Recent wrestling over the Treaty Principles Bill has stirred up some unfortunate engagements around reinterpreting Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Murray Smith
Beyond debate is the historical record of painful breaches by government that have dishonoured the Treaty’s intent almost from its signing. Reconciliation would be greatly assisted by revisiting history at face-value without revisionism. The story of the Treaty of Waitangi, why and how it came into being in 1840, is one of our momentous milestones. Allowing further drift from the original spirit of this founding covenant, given the opportunity for grace and peace that it affords our nation, would be tragic.
Waitangi and Pēwhairangi (The Bay of Islands) have often hosted such grace. At Oihi Bay on Christmas Day 1814 the Gospel of grace (Te Rongopai) was first declared. This locality pre-eminently figures in the history of Aotearoa – here many of our nation’s significant beginnings were witnessed.
In 1805, Ruatara, a young Ngāpuhi chief followed his penchant for travel signing up as a sailor on a whaling ship. It is said he desired to meet with King George lll. Sadly, he was cheated and ended up stranded in Sydney the following year. Nevertheless, after signing up on another ship he reached London in 1809. Ruatara noted with great interest, English agricultural practices. He also ‘happened’ to meet English clergyman, Samuel Marsden before returning to New Zealand in 1812. At the time these events perhaps appeared random and inconsequential, yet hindsight suggests they were ‘providential.’
Ruatara’s mana resulted in his people welcoming Marsden onto Ngāpuhi land. Thus 210 years ago on Christmas Day 1814, at Oihi Bay, pākeha preacher Marsden used a cut down canoe as a makeshift pulpit to read from the Bible with Ruatara translating for a curious crowd.
“I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people…”(Luke 2:10).
What was healing about this message of ‘good news’ and could it really, as claimed, bridge divides bringing great joy to all people?
This was the good news first announced to a seemingly insignificant Jewish girl called Mary, from the humblest of backgrounds. An Angel announced startling news that she would conceive a child supernaturally. This baby was Jesus the Saviour, God’s Son sent to live among humanity – the perfect and exact expression of God Himself. His death and resurrection made wholeness possible for people of all nations, reconciling fractured humanity to God and one another.
The good news in the Christmas message is that a gift is offered… the gift of a ‘fresh start’… the chance to start over.
There’s brokenness in us all. We’re disposed to wrongdoing and making bad choices. The resulting regret, shame and frustration of someone’s past life, need not prescribe their future.
The Christmas story describes the Saviour’s coming. That first proclamation of Te Rongopai in Aotearoa over 200 years ago, declared the grace that Christ’s birth heralds. God’s ‘treaty’ extending reconciliation and forgiveness to all. This message carries undiminished power today for everyone who embraces it.
