Dear Editor, I woke up this morning to enjoy the new day God has given me, and in return I thanked him for the peace and joy he has blessed me with his grace for I am alive in him.

Such a wonderful blessing, that one enjoys his peace day after day, until I read your paper and came across the programme for celebrating 200 years of Christianity for my beloved District of Puaikura; that my realisation of reality quickly shot through my veins and slowly I heard my own heart beat in my ears.

The truth of the matter is this; we have two (2) factions of our Puaikura communities fighting amongst themselves in the celebration of Tinomana acceptance of the Gospel in Arorangi.

As we stepped closer to the day of celebration, I took the liberty to chat amongst my own kin, in my own tribe to seek their views on this event, and to my amazement, I thought I was the only one blind, only to hear that my own kin and everyone else expressing their disappointment as if we were watching “Netflix mini-series” from the day of our Puaikura CICC Church improvement and opening to the closer days of the 200 years’ celebration. The truth is that my kin and people of Puaikura is not as stupid and blind as the followers of the ‘political faction’ gang, but were more concern about its moral Christian believes and values, that I felt that it meant more to us as citizens of Christ. And this is what the faction gang is undermining. We’d then agreed that this is the true workings of the demonic temptations, displaying its true colours, right at the square front of our feet of Christ purpose to our Christian lives. The moving of temptation at its best to distract our faith in Christ and distort our beliefs in our community spirit as Christians by accepting the demonic demon that is at work here, and yet no one wants to voice their concern out loud to avoid public embarrassment. My day of thanking God for his Grace this morning had just became a worry and despair of our future as Christians.

As much as I want to ask this faction group, what message are you sending us and our children of tomorrow by doing such a good job in districting our faith in God? But the reality here is this; to my Kin and my people of Puaikura, we must stand firm on the foundation as proud as we are, as Tinomana Enuarurutini had foreseen in the time he accepted Christianity into Arorangi. As rightly so, as he spoke to Revered Aaron Buzacott, he wanted to make sure he and his people have a place of worship of our God Almighty; but more so, the chance to be righteous in all we do, in preparation to enter gracefully into the Kingdom God.  That is the legacy our Queen Tinomana Tokerau Ariki have instructed Puaikura to base its celebration as noted in her Kura to her people. In my view, that is more importantly enough and appropriate and most honourable. My message to the leader of the Gang Faction, stick to your lane where politics must remain.  And to the members of the Church, stick to your lane where your Christian values are best practiced and maintain your responsibility enriching our Puaikura people with Christian values and principles. Stop sticking your neck in politics and traditional rules and customs. And if you do that, we should all be happy.

In concluding, my message to my kin and my people of Puaikura, 1Conrinthians 10:13 says, “no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”. And so Mr Editor, I like to wake up every morning and endure God’s grace again as he always blesses me with.  For then I am grateful that I am with him till the end. But my hope for this celebration is this; Colossians chp3 verse 8-10, But now you must put them all away, anger, fury, malice, slander and obscene language out of your mouths, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge in the image of its creator. So I ask our people of Puaikura, let’s remember this as our purpose for celebrating 200 years of Christianity Gospel for Unity.

May God bless us all.

Tepure Ki Au

(Name and address supplied)