Video for February 27th, 2025
Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s video.
I’m sitting here in a forest just outside Rotorua in the North Island of New Zealand. It has the feel of something that has been here for centuries, as the size of the redwood tree behind me illustrates. The extraordinary sound of the insects which I’m sure you can hear in the background, helps complete the picture. But the amazing thing is that the oldest trees in this forest, even this huge one, were all planted after 1901. Much of New Zealand’s flora and fauna isn’t indigenous; it was introduced by settlers, both Māori and European. There is a huge effort to remove much of this introduced wildlife for the devastating effect it is having on the natural inhabitants. There are signs up in all the lakes around here asking boat owners to check and clean their boats carefully as even the tiniest fragment of weed can carry eggs of the invasive catfish from one lake to another.
I was reflecting after my time with Archbishop Justin in Whanganui last week how the tiny fragile church planting communities he was describing have slowly but surely changed the culture of the wider church; just like the tiny fragments of plant or seeds have so thoroughly transformed the landscape here. Change so often happens from the margins. In Justin’s diocese of Wellington this hasn’t been from a critique of more traditional ways of being church; much more an inspiration that small changes can make a big difference. This is as true of communities as it is of individuals.
Last week I met an extraordinary Māori man called Bruce. Only five years ago he was a key member of the Mongrel Mob, one of the criminal gangs who control the methamphetamine trade in Hawkes Bay. Bruce’s spiritual journey began with an unbidden encounter with the Holy Spirit. That led to him committing his life to Christ. The Lord found fertile ground in his heart. He had reached a point where his way of life was not bringing satisfaction, meaning or purpose, despite the outward signs of financial success (albeit criminally acquired). After a few months his wife saw such a difference in him that she became a Christian as well, followed by several of his children and his extended family. The transformation in his life had been remarkable. He now has a heart to help young men not to make the same mistakes in life he did. Despite only being 17% of New Zealand’s population Māori men comprise 57% of the prison population. There is much to do.
A change in one person has begun a transformation in a community. In this forest a few seeds have transformed a landscape. Jesus once said the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of seeds but grows into the largest of garden plants in which the birds seek shade. There is something for us to learn in all these experiences. Small seeds can create a forest, fragile communities loving their neighbours can begin to turn round the fortunes of a diocese. One person coming to life in the power of the Holy Spirit can start a change in a family and a community. One of the attractions of the Diocese of Hereford for me when I was considering the call to serve here was that it was the smallest and some might consider the more remote of the English dioceses. In human terms that might have been a disincentive, but God delights in the small. The Lord often begins works of renewal and transformation from the edges where resources seem scarce. Smallness and a sense of inadequacy are fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to work. Maybe we should see our smallness in this way rather than as an existential threat. A humility that leads to prayerful dependence is a much better approach than seeking a white knight from elsewhere, or a magic money tree to solve our financial problems. The challenge of connecting the good news of the Gospel with a hurting and broken world is more about spiritual discernment and the guidance of the Holy Spirit than in-depth cultural analysis. God can use the smallest and most unlikely to more faithfully display his glory. As Paul said, “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” May we lean into that truth as we seek to engage with our communities this year.
+Richard