Not that many months ago Peter Whitthall and Bob Parker were the heroes. Today they have become the villains. At the last local government elections Bob Parker was swept in on a landslide of positive opinion and his prime opponent could only pull out. Yesterday thousands stood outside the council buildings asking for Bob to resign, for a new election or the appointment of government commissioners. Similarly Peter Whitthall who was the trusted face of the Pike River Mine tragedy has become the focus of anger and frustration for grieving families and disgruntled West Coasters. There is substance to the concerns being expressed in both cases but they have also become the scapegoats and bearers of our grief turned to anger, our frustration turned to protest and complaint.
As followers of Jesus we know that the crowd can quickly turn from adulation to cries of ‘crucify him’. And we know that the crowd mentality lives in side us too. The question is what does following Jesus look like in Christchurch and Greymouth? Below is a very good article from the Anglican Bishop, Victoria Matthews that is well worth reading and reflecting on. Personally I sense that our anger and frustration is a predictable and understandable part of our reality. Like the people of God in the wilderness years between leaving Egypt and finding the promised land we have got sick of waiting. Our waiting and grief and pain is leading to frustration and angry outbursts. Like the disciples on Easter Saturday cooped up in the upper room waiting and unable to go anywhere or do anything it is hard. It is hard to hold our grief with God and hold onto the promise of the future. But the Jews had to hold on to the promise of hope and so too did Jesus first disciples and so too do we.
In this waiting time maybe we can most productively share our grief and frustration with God and each other through prayer, writing our own psalms or songs of lament, listening to each other and caring for others who are suffering. And secondly to remind ourselves of the hope of God for the future – to hold on to the Christian promise that resurrection life comes only through suffering.
Here’s what the Bishop wrote:-
The present climate of discord in Christchurch is doing more damage to our beloved community than any of the earthquakes that have ravished our city over the past sixteen months. The deep unhappiness and speed with which we accuse one another is unfortunate but understandable. It is part of the process of grieving. We have all lost so much. There is no turning back and reclaiming what was. But there also is a future and that future is of our making.
Last 18 March on a beautiful sunny day in Hagley Park we gathered to mourn our dead and to grieve the extensive injuries to people, and vast damage to property and possessions. Nevertheless the day was bright with more than sunshine. There was hope and Prince William reminded us of his grandmother’s wisdom: “Grief is the price you pay for love.” We began by watching a somber silent video of the destruction of the city and concluded with another video that celebrated the strength of Canterbury’s sons and daughters. We stood and cheered the USAR team members and emergency services personnel who had risked their own lives to help find others. We laughed, cried and prayed together, and we were strong. What has happened to us?
The two emotions we most often hear expressed now are anger and disappointment. There is a sense of betrayal and many, many accusations. Like everyone else I have my opinions about what could and should be done, but I actually do not think that is the point. The point is that a new chapter in the history of New Zealand and disaster recovery is being written by our lives. The events of the last year and a half are not what most countries experience with earthquakes. There was a transition that happened long before we recognized it was happening. We moved from experiencing an earthquake or two to living in the midst of a long term seismic process. It is not unlike finding out the diagnosis of your illness is not an easily curable disease but a life changing condition. It requires huge accommodation and great emotional maturity. Getting angry is part of the coming to terms with the new reality but in actual fact the anger is less than helpful if it not dealt with.
At this time there is community wide angst and traumatic stress that will not go away over night. It has us in its grip. Even visitors get caught up in the pain and distress. So the need to be patient with one another has never been more important. We need to listen and to consider our words before speaking. We need to acknowledge each other’s pain and distress as well as living as best we can with our own.
In Desmond Tutu’s book No Future Without Forgiveness, he writes of remembering his theological training at a pivotal point in the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He was hearing horrific stories of torture and injustice and he was sickened by it all. He began to think of those who did the terrible deeds as monsters and then he caught himself. He reminded himself that far from being monsters and less than human, they were children of God and no better or worse than himself. Desmond has a lot to teach Christchurch. No we are not at our best at this moment in time, but we are still a human community, and we have the opportunity to find the way forward together or trample each other under foot. Last March I dared ask Christchurch residents, ‘What story will you tell?’, as we move ahead. I ask the question again and I ask it now of our community. This is a moment of crisis which offers us both threat and opportunity. What future will we choose to create for ourselves and our children? Will our descendants say, “They served us well by the decisions they made in very difficult times?” Or will they ask why we ignored the needs of those most damaged and ravished by the quakes?
When I find myself absolutely frustrated with the present situation, I know I have a variety of possible responses. I can get angry and let that anger fuel my speech and action, or I can focus on others’ needs and situations and try to offer constructive assistance. The strange thing is when I decide to help another person, I feel better. It is the same when I choose to be thankful for what I have rather than resentful about what I have lost. I only wish I remembered that more often. Maybe it is something we should do together.
