Donegall Square

The second stop on the Methodist Conference "We Make the Way by Walking" event was more directly associated with Methodism and in many way was the starting point for the idea, as the poem largely stepped fully formed into my head one early morning a couple of months ago.

Standing in the grounds of City Hall at its east entrance we were flanked by memorials to the Boer War and the Titanic disaster, and across Donegall Square East was the imposing edifice of what was formerly the “mother church” of Belfast Methodism, Donegall Square. It opened on there in 1806, with the current façade being part of a building erected in 1846. It finally and closed in 1994 after many discussions about whether and how it might be retained. It its lifetime it birthed many other congregations, its members played an active part in the commercial and civic life of the city and during the second world war and subsequently the early years of the troubles its they also played an active part in ministering to a city under threat. The imposing building however, had inherent problems. The impressive Corinthian pillars look impressive, but are actually plaster over wooden lathe, and the whole edifice, indeed this whole square is built on a swamp… City Hall has had to spend millions addressing that problem, and Donegall Square Methodist Church certainly didn’t have millions to spend on it, especially as their congregation shrank, as most did in the latter 20th century exacerbated by the Troubles. Eventually it was bought by the Ulster Bank, but I am told that even they didn’t entirely sort out the problems with the building, and that even after an initial £7million rebuild (I dread to think what that would be today) the carpark in the basement was still subject to flooding.

There is a plaque on the building to mark its history Indeed there are many plaques and memorials in this area around and within the City Hall.

There is no point rehashing old questions about whether we should have evacuated these particular premises in the heart of this city, but it does raise the question, that many churches are wrestling with across the western world, as to what presence should we have in city centres? What relationship should we have with civic authorities? With financial institutions? With those who live and work and come to the city centre for entertainment? With those who sleep on its streets? And that question is pertinent whatever city, town or civic authority we come from… our own City Centre Chaplaincy is part of our local response to that question.

READING

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’

Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer”; but you have made it a den of robbers.’

Luke 19: 41-46

 

POEM: 

What happened here?

Did Mammon turn the tables

Rather than flip them

Driving Christ out of his temple,

Rather than allowing him

To whip their representatives

From out of the sacred

Heart of this scarred city?

The city is still sacred,

And Christ still weeps

Over the choices we make.

But is he to be found

At tables in pillared palaces

And marbled halls,

And places with plaques

Telling us what to remember?

Or is he there in bread broken

And wine shared at tables

In cafes and bars,

Rather than sanctuaries

With their sanctified rituals?

Or in broken brothers and sisters

Sleeping on the city's streets,

Inviting us to toss tables again?

Selah