STREET PASTOR on a mission for God

While most Londoners are safe in bed at night, the Reverend Les Isaac is patrolling the streets of Brixton, in the south of the city.

By Marta Greenwood

Most mornings I can be found snugly ensconced in my London office, only four miles — but several worlds — away from this inner-city scene. This morning, however, I am on my way to visit Rev. Isaac, a street pastor who makes his nightly weekend rounds from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. through the Brixton, looking for those he can help and minister to.

The streets are vibrant in the hazy midmorning sunlight, with people dressed in colorful clothes from a myriad of nationalities. The pounding beat of rap music blares out of doorways, while a man stands at the entrance to the tube station shouting to anyone passing by, "Repent."

This street scene could be anywhere in the world, yet it's a side of London I've never seen before. With its street markets, club scene, and once-grand Victorian row houses, this neighborhood has long been known for drug dealing, drug taking, and associated street crimes such as mugging and burglary.