This weekend many people will be out trickle-treating (to remember ghosts and goblins) or letting of fire-crackers in memory of Guy Fawkes (the bombing of parliament). At Spreydon we’ll be remembering Parihaka a wonderful gospel story from New Zealand of peaceful resistance, commitment to gospel values and the beginnings of the modern movement of peaceful resistance that has changed so much of our world through people like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, peaceful change in South Africa (under Nelson Mandela’s political leadership and Desmond Tutu’s spiritual leadership), the end of the Marcos era in the Philippines and the fall of communism in eastern Europe through candle lit vigils, prayers and silent peaceful protest.
At Parihaka a community of over 2000 Maori led by Christian leaders and together living out Christ’s values waited patiently and peacefully as armed soldiers readied to attack. They met the soldiers unarmed, with songs and food and were imprisoned in their hundreds. But as some were imprisoned others stood up to take their place in silent protest at injustice and in commitment of Christian love.
I’m looking forward to the weekend which will include a message from Lionel Stewart (previous Maori leader of the Baptist Union and a statesman of Spreydon), the launching of a new Spreydon newspaper, communion and the Parihaka story.
