Identifying the Distractions

Kia ora, whānau. Today we are wrapping up our series on why the message of Ihu (Yeshua’s name in the Paipera Tapu) matters so deeply right here in Taitokerau. To do that, we need to talk straight about the big distractions that block us from reaching our true potential. Ihu was a master at cutting through the political BS and religious noise of His day. We need to use that same clear signal to strip back the heavy colonial layers that are currently hurting our Hauora, which is our holistic wellbeing.

In the North, our spiritual foundation tells us that recognising deceptions is the first step to finding freedom and fairness. These deceptions have been mixed into our daily lives through generations of colonisation, making things look confusing. Ihu taught us a beautiful truth that cuts right through this static.

The Truth Sets Free

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32 (Ethiopian Orthodox Bible)

Ge'ez text: ወታእምሩ ጽድቀ ወጽድቅ ያጋእዘክሙ።

Te Reo Maori, Paipera Tapu, 1868 translation: A ka matau koutou ki te pono, ma te pono hoki koutou ka rangatira ai.

When Ihu spoke these words, He was not talking about a dry checklist of rules. He was talking about a deep, living freedom that restores our mind, body, and spirit altogether. To experience this, we have to call out the specific lies that try to keep us small and dependent on external systems.

A Common Lie

Kia ora, whānau. Let us talk about who we are and how we stand before God. For a very long time, people in Taitokerau have been told a destructive lie. They were made to feel that they had to choose between their beautiful Māori culture and their Christian faith. Many thought they had to leave their culture and their whakapapa at the church door just to be accepted.

But Ihu (Yeshua’s name in the Paipera Tapu) never asked us to drop our heritage. He is the one who created our unique family lines, our language, and our deep ties to this land. When we understand this, we realise that our identity is not a barrier to faith, it is the very soil where our faith is meant to grow.

Standing Strong Together

Being fully Māori and fully Christian is a beautiful reality. It means we completely reject the old missionary ideas that suggested our ancestors had to be changed into copies of Europeans before they could follow God. We do not need to adopt Western ways of thinking to be good Christians.