Strategy Update: Love has the power to transform

As part of our strategic plan we have adopted three values to guide our life and work together, these are Aroha (love), Hari (joy), and rongo (peace).

Values hanging on a wall, or on a strategic plan, count for very little, unless they are authentically coming from our hearts and affecting how we interact with one another and how we approach our work.

Today I want us to reflect on Aroha (love).

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'"

Mt 22:37

Aroha speaks to the deep, self-giving love central to the Gospel. It includes hospitality, compassion, justice, and care for neighbour, especially the vulnerable.

It is the key mark of our discipleship.

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."

 St Augustine

Love is an action; it is made manifest in our behaviour; work is love made visible.

Kahlil Gibran

Culture is transmitted relationally, it is modelled, and it is the responsibility of us all.

Love has the power to transform, to make things beautiful.

Here some questions to help us pause and take personal stock.

1. What does aroha require of me? (From a sermon of Rev Alan Burnett)

2. Where in me is the absence of aroha and what may I need to do about it?

3. Who in my circle of concern needs aroha at this moment and how could I respond?

As one of our recent Sunday prayers said:

Make us glad we pray you, gentle God,

to give each other your loving care;

make us happy to receive it.

May there daily grow within us

a generous, trusting spirit.

This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.