By Rev. Aidan Moon

Wounds Transformed

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“And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.“

– Luke 23:34, English Standard Version

In 1940, the German Luftwaffe made a bombing raid on the city of Coventry in England. During the raid, Coventry Cathedral was left in ruins. 

Such a moment is devastating – but in the midst of this, the leadership at the time made the difficult choice to reject vengeance, and instead to lean into the words of Jesus on the cross. “Father, forgive.”  Not long after the bombing, those words were inscribed in the ruined chancel. But the question remained: What next?

As the city rebuilt, the decision was made to leave the ruins standing. But a new cathedral building was built beside it, angled so that its back wall of windows faces the building. It is a constant reminder for worshipers that the destruction of this space was not the end: that God continues to work in the midst of devastation.

There are more than enough reasons for us to be angry, afraid, and vindictive. We can always find someone to blame, someone who has victimized us and caused ruin in our lives. And there are times for justice, and times for war. But the only thing that can stop a cycle of violence, hatred, and conflict is that someone chooses to forgive. In the greatest divide of all, that between us and our God, Jesus was willing to be wounded, and to forgive the wounding, to bridge the divide. He still bears the scars of that day, an eternal reminder of the cost. But like a shattered cathedral, those wounds have been transformed into a symbol of reconciliation and the foundation for all true forgiveness.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado