This week in Aotearoa we are commemorating the arrival of Captain James Cook to our shores 250 years ago. His journey of course was commissioned in the name of discovery, yet there are also stories that are being uncovered that tell of the dark side of his arrival, including the deaths of some local indigenous people, as well as the road that was now being paved to colonise this land. Some are commemorating his arrival, while others mourn and lament the loss.
Read MoreSameness is not the story of the early church, but it became the story of Christian colonisation. We have not been immune from this in New Zealand. The efforts of missionaries and churches have been focused on conversion, but this has often come with a desire for sameness. Civilisation in the name of whiteness, and a demonisation of Māori culture and identity is threaded throughout the history of the New Zealand church.
Read MoreAn inclusive way of living is challenging as it threatens to shred our biases, which even though often unconscious, control the way we relate to others and the world around us. We need to be open and aware of our own darkness, our shadows that hold our fears and anxieties, irrational and unhelpful in the process of learning what it means to be inclusive people.
Read MoreThis story reminds us that the whole idea of healthy Christian faith is not about closing us down, but opening us up. Opening up to God, opening up to others, opening up to creation that we are a part of and immersed in. We are challenged here to recognise that the Spirit is at work outside of our defined categories and in/out groups. Can our faith be something that opens us up to the world, to those around us, to truth wherever we find it?
Read MoreThis kind of God, who knows me intimately, shares in my life, my joys and sufferings is one who I am now safe with. My evolving understanding of God has enabled me to recognise the divine ‘in-ness’ in me and in all things created. Trusting in the loving kindness of God, I can be kinder to myself and others, even extending this care to the Earth.
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