Some thoughts for EASTER.

During the Easter holiday period we went with friends to nearby Coventry and spent time there looking round the Cathedral.

Following the Royal Air Force bombing of Munich in 1940, Adolph Hitler sought revenge and Operation Moonlight Sonata was instigated. Over 500 bombers were brought together, their target being the industrial city of Coventry. On the evening of November 10th 500 tons of high explosives began to shake the city centre and soon the city centre was burning. Lorna, as a young girl, recalls watching from a bedroom window seeing the reddened night sky from some 25 miles away - “How could a fire be seen from such a distance?”

Early on in the raid St Michael’s Cathedral was hit, despite valiant efforts, its defenders had succumbed to the incendiary barrage and the roof began to burn. Finally at 6.15 am the all-clear sounded and slowly the shocked, dazed, frightened and tired people of Coventry emerged into the streets, or what had once been streets. People wandered around in a daze taking in the destruction around them. There were 4,330 homes destroyed and three-quarters of the city's factories damaged and the Cathedral was in ruins.

The bombing raids continued, although generally much lighter. Two however were heavy. The Easter week raids of 8 April and 10 April 1941 were between six and eight hours long. In the first of these raids the body of Christchurch church built in 1832 as a replacement for the medieval church was gutted by incendiaries. The last actual bombing raid on Coventry was in August 1942. By that time the city had suffered 41 actual raids and 373 siren alerts. At the end of the war officially there were 1,236 people killed in the raids on Coventry; of these 808 rest in the mass grave in London Road Cemetery. King George VI visited and toured the devastation and attended the first mass burial.

Today the ruins of the old and the new St. Michael’s Cathedral stand side by side a testimony of hope rising from the ashes of the old.

In the ruins is a cross formed with two charred roof beams with the words “Father Forgive” engraved upon the wall behind to give out a powerful message. Also a very powerful sculpture, of two figures kneeling with arms around each other, entitled “Reconciliation” can be seen. In the new building flying angels etched in the glass windows have trumpets and again link to the closing chapters of the Bible. While at the outside entrance there is a bronze sculpture depicting the final winning of good over evil as written in the Book of the Revelation - Michael standing in triumph over the devil.

Revelation 12 verses 7 to 12.
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

Words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 14 to 18 give to the believer great hope and rich comfort.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

The Easter message of the crucified Christ, His burial and His rising from the dead is the central theme of the Bible. The Gospel is the Good News that alone brings Salvation to all who would believe. Conflicts are in the world whether International conflict or personal conflict within the family circle. The answer for conflict is a declaration of PEACE - a ceasing of hostilities.

Personal peace is assured for all who will heed the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:27 For Jesus said "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”


It is time for all people to end hostilities with the Eternal God and find true Peace with HIM.

Peace and true rest for the soul is found in obeying Christ’s command to "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew 11: 27 to 30.