Prayer, Covid-19 Update and Christchurch Shooter
Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink
Monday 30th March 2020
A Call To Pray
Starting on Wednesday 1st April for 9 days. Go to https://prayasone.nz/ for all information and to register for prayer updates.
Can I encourage you to consider this for yourself AND your congregation.
COVID19 - Status Update
Global: 691,867 Cases, 146,613 Recovered, 32,988 Deaths
Source: John Hopkins University
New Zealand (as at 1.00pm Sunday 29th March): 514 Cases, 9 Hospitalisations, 1 ICU, 56 Recovered, 1 Death, 1786 Average Daily Tests.
Source: COVID19.govt.nz
Why is COVID-19 considered an emergency in NZ?
COVID-19 meets the definition of emergency because:
- COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation
- It poses a significant risk to the health and safety of members of the public
- A significant and co-ordinated response is required under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act (for example, co-ordination of welfare agencies, border agencies, emergency services, and lifeline utilities at the national and regional level).
On the ‘Sunday’ Documentary last night (TV1 @ 7.30pm), in the second half of the one hour programme reported on the likely origin of the coronavirus and a NZ Scientist working in the USA warning of a possible pandemic many years ago. Compelling viewing.
Christchurch Shooter Pleads Guilty.
Last week Thursday morning the Christchurch shooter changed tack and entered a guilty plea to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder under the Terrorism Suppression Act. We can now call him what he is: a terrorist. This has come as good news for the Muslim community. It is a relief for all the victims of this attack, who will now not be put through a court trial. Relief that the attacker will not be able to spread his hateful message through the use of the courts in this country.
Relief that, to some extent, this will provide partial closure for the victims. Full closure will not happen until sentencing, but there is no doubt that this is a huge step.
But of course it also raises another set of important questions which I will cover in the near future.
Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.
