As the fog of environmental war descends upon Wellington, a nation’s capital, we are reminded that Earth punishes a degraded humanity; and that Earth’s forces were once known as God.[1]
Where evolution carries intelligence and democratic sharing of the greater tribe forward, contentious, divisive dull ego, that holds these back, is an abhorrence to nature – which has ways of starting over again. This is the lesson of ChristChurch, at the three-year anniversary of its commercial heart’s levelling. What sayeth that lesson?
#1. A cultural centre has shifted radically and its spire, the city’s icon, no longer stands over All.
Why? – The tale of an errant priest doth pertain:
Christchurch Cathedral, 22 February 2011, set to meet its fate
This photograph, by Aranui’s
Angela Thomas, surfaced on
facebook on
17 January 2014. It is extraordinary, in that it was taken the night before large earthquake shattered the tranquil scene, on 22 February 2011 – three years ago. Rest In Peace those lost that day. Condolences to their families and friends. And great sympathy to the many and variously injured. Our story goes on. For generations to come.
This picture helps to decipher, to unpack and to understand, massive trauma.
For it clearly shows the shrine to Ba’al, created at the Cathedral’s doorstep, in the days before it fell to natural wrath. The wooded grove is the Biblical signature of such shrines to Ba’al, along with the bovine topiary statue. This signal cultural break – towards worship of Mammon – explains why heaven and earth didst protest, why ‘God’ hath rent this idyllic scene permanently.
The Dean of the church had been hailed in time, but scorned the Call greedily and foolishly. At Knox Church, on Bealey Avenue and Victoria Street corner, Dean Beck heard the following citation, during the local election forum of September 2007, from the Save Our Water campaign:
JEREMIAH 2,13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me[,] the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
This ancient quote referred to a good way of life, being lost as artificial storage for irrigation transforms the (Canterbury Plains) land into filth and damaging emissions: these form a travesty that cannot last.
The veracity of Save Our Water core was confirmed when the campaign’s main slogan – Keep Our Water Pure – kicked off a global meme of awareness, such as the cryptic and derivative New Zealand tourism “100% Pure” advertising. Authorities are yet to settle the environmental debt, however. And starting with Dean Beck, false pride needed to be put to one side, to validate the pure message of integrity – that everyone wants.
#2. We, the people, elected to Save Our Water – in Christchurch East (constituency of Environment Canterbury Regional Council) at least. No coincidence that the east, which includes the central city, should feel the brunt of social and economic loss, when democratic voice is denied.
For denied it was, by the 2008-201? National government, who swept the people’s clear wishes aside. In April 2010, National replaced the elected with hand-picked business and morally compromised voices. By September 2010, Earth rebellion had dramatically begun.
So how did our priest respond?
In winter 2010, Beck made pact with the politically compromised, not to Save Our Water but to promote Our Water Our Vote instead. A fair cry but a spoiler campaign, by a Labour-Green merger to monopolise progressive and environmental initiative, for controlling and centralising local election outcomes (upon Wellington, much like National). They too shut out and denied Save Our Water, ignoring the biblical Word.
That year Beck sank deeper in the moral mire of conflicted interest and political partisanship, when he chaired a mayoral candidate election forum, at the Catholic school in New Brighton. Selectively he ensured only incumbent Bob Parker and Labour candidate Jim Anderton were invited and made centre of aural attention. Shutting down alternatives corruptly this way, Beck was narrowing the pool to his own advantage.
By 2012 the purpose was clear, when Beck rode the change-wave into city council office in an east Christchurch by-election. But the talent of this pool was then further proved wanting, as Beck retired, out of energy, come 2013. In the meantime he had extended his sinecure, nonetheless, to replace ChristChurch income lost to his conniving sin, that he had enjoined from National via Labour-Green – all rejecting Jeremiah and to Save Our Water. Shame on them.
It can be no surprise, in knowing this scripture, that Beck’s church was ripped out from under him. For he had been put on very clear notice, to act for Good and not a false god.
Save Our Water launch, winter 2007
Save Our Water launch, winter 2007
Where some have mistaken Save Our Water for an economic injunction, it is actually a spiritual one – to bring us onside with universal All. ~ Rock met rock and our whole world shook, turning us upside down..
Christchurch Cathedral 2011 and water protest cairn, of winter 2010
Christchurch Cathedral 2011 and water protest cairn, of winter 2010
#3. Peter Beck’s sin of hypocrisy and false witness rests in fronting Labour-Green’s city direction, built on Our Water Our Vote collusion to exclude Save Our Water, when it was Labour’s agribusiness developments that sucked Canterbury dry from the 1990s onwards.
Beck’s haughty rejection of Jeremiah’s warning, to pave his own entry into local politics, spelt rapid ruin for the church in his care. His Labour method of abuse of office to achieve higher status (electioneering with a dog-collar) was seen again this week with the forced exit of Shane Taurima from TVNZ. The reason that Labour-Green is ineffective opposition to National is their refusal to realise that they actually have to be different: non-corrupt.[2]
Only new thoughts and ways of doing things, justice and better democracy can put this city back together again, with identity integrity, because the old material way has most obviously failed. Make this city one body again, one church if you like, that Jesus could indeed be proud of. Or Mohammed, let praise be upon him equally, and any other fe/male prophet that may name. And never forget the downtrodden, the women and children amongst these. Amen.
[1] Fog lingers around Wellington Airport, 3 News, 20 Feb 2014
[2] TVNZ manager resigns over fundraising revelations, 3 News, 17 Feb 2014
Postscript: A loud “two evils” 22-2-2011 echo, from the heavens, when twin tornadoes straddled Christchurch the day after the anniversary’s passing, causing property damage, with one vortex crossing ‘Double-Corner Road’ in North Canterbury ~ http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/237042/civil-defence-checks-tornado-hit-houses ~ Forsooth. Forsaged, upon manifest Word. Let there Be cognizance!
And Justice: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/237120/engineer-to-review-ctv-info-for-police
natural autonomy N/A 