To backtrack a few years, in 2012 I put together a
book entitled Magnitude 7.1 & 6.3 which was a compilation of people's
experiences about the Christchurch earthquakes. When searching for stories, I
put word out on my Facebook page and a lady by the name of Diane Jones
responded. At the time, Diane and I both wrote for a Canadian website by the
name of Suite101 - now Suite.io. We emailed back and forward and it turned out
that Diane was a member of Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver. On
hearing of the earthquakes in Christchurch and the damage to our cathedral, the
church community over there prayed for us and collected money to help the
relief efforts in our city. Vancouver is situated on the ring of fire and also
earthquake-prone so I felt a real connection to Diane - and her story touched
my heart - and also made it into the book.
Once my trip was arranged, I sent Diane a message on
Facebook. "I'm going to be in Vancouver for a few days. Would you like to
meet up?" Her response was positive and a few weeks later, she and her
husband, Frank, picked me up from my hotel. It was like visiting an old friend
and stories flowed freely over a delicious lunch. Then Diane asked if I had any
plans for the afternoon. On hearing that I didn’t, she made an offer. "Would
you like to visit Christ Church Cathedral?" Of course I did and after a
short drive and parking five storeys underground, we emerged onto the street a
few metres from the church. Like our cathedral, the Vancouver building was
built in the late 1800’s of stone Gothic construction, is situated in the heart
of the city and each part of it is soaked in history. Ironically, it was
surrounded by scaffolding when I visited as the roof was being replaced as part
of earthquake-strengthening measures. If I had visited a week later, I would
not have been able to enter the building.
As I walked through the doors, a sense of warmth
engulfed me. This was more than just a stone church; it was home to a
congregation who had cared enough to send an offering halfway around the world
to a city and congregation on their knees. Diane and Frank showed me around the
cathedral that was softly lit by lamps and light that filtered through
magnificent stained glass windows. Wooden pews and chairs sat on a polished wood
floor and dark beams supported the vaulted ceilings. I couldn’t help but think
of our cathedral before the earthquakes. The weekly services, floral festivals,
climbing the tower, magnificent views across Christchurch, the bells pealing
out at New Year’s. I remembered the day the cathedral was deconsecrated and I
was there in a journalistic capacity. It was a sad occasion as prayers were
offered in front of the ruined building. Earthquake fences kept us from walking
more than a few metres in any direction and people wept openly.
Many more memories wound through my mind as I walked
through the cathedral in Vancouver and I prayed that their city be kept safe
from earthquakes. It was one of the highlights of my trip to Canada and an
experience I will always treasure. I came away humbled and realising how small
the world is in many ways. That what happened in our little corner of the
Southern Hemisphere has impacted people far beyond our borders. I will always
have warm memories of our cathedral in Christchurch – and as a result of what
happened here, I now have new friends in Vancouver and a heart full of memories
of another cathedral and congregation that have touched my life.
