RATANA’S WORK PRAISED

Shannon News, 5 July 1927, Page 1

RATANA’S WORK PRAISED

Work Amongst the Maoris

THE WORK OF MISSIONARIES

Some interesting details or mission V. Oik among, the Maoris were given by Sister Jessie, at one of the Presbyterian campaign meetings tho other !. day. She began her address with a | strong plea for the Maori race, mem-* I bars of which were quick to adjust I them, elves to our mode" of life and particularly the Christian life. The work of the missionaries differed considerably according to the locality. Around Lake Taupo, the Maoris followed Ratana, and th-y did so because of his simple form of teaching. •■The Ratana movement did something very fine for our Maori people,” ;aid Sister Jesissie. "Ratana himself was in great stress of mind at one time. He had a little boy of whom lie was very fond, and he was sick and the doctors had given him up. Ho asked to have his child home and for three days he fasted and read the Word of God. The boy recovered. Ratana wondered if he could not help his people in the same way as he had helped his boy. So he called them together one Christmas time* called them back to the Book of God. He knew they were idolators at heart, and so when they came to him for healing he mad e them pray in the name of Jesus Christ. We have felt the impact of his teaching right back on the East Coast, where the Maoris have been far readier to come to church after his teaching, and where they have held prayer. meetings in their own homes. I think Ratana would, have made a great leader and preacher if he had been left alone, but a committee of older men sidetracked him from his simple beliefs. Now the movement is crumbling and Ratana is only a figure-head in it.

The Maoris did not readily receive a district nurse, she said, but if she would pray with them they welcomed her. Around Taupo, even when tlje opening of the fishing season fell on a Sunday, and the lake was covered with European fishermen,- everyone of the Maoris came to church.

The Ur ewer a Country, again, presented another problem. The Natives there were land-owners with no/land. The land was not individualised, and settlement required different handling on the part of the missionary. The older people had the power, and ther e was no use younger and enthusiastic Maoris trying to initiate reforms, for they had always to obtain consent of their elders. They said, “You must wait until you are old, and them 1 you will have the wisdom of the ancients!’ It did not make for a sense of responsibility. The dwellers in this district were all followers of Te Kooti, and his ritual was still In use. They chanted' Te Kooti’s psalms morning and evening. The first day of July was a holy day to ask blessings for the next six months of the year. The first of June was a holy day to ask bleusings for the potato crops which were being planted, and so was the first day of December when they dug- them up. All this survived from the time of Te Kooti, but now the missionary came along with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the older people were quick to see the changes it brought, and - desired that their children should have the benefits of Christian teaching. At Nuhaka, another centre of Presbyterian endeavour, the missionary had to contend against 'Mormonism, which had been established there for 36 years. It had been an uphill fight for the church for thirteen years, but it was winning through at last.