In countries dominated by western culture, there continues to be admiration for compassion, and respect for honesty, integrity, and humility. But there is no doubt that recent cultural trends in western countries no longer give general support to Christian faith and to many other Christian values. This affects how Christians and churches are viewed, and also how many Christians themselves think and act.
Scepticism about Christianity (on both scientific and ethical grounds) has become increasingly fashionable, and Christians in public life are increasingly subject to suspicion. Contemporary post-modernist thinking assumes that truth is subjective and uncertain, and that truth is whatever you choose it to be. Christian truth claims can thus be seen as over-confident, or arrogant.
Individualism and consumerism emphasise the centrality of self and the primacy of individual choice. The priority of personal happiness and pleasure is rarely questioned. Calls to holiness or righteousness are mocked. Christian beliefs about gender, sex, or marriage (views which were shared by most societies until very recently) are increasingly reproached as unloving, harmful, and unable to be tolerated. Churches can variously be regarded as outmoded, empty, irrelevant, narrow-minded, or dangerous.
In the context of our changing, less Christian-friendly context, Christians should not be intimidated, or become weakened in faith. We must remain faithful to Christ and the word. We must also think carefully about what we believe, and how we live and express that. We need…
to beware of becoming conformed to this world (Rom 12:2)
to be deeper into the scriptures (Ps 119:11)
to be a people of constant prayer (Eph 6:18)
to reflect Christ in all we do and say (Matt 5:13-16)
to be loving, not a clanging gong (1 Cor 13:1)
to be humble (James 4:6)
to be thoughtful, gentle, and respectful in how we speak about our faith (1 Pet 3:15)
to be good citizens (Rom 13:1), above reproach (1 Pet 3:16-17, 4:15)
to be peace-makers (Matt 5:19)
to live peacefully with everyone so far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18)
to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21)
to recognise all Christians as part of the same body of Christ (Eph 4:3-6)
to receive the wisdom that comes from above (James 3:17), which is ‘pure, …peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere’.
Every Monday night, between 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm, many people connected with NZCN join on-line with others in Pray As One NZ. This is a wonderful opportunity to pray together with fellow Christian believers from all over New Zealand, from all sorts of churches and backgrounds. If you haven’t come on to PrayAsOne already, we warmly invite you to do so. This is the link.
Each week Pray As One has a focus on a different topic.
Last Monday’s topic was mental health. In our fallen, flawed humanity, no one is immune to mental health struggles. Underlying predispositions, rejection, loneliness, loss, life crises, fractured relationships, addictions, stress, anxiety, moral confusion, and the lessening of Christian faith or hope – any of those (and many other things) could be risk factors.
Some of the prayer points mentioned on Pray As One this week were along these lines. You might like to pray them too.
We pray…
For those who feel desperate, and without hope
For the healing of inner brokenness
For those who are considering suicide
For those who live with someone else with mental health issues
For frontline workers and counsellors in the mental health field, for great wisdom, and their own wellbeing
For Christians to impart comfort and hope in a loving, sensitive way
For churches to be places of acceptance and love
For the Holy Spirit to speak grace, truth and hope into many lives
For the Lord to bring a new wave of hope sweeping over the young people of New Zealand, through a great spiritual work bringing many to life and wholeness in Jesus.
The decision of the USA’s Supreme Court to overturn Wade v Roe and the nationwide “constitutional right” to abortion has been met with dismay and outrage by many people, both in the USA and beyond. Many are understandably upset at the winding back of what they consider an inalienable woman’s right: the right of any woman to end any unwanted pregnancy with an abortion.
The public and political rhetoric in the USA and in New Zealand has tended to be quite one-sided, with an emphasis on women having autonomy over their own bodies and about abortion being simply a women’s health measure.
We acknowledge that many women who seek an abortion do so with distress, because they feel alone or abandoned, or because they feel it is too difficult for them to proceed to birthing and raising their child.
The claim, however, that abortion is purely is a woman’s health measure is clearly untrue. Abortion can never be just a woman’s health measure, because abortion invariably involves another person, an unborn human being whose life is being deliberately ended by those who have already been born. Whatever the law of any country may say or allow, abortion remains a profound ethical issue. Particular societies, ethicists, and individuals may weigh differently the competing rights of women and unborn babies, but the moral issues are not in any way erased by legal and parliamentary decisions, or by the pronouncements of politicians.
New Zealand’s previous abortion legislation at least tried to balance the rights of women and the unborn. In practice, however, we ended up with something very close to abortion on demand. New Zealand’s new abortion law in 2020 was passed by the margin of 68 to 51. Sadly, the new law contains no recognition at all of the rights of an unborn child. Politically, the new law may endure. But the deep ethical issues around abortion continue, and public discourse needs to more generous in acknowledging that.
Earlier this week New Zealand’s Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold the deregistration of Family First’s charitable status, on the grounds that Family First’s “advocacy” for traditional marriage and family is “discriminatory” and not working for benefits to the general community, that its purpose is mainly “political”, that it had “crossed the line between education and advocacy”, that “its research reports lacked the balance that is required to further an educative purpose”, and that its “advocacy is not fair, balanced or respectful, so its advocacy is not charitable”.
Some of that seems not very convincing. Marriage and family is good for society, and every human society has always believed so. It is quite a stretch to argue that advocating for marriage and family is somehow “discriminatory”. Surely, too, it is legitimate for Family First to speak out in the public interest against trends and policies which it sees as socially harmful.
Some people dislike Family First’s views or object to its particular style. But that does not establish the conclusion that Family First is therefore “not charitable”. On the contrary, it seems self-evident that Family First’s motivation is to speak out for what it sees as the benefit of general society. How is that not charitable?
Ironically, many other “advocacy” groups – some of them highly politicised, but with opposite views to those of Family First – retain their charitable status. But Family First has been deregistered as a charity.
While people might not agree with every single thing that Family First has ever said, or how they may have said it, we should nevertheless absolutely defend their right to say it.
The wider principle is that, in a free society, the State should refrain from trying to restrain those groups whose views it finds unpalatable. The State should be careful not to discriminate.
Many Christians can agree that, in our bi-cultural nation, it is a respectful and appropriate move for our country to acknowledge the Māori New Year with a new public holiday. This is something that will be unique to New Zealand. It will sit alongside all the other holidays, with their own mix of cultural, spiritual, and secular backgrounds.
The generalised principles that are said to be at the heart of the Matariki celebration are certainly consistent with Christian faith and values: giving thanks for the harvest, looking back, looking ahead, sharing stories about those who have passed on, and enjoying food and togetherness with family and others. Just as Christians often celebrate Christmas, New Year, and Easter in their own ways, so too we can develop life-giving ways of recognising this new seasonal holiday.
Traditional Māori mythology saw the Matariki star cluster as atua (spiritual beings), and as providing for human beings’ health, harvests, seasons, and entry into the afterlife. In the traditional “hautapu” ceremony, food was cooked and offered to these stars, along with karakia (incantations) to them. Some Māori may still see it that way. Some see it as just symbolic of the close connections between the natural and spiritual world in te ao Māori (the Māori world). Many strongly Christian Māori address their thanksgiving and prayers to God alone.
For Christian believers all over the world, the stars don’t in themselves really have any spiritual life or power, or offer us any guidance or help. The Word of God teaches that the Maker of heaven and earth is alone the giver and sustainer of life, the only one to whom prayers may be directed, and the only one who opens the way to eternity. When we gaze up at the stars which God has created (Gen 1:16), including Pleiades/Matariki (Amos 5:8; Job 9:9-10; Job 38:31), we are reminded of our own smallness and fragility, and moved to awe and worship of the one who made all things and gave us life (Ps 8:3-4,9; Ps 19:1; Is 42:5; Acts 17:24-25, Rom 1:20).
May God help us to constructively navigate the opportunities of this new national holiday.
With the first ever National Matariki Public Holiday just around the corner we want to share a short digital narrative around Matariki and to share a unique Christian perspective on what Matariki is all about.
Lorinda Pereira (Ngā Puhi) is based in Te Tai Tokerau, in the far North. She is married to John, and they have nine beautiful tamariki. They run a charitable Trust called Te Ahu Whenua Navigations – teaching families, hapū and community groups on how to life off the land. Lorinda is also a prominent national Māori Christian speaker, teacher, and prophetic voice. She has a powerful testimony.
Wilberforce Foundation made the 4-minute video, entitled Te Rongopai and Matariki, to be easily shareable in church services and in staff meetings. It covers the following questions and topics:
What is Matariki?
When is Matariki?
What is the Christian narrative about Matariki?
And what can people do during Matariki?
Some key kupu/Māori words used in the video:
Hauhake – Harvest
Whenua – Land
Whānau – Family
Hāngi – Earth oven/traditional way of cooking food
Kai – Food
Mātauranga – Knowledge
Hapū – Sub-Tribe
Poke – A generous offering/tithe
Hapori – Community
Pātaka – Storehouse
Puanga, Matariki and Names of Stars
The sighting of Matariki marks the beginning of the Māori New Year. The celebrations and stories differ from iwi to iwi, from region to region. Some iwi (particularly in the North) see Puanga as the heralding star, others see Matariki. Puanga is known as the star – Rigel. Matariki is known as – Pleiades.
Key Scripture verses
“He who made the Pleiades (Matariki) and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land – the Lord is his name.” Amos 5:8
“He counts the stars and calls them all by name” Psalm 147:4
“And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.” Genesis 1:14
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalms 19:1
Lorinda’s Kōrero (final segment):
“I’d encourage people to encounter the supernatural essence of Christ. The supernatural imprint of Te Kaihanga i runga i te whenua, ki te rangi (The Creator of the earth and the heavens). Matariki literally means ‘Te Mata-Ariki’ – to come face to face with the Lord, a time of deep encounters with the Lord, and say where am I at lord?, and to ask the lord, where are we heading?”
– Lorinda Pereira.
Small Group Questions:
After sharing the video, these are potential questions that could be asked in relation to the video.
If Matariki is a season to reset and reflect on that year that was, what would you say are some of your key highlights or achievements? From June 2021 to June 2022?
If Matariki is also a time to strategic plan and prepare for the future, what are a few things you could do in the coming months to enable you and your whānau to thrive?
If Matariki is a season to encounter the Lord, what could you do to better position yourself to come face to face with God?
Matariki is a time of celebration – how are you and your whānau going to celebrate Matariki?
This article is not about Bethlehem College. It is about much broader New Zealand rights of freedom of belief and expression, and how those should continue to apply to all our country’s religious schools.
According to the New Zealand Bill of Rights (1990), every New Zealander is entitled to…
13 Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief, including the right to adopt and to hold opinions without interference.
14 Freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
15 Manifestation of religion and belief
Every person has the right to manifest that person’s religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, or teaching, either individually or in community with others, and either in public or in private.
Such rights of belief and expression are for people of all beliefs, persuasions, and lifestyles. Increasingly, though, in western societies some beliefs and practices are being exalted above others, and some beliefs and practices (including some Christian ones) are being decried as dangerous, objectionable, and worthy of suppression.
These days, for instance, it is often now claimed by some that it is “discriminatory” for Christians to believe or say that marriage is about the union of a man and a woman. But such a belief is by no means unusual or extreme: it has been held by human societies since time immemorial, across vast numbers of cultures and religions, and it remains a basic moral assumption of many people, including many Christians. In our free society, it is a belief that Christian people, churches and schools should remain free to uphold, express, and practise. Other people remain free to disagree with Christians on this or any other matter. But they are wrong when they feel they have the right to proscribe what Christians (and others) may believe, say, or practise.
Sure, in recent years (2013) the New Zealand Parliament extended the legal scope of marriage in this country to allow for marriages between same-sex couples. We fully accept that as a legal reality, and as providing greater options for some. The decisions of the New Zealand Parliament cannot, however, restrict what people may or may not believe about the nature of marriage, according to their own beliefs, religion, and culture.
Maybe it is time for Christians to refer to “how we understand marriage”, or “how we understand Christian marriage”, in recognition that there is a wide range of understandings of marriage, both in society and even in some churches.
Christians have a right to believe, express and follow their own biblical moral values. They also have a strong biblical responsibility to hold and practise those Christian values in a loving way, with grace and respect.
As many of you will know, Bethlehem College in Tauranga has recently been under criticism in the media from some LGBTQ+ advocates. Among other things, some object to the clause in the College’s statement of belief that “In the beginning God created male and female. Marriage is an institution created by God in which one man and one woman enter into a relationship intended for life, and that marriage is the only form of partnership approved by God for sexual relations”. They also report that, following a complaint, the Ministry of Education has asked the school to remove that clause, because it was not part of the original integration agreement in 1999 (There are Ministry of Education processes for having changes approved, but the issue is whether those were followed).
We make no judgment on either Bethlehem College or the Ministry of Education. Our key point is simply to express the general principle that, one way or another, Christian schools must remain free to express and practise their Christian beliefs and values – and that they should do so lovingly and respectfully. The whole basis of the integration of “special character” schools is that their “special character” will be upheld. Parents have chosen to send their children to such schools precisely because of that special character. The Government must continue to respect that special character, and keep working well with those schools.
I heard something interesting the other day. It was a comment from Justin Brierley, the host of a well-known British radio show and podcast called Unbelievable? On it he gets Christians and non-Christians to discuss all sorts of issues related to the truth of Christianity. The comment from Justin Brierley that took my interest was that he “had never met a non-believer.” Initially I was confused, because he’s been hosting his show for over ten years talking to sceptics and non-believers. But he continued, “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met thousands of atheists and sceptics, but even the most non-religious people can still have a holy cause, ritual ceremonies, sacred symbols, and even their own heretics”.
Justin Brierley’s observation was astute. For example, many non-believers are big on advocating for abortion and women’s reproductive rights (a holy cause), on kneeling for the anthem to protest racism (ritual ceremonies), on waving the rainbow flag (sacred symbols), or on cancelling JK Rowling for ‘wrongspeak’ on gender issues (heretics).
The point is not the issues above, the point is that in reality we are all believers deep down. We all have a set of beliefs which guide our lives. In this 2020s cultural moment, so many of us, Christian and non-Christian alike, believe that good must conquer evil and that justice really matters. Yes, we are all believers deep down, but sadly far too many of us are worshipping the wrong things.
In reality, as Justin Brierley also noted, if we desire to bring truth and grace into our confused and divided culture we need to make sure we are worshiping the right things. And when we put God at the centre, with the grace of Jesus guiding us, we can tap into the power of the Spirit and help transform our culture and bring true justice.
The New Testament teaches (1 Pet. 3:15) that Christian believers should be ready to give a reason to others for their faith, with gentleness and respect. It would be great if everyone applied that principle, non-Christians too. We should all be able to give reasons for what we believe. There is no default or neutral position on important life questions. Non-Christians do not get off the hook by just saying, “I’m not convinced Christianity is true”. They should also give reasons for what they believe.
God’s creation is superb. God’s creation is vaster than we could ever comprehend, it is intricate, it is ordered, it is infinitely varied, it is full of energy, it is profuse with life, and it is magnificently beautiful.
The splendours of this created universe reflect the much greater glory of its sublime Creator. Human awe for creation can lead to awe of the living God who made it all: ‘since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made’ (Rom. 1:9).
God’s creation established his complete and unchallengeable authority over everything and everyone that exists. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’ (Ps. 24:1). That means this is God’s world, not ours.
The whole Bible, from Genesis 1: 1 onwards, gives testimony to God’s absolute delight in his creation. The Creator gazed upon his completed creation, and saw that it was ‘very good’ (Gen. 1:31). God continues to actively watch over his creation, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb. 1:3). If God loves his creation so much, so should we!
Humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation, created to fellowship with God, and also set among the rest of God’s created order to enjoy and care for it (Gen. 2:15).
The bad news. Because of humanity’s waywardness towards God, creation has been placed under a deep shadow of brokenness, suffering, and death, and it groans as it awaits the day of salvation (Rom. 8: 18-22).
The good news. The Cross of Jesus is at the centre of God’s plan of salvation, reconciling us to God. But Cross also looks forward to the liberation and restoration of God’s creation, at the coming of the Lord (Col. 1:20; Rom. 8: 21; Eph. 1:10; Rev.21:1-4).
Some reasons why Christians should care for God’s creation…
We should love what God loves: his creation.
We should honour God by respecting what he has given us.
God asked humanity to care for creation (Gen. 2:15): to benefit from it, and work it, but not to exploit it relentlessly or junk it.
We should remember that while God’s humanity is central to God’s creation, we are all dependent on the rest of creation for our own human health and flourishing. Human greed, selfishness and apathy is now putting God’s creation under serious strain.
Caring for creation is not at the centre of the Gospel. But that does not mean it is not important, or that we can ignore it.
It is the poorest people and the poorest nations who are the worst affected by pollution, famine, and climate change: the Bible consistently urges believers to show both justice and mercy, and to live others as ourselves (Mt. 25:37-40). This applies globally.
Yes, the believer’s future is secure in God, and we look forward to the Lord’s return, but we do not know when that will be.
Christians currently have a great opportunity to give a good example in these matters, and to let the light of Christ shine.
Many of us will have noticed a recent spate of media pieces critiquing some of our large churches, with a particular focus on some personal grievances about internships. Those churches will no doubt be addressing those concerns, and the church primarily in view has acted wisely in setting up an independent review.
Negative public scrutiny of churches raises the much broader question of how robust churches generally are in reviewing themselves. The reality is, it is helpful for all churches – regardless of their size, model, flavour or tradition – to reflect honestly on their own values, emphases, practices and traditions.
As followers of Christ, we all know that we are visible witnesses to the grace and truth of Jesus, that we are the body of Christ, that we are called to the highest spiritual and ethical standards, and that we are answerable to the Lord.
There is so much about most churches that is wonderful. But no church has all the answers, and no church ever gets everything right. We always need to remember that churches are also human organisations – full of imperfect people, and susceptible to blind spots and failures.
As organisations in society, churches are subject to the laws of the land, just like other organisations. We are legally obligated to have everything in good order, and should always strive to follow best practice.
No church – small, large, or in-between – is exempt from public scrutiny and critique. While secular society generally recognises that churches do much good, it has little tolerance for churches’ perceived shortcomings or ethical lapses.
Arguably, society is increasingly holding churches to account. Perhaps in some respects that is a good thing. But perhaps it is an even better thing when all our churches critically reflect on ourselves, humbly review our assumptions and practices, and make God-honouring changes.
