Rev. Paul's Fight for the Poor in London
Reverend Paul Nicholson began life as a wine merchant, then became a priest, and moved to Tottenham in London where he devoted himself to the service of the poorest of the poor.
He commissioned research on benefits and their inadequacy, starting the extraordinary living wage movement, and persuaded London Mayor Ken Livingstone to adopt it.
The week before he died at 87, he was set to go to Downing Street to sit outside and experience what it was like to have nothing, to be ignored by passersby.
Despite concerns, he insisted on going alone to truly experience what those he fought for experience.
He lived humbly in one room in Tottenham, focusing solely on compassion and ran a brilliant organization called Taxpayers Against Poverty. He also established the Zacchaeus Foundation, which aids homeless individuals and fights for the rights of benefit claimants.
His energy was devoted not to his ego, but directly to his work, serving as a tuning fork for suffering.
