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Positively Christchurch
Sep 03, 2019
THE CITY'S JANUS COMPLEX
OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD
If you listen or play this video, and I'm biased because I think you should, you'll hear a positive message of hope something I believe we urgently need to be sharing with the young people of this city. The sun has been shining brightly across Christchurch over recent weeks, not that you'd know from some of the rather bleak opinion pieces casting grey gloomy shadows across the city.
Now did you watch the video and did the you see the Janus face? If you didn't can I suggest you look again. Look for the wonderful Robert Read from Suicide Prevention and Awareness. He's deliberately framed with a broken cathedral behind him with the sun on one side of his face and shadow on the opposite. This is our Christchurch and this if you like our Janus face.
For the mythology fans amongst you, Janus was an ancient Roman God, the doorkeeper of heaven and patron of the beginning and the end of things. He had two faces, one for the rising sun and one for the sunset (thanks Bullfinchs). But of late I've been thinking Janus has something to teach us about the pysche of our own city; Pysche being the ancient Greeks' revered goddess of the soul.
So here's the metaphor, which I'm sure you knew was coming! We can stand beside our broken past, continually looking back frozen in place and unwilling to move on, or we can turn towards the sun and on a fine day bask in the warmth of positivity and hope. Don't worry the shadows will still be there but we have the choice to walk elsewhere. I don't speak here as some distant observer, but as a local who's seen the keening knife of despair, and watched with true admiration those who despite the pain of appalling loss, have turned towards hope and renewal.
What defines Christchurch beyond a shadow of a doubt is our people and their experiences. We are people of kindness and compassion. We are people who have looked each other in the face during times of crisis and seen our shared humanity. We are a people who have chosen love over hatred, collaboration over competition. We are a diverse city of many people and many needs, but we are a city that cares.
For me Christchurch is a city of courage of compassion and of celebration. And I believe we owe it to future generations to fight the current narrative of negativity and reflect the best of who we are, and how others choose to see us even if we can't turn to face ourselves. We need to acknowledge and celebrate the kindness of our city, I believe that is our unique gift and an offering we can continue to share with the world.
In February, I started a facebook page called sharing stories of hope - we need to share positive narratives to remind ourselves of the goodness that is everywhere in this city, if we choose to look. Bad things happen yes I know, but is that what we want to offer our children? Please if it helps add your positive stories, tell your stories of renewal, share your stories of hope! https://www.facebook.com/livedhope/ But more importantly share them with each other around the dinner table, with family and friends, with strangers.
Now if you're thoroughly feed-up with my Pollyannaish approach here's another video, this is something I sent overseas a few months ago after being asked to define why this city is so special to me - my answer was compassion and kindness, it's how we care for each other in times of need.
The people of Christchurch, New Zealand, were awarded the Charter for Compassion’s prestigious #Compassion #Humanitarian #Award in recognition of their response to the terror attacks at two Christchurch Mosques, at an awards ceremony on 10 October in Monterrey, Mexico.
OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD
It was beautiful to see - a new generation taking to the streets to yell 'this matters please listen'. In my day it was the 81 Springbok tour and the anti-nuclear protest movement. At one time or other, both seen as fringe issues, led by extremists intent on challenging the status quo and upsetting the powers that be. But with time comes perspective, and what was once thought extreme has a habit of becoming mainstream consensus.
The future of our environment is the issue of our time, and whether you see it as emotional contagion or political action, climate change protests have ignited our youth with a sense of political purpose not seen for decades. It's democracy in action, the wild and uncomfortable belief that ordinary people, and not just policymakers or power brokers, have a legitimate say in the events that are shaping their lives.
What is extraordinary of course is that the protests are led by a vanguard of school children. It's everything a young Bob Dylan wrote about fifty-five years ago when he rattled a post-war generation with his protest inspired theme song 'The times they are 'a-changin'.
For parents who took part in the march, it seemed as much about supporting their children as chanting for climate change action, but then the motives are really one and the same. If we truly care for coming generations surely we must do everything in our power to sustain a thriving environment; why take risks with the wellbeing of your children?
Personally, I wanted to stand alongside our young people and say well done you're not alone. Yes, I know your fear, because I can still recall my own cold war dread as a teenager. But in my day the threat of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction was only ever an imagined possibility, so how much more terrifying for today's young people? They are grappling with overwhelming scientific evidence that the day of reckoning has actually arrived.
My world then and their world now are a lifetime apart; the issues and geopolitics have radically changed, but sadly there seems to be one constant that remains - a deeply held fear of a world unravelling. This is not how our children should grow-up; worried for their future. You know it, I know it, they know it, and that is why 'The times they are a-changin'. If you want confident children then gift them some hope.
Video 422 10bit - using Panasonic Gh5s handheld at 50 frames for frisson. Video available to all. Music copyright and protected. I have used music for non profit education purposes only and have my fingers crossed.
It was beautiful to see - a new generation taking to the streets to yell 'this matters please listen'. In my day it was the 81 Springbok tour and the anti-nuclear protest movement. At one time or other, both seen as fringe issues, led by extremists intent on challenging the status quo and upsetting the powers that be. But with time comes perspective, and what was once thought extreme has a habit of becoming mainstream consensus.
The future of our environment is the issue of our time, and whether you see it as emotional contagion or political action, climate change protests have ignited our youth with a sense of political purpose not seen for decades. It's democracy in action, the wild and uncomfortable belief that ordinary people, and not just policymakers or power brokers, have a legitimate say in the events that are shaping their lives.
What is extraordinary of course is that the protests are led by a vanguard of school children. It's everything a young Bob Dylan wrote about fifty-five years ago when he rattled a post-war generation with his protest inspired theme song 'The times they are 'a-changin'.
For parents who took part in the march, it seemed as much about supporting their children as chanting for climate change action, but then the motives are really one and the same. If we truly care for coming generations surely we must do everything in our power to sustain a thriving environment; why take risks with the wellbeing of your children?
Personally, I wanted to stand alongside our young people and say well done you're not alone. Yes, I know your fear, because I can still recall my own cold war dread as a teenager. But in my day the threat of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction was only ever an imagined possibility, so how much more terrifying for today's young people? They are grappling with overwhelming scientific evidence that the day of reckoning has actually arrived.
My world then and their world now are a lifetime apart; the issues and geopolitics have radically changed, but sadly there seems to be one constant that remains - a deeply held fear of a world unravelling. This is not how our children should grow-up; worried for their future. You know it, I know it, they know it, and that is why 'The times they are a-changin'. If you want confident children then gift them some hope.
Video 422 10bit - using Panasonic Gh5s handheld at 50 frames for frisson. Video available to all. Music copyright and protected. I have used music for non profit education purposes only and have my fingers crossed.