Let us pray for our community and our world.
We invite into our hearts and lives—
the Flourishing Spirit of growth and expansiveness, of manaakitanga—hospitality and celebration;
the Liberating Spirit of compassion and empathy, murunga hara—forgiving others and ourselves; letting go of hurts and regrets; restoring others’ mana, creating mana ōrite;
and the Wairua of perception, clear-sightedness, mōhiotanga—insight and knowing; seeing the God-ness in others, treating and Treatying as we would be treated; keeping faith.
We wait in the quiet of this whare karakia for the gift of insight into the hearts of others, and the reassurances we each need. Wait for the flourishing, liberation, perception that’s already ours; acknowledging we are the change we want for the world; ours are the hands sharing the daily bread and performing the daily miracles of transformation and inclusion and compassion.
We celebrate the many blessings that blossom in our lives: small benedictions of kind words and pleasant company, natural wonders, the spark of solidarity when discovering a shared sense of humour; finding the exact change needed when you’re late for the bus; the unguarded smile of a child, the perfection of moss on a stone…
We hold in our hearts those who are too grief-stricken, burdened, depressed, busy or tired to perceive the wonders around them;
those working several jobs to scrape together enough to live on and care for their families;
those whose learning difficulties or emotional impairment weren’t recognised soon enough to keep them from poor choices: whose antisocial behaviour escalates into crime and ends in psychiatric illness or prison.
We hold in our hearts those who’ve achieved a hard-won sobriety or freedom from addiction—and those who’ve slipped off the wagon just when they were doing so well, and now feel shame;
those who’ve lost their temper again when they’ve promised not to; those who’ve inflicted and been on the receiving end of family violence and intimidation; those who’ve never learned other ways to be family, to be strong.
We think of the people around the world, and in our country, whose dreams and achievements are destroyed by natural disasters, civil war and heartless political decisions.
We go from the safety of this whare karakia gifted with insight into the hearts of others, whose needs for reassurance are so like our own.
We wait no longer to claim the flourishing, liberation, perception that’s already ours.
We walk the Way of Jesus to the change and renew the world; we share our gifts and perform the miracles of healing and loving-kindness and liberation.
Amen
Links to translations and explanations are to the online Maori Dictionary and Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
words of spirit and faith 