Coventry
[sorry, this is old. i wrote it and then forgot to post.]
this text is the Coventry Cathedral Litany of Reconciliation. it's printed on a placard that stands at the foot of the cross in the chancel of the 14th century church. there is no glass in the windows behind it. there is no roof over it. the red stone walls are that sweep back around the nave rise to a jagged open space, weathered from age, and blackened in places by fire. a plaque, near the transcept entrance, reads: Coventry Cathedral. Built 14th Century. Destroyed 20th Century.
during november of 1940 coventry was the site of some of the most protracted air raids of world war ii. on the 14th, Coventry Cathedral was left filled with charred rubble.
rather than repair the old cathedral, a new one was built--a massive hangar-like structure adjacent to the original site, an immense awning covering the space between their entrances. people stand quietly in the old church, pray, and remember. but despite being marked by the memory of fire, the old cathedral stands together with the new as a symbol not of the war or of destruction, but of reconciliation: of the old and broken things made new and whole. it is the most overwhelming place i have been to in the british isles.
Coventry Cathedral is now the home of the Community of the Cross of Nails. the original cross of nails was made from three long roof spikes, two of them parallel as the cross-piece. the community is a world-wide association of christians committed to reconciliation--in israel, in northern ireland, in south africa, in the united states, and in many other places.
Coventry has a sister in germany. the Church of Our Lady in dresden was reduced to rubble during the allied firebombing of february, 1945. with the church, the gold orb and cross from its roof were destroyed. several years ago, british donors (private, public, and ecclesiastical) provided for the orb and cross's reconstruction, and the symbol was sent to dresden in 2000. in thanks, dresden sent a gift to Coventry Cathedral: from the destroyed rafters of the Church of Our Lady, a cross of nails.
i don't have any pictures, i'm afraid, but there are a couple good ones here.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
Father forgive.
The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father forgive.
The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father forgive.
Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father forgive.
Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father forgive.
The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,
Father forgive.
The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father forgive.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
this text is the Coventry Cathedral Litany of Reconciliation. it's printed on a placard that stands at the foot of the cross in the chancel of the 14th century church. there is no glass in the windows behind it. there is no roof over it. the red stone walls are that sweep back around the nave rise to a jagged open space, weathered from age, and blackened in places by fire. a plaque, near the transcept entrance, reads: Coventry Cathedral. Built 14th Century. Destroyed 20th Century.
during november of 1940 coventry was the site of some of the most protracted air raids of world war ii. on the 14th, Coventry Cathedral was left filled with charred rubble.
rather than repair the old cathedral, a new one was built--a massive hangar-like structure adjacent to the original site, an immense awning covering the space between their entrances. people stand quietly in the old church, pray, and remember. but despite being marked by the memory of fire, the old cathedral stands together with the new as a symbol not of the war or of destruction, but of reconciliation: of the old and broken things made new and whole. it is the most overwhelming place i have been to in the british isles.
Coventry Cathedral is now the home of the Community of the Cross of Nails. the original cross of nails was made from three long roof spikes, two of them parallel as the cross-piece. the community is a world-wide association of christians committed to reconciliation--in israel, in northern ireland, in south africa, in the united states, and in many other places.
Coventry has a sister in germany. the Church of Our Lady in dresden was reduced to rubble during the allied firebombing of february, 1945. with the church, the gold orb and cross from its roof were destroyed. several years ago, british donors (private, public, and ecclesiastical) provided for the orb and cross's reconstruction, and the symbol was sent to dresden in 2000. in thanks, dresden sent a gift to Coventry Cathedral: from the destroyed rafters of the Church of Our Lady, a cross of nails.
i don't have any pictures, i'm afraid, but there are a couple good ones here.
Posted by Jeff on Tuesday, November 02, 2004
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