The Christ Church Cathedral dilemma: What would Jesus do?

On February 22, 2011 at 12.51pm I was in Christchurch having lunch with Bishop Victoria Matthews. I am ever grateful that her choice of restaurant meant we were sitting on large bench seats in a corner away from windows.

As we sheltered under the sturdy tables, I learnt that in the advice “duck, cover and hold”, the hold part is really important. It stops you being thrown across the room with everything else mobile – glasses, plates, chairs.

For the rest of the day I accompanied the bishop as we went back to the diocesan offices to gather up her staff; attempted to get to the Christ Church Cathedral but were turned back by terrified-looking police; made sure staff could get home and then with those who couldn’t (and a German tourist we had welcomed into our little group), walked to the bishop’s house and huddled in her garden flat, the house obviously too damaged to enter.

People eventually figured out a way to get home or to friends for shelter. I was the last of the group to leave as dusk closed in, collected and driven to the Antarctic Centre for evacuation with the members of a conference my husband was running.

As I left, Bishop Victoria trudged back to the city to see where she could be useful. I have never forgotten her care for each person on her staff and her care for people as we walked the streets, dodging falling masonry and liquefaction.

I still jump at the kind of noise the earthquake made – like a train, really. Just recently I was in a building with a large water feature and the pump made a surging noise.

After 30 minutes I couldn’t stand being near the noise any more – it sounded like an earthquake coming.

I feel like that and I only had to survive one day of the quake and its aftershocks. The people of Christchurch have had six years. Continue reading

  • The Rev Helen Jacobi is Anglican vicar of St Matthew-in-the-City in Auckland.
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