The Place to Be & Meet Together

You’ve probably been told that your grades don’t define you. That whatever happens, God is in control.

When you’re waiting for exam results, however, it can be hard to feel like that. In the last fortnight, around 60% of people experienced anxiety that interfered with their daily life – as results day looms, that figure is likely even higher. I remember that anxiety all too well. A piece of paper felt like it would determine everything about my future.

This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) (Issues and Trends) from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.

On Wednesday afternoon this week, thousands of staff and students gathered in the burning sun on the University of Nottingham’s main campus.

The family, friends, coursemates, housemates, and teammates of Barney and Grace, two first-year students murdered on a familiar Nottingham street on Tuesday morning, were joined by a multitude of people from the wider University community.

The attacks, which also left school caretaker Ian Coates dead and three more in hospital, have sent a shockwave through our friendly, open city and its student population. I live here. And for me, to be in the presence of thousands of others feeling the same mix of shock, anger, anxiety, and sudden grief was a quiet comfort.

This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) (Issues and Trends) from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.