A theology of place
The Christchurch earthquake has seen many churches destroyed. Presbyterian's have seen four churches with major damage. Many of the ministers and others have been heard to say the buildings are less important that the people- And this is true but the loss of the buildings will significantly change Christchurch. Napier is grateful for its Art Deco heritage and the future for Christchurch can be better than it was – but on the other hand so much is lost and with change and loss there is grief. There will be grief because the place where you worshipped is gone or changed, the familiar streets and look and feel will be different. Can we mourn these losses as well as the human one – and why is place important to us?
In Maori culture Tūrangawaewae (a place to stand – home soil – our roots) are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. - it is our mountain, our river, our iwi's land. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home. In the concept of tūrangawaewae, the external world is a reflection of an inner sense of security and foundation. We belong here, this is our identity. Mountains and rivers last longer than buildings but similar emotions are involved – we say – That is the house where I was born, that is the church where I was married – and these things become part of our identity and losing them or seeing them changed challenges our understanding of ourselves.
A Christian theology of place starts with the planet we are on (earthquake faults and all). Some Christians see the planet as an unimportant holding place where we await eternal salvation. The ignoring of the environment flows from that although the command to rule and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28) could better be interpreted to care for it rather than older attitudes of taking what you want and conquest.
The biblical forefathers such as Abraham Isaac and Jacob also had a strong sense of place, particularly because they didn't have a place of their own yet God had promised them one. When Jacob had a vision of a ladder to heaven he set up a rock as a memorial and reminder so that when generations later passed by they would remember the vision and its meaning. The Jerusalem Temple became a symbol of God's presence and promised protection even through Solomon in dedicating the temple said that God was to big to reside in one place or building (2 Chron 2:6)
This confusion of a place / Church with God's presence is also seen in the hymn
We love the place, O God, wherein thine honour dwells;
the joy of thine abode all earthly joy excels.
It is the house of prayer, wherein thy servants meet;
and thou, O Lord, art there thy chosen flock to greet.
So Christians have this dilemma. A sense of place is important – but not that important. God can be encountered on the golf course or in the garden or coffee shop as well as in the church building. We live with the tension between the real significance of place and the greater significance of relationship. We are both a pilgrim people like the people during the exodus and a rooted people.
There were no buildings for first 3 centuries of the Christian church other than people's homes. So it was the relationships with God and with each other that defined "Church". It was not where do you belong – but with whom. So for some the association of Church with a building is an inferior idea to that of relationship. We need to allow the people of Christchurch to grieve both the loss of lives and the loss of their buildings and heritage- but to remind them also that we are a pilgrim people. That as Presbyterian's we are both reformed and also reforming and that we are rooted in the past but ever ready to move forward.
Please continue to pray for the People of Christchurch with the myriad of losses and the challenge of rebuilding lives and churches for a better future.
