The Red Tsunami and Big Issues

Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink

Monday 19th October, 2020

Labour’s Historic Win

I want to begin by congratulating Jacinda Ardern and her team. You have worked hard over the last three years and Saturday’s result is evidence of that. Well done!

This is what we know (as at this morning):-

1. The is a truly historic win. It’s Labour’s best result in 50 years. Never before in 26 years under MMP can a party govern alone. With Labour’s 64 (out of 120) seats as at writing they can do so comfortably.
2. So many New Zealanders who have all their lives voted National have ‘crossed over’ and voted for Labour in this election. This is unprecedented and evidenced by the fact that so many National safe seats are now Labour seats.
3. The four Christian based parties received all together a total of 2.8% of the vote or 66,040 out of a total of 2,381,472 votes. Vision NZ 0.1%, One Party 0.3%, Advance NZ 0.9% and New Conservatives 1.5%.
4. All the current Party leaders are in support of Abortion, Euthanasia and Cannabis. And that is deeply troubling to me personally, the Christian community at large and many others as well.

POV.

• Somewhere between 7% and 12% (or 140,000 – 250,000) eligible Christian voters did not vote for a Christian Party. The reasons are varied but whatever the reasons are we should all be doing some soul searching.
• I totally support the call for a strong, effective and constructive Opposition. I am hoping National can get their Act together (no pun intended) and quickly at that.
• As I have previously suggested a brand new conversation is needed amongst Christians and certainly amongst Christian Leaders. What is our role in the world of politics going forward? And how might that look? How can we together be a good witness for Christ?
• I am making a heartfelt appeal that we place an embargo on all the mud slinging and conspiracy talk by Christians and instead do what the Bible says we should do and that is to pray for our Government.

Big Issues

We face some big issues in NZ . Here is a sample list:

1. Economic Recovery,
2. Inequality and poverty alleviation
3. Beginning and end-of-life issues
4. Free speech
5. The dark Net
6. Sexuality and gender indoctrination in schools.

As people of ‘the light’ and who believe that ‘righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach (disgrace)’, how do we navigate these very challenging times?

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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.