the word about THE LIGHT through Yorkshire and beyond. We are all: Made to GLOW
Abbé Pierre
Inspired by THE LIGHT to become a priest, join the French Resistance in WWII and found the Emmaus movement to help homeless people. We are all: Made to GLOW
William Tyndale and John Wycliffe
Inspired by THE LIGHT to translate the Bible into English so that everyone could understand it. We are all: Made to GLOW
Nelson Mandela
Inspired by THE LIGHT to fight for an end to apartheid. We are all: Made to GLOW
Blaise Pascal
Inspired by THE LIGHT to use his outstanding scientific mind to write about THE LIGHT so others could understand more. We are all: Made to GLOW
John and Charles Wesley
Inspired by THE LIGHT to write new hymns set to the pop tunes of the day so people who didn’t go to church could hear about God’s light and love. We are all: Made to GLOW
J.S. Bach
Inspired by THE LIGHT to write ‘reverent music’ through which God’s ‘gracious presence’ could be felt. We are all: Made to GLOW
Nicolaus Copernicus
Inspired by THE LIGHT to ‘seek the truth in all things’ as far as ‘God granted that to human reason’ which resulted in the first pronouncement of the earth orbiting round the sun. We are all: Made to GLOW
J.R.R Tolkien
Inspired by THE LIGHT to write allegorical stories to reflect the battle between good and evil, and to lead C.S.Lewis to faith in Jesus Christ. We are all: Made to GLOW
Corrie Ten Boom and her family
Inspired by THE LIGHT to hide Jewish families in a secret room in their house when Holland was occupied by the Nazis. We are all: Made to GLOW
Lord Shaftesbury
Inspired by THE LIGHT to pioneer free education for poorer children, reform factories and asylums and fight for better housing for everyone. We are all: Made to GLOW
Johannes Kepler
Inspired by THE LIGHT to pursue astronomical and scientific and to ‘think God’s thoughts after him’. We are all: Made to GLOW
Michaelangelo
Inspired by THE LIGHT to bring to life many biblical stories and to believe that ‘spiritual value could be found in all natural beauty’. We are all: Made to GLOW
William Temple
Inspired by THE LIGHT to write Christianity and Social Order setting out a vision of love and justice reflecting Jesus’ teaching which became the British Welfare State. We are all: Made to GLOW
Billions of ordinary people
Inspired by THE LIGHT to do amazing things, small and big, seen and unseen, here and all around the world, today and for hundreds of years before us. We are all: Made to GLOW
