Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Church: It's Not What You Own But How You Act That Matters

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand:

Church Reminds Consumers It's Not What You Own But How You Act Towards Others That Matters This Christmas

Turn off our cell phones, computers and iPads for just one day this Christmas and experience the simple joys of life by practising the Maori value of kanohi ki te kanohi "face to face quality time with the people closest to you, urges the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Right Rev Ray Coster, describes pervasive pre-Christmas advertising as pressuring people to believe that the person who has the good life has an iPhone or iPad, good looks and figure, white teeth, great food and expensive wine, a fast car, and earnings of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

"Yet, when we talk about a good person these sorts of things are never mentioned, we do not talk about what a person owns, we talk of how they act, and whether they are kind and loving." Ray says. "We need to remind ourselves this Christmas that it is the simpler things of life that we still value and honour. The good person genuinely seeks to do good to others, and has time for people. This Christmas, for at least one day, let"™s turn off our devices and be good people to each other."

Ray says that although each technological advance is designed to make life and work easier and to enable us to have greater leisure time this has not always been the case.

"One of the consistent messages I hear is how people have little time for themselves, and how they have an inner longing for a simpler lifestyle."

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Ray says the celebration of Christmas brings together in striking contrast the complexity of modern life and the simplicity of times past.

"The Christmas story reminds us of the beauty of simplicity. The Christmas story is neither busy nor pressured. Mary conceived a child in one town, gave birth in another town "“ all without pomp and ceremony. There was no Facebook or Twitter so only a very small group of people even knew of the birth of Jesus. That first Christmas is such a contrast to the unnecessary pace of the life we live in the Western world."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.