As the recent joint Venn/Karuwhā events on Te Tiriti with Dr Alistair Reese highlighted, many in our communities are aware of the need to respond well to today’s challenges. Often, the common response to large crises is to ask: “What should I do?”. The question is natural enough—it reflects a real desire that good change comes, for us and for our neighbours. But it can also reflect an assumption that any hope lies with ourselves, with our power to act in the world. There’s no doubt: we cannot but act—it’s wired into our good human vocation; and so, please God, may we act well. But I am seldom confident that the question “What should I do?”, serves us well as a first step. I want to suggest that “Who am I with here?” might be a better place to start.
For the Christian, “Who am I with?” will lead us first to Christ. Wherever I am, whatever I face, I find myself in the company of Jesus. And he has determined that our life together should be the life of friends: of those who, in loving, mutual commitment, seek the good of each other. Indeed, as my colleague Luke Fenwick put it elsewhere, Jesus creates us as his friends: he gifts us this life of the shared heart, this common purpose. To fall into common purpose with Christ—to learn friendship with God—means I must begin to notice how God is calling me into the way of friendship with others: to pay attention to who I am with, and to attend—maybe only after the fact—to the way God is weaving us together. Out of such a weave, good things come in the face of crises.
It’s what Mark Barnard in this edition’s lead article calls “The Fabric of Faithful Friendship”. How is it, he wonders aloud, that a Pākehā kid from North Shore suburbia stepped into te ao Māori with such life-shaping consequence? Well, friendship. How is it, that there has been a Church at Māngere Bridge since the 1850s? Friendship. This is a tender, grateful, and deeply insightful piece of writing that bears witness to the power of God-given friendships. The ways such friendships school and encourage us also marks the reflections of Hana Leofo, who reflects personally for us in Q&R format. And Christ as friend comes to the fore in our art reflection: Rachel Mawdsley meditates on one of the earliest surviving Coptic Icon of Christ and St Menas.
From the Tradition is our regular column exploring the Church through time and across space. In this edition, we offer the text of a single letter from the correspondence of Suzanne Aubert, founder of the Sisters of Compassion. Sent by friends at Rānana on the Whanganui River, it’s a simple and direct reminder of the long history of Christian friendship in Aotearoa. Finally, in this edition’s Field Notes interview, John Dennison sits down with community educator, whānau advocate, and priest Rev. Te Karere Scarborough (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hauā). Co-founding Tumuaki/Co-Principal of Te Wānanga Ihorangi, Te Karere reflects on how God has drawn him into a path of friendship that has been both profound and fruitful. This is a generous, honest, and moving kōrero, and we’re delighted to include it here.
As some of our readers will know, Venn has recently gone through a restructure. As our new print publications suggest, we of course remain committed to creating resources that nourish your imagination for life with God and others. For Common Ground, the changes mean an adjustment in frequency: we have moved from six issues a year to publishing quarterly. Otherwise, you can expect the same old excellent writing, compelling interviews, and engaging content. So: once again, enjoy, be challenged, be encouraged!
Ngā mihi nui,
Dr. John Dennison
Editor, Common Ground
