‘I have conversed with the spiritual Sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill.’
I saw this quote by William Blake, an English poet, inscribed on the top of Primrose Hill during my first arrival to the UK at the end of September 2020. This hill is about a 20-minute walk from Copleston House, a Jesuit residence where many overseas Jesuits who do their special studies reside. Like Blake, who was impressed by the profound beauty of the Sun here, Primrose Hill was my favourite setting during the COVID-19 lockdown, where I enjoyed fresh air, a spectacular view of London, and, most importantly, warm sunlight. Blake ‘conversed with the spiritual Sun’; the sunlight on Primrose Hill reminds me not to give up ‘hope’ amid many challenges, especially my studies in the UK.
Due to the pandemic, I spent my first year doing my master’s degree online at University College London (UCL) before proceeding with my PhD studies at the same university. Because of the academic hardship that slowly caused my backache, I realised I needed physical exercise to balance my life routine. Since then, I have trained, starting from regular walks and working my way up to more serious runs. My route usually takes me to Regent’s Park, before returning to Primrose Hill, my favourite spot. This is where I can watch the sunset before the day ends and let myself be absorbed by such beautiful nature and be reminded of keeping everyday hope alive.
At the end of last year, I was invited by a fellow Jesuit to run for JRS UK. With the rise of a significant number of forcibly displaced people worldwide due to various reasons (e.g. war, environmental destruction, poverty, etc), I did not hesitate to take part in supporting the JRS UK’s wonderful work, especially through the running I usually do. On Sundays, after saying Mass, I shared the JRS mission with various groups of parishioners. To my surprise, many people offered their kind support, for which I am greatly thankful.
I’m currently in the middle of my 16-week training journey for the Marathon on Sunday 27th April. I am delighted that my Jesuit house in Clapham, where I moved two years ago, is located within a large public common that allows me to do daily exercise. Fascinatingly, while running, I sometimes still recall my first visit to Primrose Hill, a place where I learned to keep my hope alive. What differs now is that, in every step of my running, I am aware that I am also extending my help to others. As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year and invites us to become ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, I wish that what I do will offer my refugee brothers and sisters a similar light of hope in their difficult times, the hope I had once experienced on Primrose Hill.
