Members of a mistrusted, marginalised religious minority attempt a terrorist act aimed at the heart of the nation … Exactly 400 years later Bonfire Night commemorates the Gunpowder Plot and perpetuates the bad memory of the centuries-long persecution of Catholics. On November 5th 2005 Catholic and Protestant young people, aged 14-25 gathered together at Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Leeds, for fun and to creatively express repentance for how religion can become divisive and exclusive. This event was one of the many events promoting peace throughout the city of Leeds as part of the “Together for Peace” festival. When organising the event people were curious as to what an ‘ecumenical bonfire’ entailed. Would we take it in turn to throw a Catholic and a Protestant on a raging fire?! The evening, far from being a negative look at division, was a positive celebration of all that Christians hold in common – faith in Jesus. A group of Catholic and Protestant young people formed a band for the evening to lead the crowd of 100 in lively praise. Young people from various denominations spoke about the impact that faith in Jesus has on their everyday lives. One young Catholic woman gave testimony of her experiences at World Youth Day in Cologne this summer. She expressed the intense joy that she and her friends had experienced during the pilgrimage, joy that was rooted in their faith in the Lord. She also spoke of the difficulties in returning to England - from an accepting, faith-filled environment to the reality of witnessing to Jesus in environments that don’t welcome the Gospel message so easily. After the Service for Peace everyone enjoyed fellowship and food by the warmth of the bonfire. The evening concluded with a firework display and rousing choruses of well loved songs from the World Youth Day pilgrimage! |
A Flame for Peace – Anna Cowell