Alien Drums

I took the photo at the top of this blog when my wife and I visited Coventry, England, in 2005. It’s from the cathedral in Coventry, which stands next to the cathedral ruined in World War II.

When I went online to find out more about the artwork, I could never find another such photo. So I sent an e-mail to the cathedral. Here’s the response about the wonderful place and the cause that it now stands for.

“Your photograph shows the cross on the high altar of the Cathedral. The silver-gilt altar cross is the work of Geoffrey Clarke, and enfolds an original ‘cross of nails’ (now silver plated). …

“The high altar cross was designed to blend sympathetically with the style of Sutherland’s tapestry behind and to reflect the texture of the iconic, wooden charred cross set on the altar in the Ruins. Although not likely to have been intentional, many see the form of a bird in the cross too – perhaps a dove symbolising the Holy Spirit or a phoenix, a common symbol of Coventry’s rebuilding and regeneration after WWII.

“The nails that form the central cross were drawn from the timbers of the medieval roof of the fire-bombed old Cathedral, and have become an international symbol of peace and reconciliation ministry (and the Cathedral’s corporate logo). Coventry was the only Cathedral destroyed in WWII. Its destruction was the result of bombing by the Luftwaffe as Hitler was intent on destroying Britain’s armed vehicle building capacity, much of which was hidden in and around Coventry in ’shadow factories’. From the morning after that catastrophic raid on 14 November 1940, the leading clergyman at the Cathedral, Provost Howard, started to make his now-famous pronouncements that the Cathedral would be rebuilt and that he and the Cathedral community would seek reconciliation and not revenge.

This cross of nails was carried to every Coventry parish in the 40 days before the Cathedral’s consecration in 1962 to encourage prayer for the new Cathedral.”

What a testament to forgiveness, peace and reconcilation. If you go to England, this catheral is worth a visit. The ruins still stand beside it.