Transitional - Pastor's Pen for 2nd November 2025

Window, Transitional Cathedral, Christchurch

I was in Christchurch last week, for the General Assembly of the PCANZ. Collected by friends at the conclusion of the assembly, we braved the wind and had a bit of a wander around the central city. I had not been to Christchurch for some time, and had never visited the Transitional Cathedral. It's existence was of course was necessitated by the series of catastrophic earthquakes and tremors beginning in February 2011, which destroyed the historic cathedral and many other things.

A structure of cardboard, wood, steel and polycarbonate, the Transitional Cathedral was conceived by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who designed a church made of cardboard following the Kobe earthquake. The information brochure I picked up describes cathedrals as; "by nature multi-dimensional. They are places of spiritual exuberance and quiet beauty, expressions of visions that transcend human knowing, meeting places for the spirit, libraries of stories, cornucopias of artistic achievement...where spiritual growth and education deepen the mind and spirit, and where people meet in search of common ground and common good."

Churches generally find themselves in transition. Whether by a crisis of nature, economics or neighbourhood change, we are transitional. The Transitional Cathedral reminds us that in the face of many challenges and even in the grief of great loss, God is at work, and the Holy Spirit will show guidance to people of faith who hope for and work towards restoration of community.

Creativity and life can emerge from destruction. We may not have a grand cathedral, but as we live into our vision as a place to belong to the family of God, we too can be a place "where spiritual growth and education deepen the mind and spirit, and where people meet in search of common ground and common good." Shalom