Vaccine Safety, Omicron and Family
Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink
Vaccine Safety, Omicron and Family
Monday 29th November, 2021
The Safety of the Vaccine
Roxie Mohebbi leads a 10 minute discussion about the Covid-19 vaccine with immunologist Dr Maia Brewerton and general practitioner Dr Api Talemaitoga as part of Stuff's Whole Truth project. This very good interview gives viewers clarity about the huge number of ‘safety requirements’ and the rigour a new medicine must go through before it can be brought to market. It deals honestly with side effects.
Omicron
In the final 8 mins of yesterday’s Q and A programme Jack Tame interviews Prof Mary-Louise McLaws, an immunologist from University of New South Wales. I’m sure we all hope it’s a fizzer (as she says) like the variant Beta was. But the Professor is concerned and carefully explains why. The interview starts at 47mins.
A Meaningful Life = Family
The Pew Research Center have published a fascinating study. It’s called “What Makes Life Meaningful? Views From 17 Advanced Economies”. Guess what? Family comes miles ahead of Occupation and Career and Material well-being.
POV. This research is massive and I haven’t had a chance to read it all yet but the highlights look ever so interesting. Even in the context of countries like NZ that enjoy a high level of material well-being (Advanced Economies), family trumps everything else when it comes to what constitutes a meaningful life. In fact the study points out that in NZ around half say their family is something that makes their lives fulfilling. In some ways this shouldn’t be a surprise. I have noticed that the millennial age group of parents are very dedicated to family life and the boomers are similarly dedicated to their grand-parenting roles and by all reports love this aspect of their lives. I think this raises very interesting questions both from a missiological and pastoral perspective. It bares out that the Church that genuinely cares for the whole family and successfully ministers to the entire family, from new borns to seniors, will probably have a growing church.
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.
