果冻影院

After a morning spent in the lively, but sometimes hectic 果冻影院 campus, the tranquility of the Student Centre鈥檚 basement floor is a welcome change. Students file silently in and out of the prayer spaces, careful not to shatter the calm. Here I am welcomed by Reverend Reid Humble, 果冻影院鈥檚 Chaplain and Interfaith Adviser, and his dog, Magnus (pictured 鈥撎�who may not have an official title, but plays a big role in support nonetheless).听

In this conversation, Reverend Reid takes me through the various aspects of multifaith and interfaith support offered at 果冻影院, highlighting that his approach is rooted in 鈥渓istening and accompanying鈥�, and walking alongside those who seek support instead of ahead of them.听

What sort of multifaith and interfaith support is available at 果冻影院?听For the uninitiated, what does your role involve?听

I鈥檝e yet to figure out a way to draw a thread through what can sometimes feel like quite random and disparate things that are included in my role. Structurally, I am part of the senior leadership team of Student Support and Wellbeing. So sometimes, staff don鈥檛 realise they can contact me as well! I鈥檓 here for both students and staff, for people of all faiths and of no faiths.听

For me, it鈥檚 helpful to clarify the slight difference between 鈥榠nterfaith鈥� and 鈥榤ultifaith鈥�. Interfaith is more appropriate to a setting where multiple faiths are engaging with each other, whether that鈥檚 to promote understanding or to work towards a common cause.听

Whereas the multifaith and no faith dimension is more appropriate to pastoral support. A large part of that is one-to-one conversations that students and staff can book. They are confidential, inclusive, and you can come to me about whatever is impacting your time at 果冻影院.听听

It may be about exploring an aspect of your identity, like faith background, where you come from, and sexuality and gender identity, or even the big questions of life! One-to-ones can be for everything.听

Because I am a priest in the Church of England, I also do a weekly service of Holy Communion which is available to anybody who wants to come. I鈥檓 also involved with bereavement support, and I lead on acts of memorials where a member of 果冻影院 has sadly passed away.听

Finally, I provide practical support to the Quiet Contemplation Rooms 鈥� which includes our prayer spaces and meditation spaces. Anybody can use these spaces, as long as you respect the others there. This year, I started facilitating a weekly silent meditation session, 鈥楥entering Contemplation鈥�, during a protected 40 minutes in the lunch hour, again, open to all, even those who are just curious.听

And then there鈥檚 support for anything else that comes up 鈥� one example recently that鈥檚 become a big part of my work this term is the conflict in Israel and Gaza. I鈥檝e been providing support to people impacted by all sides of that.听

In many ways, the members of 果冻影院 get to decide what my role is. For many people, making the most of it may just be being aware it exists. But for those who want a little more, I would say, get in contact or get involved! I鈥檓 always open to having a chat, going out on campus for tea or coffee. It doesn鈥檛 have to be a formal one-to-one.听

How do you, as an interfaith advisor, approach providing support to the people of diverse faiths that 果冻影院 is home to?听听

That鈥檚 probably a question a lot of people are curious about because I come from a certain faith background. But my job here isn鈥檛 to preach or convert at all. I want to provide the most helpful space possible for someone to share, irrespective of their faith.听

Some of that includes asking questions to explore whatever they want to, with the desire to accompany them on the journey that they鈥檙e going on. It鈥檚 very much led by whoever I鈥檓 engaging with. It doesn鈥檛 always relate to religious or spiritual practice, but it can be based on their worldview.听听

We all have our limitations, but I have quite a large network of people that I can kind of seek advice from. Sometimes people want an opinion from their background, and while we don鈥檛 have a long list of chaplains (we have a Catholic chaplain and a Jewish chaplain that students have access to), I can connect people and facilitate that sort of thing. I鈥檓 one person, and different people can need different things!听

How have you seen interfaith support benefit students and staff?听听

I鈥檝e seen it be beneficial for a range of things, whether that be distress because of a global event or something related to day-to-day life and the stresses, expectations, and dreams of being in a university. In my role, you don鈥檛 always see the end product. But people have been able to reflect on an aspect of their identity and reach a point where they feel more confident in who they are. Then they鈥檙e able to focus on studies and things like that because they鈥檙e not struggling.听

I鈥檝e even seen people make new friendships through interfaith activities that to them feel unlikely and surprising. They grow in their understanding of people that see the world differently. We can be better friends and colleagues to everyone without being exactly the same. That is really important to a place like 果冻影院, because we鈥檙e a global university.听

What鈥檚 been the most rewarding part of this role for you?听

When you see students and staff succeeding after being in distress, it鈥檚 rewarding to be involved in a small part of that. Sometimes that success is just being able to get back to the regular routine and enjoy some of it. It鈥檚 an interesting job because sometimes it鈥檚 rewarding when they don鈥檛 need you anymore! Just being with people and getting to explore questions of life, testing out beliefs, being curious and critical 鈥� it鈥檚 rewarding when someone trusts you to support them.听

Also, last year, 果冻影院 was responsible for hosting the annual memorial service for people who donate their bodies to medical science after they die. It was an enormous privilege getting to hear students speak about the gratitude they had for it.听

In real life and on social media, we often see hate speech and behaviours that target and alienate people on religious grounds. How do you advise students to deal with such intolerance?听

Sadly, it is a reality of the world that we live in, and some people have come and talked about it with me. It can make us feel like we don鈥檛 belong in a place. No one should have to endure that 鈥� that鈥檚 the place to start while providing support. On the technical side, report it through 听听

These instances go vastly underreported, so give 果冻影院 information to build a picture with. You can do this anonymously, but if you want someone to follow up you can also put your name to it. If you鈥檙e unsure about reporting, you can always have a confidential conversation with me first.听听

I鈥檓 happy to help with the personal impact of the situation and the process side. There could also be incidents that fall outside of what 果冻影院 is accountable for, and I encourage you to talk to me or someone else you trust so you don鈥檛 have to silently carry it alone.听

Learning about this domain of 果冻影院 support has been wonderful! How do you hope to expand its scope in the future?听

I鈥檓 looking to add visits to various local places of worship into the landscape of things. In London, there鈥檚 a huge variety and I鈥檓 happy to take recommendations! The first one is being planned with a mosque close to the Bloomsbury campus.听听

Next term, I鈥檓 hoping to have a chaplains鈥� discussion group (but not just for chaplains) for conversations around identity, meaning making, the various questions of life. I鈥檓 trying to develop a slightly more open, informal space.听

I鈥檓 also really looking to develop more student-specific activities for Interfaith Week next year in November. There are great interfaith conversations and events that happen between student-run societies, so I鈥檓 hoping to add to that.听

About the author,听Neeharika Nene

I'm a postgraduate digital media student, cat mom and horror film fanatic. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, I became passionate about writing and journalism after interning at organisations like The Quint and working as an editorial assistant at Springtide, a youth-culture and lifestyle magazine.

Professionally and academically, I lean towards writing about film, music, pop culture, gender, and identity. 果冻影院's lively ecosystem, within an even more vibrant London has no shortage of stories to tell. So, I'm excited to take on the role of student journalist explore the city and university I've come to love in greater depth!听