The event that has been referred to by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden as one of New Zealand’s darkest days, brought with it a sense of loss of innocence, a coming of age of sorts for a relatively young country.
But the nature of adversity and events such as these is that they (paradoxically) give rise to heroes and allows for individuals to overcome personal grievances. They also demand of us something else: positioning. Positioning that will eventually end up defining the country’s new national identity.
And if anything can be taken as unique from this attack was the show of support, unity and compassion that sprung all over the nation on the following weeks. The outpour of messages of love, flowers, candles, hakas, prayer and support to the Muslim community has been overwhelming. And these more then anything tell the world what kind of people Kiwis are.
