The Deconsecration of Christchurch Cathedral

Farewell to a City Icon

We immigrated to New Zealand in 2006 and on our arrival to Christchurch, the bus dropped us behind Christchurch Cathedral. I already knew it was an important part of the city and was impressed with its size and grandeur. I never imagined that less than six years later the CBD would be in ruins and I would be attending the deconsecration of the cathedral in a journalistic capacity.

I’m on the CERA media list and get regular updates about demolition, press conferences and earthquake recovery news. When the invitation arrived to attend the deconsecration on the 9th November, I replied immediately. As the cathedral is in the restricted Red Zone of Christchurch, all journalists had to report to the Art Gallery at 9am to be transported in by bus. Photo ID was required and we were given a warning of possible death as well as what to do if an earthquake struck during the service.

It was the first time I’d walked around Cathedral Square since the February earthquake and although I’d photographed it from the air, the extent of damage still caught me by surprise. Familiar landmarks were gone and other buildings were in various stages of demolition. The cathedral was fenced off and sat crookedly, gaping holes allowing access to pigeons.

I stayed there for a while, reminiscing about the last six years. I thought of the Festival of Flowers and magnificent floral carpet that ran down the centre of the cathedral each year. I thought of the wearable-art fashion show I’d watched while sitting on a worn wooden pew. My South African friend, Sharon, and I had climbed the tower and absorbed the amazing views across the city. I’d wandered through the cathedral looking for the Eagle Lectern which I had to include in a story for a fiction competition. I’d heard the bells ring out at a number of New Year celebrations and last Christmas I photographed angels suspended high above the crowds. And now it was in ruins. The stained glass windows were shattered, the rose window had collapsed and the tower was a broken shell. It was painful to see but the thought of it not being there at all was worse.

The deconsecration was a step towards closure; a reminder that the church is the people and the cathedral just a building, albeit a magnificent one. I can only imagine the pain of those who have worshipped there for years and are intimately acquainted with the structure and layout. As Bishop Victoria Matthew read the following words, some in the crowd wiped their eyes and the mood was somber:

“On the first day of November in the year of our Lord 1881, by Henry John Chitty Harper, first Bishop of Christchurch, this building was duly dedicated and consecrated in honour of Jesus Christ.

The Sentence of Consecration has been in effect until this present date.

I, Victoria Matthews, eighth Bishop of Christchurch do hereby revoke the said Sentence and do remit this building and all objects remaining in it for any lawful and reputable use, according to the laws of this land.”

It was sad but healing to say goodbye and I was grateful for the opportunity to see the cathedral one last time before the demolition crew start the deconstruction. It is hoped that part of the structure will be saved, and treasured items will be removed as the controlled demolition proceeds. I’m confident that one day a new cathedral will stand proudly in Cathedral Square. Until then I’ll treasure the memory of my last visit ...

A Safe Place

I visit Wellington for work every few weeks and often catch a train out to the surrounding areas. Over the last few months I’ve met some new friends in the train station and every time I’m there, I take time to catch up with them. You may be surprised to hear that these friends are a bunch of pigeons.

However, these birds are special. There are six of them and all have crippled feet. I was quite amazed when I first noticed this. I was even more surprised at the way they hang out together inside the station building. The other pigeons fly around the platforms and tracks and sit in the trees outside.

For the last few months I have been facing a difficult situation that left me doubting myself, my character and my writing ability. I was in Wellington two weeks ago and as I shared a bread roll with the birds, God dropped a picture into my mind. These pigeons have found a safe place in the station. They have distanced themselves from a difficult situation.

As the day progressed, I sensed that God was telling me I needed to do the same; that I needed to find a safe place in Him. As the revelation sunk in, my heart began to heal and by the time I returned to Christchurch the next morning, I had made a total 180 degree change in my thinking. The power of the situation to hurt me was completely gone and I was confident in myself again.

Then Monday 13th June arrived. It was exactly two weeks after my trip to Wellington and I was in Palmerston North. I boarded my flight home at 1pm and shortly after takeoff the pilot told us that Christchurch had suffered another large aftershock. “We’ve been cleared to continue the flight but the navigational equipment at Christchurch Airport will need to be checked before we land.”

Anxiety surfaced and I spent some time worrying about what would happen if we were diverted. It was a relief when the pilot told us we were cleared to land. Our flight touched down at 2:20pm, the same time the 6.3 earthquake shook Christchurch. The ground must have just stopped shaking as we hit the tarmac. I don’t think the pilot was aware anything had happened as nothing was said. As we taxied in, I tried calling Kevin four or five times to come and fetch me but couldn’t get through. That’s odd, I thought. We then disembarked to be met with the sight of fire engines next to our plane and firemen in hi-vis vests. As we entered the terminal building, people were surging out of the doors on the opposite side. “Evacuate! Head to your nearest exit! We’re evacuating the airport!”

I got swept up in the crowd, realising another big earthquake must have just happened. Outside the terminal building people stood in clumps, stress and fear etched on their faces. I was shaken and felt quite panicky. Are my family alright? How big was it? Has it caused more damage? I kept trying to call and text but the phone lines were overloaded and nothing went through. Eventually I decided to start walking home while trying to call. It was on the road that I heard a little whisper in my soul. What happened to your safe place?

Wellington Station and the pigeons flashed into my mind and God began to speak. Your safe place is in me. It’s not necessarily physical but it’s in knowing that I am always with you; that nothing surprises me. It’s finding a safe place in your mind, in your thoughts.

I realised then that my safe place in God should extend to every part of my life. It was resting in the confidence that God had my every moment in His hands; that he knew that Christchurch would be devastated by the ongoing earthquakes; that he was with my family at all times; that He was right next to me through every aftershock and every piece of bad news.

It has transformed my life and although my heart still races if I awake to a house that’s banging and shaking, I have a new peace that God is in control. I have found a safe place in Him.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV)

Christchurch Earthquake 2011 - One Week On

A City in Mourning

At 12:51pm on the 1st March, the whole of New Zealand fell silent for two minutes. People gathered in stores, on street corners, outside banks, by parked cars as they reflected on the events of the last week. With the confirmed death toll standing at 154 and much of Christchurch in ruins it was a sombre moment.
Over the last few days, my heart has broken for the city I have come to love as home. Images on TV and in the streets have been carved indelibly into my soul. I think of homes that are now heaps of rubble; of malls that have lost their facades, leaving them open like a doll house; of petrol stations whose storage tanks were forced upward, lifting the entire forecourt with them; of streets ravaged by liquefaction and silt; of a landscape split and scarred.

I think also of people whose emotions resemble the ravaged cityscape. Security has been stripped away and ongoing fear is a reality as aftershocks continue to rattle the city. I feel some of these strongly in our double-storey home. Some are sharp quick jolts while others are gentle as though the house is balanced on a bowl of jelly. They are all frightening, especially when they wake me up during the night.

In spite of this, there is a resilience among the people. Mayor Bob Parker has vowed to rebuild Christchurch Cathedral, the icon of the city, and although almost one third of the CBD faces demolition, the new buildings will be safer, lower and stronger.

In the midst of all the turmoil, I have continued doing what I do best. As a freelance writer and photographer, I have written several articles and blogs about the earthquake and these have reached thousands of readers across the world. With my South African roots, I was thrilled to be called in to help Peter Groenewald of Carte Blanche put together a 10 minute segment on the earthquake. Peter was flown out here to capture interviews and footage and I, along with a Kiwi journalist worked on the script that connected the stories together. The team came to my home and we worked until 1am Saturday morning, researching, rewriting and looking at footage.

With 45% of the city still without water, the CBD closed indefinitely, roads almost impassable in places, businesses flattened to the ground and ongoing aftershocks rattling the region, recovery is going to be a long slow process. In spite of that, people are optimistic and community spirit is fantastic as people reach out and help those who have been badly affected by the earthquake. We cannot change what has happened but with God’s help we will work through it, hour by hour, day by day, month by month ... and we will emerge at the end, stronger, more compassionate and full of hope.