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Breakfast with Jacinda

The sixth of February is Waitangi day – a national holiday and a celebration of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand. This year, we had the privilege of attending a dawn service at the Treaty Grounds in Waitangi – as the sky slowly brightened and the sun rose over the Bay of Islands. We joined others in reflecting on the country’s history and its ongoing journey to truly embrace the unity, justice and hope enshrined in the treaty.

After the service, we (along with a few thousand others) were treated to a wonderful outdoor breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs and hash browns graciously served by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and several of her fellow Ministers.

It was a wonderful, simple and genuine gesture that, for me, somehow embraced the spirit of that treaty, and the character and integrity of this national leader. There was something very human and natural about her smile as she dished out dollops of scrambled eggs that seemed totally in keeping with the genuine commitment we’d heard in her voice earlier in the week as she spoke at a Powhiri (traditional Maori welcome ceremony) on the same spot.

Seeing and hearing Jacinda in person has confirmed to me that she is a true leader: someone who is prepared to listen; who readily acknowledges that she hasn’t got everything right, but is determined to do her best; who sincerely wants to be held to account by those who have been marginalised or discriminated against.

Today, I have been reflecting on the Beatitudes – the qualities of character espoused by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. One translation of the Aramaic word, ‘blessed’ used by Jesus is ‘ripe’:

Ripe are those who find their home in the Spirit;

they shall be attuned to the inner reign of God.

Ripe are those who mourn for people who are suffering;

they shall be united inside by love.

Ripe are the gentle;

they shall be open to receive strength from the earth.

Ripe are those who hunger and thirst for justice;

they shall be encircled by the birth of a new society.

Ripe are the compassionate;

upon them shall be compassion.

Ripe are those who are consistent in heart;

they shall contemplate God.

Ripe are those who plant peace in each season;

they shall be named the children of God.

Ripe are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice;

the reign of God is in them.”[1]

This concept captures something of maturity, fullness, wholeness and goodness, a sense of having reached a stage of the fullness of the person I am meant to be. And above, all of nourishment – those who are ‘blessed’, ‘ripe’ bring nourishment and goodness to others. The qualities of the Beatitudes: meekness, poverty of spirit, gentleness, grieving, are not what we typically expect of our politicians. But when we do see them, they are truly nourishing.

[1] This version of the Beatitudes is taken from a translation from the Aramaic text of the New Testament by Dr Patricia Fresen. A fuller exposition of this can be found at https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-beatitudes-as-translated-from.html

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Two Weeks in Quarantine: Day Nine

In its news bulletin this morning, Radio New Zealand reported on a WHO spokesperson commending New Zealand’s response to the pandemic as ‘an example of a country that has worked well with a community to effectively communicate what is being done.’

“In New Zealand there was a lot of clarity about what was expected and why things were going to be done and that’s extremely important, that people understand what’s going to happen and why it’s going to happen.”

Now, New Zealand is unique: relatively isolated from the rest of the world and with a small population, it hasn’t had nearly the same challenges as the USA, the UK and other countries in Europe.

Nevertheless, I have been totally impressed with the way the country has managed its response to the pandemic: a huge contrast to the shambles of our own government’s response.

True to her leadership style, Jacinda Ardern responded promptly and decisively to the pandemic, with both empathy and humility. She appeared to listen to both the scientists and ordinary people and the approach they took clearly prioritised the life and well-being of New Zealand’s citizens above the economy or any political considerations.

Right from the start, New Zealand introduced a system of four alert levels – each with clear criteria for the underlying risk assessments and the management strategies to be implemented at each level. The messaging was clear, consistent and unambiguous, and didn’t keep changing as the pandemic unfolded. As a result, people knew where they stood, what was expected of them and why, and they responded accordingly.

Since arriving in New Zealand and experiencing first hand their approach to managed isolation/quarantine, we have been even more aware of how effective and efficient the measures are. As new arrivals we have been treated with respect and kept informed. The messages we have received about social distancing and protective measures have been clear and simple; their test and trace system has worked effectively, with clear communications once it was discovered that someone on our flight had tested positive; the armed forces, drafted in to supervise and manage the isolation facilities have done their job well and with grace.

And, most of all, we know that we can look forward, in just a few days’ time, to living a life unconstrained by the threat of second waves, repeated lockdowns, or muddled and contradictory advice.