Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 October 2012 17:50:39
This year is the 25th anniversary of the MK Leipzig Link and over the last few days there have been various Anglo-German events going on. These included a service last night which we went to and a trip to Coventry Cathedral which I went on today with them.
Both events were interesting because of the way that they involved translation and a way of operating that necessitated co-operation.
The recurring theme was reconciliation although there was a recognition that these days we are talking not about reconciling the Germans and English but learning from our past about how we do peacemaking and journeying into new relationships.
This theme of reconciliation is something which is key to both the structure and design of Coventry Cathedral and to the Community of the Cross of Nails movement which has emerged from it. It is also the theme of a short daily service they have each day at noon, which on Fridays is held in the ruins of the Cathedral. This short daily act of worship uses the Coventry Litany of Reconciliation. Key to this liturgy is a response which is carved on the chancel of the Cathedral ruins which says "Father Forgive". The key, as our guide explained is that the word "them" is missing because when we pray father forgive it must also be an individual and collective "us" too. That was something I found very moving.
The new Cathedral is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year and as a building is in some ways very much of its time. However, the art within it is absolutely amazing and apart from the Chapel of Unity which was freezing and smelt of damp I loved the whole place. It was almost an overload of sensory experience for me in some ways with so much to look at and take in. There are some extra bits of art about at the moment but to be honest these are almost secondary. What grabbed me were the bits which are very much a part of the Cathedral. To get a visual impression of the Cathedral I'd recommend you to the clip on the main Cathedral website.
I could say lots more but I'm not going to apart from it was a great day with great people and I am now processing what it all means and what I have learnt today.