This is not actually a Coventry Conversation, it is part of the opening ceremony for the Conference of European University Chaplains held at our beloved Coventry University on the 23rd of June. In the Holy Trinity Church, Reverend Canon Andrew White, the “Vicar of Baghdad”, held a speech in front of a solemn audience.
Being in the city of “Peace and Reconciliation”, the reverend could not speak of anything else but this subject. He characterizes Coventry as “the real city of reconciliation. At its very heart there is the message of enemy becoming friends, that is indeed hat the city stands for; it’s an issue that’s not only take seriously by the council, the University, but by the Cathedral.” And even though he likes very much Coventry ( he was even a bishop here), Reverend White puts emphasis on the issue of peace, reconciliation and social justice in Baghdad. He speaks of 4 R’s that we should keep in mind when speaking of reconciliation.
The most important one is Relationship, which he declares that “unless we establish relationships, we cannot begin the work of reconciliation”. The vicar considers this is the key in making peace, and as en example he says that: “People often ask me how do we work with Muslims like you do? And I answer: EAT with them.” He is responsible not only for the Church in Baghdad, which is the biggest in Iraq, but even for reconciliation with the Iraqi government and sometimes with the American one. The biggest challenge was to bring peace between the Shia and the Sunni Muslims, through religion, which took almost 2 years and it is not even fully done. The main job in reconciliation is to establish relationships between the two parts. Even though it may seem a joke, the reverend declares that not the muslims are the biggest problems for him in Iraq, it’s the Christians, especially the bishops.
Even though reconciliation between people of different faiths may seem hard, the vicar declares “We all love God!”, which brings us together as brothers. “Peace is love, even love your enemy” says reverend White, which was shot at, bombed, kidnapped various times, tortured and still has only love for the Muslims in Iraq.
It is about taking risks for reconciliation. Risk is the second R necessary for reconciliation, and without it we cannot live in peace. Vicar White declares that we cannot live a peaceful life unless we take this risks.
The third R is Relief. Which is the issue of giving back to the others who do not have much. The church in Baghdad, has over 4000 people in its membership and the revered gives food for the people, as well as medical care. The church clinic is actually open freely for anyone, not only Christian.
The fourth R is Reconciliation itself, but without the first 3 we cannot even see reconciliation.
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