BEYOND THE JUBILEE

By the Very Rev. Mark B. Pendleton
President, CCN- North America

For those among the 80 participants at the International Gathering in Coventry in September there was a sense that we, as the Community of the Cross of Nails, were moving into a new phase of our witness. In many ways this whole “Cross of Nails thing” is a bit odd to describe to those who are unfamiliar with its history and purpose. What is it about? What is so special? Aren’t all Christians called to reconciliation and forgiveness and what is so different about the Coventry way?

After a few days spent praying, talking, sharing meals and good pint of English ale with people from Cuba, Poland, Romania, Holland, India, Germany and fellow Americans, the only answer I can give is: people. For over 70 years the story of Coventry and the subsequent CCN network works because it inspires. We are not bound together by doctrine, shared church polity or even politics. Each one of us has felt touched and impacted on the need to enter into difficult situations and not seek the least common denominator of human response but instead to aim and reach higher. In each and every local context from which we came there is an urgent need to find common ground, to work for peace and to learn from past conflicts and heal the wounds of history.

Belonging the Community of the Cross of Nails allows us all to support a network of Christians finding new ways to embody the legacy of the Coventry message in our local context. We continue to support our year-long intern in Coventry. We continue to look for ways to bring young people together for conversations. We continue to remake this organization for a new time.

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A Prayer to End Violence
The Rev. James Cooper
The Bell of Hope at St. Paul’s Chapel in lower Manhattan rings too often. A gift from the City of London to New York City on the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it is rung in times of sorrow as a symbol of solidarity, a tribute to those lost to senseless violence, as well as to those who survived. So we have rung for London and Madrid; Moscow and Mumbai; Virginia Tech and Norway, and on 9/11 anniversaries...

Read the entire New York Daily News article here. The Rev. James Cooper is rector of Trinity Wall Street, a CCN Partner.

REPORT FROM THE YOUTH GATHERING IN ENGLAND
By Gabriela Yambo (pictured left with Yenley Borrero and below with Yannel Melo)

On July 3 of 2012, I flew to England to attend the annual Community of the Cross of Nails (CCN) International Youth Gathering. The program brought together more than 25 young adults from different parts of the world. We embarked on a five-day journey that would encourage “Peace Building and Reconciliation.” Shortly after my arrival, I was greeted by three wonderful interns (Carrie Staab, Kat Brealey and Felicitas Weileder) who helped guide me.

It was exciting to discover that the Community of the Cross of Nails has worldwide associations. I met people from Poland, Belarus, Germany, Israel, Cuba, South Africa, and many more places. During the program, we attended workshops on peace, cultures, diversity, gender issues, equality, and political issues. We worked in teams to try and offer solutions to these issues that are affecting our world today.

This journey to Coventry is an experience I will always carry in my heart. Not only did I learn about different religions and cultures but I also learned the importance of forgiving and creating peace within ourselves and everyone around us in order to create a peaceful world. I established ties with people from all parts of the world, especially with two young people from Cuba, Yannel and Yenly.

Gabriela Yambo is member of St. James Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Her trip to the youth conference was sponsored by CCN-North America, who also sponsored Yannel Melo and Yenly Morrero from Cuba.