Colourful Dreamer

Last Sunday, as part of our joyous regathering, we celebrated our Church constitution – Te Pouhere, which weaves us together like a whāriki or woven mat, Māori, Pasfika and Pākehā. Like the flax strands in ngā whāriki, each Tikanga or cultural strand takes part in the life and mission of our church knowing their voice and way of living the gospel is as important as anyone else’s. It is a gift of God. At the same time Anglicans in Auckland were gathering for prayer led by ADJust, the Diocese of Auckland Young Anglicans for Social Justice. They prayed that all lives would matter around the world, not just the lives of the dominant, or of men, or the powerful. They prayed that in USA and other European dominated countries like our own, that Black Lives would Matter as much as white lives. They prayed for God’s justice to prevail. And then, behind a cross, they joined the Black Lives Matter march. Part of what that march called for in this land is that we honestly address our history a...

I found this a really interesting article , both for what it said about the research in general, and what the writer chose to highlight and whose response they chose the place at the top. It was the sensationalising of all this that really interests me, and then the reactions to that on Facebook. My initial reaction was very similar to one of the comments in the second half of the article…”Shaista Gohir, the chair of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, said interviews with other religious groups such as devout Jews and Christians would probably reveal similar social attitudes to those thrown up by the polling.” Indeed. And in fact that would include the attitudes to violence. So here is my take on this. First, Sharia Law – which seems to freak a lot of people out. A Muslim is someone who by definition has submitted their will to the will of God. How do you know the will of God? Sharia law. There are a couple of issues about this. One is that we in the West understand that everyon...

I read this article yesterday. It is such a sad article. I feel so hopeless in the face of it. And anger.  Strangley my anger is not at the young Israelis who pull the trigger. It is for those who continue to pursue policies of violence and hate within the Israele electorate. As Israel continues to vote for parties who are only interested in ongoing violence and oppression of the Palestinian people, they continue to put 18 and 19 year olds on the front line, holding powerful automatic weapons, facing a rage born out of hopelessness. Tragically, young people on both sides are the loosers. And there seems to be nothing anyone can or wants to do about this. It seems the settlers have won the day. More land will be stolen off the Palestinian people. The two state solution will soon be inpractical. And young people will die, and be traumatised by being the killers. Such stupidity.

It is sad that people have to prove that they are right by denigrating those they disagree with. It is sadder still when Christians resort to this. Did Jesus ever do this? No, he sat with those pushed to the edges, who were hated and despised and declared God's profound selfless love for them. Why o why do we who seek to walk in the footsteps of Christ seek to spread hate on others. It is good to see religious leaders in this country taking a stand for humility and care for each other.

Landmark Christian-Muslim Peace Summit opens in Beirut It is events like this that offer me hope. Hope that God is at work in the world when all seems lost. Hope that ways can be found to work with those who seem so far from what we believe. Hope that we do not need to descend into violence and despair, no matter what the vote conscious politicain demands. Let us hope that these seeds of hope are allowed to germinate and grow.

Archbishop Rowan Williams asks the very simple question: What gift do we leave our children?

Where is hope in this world? The prospect of peace seems slimmer each day with Israeli settlement construction constinuing, with US support. I had hope with Obama, but that is now gone. Where is hope when Christchuch suffers again from a large earthquake, this time with such tragic consequences. So many lives shattered through deth and injury, through loss of homes and places of work. Is there no end to these earthquakes. I struggle to hold hope in the face of ongoing violence around the world, where people seem to count for so little in the face of greed and lust for power and wealth. And yet I must hope. For that is all there is. Hope, when all else is lost. Just hope.

A few years ago at the WCC General Assembly in Porto Alegre  I went to a seminar on Christianity in the Middle East. I went because I thought it would be about Israel and Palestinians. Actually they weren't mentioned, and the people speaking came from Iran and Egypt. One of the questions asked of the Egyptian was about democracy. He replied American style democracy would not be a good thing for Christians in Egypt. They are too small a group, and in all likelihood could end up with either no or little representation in the government. He suggested other models of democracy and government were needed, and Egyptians needed to work that out. I have remembered those comments as I have watched the gleeful reporting from Cairo. Another dictator falls!! (well maybe) Democracy is on the way! But I keep wondering how long the various groups involved in the opposition will hang together, and what will happen when they splinter? In Iran it lead to the bloody and forced Islamisation of a onc...