In 1940, during the Second World War, Coventry Cathedral was destroyed during air attacks. The Cathedral’s Provost, Howard, made a commitment not to revenge, but to forgiveness and reconciliation with those responsible. Using a national radio broadcast from the cathedral ruins on Christmas Day 1940 he declared that when the war was over he would work with those who had been enemies “to build a kinder, more Christ-child-like world.”

The ruins of the cathedral can still be seen, but in those ruins there is a ‘litany of reconciliation’:

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img_3477img_3478There is also the prophetic reminder from Haggai:

img_3483A new cathedral was opened in 1962, reflecting contemporary art and vision, but committed above all to the Christian message of unity, forgiveness and reconciliation.

img_3514img_3490img_3497A major part of the ministry of reconciliation was the establishment of the Community of the Cross of Nails, which today is an international network of over 200 active partners in more than 40 countries committed to a shared ministry of reconciliation. So much of the artwork in the cathedral reflects the international scope of this ministry, with God’s Word being on tablets of stone all around the walls of the cathedral. Even in the ruins, the phrase ‘hallowed be Thy name’ is used in prayer for different spheres of life:

img_3486 img_3489The cathedral is a vivid tribute to the difference Christ makes and to how God is able to bring good even from the ruin of our lives. May we all learn to live in forgiveness and reconciliation, for in Christ, we are now reconciled to God and given the ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Cor 5:17-21).