Coventry

You wouldn't believe me if I told you....it was just that kind of day.

So, first, to address the obvious question for anyone who has a map of the UK. Why the out-of-the-way side trip to Coventy when I have been happily traveling all this time around Scotland? Well, back on Iona I made friends ith a wonderful woman named Karen from Portsmouth (England) and she raved on and on about the cathedral in Coventry. It is a cathedral whose work focuses are peace and reconciliation issues and even the building itself is an architectural and artistic symbol of peace. Of course, I smiled and said it looked interesting, but she kept going on and on and on about it. Finally, a very soft-spoken gentleman who was in my Iona group spoke up and said, "I really think you need to go."

So, I planned a rather extensive side trip to the tiny town of Coventry.

First, I was happy to get to coventry because I actually got to stay in a modest hotel (for pretty cheap, actually). But, let me translate that: a room to myself; a nice, fluffy bed; my own bathroom with a shower I can move in; reliable internet. After being in hostels for about 2 1/2 weeks, this modest hotel felt like a palace. Hahaha.

Anyway, I woke up on the day of my Coventry visit and got up in time to go to the morning prayer service at 8:30am. When I got there I expected a modest crowd. But, it turned out to be me, two fully-robed priests, and one Indian woman who came in late. It was kind of awkward, honestly.

Then I spent a good amount of time wandering around the cathdral. It was absolutely silent. For probably a good 45 minutes I was the only one in the building (other than the people who worked there). It was very peaceful and an itneresting building. I went down to the visitors center and watched some videos about Coventry.

The story is very powerful. The original cathdral was bombed in one of the first air blitzes by the Germans in WWII. And, on the morning after, the head of the Cathedral spoke up and said that they would not seek revenge, but peace. 22 years later the new Cathedral was built and opened, standing as a symbol for peace and reconciliation and even employing a full-time priest who works on peace and reconciliation issues. Now, I am timid to give too much of this story away right now since it will probably be a big part of my sermon when I get back to the States and back to Virginia. So, for all those from my church reading my blog, you are going to have to wait to hear it. I think I will add the complete story later--after Sunday the 12th. So, for all my non-church-member readers, please be patient. I will have a post on the Coventry story soon.

The real crazy story of my day began at the noontime prayer service in which they read the Litany for Reconciliation and then have a small communion service in the side chapel. As an Anglican church, I knew I was allowed to participate in communion, so I planned on attending both events. As I was sitting in the front part of the Cathedral waiting for the Service of the Litany of Reconciliation to begin (a litany said noon-time all over the world), a woman from the cathedral came up to me and began to ask me about my visit--where I was from, how long I was here, etc... Then she asked me what I thought I would take back home from my visit to Coventry. I began to reply, "Well, I'm actually a minister at a church and so..." She didn't give me a chance to finish. "Oh! Well then!" she exclaimed. "Are you planning on joining us for the communion service after this?" "yes" I replied. "Well, would you mind reading the gospel lesson--here it is. The Beatitudes. I'm sure you've read them before." "Once or twice" I smiled.

When we got to the side chapel, there were about 15 people in attendance for the communion service. We sat in the round, around the communion table, facing one another. When we got to the gospel reading, I just stood in my place and read. It was a really lovely service--basic, but very meaningful.

After the service, I went down to the cafe to grab some lunch. While I was standing in line, a woman who was in the service grabbed my arm and said, "I really loved the way you read that. I have a feeling you've done that before." I laughed and shared with her that I was a minister. And immediately her eyes lit up and she began to ask me questions about my visit. When I shared with her that I originally went to Iona, the conversation really took off as she has always wanted to go to Iona.

She invited me to sit down with her and her husband and sent her husband away to buy me a cup of coffee. Somehow in the course of the conversation, we got to the question of what I was goignt o do the rest of the day. Honestly, I had no major plans. You should go here and here and here she went on and I tried to make a mental note and figure out how to take a bus or train to the spot that sounded most interesting.

Then, she sat up really straight, her eyes lit up, and she said to her husband. "WE should go there. We have a day off. We haven't been there in forever." Her husband nodded, somewhat unenthusiastically. And she turned to me and said, "Do you want us to show you around?" "Ummm...I replied." "Well, at least we'll show you around Coventry," she conceded.

So, first they took me to climb the bell tower of the ruined church. while I was up there, she left her husband to wait for me and ran to buy us lunch. So, when I got down, we had lunch in the ruins and continued to talk. They are lovely people. She is a little spacy, but so kind and he is a kind man who clearly adores his wife and has a wickedly dry British sense of humor. They then took me to see the Holy Trinity church in town as well as the medieval trade house. Then, they invited me to drive over to Kenilworth to see the castle. So, we did. And we hiked around the castle ruins. From there we went to Leamington and saw the Leamington Spa and the natural gardens. Then we went to Warwick where we saw the Castle and ate fish and chips out of the bag in the park along with strawberries and cream she had bought in Leamington (how much more British can you get?!?!). The weather was lovely and in each town we walked in the parks and down the rivers. Then, when I tohought we were done, they took me to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the Globe theater, the barges, and all the statues of the William Shakespeare characters all over the town. Then we went to their favorite pub in Stratford and sat in the warm evening air, drinking and talking.

They were amazing--not only did they tote me around all day, but they paid for absolutely EVERYTHING. They wouldn't let me spend a penny on food or admissions or anything. And when I offered or tried to thank them to the best of my ability, she would always answer, "Nonsense! I love entertaining angels. And you are definitely our angel today. You see, we have been married so long now and it's been a tough couple of years. We had forgotten how to go out and enjoy where we live and have fun. You are clearly our angel and the Spirit sent you to us. The least I can do is buy you fish and chips!"

So, 9 hours after meeting this odd but wonderful couple, they dropped me off back at my hotel. When I asked if I could have an e-mail or address, she replied. "You don't need one more person to stay in touch with. But, know that we are praying for you and all we ask is that when you think of us, you pray for us." I was so touched. It is not often that we allow people to come in and out of our lives so readily. We often want to cling or feel obligated to stay in touch. (Ultimately, she did take my e-mail b/c she wanted to send me an article. "But that's it." she ordered sternly, "no need for anything else.")

I got back to my hotel room and flopped on the bed, not believing my day. It began with two priests in an empty cathedral and ended with two angels in a pub in Stratford.

I told you....you wouldn't believe me if I told you...