The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead

Church chat

Meeting up again

2/8/2020

On Saturday afternoon some of the Youth Group met for a socially distanced picnic at Fortune Green. Despite not being able to share food, it was great to meet together and connect in person for the first time since lockdown. This is a summer of big changes, too.

Rika is going to York University to study English Literature, Tilly to Cambridge, and Tamsin to Washington DC. All of them are in some ways truly venturing into the unknown, as there is still a lack of clarity about exactly how teaching and university life will happen in the various possible scenarios of Covid-19. Though there is uncertainty, there is excitement too.

We talked about protest, war, and injustice, as well as the debate around Hagia Sophia and the decision that it will become a mosque again. We also spoke about a recent BBC series on Iraq, which Nesh highly recommends. We also talked about TikTok: compelling, imaginative, ingenious, addictive, politically ambiguous. . .

Every time the Youth Group gather, amazing things happen. The conversation ranges widely, there is time for everyone to explore ideas in depth, and the mutual respect and trust in the group means that we deepen our faith and ask vast questions about God, society, and culture.

From September Nesh and Jan will run the group together. Anyone between c.15-18 years old is very welcome.

And, PS, Nesh told us he’s selling his electric car. It’s a bargain, and has had one careful driver. . ..