And speaking of the sky - haven't you ever just looked up beyond the towering columns of cumulus, to the wispy white waves of cirrus.... and just longed to be able to jump up there, and race about.... exploring a sunset from within and without the clouds - commanding the heights attainable only from within the uninspiring confines of an aircraft cabin. To fly..... oh, to fly.
Due to this blog being endorsed in a recent posting of Sarah J's, hits have increased. If only there we something worth reading here, perhaps. Maybe I should pay someone to keep this place inspiring. For indeed, at present we have but the aimless idlings that eminate from the uneventful life of an miseducated computer geek. Or should that be [()|\/|pu73|2 933|<?
"yes, i lied...... i'm a writer - i give the truth scope!"A jolly good laugh, that movie. Not at all serious, but with a smidgeon of historicity, a helping of modern soundtrack, and a liberal sprinkling of most excellent one-liners.- Geoffery Chaucer, "A Knights Tale" (so, not actually Chaucer, but anyway...)
We don't have any kids, but despite that, I went along to a seminar for parents of home-schooled children yesterday morning. Peter Reynolds was lecturing on "The Treaty of Waitangi - A Christian perspective". For those of you who are not New Zealanders, the Treaty of Waitangi was a document drawn up to be a foundation of relationship between the British Crown, particularly the British settlers, and the Maori people, natives of New Zealand present when the British arrived. (Here is a good place to start if you want to learn more).
Its quite interesting to recognise that the settling of New Zealand was the first instance in which the British Crown sought to form a Treaty with the native population. Australia, India, America etc did not have a treaty, so the settling of NZ was something of a social experiment.
I'd just like to write up a bit from the notes supplied:
A Biblical world and life view shows the God of the bible standing above all cultures and races speaking a sovereign word of grace and command to all men. God's sovereignty is absolute over all things. Nothing falls outside of His sovereign providence, nothing catches Him by surprise. There are no facts He has not discovered, there are no events He has not anticipated. Nothing stands apart from God, independent of God, or equally ulitmate with God. Not logic, reason, will, chance, universal principles, fate or even Satan himself. God alone rules! God rules alone.There is more, but I felt that the above was a very helpful and concise summary of where we should stand when we look at issues of dispute between the signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi.
There is no other paradigm by which we can understand this world. Man has no autonomy or independence in this world, in spite of his instance otherwise. The source of his wisdom and his life is found outside himself. It is found in Another, the Creator to whom all men, as His image bearing creatures, owe their allegiance.
Beacause non-Christians suppress this truth (Romans 1:18) they need to hear it spoken by Christians. Treaty issues give us as Christians a "God given opportunity" to speak of God and show the application of His rule to all the affairs of men and nations.
Treaty of Waitangi issues have not taken God by surprise. He has an answer ready for any who enquire of Him, seeking a wisdom that is not of this world - Biblical wisdom.
As Christians we have obeyed the command to repent of our sins and we now trust Jesus Christ alone for our present salvation and future hope. We must no longer thank as this world does on matters pertaining to this life. We are being renewed in our minds. Our thinking and our convictions are distinctively different from that of the unbeliever. We work for a future reality.
For example, on the question of land ownership. Who is sovereign over our land? God alone is. We enjoy it not as owners but as stewards. We must not think as a Pakeha(Maori term for a person of European descent) or as a Maori, but as a Christian. Its is not Maori land or Pakeha land, it is God's land. This world, this creation, belongs to Him alone. We must be willing to count all things lost for the sake of Christ. This should be our attitude in heart and mind. Everything we "have" we share willingly because we don't really have it at all. Thjis includes the land. This is not our home. Our home, our land is a future reality.
I have notes of the historical progression leading up to, and subsequent to the signing of the Treaty, but I'm sure you can find that starting at the link above.
