Sunday 28 February 2016

NZ’s future – One of peace or one of unrest?

Kia Ora,


I wonder how you spent Waitangi Day. Did you allow time to remember why we have this holiday or to consider New Zealand’s future and the role you play in it? Or was it simply a nice day off, a time to socialise or get a few jobs done around the house?

It is important to remember our history, so we can learn from it. We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past and we want to repeat the things that went well. In my opinion, the Treaty was a fantastic attempt at developing principles for the Māori and English people to live together in peace. Yes, there were problems with subtleties of word meanings, but what a great effort!


We are advised to live together in harmony, respecting each other and living peacefully with each other. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14) As Christians we must be the peacemakers in our society, as through this action people will see the Lord.


Perhaps today is the day you will choose to begin a personal relationship with God. Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you” (John 12:24). Do you want to make peace with God and receive the gift of peace He offers you? It is the way we as individuals choose to live in relationship with God and others that affects the level of peace in our own life, our families, our workplaces and the wider community.


The choice is ours: Do you want a future filled with peace or a future filled with unrest?


Nicola Hawkins
Mangapapa Church

Published 6 February 2016

1 comment:

  1. Well said, and a very timely comment. My choice is a future filled with Peace,and Love.
    Dene Whibley.

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