Last weekend Prince Charles attended a wreath-laying ceremony in central Berlin to mark Germany’s National Day of Mourning for victims of war and tyranny.  He also addressed the German parliament in a speech which emphasised the fundamental bond between the UK and Germany, as well as his hopes for the evolving relationship with the European Union.  His words were an encouragement for all of us to make a stand as an indispensable force for good and to be champions of human rights.

His visit brought to mind my own visit to Berlin in November 2018. On that occasion I travelled with a group of clergy from Coventry diocese to learn more about the reconciliation links which have flourished between Germany and Britain ever since the end of the 2^nd World War.  I attended a service of penance and a 75^th anniversary memorial concert which took place in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church in the centre of Berlin. This is a church on the main street bombed by the British on 22^nd November 1943 and still now left in its jagged and disfigured state. The new church was built alongside it, similar to Coventry’s lay-out of old and new cathedral alongside each other.  During my visit to a number of Berlin churches, I was struck by the remarkable attitude of the Berlin church-goers as they deal with their difficult past.  They acknowledge the wrongdoing of previous generations and they continue to seek reconciliation and build a future of peace.

Back to this last weekend, I attended a virtual Zoom gathering of the Community of the Cross of Nails (CCN), hosted by Coventry cathedral.  This international meeting was attended by CCN partners from Britain and Northern Ireland, from Germany, Brussels, from organisations across Europe, North America and South Africa. We gathered on this 80^th anniversary of the bombing of the cathedral and city when the old cathedral was completely destroyed on the night of 14^th November 1940.  The following morning, Provost Richard Howard, leader of the cathedral at that time, walked through the rubble and ashes and saw the devastated cathedral as the embodiment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  And the powerful prayer which Provost Howard prayed is inscribed behind the high altar in the old cathedral ruins: ‘Father, Forgive’.  This prayer recognises that we are all sinners, and all in need of God’s forgiveness.

But out of the ruins and death of that terrible night came the resurrection.  The cathedral was re-built, international friendships were formed, a ministry of reconciliation was established, and the Community of the Cross of Nails was formed to bring more than 250 worldwide partners into a shared vision of hope and prayer. This was the consequence of the destruction of Coventry cathedral, along with many churches across Germany destroyed by British bombing raids.

God has been transforming the brokenness caused by war and human destruction into the means of spreading peace through the ministry of reconciliation in the decades ever since. Our vision to love our neighbours and to build up our fellow human beings with esteem and respect, whether locally, nationally or across international borders is one of the central aspects of our Christian belief.  In these times of fractured society and international disagreements, we need to look for what we share in common and build a future of peace.

Sarah Bourne, Chaplain for the Arts – 18^th November 2020             sarahbourne@banburystmary.org.uk