Our innocence and naivety came to an end in that brief time and we will never be the same again.
It will change the way we think about ourselves and the way others view and think about us.
This massacre and the unfolding tragedy as names, faces and their life stories come to light will be a dominant feature of news cycles, which will be reignited when this person comes to trial.
It appears that rather than being charged under the Terrorism Act, he will face 50 charges of murder to deny him the opportunity to use the platform of a court to promote his twisted ideology.
But it will be a long and gruelling trial and only prolong the trauma for those deeply affected.
This crime was designed to divide but has had completely the opposite effect. Instead of being driven apart, Muslims and many different denominations have united with the catchphrase We are one.
Many good things, starting with the bravery of people who gave and risked their own lives to protect others, have happened as a result of this tragedy, which does help to reaffirm the faith in human nature.
Mian Naeem Rashid confronted the gunman outside the mosque in an attempt to stop him and was killed. There were several others who did the same.
One survivor who showed incredible bravery was Abdul Aziz. He undoubtedly saved the lives of many people at the Linwood Mosque, which is why the toll was much less at that place. He was there praying with his four children.
He confronted the gunman, threw an eftpos machine at him then challenged him to chase him to take his focus away from the innocents in the mosque. Then, picking up a discarded shotgun with no ammunition in it, he chased the offender smashing his car window and seeing him flee and into the clutches of the two Lincoln policemen, who also showed great courage.
There were many people like Nigel Gardner, who stopped his car and got out with the gunman still present and helped victims. That takes guts and shows an instinctive need to take care of a fellow human being.
The first responders such as ambulance folk had the uncertainty of their own safety and were faced with horrific scenes but went about their work to save as many souls as possible.
Then we have seen the immense outpouring of love, compassion, empathy and generosity from all sectors of society.
Many of us have learnt a lot more about Islam and have a greater understanding and respect for how these people have handled themselves in this terrible situation. To see several of them saying they forgive the perpetrator makes me feel ashamed of my own inability to do so.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been near perfect in her response and ability to articulate on behalf of the nation, as John Key was after the Christchurch earthquakes.
It seems our political system has the knack of getting the right person in the right place for the time.
Parliamentarians have cast aside political differences as we will see with the inevitable gun reform.
If they get it right, as the Australians did immediately after the Port Arthur massacre, it will be a good thing.
Of course, farming and firearms are intertwined but there are few of us with military-like semi-automatics and it is yet to be seen how lower calibre semi-automatics will fare.
There will be bans and restrictions and gun enthusiasts are going to have to accept this. Ironic it is a gun enthusiast who has brought this about.
And then there have been the small things that have made a big impact.
Shay Kenny, a homeless man with nothing to give but his time, stood on a Christchurch street corner holding his sign saying “We are all the same on the inside”.
Andrew Graystone stood outside a Manchester mosque with his sign “You are my friends. I will keep watch while you pray”.
As-Salam-u-Alaikum.
Peace be unto you.
