Rotherhithe resurrection

To Holy Trinity, Rotherhithe for a very encouraging, mission focussed, outward looking meeting of the Deanery Synod (the seven Anglican parishes of Bermondsey & Rotherhithe).

We began in the church for prayer.

The old building was one of the first to be destroyed in the Blitz.

The new building that replaced it in 1957 includes the beautiful mural by Hans Feibusch, a German Jew who sought refuge in Britain during the thirties, and later converted to Christianity.

After the war he was employed in designing works of art for more than 30 churches, many replacing those destroyed in the war.

Feibusch's crucifixion scene for Rotherhithe includes two notable features :the characters standing round the cross are said to be modelled on dockers who worked in the nearby Surrey Docks and behind the crucified Christ, stands the risen Lord.

In this way Feibusch's mural becomes a message of hope: of death followed by resurrection.

In the context of his life, and in the context of what had happened to the first Holy Trinity Church, that was a powerful statement.