Waru - Rātapu 8 Hakihea - Whanaungatanga

Day 8 - Sunday 8th December - Whanaungatanga

Whānau, friends, flirting photo taken by Jacynthia on 3 December this year on the Hatea River in Whangārei-terenga-paraoa, Northland

He kaupapa mō te rā

Whanaungatanga

Whanaungatanga is the act of behaving like family. It provides a connection forged through shared experiences, a sense of belonging and common purpose. The practices of whanaungatanga involve responsibilities, obligations and expectations as a result of this connection.

The acts of whanaungatanga are shared in all the environments we occupy with each other. Activities that include mātauranga (knowledge/learning), whakapapa (genealogy), waiata (song), toi (art), and kōrerorero (talking with others) is at the heart of whanaungatanga. It is within this realm that we establish our pou (pillar) to prepare for all of life’s experiences. “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini”. Mine is not the strength of the individual but that of many.

He Karaipiture (Bible Reading)

Genesis 2:1-3

Nā, ka oti te rangi me te whenua me ō reira mano katoa. Ā, nō te whitu o ngā rā i oti ai i te Atua tāna mahi i mahi ai, nā, ka okioki ia i te rā whitu i āna mahi katoa i mahia e ia. Nā, ka whakapaingia e te Atua te rā whitu, whakatapua ana hoki e ia; mōna i okioki i taua rā i āna mahi katoa i oti i te Atua te hanga.

And so the whole universe was completed. By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working.

Whakarongo/Titiro Mai (Listen/Watch)

Ngā mea waihanga (Create)

Cardboard cutouts, tapa, dash of ink, with bit & pieces from Taiao’s craft box. Voila!

He Whakaaroaro (Reflect)

We are born into relationship. It’s how we’re made. We come into this world connected to relations, to whānau (family), to people.  We might live in a time offering a significant focus on individual pursuits and gains, yet this focus moves us in a direction away from our relational connections. Whanaungatanga returns the focus to the whānau, whether that be the ones we were born into, or those around us such as our church whānau, friends who are like whānau as well as complete strangers to us who are friends yet to be made. There is strength in these connections. There are obligations and responsibilities. Reciprocity exists in this space and generously holds us together. We give and we receive. “Aroha atu, aroha mai”, love given, love received. We offer aroha and manaaki (care) for each other. We go the extra mile for our whānau, not because they’re good or right or because we like them, but because they are part of us and need us just as we need them. We belong to each other. “He waka eke noa”, we are in this waka together.

Whakahokia mai (Respond)

What practical care or support can you offer someone from your whanau today or this week?

Karakia (Pray)

Ka koa anō ia e whakapono ana: 

ka whakaritea hoki ngā mea i kōrerotia ki a ia e te Ariki.

E te Atua o te tūmanako, o te koa,

tūwheratia ō mātou ngākau kia pōwhiritia i a koe,

kia kite ai tāu Tama a Īhu Karaiti i tōna haerenga mai

i tētahi wāhi kua whakaritea mai mōna i roto i a mātou;

ko taua Īhu Karaiti rā anō hoki tō mātou Ariki. Āmine.

Blessed is she who believed that there would be 

a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. 

God of all hope and joy,

open our hearts in welcome,

that your Son Jesus Christ at his coming

may find in us a dwelling prepared for himself;

through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(ANZPB - Te Hahi Mihingare, p558, Oct 2024)