Haerenga Tuawhā - Part 6 - Covenant, Creation and New Beginnings
Season Four draws to a close in Makarora, surrounded by mountains, glaciers, and braided rivers — landscapes breathtaking in beauty yet marked by the realities of climate change and human impact. James, Waiora, and Andrew reflect on the Noah story one final time, reading the covenant passage of Genesis 8–9 against the backdrop of melting glaciers and disappearing habitats.What does it mean that God remembers, that he binds himself not only to humanity but to every living creature? What does it mean to be invited into covenant partnership in a world where the human heart is still bent toward violence and greed? And what kind of posture might help us live faithfully in an age of polycrisis?With insights from te ao Māori and the practices of Eucharist, this episode points to a way of living marked by attentiveness, gratitude, and awe. From lament to recommissioning, from grief to wonder, the rainbow covenant still invites us into the possibility of life and flourishing for all creation.Ngā Here: the many connections between Creation, the Bible, and living in Aotearoa.
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Haerenga Tuawhā - Part 5 - Whakapapa, Floods and Being Remembered
On the road through Central Otago, the team makes a series of unexpected stops — not just at lizard sanctuaries, but at cemeteries. James takes Waiora and Andrew on a tour of his own whakapapa in Naseby, Hamiltons, and St Bathans, telling stories of ancestors who left famine in Ireland, sought gold in Otago, and carried both hope and hardship into a new land.Standing among the headstones, they reflect on the Noah story once more — the grief of loss, the chaos of flood, and the small but profound line: “But God remembered Noah.” What does it mean to be remembered by God? To be held in love when it feels like the waters are rising?From family history to biblical myth, from natural disaster to the language of lament, this episode explores how remembrance shapes identity, hope, and faith.Ngā Here: the many connections between Creation, the Bible, and living in Aotearoa.
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Haerenga Tuawhā - Part 4 - Grief, Lament and Faithfulness
We ended the last episode talking about hope — God’s refusal to give up on creation, and the possibility of sanctuaries that protect life. But hope is only real when it sits alongside grief, and in this episode the team wrestles with how to hold both.Back with Anna Yeoman at Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary, James, Waiora, and Andrew explore Noah’s obedience, the audacity of building an ark, and what it means to nurture hope in a world unravelling. Anna shares her own story of falling in love with lizards, discovering a sense of calling, and learning that acts of restoration — however small — are signs of God’s kingdom breaking in.This conversation asks: how do we live faithfully, obediently, and hopefully, even when we cannot see the outcome?Ngā Here: the many connections between Creation, the Bible, and living in Aotearoa.
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Haerenga Tuawhā - Part 3 - Sanctuaries, Arks, and Possibility
In Central Otago, James, Waiora, and Andrew meet Anna Yeoman, a writer and conservationist whose unexpected love for geckos and skinks grew into years of volunteering, research, and eventually a book. Together they visit Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary near Alexandra, a predator-free haven where endangered lizards have a fighting chance at survival.Anna introduces them to some Otago skinks and then the team reflect on the story of Noah’s ark and God’s ongoing commitment to life and flourishing. Even in the midst of extinction threats and human-modified landscapes, the sanctuary becomes a living parable — a reminder that God has not given up on creation.You can explore more of Anna’s work in her book Geckos & Skinks of Aotearoa New Zealand.Ngā Here: the many connections between Creation, the Bible, and living in Aotearoa.
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Haerenga Tuawhā - Part 2 - Violence, Hope, and Water
In this episode of Ngā Here, the team travels into the breathtaking Makarora Valley.Along the way, they reflect on stories of ancestral journeys, and the impacts of human land modification — from Foulden Maar to the Clyde Dam.James, Waiora, and Andrew then turn to the story of Noah in Genesis 6–9 and ask what it has to say about our world today. Together they wrestle with the uncomfortable parts of the text — God’s grief, human violence, and the flood — and explore what it means to desecrate creation, and how living out of right relationship with God, each other, and the land might still offer hope. It’s a kōrero that moves from judgment to lament, and from lament to the possibility of hope-filled action.Ngā Here: the many connections between Creation, the Bible, and living in Aotearoa.
Over the years I’ve noticed that there are a lot of us who can see that our planet is a bit broken and that how we live as a people in Aotearoa is a bit broken too - and we’ve got some pretty big questions. Questions about what the Bible might have to say about the way we live and care for creation. Questions about how we can deeply connect with the world around us and each other. Questions about why the church seems so useless when it comes to caring for God’s creation. And questions about how Māori and Pākehā can learn from each other, and grow together. So if you’re keen - I’d love to invite you to come along on this crazy, beautiful, journey with me, Waiora Te Moni, and Dr Andrew Shepherd - as we explore Ngā Here - The Many Connections that exist between creation, the Bible and living in Aotearoa. Ngā Here - The Many Connections is a project funded by The Wilberforce Foundation. Produced by James Beck, with Creative Direction from the Revered Spanky Moore. Our Music was created by Chris Williams - check him out on Spotify. Artwork by Tepene Marsden.
New Zealand