Pilgrimage 1996
Timed to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Chernobyl the Atomic Mirror Pilgrimage 1996 completed its journey safely and successfully at Coventry Cathedral on April 28th having begun at Canterbury on Good Friday, April 5th.
23 people were pilgrims for at least a day and 6 people plus a small film crew completed the whole journey. During the three weeks we were joined by at least 150 people at different events on the way. Many more around the British Isles and the world followed us in spirit and supported us in prayer, thought and discussion. We were an international group with people from the US, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Australia, England, Scotland and Wales. There were Christians - of many denominations, Buddhists, humanists, and people of no professed belief but great openness of spirit. There was a wide age range, with many children joining us and a good mixture of professions and life experiences. Even the animals were represented by a dog who was part of the film crew!
As I reflect on the journey I think of the nuclear sites we visited and how they infest and infect the beauty of these islands with malevolent power. We saw in three weeks the full manifestation of the British nuclear state in all its fear, secrecy and greed. From the political centre of Whitehall where we took the flame of Hiroshima to the door of No. 10, to the black gates of Aldermaston, to the sinister golfballs of Menwith Hill spybase, to Torness nuclear power station ( where our minibus mysteriously broke down shortly after leaving!), to seeing Trident sail up the loch at Faslane, and finally to Sellafield on Chernobyl Day we tried to speak truth to power.
On our journey we visited powerful and beautiful sacred sites like Iona, St David's, Wells Cathedral and Avebury and took part in many memorable ceremonies, acts of witness and services. We carried the healing elements of earth, fire, air and water with us in the form of sacred earth from Chimayo in New Mexico, the flame from the Peace Park in Hiroshima, 1,000 paper cranes from Nagasaki and healing waters from many places including Glastonbury, Ireland, Aotearoa and Japan. We joined congregations in Cathedrals and took part in two wonderful Quaker meetings for worship at Reading and Swarthmore Hall. For myself and for many on the pilgrimage the most sacred places we found were the homes and the hearts of the people we met who welcomed us with extraordinary generosity and trust.
