Of Maori, Muskets and Missionaries

I'm currently doing my practicum placement at a local high school, and one of my classes is studying the Bastion Point Protest (1977-78). Since I didn't do New Zealand History at school and I can't remember much from the one New Zealand History paper I did at Uni, this has been really good for me. Since the concept of "cause and effect" is really important for studying History, I've been looking at the 19th century in order to understand the Bastion Point Protest.

Long long time ago, Maori people and only Maori people lived in New Zealand. They lived in iwis (Tribes) and hapus (Clans) all over New Zealand. The Maori were like most people since the beginning of civilisation with a government, settlements, distribution of labour and their own culture except they were pretty isolated from the rest of the world.

Then the Europeans came in. There were whalers and sealers, colonisers trying to buy and sell land and, of course, the missionaries. New Zealand Historians tend to look at the missionaries as a misguided bunch with good intentions. After all, they established schools and tried to befriend the Maori.

Along with the Europeans, a lot of new things were introduced. For instance, the potato, which was a lot easier to grow than the kumara. And then muskets. Muskets could do a lot more damage than traditional Maori weapons.

This started an Arms Race. Maori tribes were now accumulating muskets. The strongest iwi was the one with most muskets. And thus began the Musket Wars. Maori iwi would go against each other and many were killed. They were exploited by some Europeans who gave them muskets and gunpowder in exchange for land. The missionaries refused to sell guns or powder which strained their relationship with Maori. Some missionaries were forced under the threat of death to repair damaged muskets. The cycle of violence was terrible. In the end there were around 20,000 deaths attributed to the Musket wars. Loved ones were lost for nothing. So much violence was seen. Maori and Europeans alike were scarred and psychologically damaged. Imagine the feelings of hurt, anger, betrayal.

And it was this hollowness that led to the Maori seeking Christ. Maybe they saw that strife and violence came as a result of sin and wanted a solution to it. Maybe they wanted to believe in a sovereign God who works out evil for good. Maybe they were moved by the missionaries who tried to mediate between the iwis and bring peace during the wars. At any rate, many were converted and baptised.

Now this isn't a post about the Musket Wars, or history, really. This is about my church. We heading towards a church split. It's frustrating to have people refuse to accept their wrongs. It's painful to look across the room and see someone who love and know that there is hostility between you. It's painful to know that someone you've looked up to has grave flaws and imperfections. There are so many who are feeling hurt, angry and betrayed . I'm hoping that the hurt feelings lead people to cling to God and that even in all this ugliness, God will work it out for His good.


Pictures from the Te Ara website which is a great source if you want to know about New Zealand history.

Equip 2014

One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple.

(Psalm 27:4)

I am back after an amazing five day conference in Canterbury. A little sun burnt, really tired but refreshed.

The Equip conference is a four-year programme that's been run by the Gospel Training Trust for the last few years in the South Island.

There are Four Strands in the programme. First Strandees (yes, I made up the word "Strandee") learn to look at a New Testament passage, study it and write up a bible study.

Second Strandees look at the Old Testament, see how it fits with the rest of the Bible in light of the coming of Jesus, and write a study on that.

Third Strandees look at certain themes and how it runs through the entire Bible. You can file this sort of study under the important-sounding word of "Systematic Theology."

Fourth Strandees serve. They pay the camp and conference fees just to cook, clean, look after the children, work on the worship team, assist with the planning and help you with your studies.

Since this is my first year with Equip, I was in Strand One looking at John 3: 1-15. We had to read and ponder over the passage, over and over again, for three days before writing out our Bible Studies. Now I finally understand how much prayer and work our Pastors and Sunday School teachers put into their sermons and lessons, and I'm quite ashamed about the hastily put-together Sunday School lessons I've done before.

We had two speakers, Joe Fleener and Peter Adam, speaking at the morning and evening meetings on John and Ezra respectively. We also had workshops where we talked about the different ways we can minister to others.

So what have I gained from Equip?

Fellowship: I've met so many people from different churches, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Baptists etc, but everyone I've met love God, love His word and want to serve and glorify him. Which makes us all God's people. Do you know how lovely it is spending a whole week with just God's people? We talked Scripture together, and encouraged one another knowing we were all partners in the same struggle and drawing our strength from the same Source. The introvert in me was exhausted with being around people all the time but yet I didn't want to leave.

An appreciation for God's word: Equip is entirely centred on the Word of God and teaching Christians how to handle it rightly. Through the whole conference, I gained a renewed sense of wonder for the Bible. I've always known that the Bible is an amazing book, but when super-familiar passages show things you've never noticed before, you're more than a little surprised. I could see motifs and themes, I've never noticed before, running through the book: light and dark, life and death, earthly and heavenly, flesh and spirit.

And a better grasp of Scripture leads to a greater love for God. Over and over again, we were reminded from both John and Ezra, that the world has rejected God, we all rejected God but He still loved the world that rejected Him and made a way to save us. Not only has He saved us, He is making a dwelling with us! Through the talks and the worship, we were constantly reminded of our sins and failures and God's mercy and faithfulness toward us.

A greater love for God should lead us to a desire to live for Him and serve Him more. Peter Adam reminded us that  we are like Ezra who "had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord" and therefore we should "do it (the Law)" and "teach His statutes and rules." (Ezra 7:10) It's living for God that is hardest. One look at NZHerald online and my facebook news feed, after I got home, was enough to deflate most of the enthusiasm out of me. This world doesn't feel like the Lord's and I know that, to the world, I look like a fool for believing in God. But God demands that we live in the world and shine as lights for Him. That doesn't just mean that we live as good Christians in our conduct but that we also tell the world about the Christ we follow. Now not everyone is called to live in a hut in Dohnavur as a missionary or risk their lives distributing Bibles in China. But there are unbelievers around us who need to hear the Good News, and there are babes in Christ who need to be taught about what the Word of God demands of them and fellow believers who, like you and me, need exhortation and correction from Scripture.

So if you're a Christian living in New Zealand, wanting to learn more about the Bible and find more ways to serve God and your Church, Equip is the way to go! The best news is that there will be two Equip conferences in 2015, and one of them will be in the North Island at Ngaruawahia from 29 Dec 2014 to 2 Jan 2015. So if you're a North Islander, I promise you, you won't regret it. I can't imagine a better way to start the New Year.

P.S. The food is amazing.

Happy New Year!

"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

"I'll warrant you'll make plenty in it," said Marilla.

-Anne Of The Green Gables

2014 has just begun and I've already started with my fair share of mistakes. But there is tomorrow and the rest of the year, still yet unblemished and unlived, with so much potential.

Still God know what's in store for 2014, what big and little things will happen, what stupid things I'm yet to do.

When the New Year began, I was at a watch night service at an Anglican Church. I'm not an Anglican and many of their customs are strange to me but I did love how they welcomed the New Year: There's the confession of past sins, and, boy, do we commit many. There is the resolution to try and please God in the coming year. And there is the remembrance of our hope in Christ; Victory has already been won!

I have sinned in the past and will continue doing so this year. Still I will strive to persevere in the faith and continue my daily battle with sin. And I have the hope that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it.