What’s safest? To remain with self-creating and self-sustaining economic strategic plans or let’s give up the fight like our most trusted ally NZ, bust our bubble and allow Covid-19 like the rest of the world, writes Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church.

We have done all we possibly can and now it’s time to put them to the test.

A newly built canoe or boat into the water, a fully reconditioned or overhauled vehicle out on the road, a first maiden voyage for a newly built cruise ship out in the open sea or an inaugural flight for a newly constructed airplane into the air.

There has to be a testing point for everything in order to prove and certify that all is good or shall be fine. Lots of risk has to be taken into account before any parent is ready to let go of their precious children to leave the safety of home for the open field of study either close to home or far abroad. Surrounding oneself with much fear of the unknown and uncharted journeys into the unknown future restricts and obstructs children’s success in fulfilling the many dreams, visions and ambitions to becoming like the Wright’s brothers (Orville and Wilbur), the first two American aviation pioneers generally credited for inventing, building, and flying the world’s first successful motor operated airplane. Or becoming the next Thomas Edison, another inventor and businessman described as America’s greatest inventor who developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communications, sound recording, and motion pictures that has paved way for movies and current world news and events right in the palms of our hands today. They confronted and encountered countless trials and errors to reach what they considered perfection in their times and age, yet what they considered a masterpiece became the springboard for more future researchers and discoveries. Someone, somewhere and sometime took the leap of faith which Abraham of the Old Testament in Genesis 12 took when his God called him to, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curse thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”.

As we always and gladly claim ourselves to be a Christian and blessed nation, we are constantly reminded of our Judaeo-Christian connection to Abraham, being the rock from which we have been hewn and the hole of the pit from whence we are dug. Not only are we called sons and daughters of Abraham, but also made heirs and joint heirs unto Christ Jesus our Lord, therefore receiving the promises of everlasting inheritance and destiny, had it not been for that tiny leap of faith our Christian Patriarch Abraham and wife Sarah took in ancient Old Testament Bible days.  

Today we are up against one of the toughest challenges of our time, age and generation – should we open or continue to shut our borders to the outside world ravaged by Covid-19 pandemic with upscaling more aggressive variants, Delta variant and of late another of an even greater concern still unknown variant sweeping across the UK and Europe named Omicron. According to our Prime Minister’s address at our Cyclone Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 14, the advice for our population, currently sitting at 98 per cent vaccinated, is to get 100 per cent vaccinated. However we have two per cent refusing to do so. The 2019 Samoa measles outbreak which began in September 2019, and by January 6, 2020, they had over 5700 cases of measles and 83 deaths. It was an infection transmitted from NZ but rapidly spread to a high proportion of unvaccinated people but mostly innocent children who couldn’t decide for themselves, the responsibility fell on adult parents and community leaders who today still mourns for their lost children. Our beloved Cook Islands has been Covid free for almost two years to date, all thanks to our government, Te Marae Ora and so much more to our NZ counterparts for the stringent precautionary and preventative measures put in place.

With the fast dwindling state of our economy and with the support of all three expert at the helm of key authorities of both countries, we have arrived at this juncture to set January 13 as the day for a long-awaited border opening. But this time, travellers will only be allowed after pre-boarding strict Covid test clearing here in Raro and in Auckland. Shall we call this ‘a leap of faith or in darkness?’. We have weathered all kinds of natural storms and cyclones throughout our entire history, mild or severe, expected and unexpected, prepared or unprepared. We as fellow Christians knew what we can best do, not just stay on our knees and pray but do what is humanly possible by constructing to the safest standard building code our homes to be, extra tie downs whenever cyclone warnings are sounded, then trusting God to do the impossible degrading or veering the storms away if beyond our capability. The big asking here right now is, as much as we call for 100 per cent total vaccination protection even booster soon to arrive; have we or are we all in 100 per cent one accord in prayers, trust and confidence in our Almighty God and Saviour Jesus Christ’s Faith Protection Commitment Plan? How much and how far have we actioned our faith by having already set up medical and health infrastructure resources to the highest of standards before we can even consider calling a January 13, 2022 border opening. If only a mere 300 persons on Rarotonga, where the total population is over 12,000 excluding the outer islands, responded to an united intercessory prayer of agreement for a cyclone free season and Covid free Cook Islands, that’s a pretty much evidential picture of how disunited rest of the world who already suffered the deadly impact of Covid-19 pandemic is. What’s safest? To remain with self-creating and self-sustaining economic strategic plans or let’s give up the fight like our most trusted NZ counterpart, bust our bubble and be Covid counterparts like the rest of the world. What logic and common sense is saying here is, we have less than six weeks to set ourselves medically ready and, God answers and allows to the intents and desires of mankind whether good or evil. Remember a man/woman sows so shall they reap, if to the flesh of the flesh shall they reap, if to the spirit, of the spirit shall they reap. Be wise in all we do in Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, there is a flip side to our Christian God’s love. The Apostle John in 2 John 1 tells his readers and believers, that whoever believes Jesus is the Christ/Messiah “has both the Father and the Son” verse 9. He also warns, “if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome nor bid them Godspeed” verse 10. To extend hospitality to someone preaching a false gospel would actually help keep people separated from God. We serve a God who welcomes everyone with open arms. But genuine love won’t enable those who deceitfully harm themselves (unvaccinated) and others (the innocent, vulnerable underage children, elderlies and sickly). God wraps His arms around sinners who come to Him in repentance, but never embraces their sins of lie, greed, cheat, covetous, hypocrisy, injustice, lawless, disobedience and Christless. We cannot open our border to risk the life of our people still at Covid zero level unless the NZ government allows the $60 million gift be spent strictly to install and instil stringent protective and preventative measures as much as possible before opening. Don’t fix nothing that is not damaged, some people have gambled their lands for easy, get rich quick but are stealing others of their siblings to build or own.

“E ara, e pure, kia kore kotou e rokoia e te timataanga; kua tika I te vaerua, te paruka nei ra te kopapa. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” – Jesus Christ – Mathew 26:41.