From the associate minister... 

Dear friends

As we move into November, we will see fireworks around 5 November (although you may have noticed some around 21 October if you have Sikh or Hindu neighbours); poppies on sale for 11 November and the Christmas lights being switched on in Selsdon on the 28th, with the start of Advent two days later. It’s quite a busy month!

When the November INSIGHT comes out, I will have returned from a few days away in Dresden, Germany. I’m staying with the mum of one of my former students. And Nomi, my former student, who is now 25 years old, is going to show me around her home city.  

The Second World War seems like a long time ago, although I am aware that some of my home group can tell stories of their experiences of living through this period of history – I know they will be keen to point out that they were children at the time! But going to Dresden brings the Second World War sharply into focus. The Allied bombing of Dresden remains a question of ethical debate. Some would argue that it was necessary, that it slowed German troops and supplies from being moved to the Eastern Front, that it was necessary to break German morale or it disrupted factories from making goods for the war effort. However, others, even Winston Churchill, questioned the morality of the attack on the city. Dresden was internationally famous as a cultural capital with little war industry and few defences, which led many to believe it should have been immune from attack. The bombings were indiscriminate, not proportionate to any military gain, and caused a catastrophic firestorm that killed tens of thousands of civilians. And the raid occurred very late in the war, when Nazi Germany was clearly on the verge of defeat, making the scale of the destruction seem gratuitous to some. 

When I visit Dresden, I hope to visit the Frauenkirche, a Lutheran Church, which had stood on the site since 1726 but was destroyed in the bombings of 1945. The church lay in ruins as a War Memorial for almost half a century but following the reunification of Germany a decision was made to rebuild it as a symbol of reconciliation between waring enemies. Rebuilding started in 1994, and the church was reconsecrated in 2005. The new gilded orb and cross on top of the church’s dome was constructed by Alan Smith, a British goldsmith from London whose father, Frank, was a member of one of the aircrews who took part in the bombing of Dresden. The cross was exhibited in churches across the UK including Coventry Cathedral, and St Paul's Cathedral in London before it was taken to Dresden where it was finally put in place on the domed roof.

The rebuilt church is a monument reminding people of its history and a symbol of hope and reconciliation. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’. In a world and culture which seeks to divide person against person, and nation against nation we are called to a message of hope and reconciliation. I will think about this when I see the Frauenkirche.

Blessings
Kathryn