Introduction to the Reflection

My brief comment this morning is an introduction to a reflection on today’s readings written by Rev Michael Greer, minister of the Pitt Street Church for some weeks a few years back. Revs Michael Greer and Jill van de Geer, also well known to the Central Parish, are Chaplains to the Wesley Chapel Community in Christchurch. Part of Michael’s reflection is printed below for you to read.

Earlier this week my attention was drawn to two things. The first was the words of Acts 17 that Helen read to us earlier. The second was my Facebook feed, which for a few hours had comments stating that New Zealanders were in danger of losing their religious freedom. The Government was imposing restriction on where and in what numbers we could gather. In Acts the Apostle Paul noted where he was and that the people of Athens were scrupulously religious. It seems at that time discussion of religious matters was commonplace. Here in Aotearoa today, widespread debate about how one can exercise one’s beliefs is so rare, it’s newsworthy.

I have pondered on verses 24 to 28. Paul is speaking to the citizens of Athens, and the verses read: “For the God who made the world and all that is in it, the Sovereign of heaven and earth, doesn’t live in sanctuaries made by human hands, and isn’t served by humans, as if in need of anything. No! God is the One who gives everyone life, breath – everything. From one person God created all of humankind to inhabit the entire earth, and set the time for each nation to exist and the exact place where each nation should dwell. God did this so that human beings would seek, reach out for, and perhaps find the One who is not really far from any of us – the One in whom we live and move and have our being. As one of your poets has put it, ‘We too are God’s children’.

For me, I would rather ponder on these words, than be distracted by debate about when we can meet in a building, how many of us can meet in that building, and whether our freedoms have been curtailed in any way when lawful authority has made some decisions we individually don’t agree with.

This morning I invite everyone to ponder on these words that Paul spoke to the people of Athens those many years ago; and to reflect on the nature of God described in these words.

May the God of peace walk alongside each one of us into the following week and into the future.
Amen