The Cross of Nails Sibui Romania

The Cross of Nails

Father make us one.
Don’t make ‘them’ like ‘us’,
Don’t make ‘us’ like ‘them’,
But make us all more like You.

The Cisnadioara Prayer© Steven Hughes 1994

Geoff and Gill Kimber have a ministry of reconciliation. As CMS mission partners, they head up the ‘Cross of Nails’ reconciliation work in Sibiu. It is run in partnership with the project they were previously associated with, ‘Ascensium’ in Cisnadioara.

Timothy and I were in Romania to attend the opening. It was a joyous affair, celebrated sensitively with a simple liturgy.

Based in a 3 room flat in the centre of the city, ‘The Cross of Nails Centre’ has a small library and reading room, for teaching English, meetings, and discussion groups.

One of the most encouraging aspects is the Orthodox Youth movement ‘Corpus Christi’, a lively group who use the rooms as their base. Many of them come from the local Seminary.
There is another group based there as well. ‘Darul Vietii’, literally ‘the gift of life’. This small group of Romanian social workers, psychologists, and medics have formed a pro-life group. Their aim is to establish an abortion education and counselling service the city of Sibiu and surrounding villages. They also educate about sexually transmitted diseases in a local hostel. Gill is supporting them as part of her diaconal ministry. They are also linked with ‘Primal Pas’ a similar CMS partner in Iasi (pronounced ‘yash’)

Geoff and Gill seek to establish relations with the Orthodox as well as the other denominations. They have good relations with the Lutheran bishop. But it is something of an ecumenical minefield. Making reconciliation all the more necessary.

Coventry Cathedral

I was also in Coventry the previous month for the CMS Conference. This is the home of the original Cross of Nails, birthed in the post war period, as Coventry sought ways of demonstrating reconciliation, particularly after its body but not its heart had been destroyed in the intensive bombing of WW2. The shell of the former cathedral stands as a moving memorial to this. In addition they started the Cross of Nails centre, which fosters various reconciliation groups around the world.

On the Saturday night of the conference we commemorated CMS’s world mission, starting at the ‘Freedom Tree’ in Sierra Leone, where many slaves were freed. As part of our celebrations, there was a wonderful carnival procession of butterflies, symbolising that freedom. The new creation found in Christ.

One of the most powerful moments was the simple song ‘God is so good’ sung in many languages, by people from many lands. It was real evidence of the ministry of reconciliation found in Christ, who breaks down the walls that divide and heals the enmity between people and nations.

Not so much Mohammad Ali, the world champion boxer’s motto: ‘Float like a butterfly: sting like a bee’ but maybe a motto for the kingdom: ‘float like a butterfly: sing in harmony!

From your own correspondent
Sibiu Romania (and  Coventry England) 
Dec 2003 (Nov 2003)