FAITH IN ACTION 27 JANUARY 2018 | Issue 6684 | $1.50
When School Sucks What Tikanga Māori Teaches us About God On The Spot With Jeremy Corbett
Is Waitangi Day For Everyone? Find the Hidden Kiwi!
Stacey Morrison A KAPU TĪ WITH
05
06
12
20
WAR CRY The Salvation Army
Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL André Cox | FOUNDERS William
& Catherine Booth
The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission. MANAGING EDITOR Ingrid Barratt | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford | COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Carolyn Sylvester, Penguin Random
House New Zealand
OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box
6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone
(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org, $75 per year within NZ
PRINT MANAGEMENT www. makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset
is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.
11
The Startling Truth of the Treaty It’s a special time of year, with its long days and extra sprinkling of public holidays. But Waitangi Day seems even more special than the others—how many other countries have a founding document that aims to honour both the newcomer and the host? This is simplistic, of course, and we are still living within the echoes of sorrow between our peoples. But in preparing for this issue, I feel as if a veil was lifted from my eyes. I never fully appreciated before how signing the Treaty of Waitangi was an act of true manaaki on behalf of Māori. They chose to welcome in the outsider and share their land. We were once strangers to each other, but through the Treaty we became whānau. This is startling and beautiful, and worth celebrating. As Captain Hana Seddon points out in her article on page 20, manaaki lifts up both the visitor and the host. Or as newzealand.com says, ‘all parties are elevated … building unity through humility and the act of giving.’ Why is it that we think honouring the other somehow diminishes our status? In fact, the opposite is true. Let us honour one another, and in doing so, lift ourselves up. Just a note, as an English-language publication, we have used the title ‘Treaty of Waitangi’ for ease of reading. However, we fully acknowledge the reo and status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ingrid Barratt Editor
Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association. All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated. Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission. Publishing for 134 years | Issue 6684 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry
www.salvationarmy.org.nz salvationarmyNZFijiTonga @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft
2 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
Tuki aroha ki mua Tuku aroha ki muri Kia tū te aroha o nāianei. Whakataukī
Send love to the past Send love to the future, be love today. Maori proverb
Colossians 3:13 (New International Version) Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Korohe 3:13 Kia āta hanga koutou tētahi ki tētahi, me te hohou i te rongo tētahi ki tētahi, ki te mea kei tētahi he take riri ki tētahi: kia rite ki tā te Ariki i hohou nei i te rongo ki a koutou, kia pērā ano hoki koutou.
Is Waitangi Day for Everyone?
Te Whare Io graduates at Commissioning 2017. Photography: Christina Tyson.
I
t’s a question that lies at the heart of our national identity. We asked people within The Salvation Army to share their perspectives …
Trish Mataki, head of Māori Ministry I am passionate about the Treaty, it is part of me, part of my work and part of my life. It’s what makes New Zealand unique—how many other countries have a document between tangata whenua and settlers? The reality is that it’s the founding document for all of us because we are all part of what makes up New Zealand in this multi-cultural society. To move forward, we need to recognise Māori as bicultural partners—being true to who we are—but it is for all of us because we are all part of what makes up New Zealand today.
Ian Hutson, chair of the Māori Ministry Council The Treaty is the reason any of us can call New Zealand home. It was the first immigration policy, with Māori welcoming in the stranger. In this way, it reflects the pōwhiri process—settlers were strangers, but were welcomed in and now call the marae of New Zealand home. It’s like a marriage—we sign a covenant at the beginning, but there will always be tensions and one partner may impinge on the other. For the marriage to last there needs to be discussion and re-negotiation, and each person in the relationship needs to be acknowledged and honoured. Karen Baker, corps officer, Cambridge The significance of the Treaty was brought home for me when I was a teacher. I was taking a unit on the Treaty of Waitangi, and we focused on land claims as one aspect of the Treaty. We viewed re-enactments of Māori gifting land to the settlers and then saw how the settlers treated the land, changing it into farms, clearing forestry areas and so on. There was disagreement over the use of the land by Māori as they attempted to explain it’s meaning to them (aspects of Tapu). I could see
children start to understand just one part of what went on to be contested so many years later. When you understand that Māori are so tied to the land and didn’t intend for it to be changed, you can see how Māori and Pākehā misunderstood each other. In order to know who we are today, we need to understand what has gone before. It’s absolutely imperative to understand our history and the Treaty of Waitangi is a significant part of that. Gregory Fortuin, head of Education and Employment (former anti-apartheid activist and New Zealand Race Relations Commissioner) In a lot of people’s minds the Treaty means breaches and paying Māori money. In fact, the Treaty was an agreement between Māori and the crown agreeing to live in partnership, respecting each other. When the Treaty was signed there were 10,000 Māori and 2000 settlers, so they were very much the minority and Māori signed the Treaty in order to co-exist. When Pākehā become the minority again in the next 50 years, it will be interesting to see how that will influence the way we deal with the Treaty. Jenny Ratana-Koia, corps officer, Whangārei The Human Rights Commission’s summary of the Treaty is ‘two groups of people wanting the best for each other’. Living up north, I have had the privilege of being at Waitangi for Waitangi Day celebrations three times now, and I must say, it is an experience that we would all benefit from. The inter-denominational service held in front of the meeting house is representative of the spirit of Waitangi. Two groups of people are represented throughout, with Māori and Pākehā both leading the service. Others sit in the seats representing all Kiwis, of all ethnicities. Then, sitting on the grassy verge, tourists are welcome to observe and become part of us. Everyone belongs, everyone is welcome, everyone has a place. With that in mind, Waitangi Day is for all people. 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 3
ONTHESPOT Jeremy Corbett New Zealand comedian Jeremy Corbett woke up from a nap to chat with us … Secret Indulgence: Potatoes. Naps. Chocolate raisins and guitars (I’m better at buying them than playing them). Celebrity crush: I admire Wellington’s world-beating comedians—Taika Waititi, Jemaine and Brett. And honorary Wellingtonian Rhys Montague Darby. Fantastic. What I’m watching or reading: Just finished the Wool trilogy. I like a bit of sci-fi. And I’m Dying Up Here, a TV show about the LA standup scene in the 70s. One thing I love: Potatoes. Naps … (see question above). One thing I hate: People in a movie theatre trying to open their packet of chips quietly and slowly. You’re just dragging out the pain. Something that would surprise us behind the scenes of your job: The lack of glamour; Paul and Dai constantly fighting about hairstyles; Ben Hurley’s beard prep routine; Josh Thomson’s lack of respect for dress sense.
The Language I Love Shar Davis was inspired to re-discover the language of her ancestors, and she's not the only one. A Radio New Zealand listener recently complained that ‘Māori is of limited linguistic value as it has a very small vocabulary…’ In fact, Aoife Finn retorted via Twitter, the reo lexicon contains at least 100,000 words and ‘vocabulary is something that a person has, not a language. Vocabulary being all the words known and used by a particular person.’ This got me thinking, ‘How many words in te reo do I know, and do I know how to use them?’ When I was growing up we learnt the song Oma Rāpeti (run rabbit), colours and numbers at primary school. Māori language wasn’t a huge part of my world until I went to university as an adult student. There, I was nurtured in a wonderful nest of language learning as I worked my way from basic greetings to full immersion classes.
Learning Māori at home. Photography: Scotty and Stacey Morrison.
Māori became a language I loved and used and connected to—until I left the nest of university and found myself back in everyday life. I found ‘use it or lose it’ to be very true of language. Without regular use, my vocabulary slipped away—taking with it my confidence. Recent comments about the use of Māori in mainstream media have only strengthened my determination to reclaim the language for myself. Thanks to the books Māori Made Easy and Māori at Home, as well as Māori Television, I have begun to refresh and expand my vocabulary again. Simple phrases and greetings are building my confidence. And as I re-learn the language of my ancestors, I recapture something of who I am.
GOODSTUFF
QUIKQUIZ
1 What sport does Australia and England compete in for The Ashes trophy? 2 What is the collective noun for a group of ladybirds? 3 All the characters on The Simpsons have four fingers except which two? 4 What is the currency in Tonga called?
It’s common these days for friendships 5 What did God to be formed online. A charming friendship change Abram’s has grown between an unlikely pair of strangers name to? thanks to ‘Words with Friends’, an online Scrabble game. Answers on page Spencer Sleyon, a 22-year-old rapper and producer from 22 Harlem, and 81-year-old retiree Rosalind Guttman from Florida, delighted people around the world with their story. Spencer won about 60 per cent of the over 300 games they played, but the biggest prize was his new BFF who he finally met in person last month. 4 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
Women/Christian Living Of Mess and Moxie Jen Hatmaker
New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker is a refreshing voice in the literary world. Her latest offering, Of Mess and Moxie, is full of her signature style: imagine your most extroverted, passionate, hilarious and slightly inappropriate Texan girlfriend—this is Jen. Jen normalises less-than-perfect parenting, exercise, shopping, relationships and other scenarios through her own triumphs and tragedies. God’s lessons are woven throughout her stories. It’s like having a heart-to-heart with your BFF. She helps women find their moxie (force of character, determination) amidst all the mess that life can bring. (Thomas Nelson)
Weird of the Week: A bear was convicted of theft and criminal damage, in Macedonia 2008, for repeatedly stealing honey from a bee keeper’s hives. The bear didn’t turn up to court so the judge ordered the state to pay its fine of USD$3500.
Chocolate gingerbread waffles These waffles are healthy breakfast decadence on a plate … Make time: 20 mins | Sitting time: 10 mins | Serves: 6–8 | Equipment required: waffle iron. Wet ingredients 1½ cups almond milk 1 tsp vanilla 1½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar 4 Tbsp coconut nectar or maple syrup 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted Dry ingredients 2 cups buckwheat flour 2 Tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot ¼ cup cacao powder
Drama The Post (M, offensive language) Steven Spielberg
This historical drama about the presidential cover-up of America’s involvement in the Vietnam war, as well as the country’s first female newspaper publisher’s challenge to ‘do the right thing’, feels timely in today’s climate of ‘fake news’ and gender equality. The Washington Post, trying to establish itself against the likes of The New York Times, is given leaked classified documents that exposed the US government’s lies, spanning four presidents. Journalists fight to defend their freedom of speech against politicians looking to silence their critics. With a great cast including Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, this film brings to life a defining moment for the nation and the newspaper. (Reviewed by Shar Davis)
2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp ginger powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground allspice 2 pinches of sea salt
Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Sieve all the dry ingredients into another large bowl, then gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Let this batter sit for a minimum of 10 minutes before using. Heat up the waffle iron and follow the manufacturer’s instructions—opt for a medium temperature, as this increases the cooking time to ensure that the nutrientdense buckwheat flour is completely cooked through. Like any pancake or waffle recipe, you may need to add more almond milk as you go to maintain the right consistency, as the liquid is absorbed as it sits. Serve with maple syrup, fresh berries and coconut yoghurt, or coconut ice cream with chocolate sauce if you’re feeling like a really decadent treat.
Source: Little Bird Goodness by Megan May, published by Penguin NZ, Hardback, RRP: $60.00. Photography by Lottie Hedley.
Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul Māori Proverb
27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 5
Stacey
A KAPU TĪ WITH
Morrison
Photography: Scotty and Stacey Morrison.
The recent launch of their latest book Māori at Home may have cemented Stacey and Scotty Morrison as New Zealand’s favourite Māori-speaking power couple, but they didn’t start out that way. BY SHAR DAVIS
S
itting in a suburban cafe next door to the school her children attend, Stacey slides between English and te reo with an ease you might expect from a native speaker—except she isn’t one. Her profiency in Māori came through study and hard work as an adult, after first learning Japanese at school and going on an exchange to Japan. ‘I realised the value of language linked to culture and I wrote to my Grandmother, my Kuia, and said “I’ll learn when I get home.”’ Stacey is a familiar face to many New Zealanders as the presenter of TV shows like What Now, Mai Time and the current TV1 show Whānau Living. But growing up as Ngāi Tahu in Christchurch, Stacey was acutely aware that— despite her Pākehā name—her Māori heritage was physically evident. ‘[Growing up] I felt like my perception of being treated as Māori wasn’t a great thing,’ she reflects over her cup of tea. People would speak to my mum and say racist things about Māori, and she’d say, “My kids are Māori” and they’d say “Oh no, but they’re nice Māoris [sic]” as if that made it ok.’
Feeling at home with te reo ‘Mōrena Luis,’ she says before ordering another ‘kapu tī’ and sitting back at the table. She goes on to explain, ‘Luis is learning. We invited him to a wānanga. He can also speak Portuguese.’ That brief interaction with the cafe staff speaks volumes about Stacey’s passion for the Māori language and helping anyone and everyone to gain confidence and efficency in speaking te reo. ‘I think that a lot of what we want to do is help people feel more comfortable— that [te reo] is for all of us and we really need everyone in Aotearoa to feel they can utilise and get enrichment from the language.’ Enjoyment is important, too. ‘The language is not just heavy, it’s not just scary; it’s hilarious, it’s cheeky, most importantly, enriching,’ she says. Her children were learning about Te Whare Tapa Whā, a model for understanding Māori health (which is also used by the Salvation Army’s Community Ministries across New Zealand). There are four aspects to a person’s health and wellbeing: physical, spiritual, family and mental. ‘I said to my kids “what sustains you spiritually?” And they talked about te reo— it sustains them and helps them express themselves.’ Karakia is a part of their life and Stacey finds belief so interesting. ‘My children are baptised Anglican and they have a Māori worldview in their life, and I don’t feel any conflict [between the two]. They weave together beautifully.’ At times as she’s sat in church in Rotorua, Stacey has thought, ‘I know that if 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 7
you academically wanted to analyse, you could think , “that doesn’t fit, that’s not the same thing” but actually it is.’ Stacey describes her journey of learning Māori as ‘piecemeal’, having gone straight into work after her Japanese exchange. ‘I did a little bit where I could. I did night classes and then when I moved to Auckland, more intensive night classes and a Ngāi Tahu course. It was after three or four years of doing Ngāi Tahu classes that Stacey really began to grasp the language. They were immersion settings and Stacey says it was like ‘I’d hit the matrix and could really put things together.’
Transformed through reo ‘A lot of people say “When I’m fluent I’ll do this,” or “When I can take time off to do a course I’ll do that,” but you actually have to do it right now. Every day is a learning opportunity. That’s why we’ve focused this book on learning with your children and looking at how the reo can come into your everyday life so that you’re not constantly postponing.’ Stacey’s husband and co-author of Māori at Home, Scotty, presents TVNZ’s Te Karere, a news and current affairs show from a Māori perspective. You’d be forgiven for assuming he grew up speaking Māori, but like Stacey, he began learning as a young adult. ‘He’s a freak and people need to know that he’s just a bit of a freak’ laughs Stacey. ‘Otherwise you think, “Gosh how did he do that and I can’t?” These are the factors: he’s a perfectionist and he’s a little bit competitive with himself. Of course he’s like ,“No I’m not,” and I’m like, “Oh yes you are! You are both those things.”’ She apologises for Scotty missing the interview. He is visiting a men’s prison that is using his previously published book, Māori Made Easy. ‘I’m so proud. The prisoners are really flourishing.’ Scotty had incredible mentors, reflects Stacey. Previous flatmates turned out to be native speakers who preferred to speak Māori. ‘So he accidentally put himself in an immersion environment. One of them was really patient and one wasn’t. But that was really good.’ There is a transformational power to the reo, Stacey believes, and says that Scotty certainly found that to be true. ‘But I think about what if that had lain dormant in him? He wouldn’t be the man that he is today. Quite probably, we wouldn’t be married, he wouldn’t have his children. Some of our men are lost, and they are in prison because they are lost. They don’t feel connected to anything. And feeling connected to something bigger than yourself, your faith, your people, is really powerful. 8 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
Stacey acknowledges that shame has a huge impact on Māori who can’t speak the language. ‘I think it’s helpful to talk about it so people realise it’s not just you. “Oh it’s not just me who turned it into an anxiety.” It’s genuine, and I believe it’s in some ways passed down—it’s societal.’
Reaching our potential ‘That’s why we’ve said in the first page of the book, “Congratulations because you’ve got this far,” and an intention is everything. I think rewarding intention is really important. Acknowledging that language learning is hard and when it’s heritage language or a language you have a strong connection to, it is another level.’ ‘It’s like the Whare Tapa Whā—it’s not just an intellectual experience. It’s related to spirituality, your whānau, and physcially ... like for us, it’s been a big part of our mahi, and all of our physical life.’ Stacey says it’s important to look at the holistic reality. Part of that is how we learn language in New Zealand in general, in that we are not brought up bilingually. ‘Scotty was in the top stream at high school so he was offered French and German and the kids in the lower streams were offered Māori, as if it’s an easier language to learn. You could only make that assumption as a mono-lingual ... someone who hasn’t learnt the language.’
FEELING CONNECTED TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF, YOUR FAITH, YOUR PEOPLE, IS REALLY POWERFUL. The debate around compulsory teaching of Māori Language in schools reignites every few years. Stacey sees validity in making it compulsory but recognises huge resourcing challenges. Proficient Māori speakers are needed across schools in order to deliver anything like a compulsory element, she laments. ‘Until that is addressed it’s actually lip service.’ Stacey is quick to point out that New Zealanders by nature don’t like compulsion. But she wonders if we are even ‘exploring our full potential if we are going to only ever aim for monolingualism? People seem more impressed that I can speak Japanese. It’s about whether the number of people who can speak a language is the only way to value it.’
‘In terms of our uniqueness as New Zealanders, this language is embedded into this land, this whenua, and it really speaks to who we are. It speaks to the trees, to the qualities of the birds, of all the physical experiences we have here. It can offer so much more than just business relationships.’
SCOTTY WAS IN THE TOP STREAM AT HIGH SCHOOL SO HE WAS OFFERED FRENCH AND GERMAN AND THE KIDS IN THE LOWER STREAMS WERE OFFERED MĀORI. Cultural intelligence It’s important to Stacey that we don’t just create an adverse environment but it’s about perspective as well. She starts to talk about a person she is supporting who is teaching haka, looking at the form of dance, at a high school. ‘The pastor from the school said it was inappropriate because they are a Christian school and it’s a spiritual curse. The haka actually isn’t a spiritual curse, but you have to look at the context of what it takes to recognise another worldview.’ Stacey says cultural intelligence is propelled by languagelearning and is a valuable skill for children to have. ‘So I can ask why Japanese people have a different sense of space, like they will touch you or get close to you on public transport. We think it’s rude, but go to where they live and that’s just reality—they don’t percieve space in the same way as us.’ Māori is the primary language spoken in the Morrison house and it’s important to Stacey that their children are bilingual and have bilingual literacy. ‘And I have to recognise that my kids have such a different experience of the reo. They haven’t had to fight for it like me. So they won’t necessarily regard the reo in the same way. You treasure what you fight for. I want them to be global citizens who are strong in their own culture—that’s Māori, Pākehā, Scottish and French.’
Photography: Scotty and Stacey Morrison.
True congratulations Māori at Home was released in August last year and has been received extremely well, much to Stacey and Scotty’s surprise. ‘When we had the launch people were saying congratulations, but I don’t think any congratulations are needed until it’s been of benefit. When I get a tweet from someone saying, “I’m at my kid’s school lessons and here I am learning the tātahi, the beach stuff,” that’s really meaningful to me.’ The publishers have had to do a reprint of the book already. ‘Our hope, and how we tried to design [the book], is that you can have nothing and it will still be of benefit to you. Or you can be quite fluent and there’d still be words that you’re like, “What’s the word for that?” We aimed to make it broad.’ Penguin House have seen the value of this book and have two others they are hoping Scotty or the couple will write. Stacey has some words of encouragement for anyone who is thinking about learning Māori. ‘I speak Māori every day, not just in my home, but at school, and with Luis and people who are interested. So once you are a bit brave and put yourself out there, you’ll find people who want to be a part of your journey as well.’ 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 9
When Kids Are Cruel Social worker Janet Lehman’s son was bullied when he began Intermediate. The solution included the whole family … At some point, your child will be picked on or will have his feelings hurt by others. Our son was bullied when he began a new school. He was upset and depressed, and it broke our hearts. Over time we were able to resolve these issues as a family, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of work with both the school and our son to find a solution to the problem. Along the way, we learned some valuable lessons … Listen to what your child has to say: One of the best questions you can ask your child is, “What can I do to be helpful?” Try to be supportive but neutral when they are talking. Never blame your child—they are the victim. Coach your child on how to react: We coached our son on how to avoid bullies at school and who to go to if he felt unsafe. We also did role-plays together where we practised not reacting to what the bullies said. We showed our son that he had some control over what was going on. He couldn’t stop the bullying right away, but he could get himself away from it and he could find someone to talk to about it. Find someone at your child’s school who will help: Remember, it is the school’s responsibility to stop bullying; I think most take that seriously. The saving grace for our son was the guidance counsellor at his school. She provided a safe place for our son to go when he was being picked on—it gave him a source of support and made him feel like he wasn’t powerless. Take your child’s side: When our son was being bullied, we constantly reaffirmed that there were things he could do to handle the situation—and that he was, in fact, doing them. We let him know that we were going to get him help, that we loved him and we were going to support him. We also said that there was no excuse for what was happening to him. Teach your child to name what’s happening: For younger kids, it’s important to be able to name what’s happening as ‘bullying’. For a child whose feeling picked on, it’s empowering to be able to really name it. Find something your child is really good at doing: Choose some activities your child is good at and reinforce it verbally. Our son got involved in swimming and it was very helpful for his self–esteem. Bullying is not something your child is going to get over immediately—it can be long a process. The lesson for our son
10 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
was that while he couldn’t stop people from saying bad things, he had some control over how he responded to it. Again, all of this took a lot of time. Overcoming a bullying episode takes support, and it takes everyone working together as a family to make it happen.
If it brings up painful memories … If you were bullied when you were younger, the same situation with your child will most likely bring up painful memories. It’s okay to connect with your child about how it feels to be bullied, but don’t take the problem on as if it’s yours alone. I think the most important thing to do when your child is bullied is to remember the responses you received from others that were—or weren’t—helpful. Use what worked and avoid doing what was unsupportive or hurtful.
Source: empoweringparents.com
TESTIFY! Colonel Margaret Hay won the UK Times Preacher of the Year contest in 2000 (not that you’ll hear that from her!), with a sermon she gave to inmates in prison. It’s just one of many enriching experiences in almost 40 years of officership … I became a Salvation Army officer when I was 24 years of age, with my husband Lawrence. I have served as an officer for 38 years. I was motivated by the remarkable example of my parents, the example of other Salvation Army officers, and also by my own desire to serve the present age—to make some small difference to the world in the short time that I’m on this earth. Something that has been very important—and a huge part of the privileged opportunity I’ve had—is the worldwide scope of the Army’s work. We’ve served in New Zealand and love Aotearoa dearly, but those 25 years spent out of the country have been amazing—so much of it working with comrades, colleagues, and other Salvation Army officers from all parts of the world. This gift that God has given us is not unique to The Salvation Army, but it is very, very special—that immediate response, and that sense of sharing with people you’ve never met before. This says something about what it means to be a Salvation Army officer; the access to this grace in which we stand. Unbeatable. The Salvation Army, especially now, gives incredible opportunities for couples to work in completely separate appointments—if the needs of the work and the situation of the couple suit that work. For others it’s different, but I have found the opportunity has been there completely, and it’s been wonderful—absolutely mind-blowing sometimes! An important stage for me was the last 10 years of our active service, when we
GO FOR IT. WALK WITH OTHERS. LEARN FROM THEM. KNOW THAT YOU’RE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE. were in London. I was appointed, fulltime, to the Rochester Men’s Prison. The chaplain was a character. When I went to the prison, he said, ‘I don’t mind what you do—you can do pretty much whatever you like, as long as you don’t let anyone out!’ So I looked around, and I said, ‘My God, you’ve got to help me here.’ But talk about an amazing opportunity, with that freedom of access. I was fortunate to get the role as Foreign Nationals Coordinator, which gave me close access into the lives of people in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. This was an incredible and life-changing
experience for me. I am immensely grateful for that. It’s enriched my life beyond measure. At the recent commissioning weekend, I re-told the story of Salvation Army Commissioner George Scott Railton, who in 1881 was commanded— against his will—to return from the US to England. On his travels, he missed his boat. Dejected, he sat down and wrote these words: ‘The life of the soul saver is the grandest, merriest, strangest life that can be lived on earth—the life of Jesus lived over again in us. It will cost you all, but it will be a good bargain at that!’ If you get the chance to be a Salvation Army officer you’re truly blessed. Go for it. Walk with others. Learn from them. Know that you’re very, very fortunate. WATCH ONLINE | See Margaret and others share their stories | salvationarmy. org.nz/SayYes 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 11
BY ROBIN RAYMOND
Going back to school can be grim—homework, uniforms, no more hanging out with your mates at the beach. And why is it that the week school starts, it’s always the best weather of the year?! Most of us don’t look forward to going back to school, but some of us actually dread it. So, what do you do when school sucks? Everyone gets down about school at some time, whether you’re like me and can’t stand maths, or there’s that one teacher that just picks on you. Or there’s something really big going on. Maybe you’re really struggling with your subjects, you’re finding things tough with friends, or you were bullied last year or abused. Maybe everything else in your life seems rubbish and school’s just another thing on the list. I’ve been there. I didn’t grow up in New Zealand, I turned up at the start of high school as a nerd with a weird hair cut, uncool clothes and a funny accent. I was an easy target and I got hit hard (sometimes literally) by the bullies. I was lucky to have good friends and I did okay in class—apart from maths, of course—but I was also lucky to have annoying adults who kept asking if I was okay, even when I didn’t want to talk and was pretending everything was fine. It might not make the bad stuff stop, but it does help you get through. If that’s you—if you’ve been bullied or abused, if you’re feeling depressed or struggling with the social side of high school—talk to someone you trust, like your parents, a teacher, the school counsellor, your youth group leader, or call Youthline. The Youthline website is a really good place to get advice and ideas on everything from bullying and depression, right down to goal setting.
HANG IN THERE Sticking it out, if you can, is also important. Salvation Army youth worker Andy Walker works quite a bit with teenagers who’ve left school, and he says staying through the tough times can be one of the most important things you can do. 12 firezone.co.nz 27 JANUARY 2018
‘It’s really important for resilience. If you keep going for the easy option then when you’re an adult, you’ll find a little challenge comes up and you drop out. What we encourage people to do is grow through the challenge. It doesn’t mean it’s going be easy, but you can become a stronger person.’ If school sucks because you’re struggling in class, remember that people learn in different ways—check out the learning styles in the sidebar and work out how you learn best.
YOU HAVE SKILLS. MAD SKILLS. WHETHER IT FEELS LIKE IT OR NOT, THERE’S SOMETHING OUT THERE YOU’RE GOOD AT. But most of us also have to accept that there are some subjects we’re good at, and some that we just suck at. It sounds weird, but like Andy said, it’s good for us to be bad at stuff—if we only stuck to things that we’re naturally good at, we wouldn’t build new strengths. (And eventually you get to drop the subjects you don’t like—not gonna lie, it’s a sweet feeling). In the meantime, Andy suggests that you get involved in other things that you enjoy, like sport, music, art, drama. Whatever it is, you’re not dumb, there’s something out there that you are good at. Even the smart kids are looking at you wishing they were as good as you at that thing.
LEARNING OUT OF SCHOOL But for some people (whisper it so your parents don’t hear) school isn’t the the best place to learn, or to get where you want go in life. Leaving school isn’t a decision to take lightly—again, talk to an adult you can trust about this massive decision. But if you do leave school it doesn’t have to be the end.
When you don’t want to go to sc hool
Take a deep brea th
That’s where organisations like the Salvation Army’s Education and Employment programme come in. It works with teenagers who have left school, or who want to learn something school doesn’t teach. If you love cars, or working with computers is your jam; if you want to be a pre-school teacher, a builder or more, E&E’s got courses that can help you get your NCEA qualifications and work skills. When Caleb from Tauranga was 15, he knew he wanted to be a builder, so he joined E&E. In three months, he’d completed a building and construction course, and achieved NCEA levels one and two. He is now working on an apprenticeship, hoping to travel and become self-employed. ‘I have always been good with my hands and nothing else interested me. Plus, with building you can go so many places. I’m doing an apprenticeship now and seeing what God has planned for me next.’ E&E tutor Chris Waihi has been teaching teens mechanics and auto trades in Tauranga for 17 years. ‘This is a stepping stone between school and employment. Everything is work-based,’ he says. ‘For our students, school didn’t work for them, but we have a different teaching style. We talk to them about where they want to go.’ Now, here’s the hard word, courtesy of building tutor Rex Davies: ‘I tell my students, “Be positive, there’s light at the end of any tunnel. Unfortunately, if you want to work you need qualifications. I tell them, “If you don’t do the mahi, you don’t get the treats.”’ Some of the people at E&E have been through serious strife—drugs, alcohol, abuse, kicked out of school, but Chris says there’s a chance for everyone, if they can find their passion. ‘We had one young man here, he was useless at automotive! But he had this really quite cool art book that he brought in one day and showed me. “This is what I do,” he said. His passion was in art, so we worked with him on that. He’s now designing t-shirts. He married a girl he met on the course and he’s taken his art step-by-step till he’s second in charge at a printing company.’
and remember ...
• You have skills. Mad skills. Wheth er it feels like it or not, ther e’s something ou t there you’re good at. Ke ep looking for it. • It’s not forever. It feels like it, but it’s really not. One day, it w ill all be over and when you run into your old teacher that smell s, it will be in a shop (where you can hide). • Sometimes stick ing things out whe n they’re tough is importa nt. You can’t run away from everything in life. • People learn in different ways. St ruggling in class at school do esn’t make you du mb—you might need to w ork a bit harder, or get a bit of help, or you m ight need a chan ge. • If you do need a change—there are places out there that ca n help.
The seven learning ou? styles—which are y , ing pictures, images Visual: You prefer us anding. and spatial underst d u prefer using soun Aural (listening): Yo and music. speech using words, both in Verbal: You prefer and writing. nds r using your body, ha Physical: You prefe and sense of touch. using logic, reasoning Logical: You prefer systems.
and
th learn in groups or wi Social: You prefer to other people. use r to work alone and Solitary: You prefe self-study. your more than one. Find Top tip: you can be u. yo r fo way that works style and study in a 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 13
AROUND THE WORLD IN 52 YEARS Major David Bennett has served a record-breaking 52 years as a Salvation Army officer, and the occasion was marked with a three-month stint helping equip refugee camps in Uganda. Late last year, David was surprised to receive special recognition for what could well be an international record, having served continuously for more than five decades as an officer. For the past eight years he has been head of Emergency Services in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga—providing support during crises like Cyclone Winston in Fiji and the Christchurch earthquakes, as well as projects further afield, such as helping with disaster relief in Nepal. At the long service dinner, in which David was given a special certificate of recognition, then-head of Personnel Captain Gerry Walker said that ‘52 years of continuous officership is a record in our territory, and quite possibly a world-record!’ This was soon after returning from Uganda, where he was part of an international team helping to drill wells and build latrines in two of Uganda’s refugee camps. David worked in two of the ‘smaller’ camps, each with a population of over 35,000 (Bidi Bidi, also in Uganda, is the world’s largest refugee camp with 285,000 inhabitants). More than one million people have fled South Sudan into Uganda since violence erupted in 2013—82 per cent of them are women and children under 18. ‘All the males are being killed, and their villages burnt to the ground, forcing the women and children to flee,’ explained David. It is difficult for the refugees to emigrate, so it is possible that children might grow up and live in the camps their entire lives. 14 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
The deprivation was confronting, recalled David. ‘We were distributing non-food items, and one lady [who couldn’t walk] crawled in. People were carried in using wheelbarrows; one boy was leading his blind mother using a broom handle.’ Despite their hardships, David was struck by ‘how contented the people are with the little they have, and their real graciousness and gratitude when you were able to do anything for them.’
God has always given me wisdom and guidance walking into situations that I was really quite fearful of. And there were many light-hearted moments—such as the children curiously patting David’s arms, fascinated that the white men had hair on their bodies. A fellow worker with a beard was down-right terrifying, causing the children to run away in fright—although David added that ‘this could have been because he was an Aussie!’ Many times these moments spilled into outright joy. International Emergency Services (IES) worked with local authorities and engineers to drill 18 boreholes and install water
pumps. For every borehole they drilled in the camp, they also did one for the host village. ‘When we would arrive the village elder would come to greet us and pray that we would find water,’ said David. ‘They were just over the moon when they saw the borehole flushed and pure water coming out. Before it was even finished the villagers were coming out to use it.’ Beforehand, villagers had to walk 20–30 minutes to get water, up to six times a day. The IES team also worked with locals to build latrines in the camps for 150 families. ‘There was no machinery, everything was done with pick and shovel,’ said David. ‘I was astounded at the level lines and finishes they got—they were as good as what we would do, with all our equipment.’ The team also distributed essential items to 1500 families, such as plates, pots, and 20-litre jerrycans for water. As with the entire project, local authorities and camp committees decided who needed the items, and where facilities were necessary. After 52 years, David officially retired at the end of last year … well, sort of. He agreed to continue with his role in emergency services until a replacement is found, and IES has promised (threatened?) to continue calling on him ‘for as long as they can get insurance for me’. In recalling his years of service, David was typically understated: ‘It doesn’t feel like a record-breaking stint. There have been opportunities and something needed to be done, and I was there to do it. It really hasn’t felt like a long time!’ When asked about his most adventurous appointment, David gave a surprising answer: ‘In my first year I was in Winton/ Nightcaps and I went into the coal mines every month and met with the guys there. The opportunity was there, so I took it— that would have been one of my more unusual ministries.’
A highlight was working with Civil Defence on New Zealand’s national emergency plan. ‘Civil Defence trusts what The Salvation Army is able to do, and will often come to us asking us what we think,’ said David. Looking back, what has stood out during the past decades has been how ‘God has always given me wisdom and guidance walking into situations that I was really quite fearful of. You don’t know what you’re going to say or do, but God always guides you.’
Uganda at a glance • Uganda has 90 per cent of New Zealand’s land area, with a population of 42 million. • There are around 1.4 million refugees or asylum seekers— over a million of these are from South Sudan. • Over 60 per cent of refugees are children under 18. • The Salvation Army commenced in Uganda in 1931 but was shut down by authorities in 1977. In 1980, work began with persecuted Salvationists to re-establish the mission. • Today, there are 117 active officers in Uganda, with 96 corps and 13,566 senior solders.
27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 15
A Year of Prayer A call to prayer went out at the 2016 Congress—last year was to be a dedicated year of prayer, but the momentum continues into this year. Each local corps or centre determined their times and participation—and this unleashed a diversity of approaches as people committed to praying for themselves, their communities, their nations and the world. As The Salvation Army, we knew from previous 24-7 prayer times that when we devoted ourselves to sacrificial and inclusive prayer times, people encountered God in fresh and meaningful ways. An additional emphasis was put on corporate prayer—encouraging people to join together to pray, and to experiment with new ways of praying. Hibiscus Coast Corps held Sunday evenings of extended prayer that incorporated interactive worship and creative prayer stations. One participant said: ‘This totally opened my eyes to other things I can pray for’. Several corps had a prayer request box in the reception area of the centres so that anyone could ask for prayer, and these were included in prayer times in Sunday meetings. Queenstown Corps signed up for two blocks of three days of prayer. The prayer roster filled up quickly, and the Holy Spirit was a more tangible presence in the Sunday meetings. A ‘Mission Matters’ course held in close succession to these times of prayer resulted in seven people becoming adherent
16 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
members, and two people becoming soldiers. There were screenings of the movie The War Room in a number of places. This ignited renewed awareness of the power and potential of prayer. Many corps refreshed their prayer rooms in preparation for its times of prayer. These became places where newcomers to prayer discovered the joy of spending an hour or so there. Linwood Corps found its activity prayer nights, which were kicked off with family-friendly prayer times, an absolute highlight. Prayer walks through neighbourhoods, engaging with carefully prepared prayer stations, contemplating creation, prayer breakfast gatherings, half nights of prayer … these were just some examples of the ways people responded to the call to prayer. Others reported the difficulty of disappointment. We know how busyness and distractions can keep us from intentional times of prayer. But experience has shown us that when we take the time to make prayer a priority, we foster a deeper relationship with God and experience the Holy Spirit at work, which enables us to be strong and not defeated. The Salvation Army will keep prayer active and compelling in our lives and community as we move into 2018. BY COLONEL HEATHER RODWELL
Photo Exhibition Draws Crowds A photography exhibition following the footsteps of Paul and the Reformation drew in crowds at the Auckland Korean Corps. Corps officer Major Steven Lim put on the exhibition at the corps from 3–5 November to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, drawing over 250 to the corps. Steven and his wife, Major Grace Lim, travelled with fellow Salvation Army officers on the Footsteps of Paul study tour through Greece and Turkey in June. Afterwards they travelled to the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, visiting places important to the reformation. A keen amateur photographer, Steven said during the trip he took more than 14,000 photos and chose 150 for the exhibition. The exhibition was run in partnership with the Korean Christian newspaper Christian Life. Steven wrote a series of articles and essays on church history and the reformation for the newspaper during the year, which were made into a 16-page booklet for the exhibition and 150 copies were given out. The booklet and the exhibition were a great opportunity to discuss the history of Christianity and the Protestant church and bring a fresh perspective for people, Steven said. ‘Through this exhibition, it was a chance for our congregation, as well the wider Korean community, to participate in the study and discussion of an important moment in the history of Christianity. The response that this brought was overwhelmingly favourable. Many people commented that this filled a previous gap in their knowledge and also appreciation for the topic.’
Majors Grace and Steven Lim with photos from the exhibition at Auckland Korean Corps.
Refugee Summit Seeks Online Participants An online summit is looking to bring people from across the world together to discuss the response to the worldwide refugee crisis. Planned by The Salvation Army’s New York-based International Social Justice Commission (ISJC), the online Global Interactive Summit on Refugees and Displaced People will be taking place on 29 and 30 January. It will focus on displaced people and the response of individuals, the church and society to the worldwide refugee crisis. Panellists will discuss topics associated with the crises and how The Salvation Army and partner agencies are deploying to meet complex physical, emotional and spiritual needs. However, organisers say this is not just for academics or experts—anybody with an interest in the subject is invited to take part. Each of the six sessions will be broadcast via Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/salvationarmyisjc), and there will be interactive segments where participants—wherever they are— can join in by asking questions of the panellists or commenting on the issues raised. Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant, Director of the ISJC, says the summit will give a voice to those working to address the crisis and people affected by it. ‘We expect the summit to give opportunities for a wide range of people—including those who have been refugees and migrants—to share experiences and insights with experts on migration, frontline workers, theologians and UN personnel.
Anyone involved in or interested in this global issue is welcome to join the conversation.’ It is intended that the summit will inspire people to engage with the global migrant crisis, and find meaningful ways to share experiences, encourage each other, learn lessons and pray from a more informed perspective. The Salvation Army—with other churches and faith-based organisations—is playing a key role in responding to the global crisis and engaging with the people affected around the world. The summit will consider the Army’s historical and current approach and discuss realistic ways in which more people of faith can be mobilised to engage with the crisis in their own cultures, contexts and communities. The sessions will focus on topics such as the theology of migration and reception, The Salvation Army’s basis for responding, developing an understanding of the UN’s agenda for refugees and displaced people, and working with and advocating for migrants. The World Migration Report 2018—published last week by United Nations agency the International Organization for Migration (IOM)—reveals that there are an estimated 244 million international migrants globally (or 3.3% of the world’s population). For the latest information | sar.my/refugeesummit 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 17
An Open Letter from the Commissioner
GAZETTE
Commissioner Andy Westrupp shares his hopes for the new year, including the territorial gathering New Zeal. I greet you in the name of our Lord. Happy New Year! I am writing this from my office as staff are starting today to drift back from the Christmas/ New Year break. There is a hive of activity happening in the Youth Department and Creative Ministries as preparations are made for Amplify 2018. It’s going to be a good year. I am not taking my eye off the Mission Plan ball—‘Doing Mission Together’ and ‘Living like Jesus’—and I want to share with you two of my hopes for our Army in 2018: The first is that we gather together at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau for New Zeal, in October (Labour Weekend) with great expectation to receive a fresh empowering touch from the Holy Spirit. In the last 12 months, every time I have spoken about our desperate need for God’s overwhelming and all-encompassing power in our Army, I have received an immediate, sometimes loud, enthusiastic response. We have so many things going for us in these days. Let me list just a few: • Salvationists (meaning everyone, officers, soldiers, adherents and employees) who are overwhelmingly passionate about the mission that God has entrusted to us. • Great ideas and innovation. I am constantly amazed at the entrepreneurial ideas that Salvationists are generating to advance our mission. • Goodwill—the vast majority of Salvationists are positive about the potential we have to succeed in mission and are praying for that to happen. • A wide willingness to embrace change if it means better outcomes for the Kingdom. • For the most part, great spaces and locations that work for the mission, not against it. • Resources, both financial and in equipment, enough to do what we need to do. • And lastly, but not least, a wide-spread ongoing desire and determination to seek God by way of prayer, worship, dedication and consecration, and to know him better. 18 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
WE HUNGER FOR MORE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT POWER THAT WILL MAKE THIS ALL WORK! And yet we hunger for more of the Holy Spirit power that will make this all work! We want to see, with greater frequency, the undeniable power of God, his blessing and powerful presence in all that we do. The nexus of all that we do this year in seeking God’s renewal will be New Zeal 2018. I am asking you to embrace the 2018 New Zeal (paralleled with the National Māori Hui) and get to this event. New Zeal will focus on worship, the word of God and encounter with the Holy Spirit. My second great hope for 2018 is that we would be better, much better, at being a kinder, gracious and forgiving Army. I hope that we can be more generous too, with our time, our responses to difficulties, and to each other. I do want to assure each of you in The Salvation Army of our prayers for you and our ongoing interest in what is happening in your ‘world’. Together, let us aim towards a Holy Spirit-empowered Army—an Army that treats each other with respect and grace. Every blessing for 2018!
Labour Weekend
19–21 October 2018
Appointments: Effective 1 December 2017: Capt Christine McEwen, Chaplain, Education and Employment Gisborne (additional). Effective 15 January: Sharon Burton, Territorial Archivist, Archives and Heritage Centre. Effective 25 January: Capt Mathew Badger, Territorial Youth Secretary. He will continue his appointment as Divisional Youth Secretary, Northern Division, as an additional appointment, assisted by Captain Julie Badger, Assistant Divisional Youth Secretary, Northern Division. Effective 22 January 2018: Envoy Geoffry Smith, Mission Assistant, Recovery Church, Auckland Bridge, and Envoy Jillian Smith, Assistant, Epsom Lodge, Auckland. Change of International Appointment: Effective 4 January: Mjr Garth Stevenson, Training Principal, College for Officer Training, South Africa Territory, and Mjr Suzanne Stevenson, Education Officer, College for Officer Training, South Africa Territory (additional). Appointments in Retirement: Effective 20 November 2017: Mjr Myles Plummer, Tenancy Manager and Caseworker, Hastings Emergency Housing Service (part-time). Effective 18 December 2017: Mjrs Glenys and Terry Heese, Mission and Tenant Support Officers, Bell Block/New Plymouth Village (parttime). Effective 8 January: Mjrs Graeme and Lorna McMurdo, Mission and Tenant Support Officer, Westcoast Road and Denver Avenue Villages, Auckland (part-time). Bereaved: Mjr Coral Allott, of her brother, Claude Hutson Manning. The funeral service was held on 6 January. Please uphold Claude’s wife Heather, Mjrs Coral and Ray Allott, and other family members with your prayers at this time of loss and grief.
As Seen on Facebook Joining in on the painted rock craze, Kapiti Corps painted a bunch of ‘baby Jesus’ rocks and hid them for treasure hunters to find. What a great, inventive idea in the lead up to Christmas. Here, Cameron shows off the (super cute!) baby Jesus he found. #babyjesusrockskapiti
USE ME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. As the final days of the holidays approach, I’m imagining children and young people in various states of anxiety and anticipation about their return to school. Many eager learners can’t wait to get back into the classroom—others dread the unknown of what lies ahead. Some students will be returning to face the implications that exam results didn’t go as well as they had hoped, others will be ready to take up the next level of learning, with their minds firmly fixed on what they need to achieve for the future. For parents and caregivers, the return to school may come with a sense of relief if they’ve been juggling work as well as kids on holiday, but there’s inevitably the stress of uniforms and stationery. Being ready to make a good start doesn’t necessarily come easily. I well remember the desperation felt by some of our welfare clients this time last year, overwhelmed with the requirement for a tablet or laptop—an impossible demand in the circumstances.
Shieldy is always where the party’s at! And this really was something to celebrate, as crowds gathered in Sydenham, Christchurch, for the opening of its fabulous new Family Store.
Glen Eden Salvation Army made the most of the sun, with church at the park—which included scones and lawn games! FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK | SalvationarmyNZFijiTonga
I’m thinking about these realities because we’re only a month on from Christmas, when some of these same people experienced a similar mix of dread, stress and sense of failure. It’s a travesty that inequality creates a growing divide between those who can cruise through these seasons, and others who live on the brink of despair. Today, I’m thankful that The Salvation Army has so many generous partners who contribute funds and resources that help us to relieve the stress, and provide life-changing opportunities, offering hope for a different future. With bad news often dominating the headlines, it’s good to remind ourselves that there’s far more kindness and generosity in our communities and the business sector than is often acknowledged. I’m a sucker for a good news story—such as the ‘Good Sorts’ segment on One News or when local heroes are nominated for awards. These remind me of the goodness and potential that lies within every human being, however buried that may be by hurt, guilt and shame. It’s this belief in every human that I see demonstrated in what I know of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Repeatedly, Jesus reached out and engaged with people who were rejected and marginalised within the community. This was God’s way of showing us a different way of responding to, and viewing others. Jesus not only gave esteem to people who were poor and outcast, he empathised with the anxious and afraid. While busyness can leave us depleted with little left over to give, especially when we’re facing our own hardship or difficulties, it’s also true that in the action of giving ourselves for others we can be renewed and repaired. Let’s make this our prayer and aspiration for every day of 2018: ‘Use me to make a difference.’ Colonel Heather Rodwell Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Spiritual Life Development 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 19
A Māori perspective of hospitality provides rich insights into the welcoming heart of God and how we can welcome others. BY HANA SEDDON
Throughout the generations, iwi Māori have had a long history of offering hospitality to others, to strangers, and to visitors from afar. In the Victorian era, some of these visitors came with very clear intentions to Christianise, to colonise and, in their view, to 'civilise' our people. Empire-building was in contrast to the thoughts and practices of the Māori world. Instead, the indigenous priority was relationship-building and authority that came from the flax roots up. Over the past two centuries, the wider church has continued to give Māori the message that most of our cultural expressions are either inferior or evil. This pressure to assimilate and adopt a perceived ‘superior’ western version of Christianity has meant the loss of connection and cultural identity for many indigenous peoples. 20 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
However, by taking historical and cultural contexts more seriously, The Salvation Army is becoming a more welcoming place for Māori—not only as those overwhelmingly over-represented in accessing our social services. Increasingly, Māori are becoming partners at every level and in all expressions of this movement. By acknowledging the seeds that God had already sown into the Māori world pre-colonisation, the gospel can be more effectively presented within indigenous communities. Re-reading the Scriptures through Māori eyes allows an indigenous Christian perspective on hospitality that is a faithful reflection of Io Matua (God the Father), Io Tama (God the Son) and Io Wairua Tapu (God the Holy Spirit).
Manaaki: Hospitality One of the foundational principles of behaviour in te ao Māori (the Māori world) is manaaki—the practice of giving hospitality to others. It involves support and protection as well as showing respect, generosity and care for others. Engaging with others using a manaaki approach ensures care for the whole person or group including the spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual dimensions.
Displaying manaakitanga elevates the status of all, building unity through humility and the act of giving. Therefore, recognising and uplifting the mana (the uniqueness) of another person is beneficial for both the host and the visitor. When reading the Bible with an acute Māori awareness of the obligations of manaakitanga, it is easy to identify a whole range of stories and situations in which the mana of another was acknowledged. Jesus often shared the importance of hospitality and mana-enhancing behaviour. The stories of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30 -37), the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) and washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:3-5) demonstrated the incredible value of caring for people and improving the situation of another. Jesus also presents us with the challenge of being both host and guest—the challenge of welcoming and being welcomed. In hearing each of these stories and scenarios in Scripture, Māori minds and hearts will always connect back to their own cultural protocols as they provide a point of reference. Some of these protocols are quite capable of communicating what Atua/God is like. While culture should
The pōwhiri points us towards the generous heart of God in a way that could allow The Salvation Army in Aotearoa to move forward into far more significant relational and missional experiences if we pay attention. • The Karanga/the call—actively calling people closer and into a safe space: A woman will give a special call to the visitors, and a woman from the visiting group will call in response. Every note that goes out between the groups, back and forth, can be pictured as the weaving together of a spiritual rope. The voices symbolise the strength and determination to pull the waka/canoe in from the water, pulling the people closer together.
DISPLAYING MANAAKITANGA ELEVATES THE STATUS OF ALL, BUILDING UNITY THROUGH HUMILITY AND THE ACT OF GIVING. not attempt to constrain or put God in an indigenous-shaped box, it can provide perspective to a community of people who already bear God’s image.
Pōwhiri: Welcoming ceremony The pōwhiri process is an elaborate ritual of encounter that demonstrates in several ways the value of manaakitanga—hospitality. In each stage of the pōwhiri there are signs of our Creator’s presence in this culture. Paying close attention to each step can reveal new notions of God’s hospitality extended towards us.
• Whaikōrero/speeches of welcome—protecting the things and the people that are vulnerable and treasured, seeking common ground and creating dialogue: Once both groups are together and seated, a male elder from the hosting group will stand. The front row of each group will generally be males. They represent the strength of warriors protecting the most important treasures—women and children. The speakers will weave together the whakapapa (historical or genealogical connections) that exist between the groups, showing the shared history they have and signalling the future they will have together. Both the host group and visiting group will be given the opportunity to speak. The speeches will always be followed with a song that affirms what has already been spoken out. • Koha/gift—recognising the gifts that we all carry, individually and collectively: The purpose of the gift is to acknowledge the mana of the host and how highly you esteem them.
Ka hoki ki te timatanga ki a Io Mātua Kore, he mihi ki tōna ingoa tapu, ki te Kaiwhakaora o ngā mea katoa. Tihei wā mauri ora!
Picking up the koha is also a sign that the hosts want to be in relationship with the visitor. • Hongi /sharing the breath of life— allowing ourselves to get right into each other’s space, sharing the sacred breath, life, ideas, decisions, collective histories and potential futures: The practice of hongi is connected to a creation story in which the Creator breathed life into the human’s nostrils. This is the reason Māori exclaim ‘Tihei mauri ora!—the breath of life! • Kai/food—making space at all our tables, providing sustenance in an honouring way regardless of how much time it takes: The final and critical part of the welcoming process involves taking time to sit and eat together, honouring the relationship that has been developed.
He wero: A challenge Manaakitanga does not allow for empire-building. Nor does manaakitanga colonise others or expect assimilation so that visitors aspire to become like the hosts. The heart of manaaki is to bless, protect, nurture and improve the position of the other. It is manaakitanga/hospitality that underpins relationship-building. Māori will continue to show the Army how successfully it has demonstrated manaakitanga. It will not be measured by the number of food parcels or Māori clients in programmes. It will be shown through improved relationships, and inclusion of Māori thought and action. For Hana Seddon’s full paper Manaaki: An Indigenous Christian Perspective of Hospitality contact Hana_Seddon@salvationarmy.org.nz
As I return to the beginning, to the Source of creation, I glorify His sacred name —the One who has given life to all peoples. From Him is the Breath of Life!
27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 21
Kia Ora Whānau! Celebrating Waitangi Day— New Zealand’s Day How many kiwis can you spot in this issue of War Cry? (Look carefully, some of them are hard to spot.) Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz with the correct answer and we’ll send you a chocolate fish. You can’t get more Kiwi than that!
PRAY
Aranui, Ashburton, Auckland City, Auckland City Korean, Ba (Fiji) Supportive Accommodation Programme; Southern Divisional Headquarters; The Salvation Army in Sweden and Latvia.
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 6 February: Waitangi Celebrations, Waitangi 18 February: Linwood Corps Building Reopening 18 February: Installation of Divisional Commanders in Southern Division 19 February: Central Division Officers’ Council—Spiritual Day, BCM 25 February: Installation of Divisional Commanders in Northern Division 26 February: Northern Division Summer Councils Colonel Suzanne Fincham (Chief Secretary) 5–7 February: Waitangi Celebrations, Waitangi 9–12 February: Tonga visit 16–21 February: Southern Division Summer Councils
400–600 words with one or two captioned photos. Promotion to Glory tributes are approx 300 words. Email reports and large, high-quality jpeg images to: warcry@nzf. salvationarmy.org
Shop online at
salvationarmy.or.nz/shop
To advertise your event, email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org
Want to Know More? I would like: to learn about who Jesus is The Salvation Army to contact me
Quiz Answers: 1 Test Cricket, 2 A loveliness, 3 God and Jesus (they have five), 4 Tongan Pa’anga, 5 Abraham (Genesis 17:5).
information about The Salvation Army prayer for the following needs:
Email Address Phone Send to: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
22 WarCry 27 JANUARY 2018
you can make a difference With a regular commitment of $30 a month, The Salvation Army can help care for children in need.
salvationarmy.org.nz/childsponsorship e: childsponsorship@nzf.salvationarmy.org p: (04) 802 6269
Quiz Answers: 1 Test Cricket, 2 A loveliness, 3 God and Jesus (they have five), 4 Tongan Pa’anga, 5 Abraham (Genesis 17:5).
Name
can you find 10 differences?
‘Love your neighbours as much as you love yourself,’ said Jesus. Luke 10:27 CEV
The Good School Bully Tamati loved to ride his scooter, and he was pretty awesome at tricks. One Sunday morning he went down to the skate park—he was all alone, and was getting some mad air on that scooter. But in the middle of a backwards triple-flip, he crashed. Hard. The concrete hit him like a bug hitting a moving car. Splat. His whole leg throbbed so much he couldn’t move, and—oh no!—he could see blood. He was so scared that tears started to spring from his eyes. He waved to a passing car, but they didn’t stop. They were on their way to church, and couldn’t be late. Church was too important, said Dad—someone else will be along soon. Some cyclists sped past in their fancy lycra gear—they were part of a race. They all wanted to win, so no one noticed Tamati waving out. Then … oh no … Tamati couldn’t believe who was walking towards him. It was Bernie, who everyone knew was the school bully. If Bernie saw him cry, he’d never hear the end of it. Bernie got closer and closer, until he was standing right over Tamati. ‘I … I wasn’t crying …’ stammered Tamati. But Bernie was already kneeling down and saying, ‘Dude, you took a hit— that looks really bad.’ He helped Tamati to his feet. Leaning on Bernie, Tamati limped over to where Bernie’s family were having a picnic. ‘Mum, my friend’s hurt,’ said Bernie.
would you rather... Have elephan ears or at dinosau r tail?
Eat m a wor or an h c i sandwt burrito? insec
Ride in a submarine or a rocket?
B puke e a moreko or a pork ?
Have your ow rollerco n a bouncy ster or castle?
‘Sit down son,’ said his mum. She got out some wipes (’cos mums are always prepared) and cleaned up the bad graze all down his leg. It started to feel a bit better. Bernie got Tamati a nice cold drink of lemonade, and gave him a piece of lollycake—his favourite! Tamati felt even better. This almost made the whole thing worth it, he thought. In this story, who acted the most like Jesus? Think of someone you don’t like at school … What could you do to be a good friend to them?
Jesus, please help me to be kind to everyone, and to help even the people I don’t like. 27 JANUARY 2018 WarCry 23
Kia hora te marino Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana Hei huarahi mā tātou i te rangi nei Aroha atu, aroha mai Tātou i a tātou katoa Hui e! Tāiki e! May peace be widespread May the sea be like greenstone A pathway for us all this day Let us show respect for each other For one another Bind us all together!