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Today is the 80th anniversary of the Coventry Blitz of 1940, during which over 500 people lost their lives, hundreds were injured, countless buildings were damaged and lost, and of course the medieval Cathedral was partially destroyed.
Today is a day when we’d wish to come together, to both remember the courage of all of those impacted by these tragic events, and to give thanks for the compassion and foresight of those who chose not to seek retribution but to embrace a spirit of peace and reconciliation.
This spirit lives on in Coventry today. The very core of our being at the Cathedral is continuing the work of Provost Dick Howard, who wrote the words ‘Father Forgive’ on the wall of the still smouldering Cathedral, seeking not to take revenge but to find common ground.
This spirit is in all of us, and we are reassured that in these strangest of times we don’t need to be physically together to demonstrate this sense of unity and togetherness. In the face of unprecedented challenges, staying at home in order to protect each other is vital.
Arguably the best commemoration of the events of that night 80 years ago is the endurance and bravery of the people of Coventry in the face of our current challenges, the sense of community demonstrated over the last few months, and the kindness we have all shown to each other.
We will be together again, but today let us mark this anniversary by reflecting upon the events of the 14th of November 1940 safely at home, and continuing in the spirit of resilience and reconciliation we have shown ever since.
Father Forgive.
Father Forgive.
