Inverness Cathedral attack should NOT be met with Christian forgiveness
THE graffiti daubed outrage of a vandalism attack on Inverness Cathedral was described by its Provost, the Very Revd Sarah Murray, as "disappointing".
That's the moderate Christian response which might be expected from a churchwoman in her position, although I've no doubt she was deeply upset by it.
She said: "Vandalism and damage to any building is disappointing and it is sad to see graffiti defacing our cathedral buildings."
But the cathedral, enshrined by a long and illustrious history, may well be the most cherished landmark in the Highland capital. To see it being defaced in this way provokes feelings of disgust and fury directed at those responsible.
Whoever did this chose the wrong target. And if non-churchgoers are likely to pray for anything it will be that they're traced, apprehended and that the courts will absolutely throw the book at them. And we're not talking about the Good Book here.
This may seem a forlorn hope but that is not necessarily the case. The police have a lot to deal with and no doubt have a list of priorities. Tracking down the spray-paint cretins who attacked the cathedral should be high on it.
They branded the building and its surrounds with insignia which must mean something to someone. And tracing a linkage back to those responsible - or even a specific individual - should by no means be impossible.
There have always been cans of spray paint and there have always been vandals who use them. It's not something that usually provokes much of a reaction. Neither do I keep on ongoing recollection of acts of casual vandalism in my head.
But sometimes those who indulge in this wildly overstep the mark.
A number of years ago a very popular Asian man who had a restaurant business in Inverness woke up one morning in his Culduthel Road home to find its walls had been covered by feet-high racist slogans.
That was viewed by many as a serious crime and it provoked outrage in this city which has long been devoid of many of the social evils which are all too common elsewhere. The attack on the Asian restaurant owner left a bitter taste in the mouths of many.
The defacement of Inverness Cathedral is one of the worst incidents of its kind that I can recall since that happened. There was no racism involved but the desecration of the cathedral had a sick twist all of its own.
And unless those responsible fully understand the seriousness of what they've done it could so easily happen again.
There is no room for Christian forgiveness here. An eye for an eye. The vile vandals who did this must be caught and suitably punished for their sickening crime.
Nothing would be welcomed by many people in Inverness with greater acclaim.
