Reason For World's Troubles

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30979, 8 February 1966, Page 13

Reason For World's Troubles

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Feb. 6.

The reason there was so much trouble in the world today could be traced back to a lack of patience and a lack of understanding, the Governor-General (Sir Bernard Fergusson) said last night.

Sir Bernard Fergusson, in

his Waitangi Day address at Waitangi, spoke of the need for faith and the need for leadership. “A few weeks ago, at Westminster Abbey,” he said, “there was celebrated the 900th anniversary of the foundation of that ancient place of worship. For 900 years, praise to Almighty God has ascended from that spot, and therefore it is holy: in spite of all the mistakes that have been made: in spite of all the resolutions that have failed. “The preacher emphasised the importance of Christian unity, and of being 'one people.’ From what better place could such a message have been sent to us all? “From time to time, Westminster Abbey becomes very close to us: at such moments as the crowning of our sovereign, or at the funeral of some great man. At such moments as these, Westminster Abbey, although on the far side of the world, does not seem so very far away from us in New Zealand,” Sir Bernard Fergusson said. “To all of us in the Commonwealth, Westminster Abbey, even though we may never have seen it, is ‘holy ground’.” Sir Bernard Fergusson said that throughout New Zealand were places which were holy ground to the Maori, “places where one can say, as God said to Moses out of the burning bush, “Te wahhi hoki e tu ma joe, he wahi tapu’ (‘the place whereon thou standest is holy ground’).” In the Bay of Islands were two places which were holy ground to Maori and pakeha alike. One was Oihi beach in Rangihoua Bay, five miles from Waitangi, where Samuel Marsden preached on Christmas Day of 1814. “The other sacred place is here, right here,” the Gover-nor-General said. “The spot where the treaty was signed in 1840: the spot where our nation was horn. “Marsden’s sermon at Oihi was not just an Anglican occasion, but a Christian one. The signing of the treaty at Waitangi was a joint one, belonging to Maori and European alike. And just as Oihi and Waitangi lie close together, so should the hearts of Maori and pakeha, and the hearts of the different branches of the church, beat as one.

“It was a great thing this Sunday morning when, on this very marae European and Maori clergy of four denominations, and worshippers from more than four, all worshipped together,” said Sir Bernard Fergusson. “Things go wrong. Even the arrangements for the Treaty of Waitangi went wrong,” he said. “The time—even the day—for the signing was changed; the message telling Captain Hobson of the alterations went astray, so that he arrived up here on this marae some two hours late and wearing the wrong clothes; the Williams brothers weren’t ready for him; and Bishop Pompallier took his. seat in the wrong chair. “And there were many misunderstandings in the years that followed about the interpretation of the treaty and of the land sales—misunderstandings that led to strife,

bloodshed and further misunderstanding. But by and large, what a miracle has been achieved since then, by the blessing of God, and by patience and good will,” he said.

“When we come to analyse why there is so much trouble in the world today, we can trace it all back to lack of patience and lack of understanding. Surely our goal is clear to us all. It is unity. “We can try—indeed we must try—to use all our influence to induce unity in the world today, and it is my belief that New Zealand is doing wonders in that direction; but it is vital that our own house must be in order, and that we keep it swept clean of any dust or cobwebs or muck of disunity within our own national walls—whether

it be disunity between race and race, or country and town, or the different sections of our people. “If by misfortune we should sometimes forget what we should be aiming at, then let us be alert to remind ourselves that our goals are still there.

“I said here last year that leadership and unity are the things we need. This, year I add the quality of faith, to make a triangle of virtues. Waitangi, Oihi and Westminster make a good triangular foundation on which to build. “This is the 14th anniversary of the accession to the throne of our gracious Majesty the Queen. I know that she would wish me to greet you all in her name and this I do. In her, as in God, we are all one people,” Sir Bernard Fergusson said.