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FeaturesYou are in: Bristol > Faith > Features > 'I've embraced more faith'  Julie Nicholson talks to Trevor Fry. 'I've embraced more faith'Reverend Julie Nicholson, the mother of one of the victims of the July 7th London bombings, thinks she's developed a greater understanding of faith since her daughter was killed. In 2006, Julie Nicholson took the brave step of admitting she could not forgive after her daughter's life was taken. Gifted musician Jennifer Nicholson, 24, died in the explosion at Edgware Road. The priest wrestled with her conscience and her faith before deciding to leave her role.
She felt she could not continue as a parish priest at St Aidan Church in St George and went on to work with young people in the Bristol diocese. Two years after the tragedy, she is now pursuing her ministry as Director of Theatre Arts for the diocese. Rev Nicholson is still unable to forgive what happened to Jenny but does not blame her circumstances on God. "I would say I've embraced more aspects of faith," she told BBC Radio Bristol's Trevor Fry.
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer "Faith can get jolly uncomfortable when life is not going so well for us and that presents a challenge that we either embrace or not. "Before we start blaming God for things we have to look at our own humanity." Agnostic approachWhen Rev Nicholson stepped down last year, she said she found it difficult to "lead people in words of in words of peace and reconciliation and forgiveness when I feel very far from that myself."  'Jenny... vibrancy and life' And she told Trevor she still struggles with issues of faith but has adopted what she thinks is a healthy, more agnostic approach to her beliefs. "With my hand on my heart I live with a lot of agnosticism... I think there's a lot of people within the professional ministry of the church who do that. "None of us can know absolutely - we might believe absolutely but we don't know absolutely. "I think there is something very rich and important in acknowledging the struggle with issues of faith. 'Vibrancy and life'Jenny's funeral service took place in August 2005 at Bristol Cathedral. There was also a half-hour silence and an all-night vigil where her friends and family had the chance to say goodbye. She describes the final part as a kind of wake with plenty of wine. "I have the memory of all her Reading Uni friends standing round the coffin drinking wine and they put a bottle on the coffin. "Some people would think that was dreadfully sacrilegious and lacking in respect but it was wonderful because Jenny was absolutely central and in the heart of all that vibrancy and life." You can hear an audio interview with Rev Julie Nicholson using the link on this page, or listen to a longer conversation with Trevor Fry on Sunday Starts on BBC Radio Bristol (on 94.9 FM and on the web) from 8am on 8 July, 2007.The programme is also available on our Listen Again service for one week after transmission (see top right of this page).last updated: 12/07/07 You are in: Bristol > Faith > Features > 'I've embraced more faith'
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