Amid the darkness

War in the Gaza Strip, murder in the skies above the Ukraine, and persecution of Christians in Iraq:  everywhere we look we can see death and destruction.  And yet if we look for it we can also see the good around us.  The Commonwealth Games have started, celebrating unity, perseverance, and the potential of the human body; Maori language week has promoted unity through he taonga te reo; and a “gratefulness challenge” is doing the rounds on social media.

Are we wrong, or “shallow” to focus on these glimpses of light when there is so much darkness in the world?  No, I don’t think so.  Nearly two thousand years ago, in a time of racism, slavery, and persecution Paul said to the believers “Whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Phillippians 4:8).  Then as now, focusing on the good helps fortify our minds against the darkness around us.  That is not to say we can ignore what is going on - we are told to “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15) and we should add our voices to the call for justice and freedom – but as we celebrate what is good we are saying “there must be another way.”  And there is:  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life,” (John 14:16) giving us hope and direction for our personal lives and assurance for eternity.  He also promised to come back to restore this world of death and destruction to God’s perfect design of a world of joy, freedom, and life. 

So as we wait for His return, seeking out moments of light, and speaking out against the darkness, we can trust in a God who has an ultimate plan, and earnestly pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” 

Larisa Hockey

Mangapapa Church

Larisa moved to Gisborne with her Gizzy-born husband John, in 2006 and joined Mangapapa Union Parish where she is now one of the worship leaders.  Larisa, who has been a Christian since learning about Jesus at the Kaukapapakapa (North of AKL) Youth Group, is passionate about the power of the Gospel to transform lives and believes that this starts at home.  "Love God, love others."

Protecting Life in El Salvador

Earlier this year, in a highly published ruling, Bolivia's Constitutional Court bucked the recommendations of two UN committees to decriminalise abortion - and instead, handed down a surprise ruling which continues to protect the unborn. According to a Life News report, the court's arguments for protecting life were "original", asserting "ancient indigenous cosmic beliefs that life is in constant perpetuity, without beginning or end; therefore everything that is life or 'could potentially generate life' is protected by the Bolivian constitution". The Bolivian President Evo Morales says, "Any abortion is a crime."

Also of interest is that in El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, it is illegal for a mother to abort her child. Underdeveloped countries like El Salvador depend on foreign aid to help improve the country. But such aid usually comes with "reproductive rights" strings attached. After returning from a foreign assistance meeting in Europe, one cabinet minister said, "All these people want to do is talk about abortion." In 1988, abortion became illegal in El Salvador, but the victory was tenuous. Pro-lifers knew the only way to guarantee protection for the unborn was a constitutional amendment that no treaty could override. For the amendment to be enshrined in the constitution, it had to be ratified by a two-thirds majority during the next parliamentary period. It seemed impossible, but the pro-lifers said, "We have to try. We have to do our best." People prayed, and when the time came for the vote, the first person to speak was a socialist woman who said, "I'm going to give my vote as a woman and as a medical doctor for the constitutional amendment." After that, there was no vote against it.

It may be highly significant that the name El Salvador means "the saviour" or "the rescuer".

Julia Martin

Wife, mother, grandmother, Julia has been engaged in the battle for LIFE since the 1980’s. She believes human life is of ultimate implication because each one is created in the image of the Divine