Two sides

Today's picture is of a piece of art that sits just outside the Kelly Library at the university here. On one side are figures of famous writers and thinkers, the sort of people whose books fill the shelves of the library - that is the side I've photographed today. On the other side are everyday people going about their business, some ignoring the library, some pausing to take a look. 

It's a very striking piece of sculpture and I think tries to show how close in reality the 'real world', if I can describe it as such, and the world of academia actually are. They are two sides of the same experience and, in an ideal world, the discussion and thinking that takes place in our universities does then have a positive impact on life outside them.

Perhaps I am being idealistic, but that certainly feels like one of the reasons I am here - not just to spend 4 years luxuriating in studies, but to grow in a way that means I can serve people more effectively in future ministry. That is the hope anyway . . .