New Zealand’s Anglican Christchurch Cathedral is due to be demolished because of earthquake damage; a cardboard replacement will be erected in its stead.
To compound the strangeness of this saga, the Wizard of New Zealand, a Gandalf impersonator, self-professed shaman and employee of Christchurch City Council, is keen on preserving the original crumbling structure. His zeal has inspired likeminded pagans to join his cause – for example: “F*** the cost,” she said. “It’s got to be saved. This is more than just a Christian place. I’m a pagan but I liked to go and sit there and meditate.”
The most mystifying part of this is: why are pagans so determined to preserve an Anglican Cathedral; there must be a reason.
From here:
Christchurch’s wizard is brewing up a protest today, against the deconstruction of the city’s cathedral.
The Anglican Church has confirmed it won’t halt the process of bringing the building down to two or three metres, despite weeks of protest and public backlash.
The Wizard has labelled Anglican Bishop Victoria Matthews as “seriously cracked” and in a dangerous state, with no evidence she can be made safe.
From memory, this so-called Wizard has been around for about forty years. He started off in Sydney, Australia, providing comic relief to University students. Apparently, he moved to NZ and is still carrying on.
Maybe the ACC or TEC could offer him a job in their hierarchy? He’s probably sufficiently eccentric for them to welcome him with open arms.