Te Aroha Whakamārie o Ihu Karaiti.

Mehemea kua hara koe i ngā hara nunui, ā, kei te huarahi kē koe, he hiahia rānei ōu kia rīpenetā me te rongo ake i te koa nui o te murunga hara, tēnā, kia mōhio mai koe e tāria ana tēnei merekara mōu. E karanga tonu ana te Kaiwhakaora, “Haere mai ki ahau.”

Mā te whakakaha i tō whakapono i tō tātou Kaiwhakaora, a Ihu Karaiti, e whakahihiko i te kōingo o tō wairua kia mōhio ki a Ia, kia whakapono ki a Ia, ā, kia tukuna tō ngākau ki a Ia. I inoi ake a Īnohi e pā ana ki tōna murunga hara, “E te Ariki, me pēhea e meatia ai?” I whakautu te Ariki, “Nā tō whakapono i te Karaiti, ahakoa kāore anō kia rangona, kia kitea rānei e koe.”

Ā, ka tāpiri ake a Moronai, “Mehemea ka whakakorehia ngā mahi atua kore, ā, mehemea ka arohaina te Atua i runga i tō kaha, ō whakaaro me tō mārohirohi, kātahi ka pai tōna aroha mōu.”

Ko te tahuritanga i te hara, me te tahuri mai ki te Atua, me te whakakaha i tō whakapono i a Ihu Karaiti tētahi tīmatanga ātaahua. Ko te noho whakaiti kia rite ki tā te Atua e pai ai he whāki i ngā hara nui ki tō pīhopa, ki te tumuaki rānei o te peka, engari ka puta te raneatanga o te murunga hara i te Kaiwhakaora. He takoha tapu te murunga hara e hoatu ana mā roto i te aroha o Ihu Karaiti.

E haere ngātahi ana te kōingo pono kia hoki anō ki te Atua me te whakaaro tapatahi kia kōrero pono ki tō Matua i te Rangi, ki a koe anō, ki te hunga kua tūkinotia, ā, ki tō kaiārahi i roto i te tohungatanga. Ka koa te Matua i te Rangi i tō kaha ki te haere ki a Ia i runga i te ngākau marū me te wairua iro. Ko tā te wairua iro he noho whakaiti i roto i ngā ringaringa o te Atua; ko tā te ngākau marū he rite ki tā te Apōtoro Pāora whakamārama anō nei he “pōuri atua,” arā, he ongeonge nui kia hoki anō te wairua ki a Ia ahakoa he aha te utu.

Mā tō ongeonge nei e hiahia ai koe ki te whakatika i ngā mea kua whatia nei e koe. Heoi, i te mea ka kite koe kāore ōu mana kia whakatikaina ētahi hara, ka kaha tō inoi ki te Ariki, mā roto i Tōna aroha, e āwhina ai kia mahu i te hunga kua tūkinotia e ō mahi.

He uaua rawa atu te whakatikatika i ngā utu o ngā hara kino ki runga i ētahi atu. Kei te whai rānei koe i te tauira i whakatauirahia ai e ngā tama a Mōhia, te hunga e “kaha ngana ana ki te whakatika i ngā tūnga i meatia ai e rātou”? Me kōrero tahi ki ō pākeke e pā ana ki ngā mea kāore e kitea ana e koe.

I ahau e whakarite ana i tēnei kōrero, i whiwhi ohorere au i tētahi īmēra mai i tētahi kei te huarahi tonu o te rīpenetātanga, ā, e hiahia ana hoki kia hoki ki te Hāhi. I te raru tonu tana hoawahine o mua nā te otinga “o [tā rāua], mārena mau tonu, [ngā uauatanga me ngā tamariki], te otinga o te haumaru ā–pūtea, … kāore e [taea] ana te utu i ngā pire, [me] ngā nawe hohonu o te tinihanga.”

I kōrero mai ia e pā ana ki te ākinga o te manawa o tana kaiārahi tohungatanga kia “ui atu ki a ia kia āta whakaarohia [he aha atu anō e taea ai e ia mō tana hoawahine o mua me ana tamariki].” I te mea kua whakaae mai, ka pānui atu au i tētahi wāhanga o tana īmēra:

“I whakaaro [tuatahi] ahau ka nui te [moni] i riro atu ai i te oati whakawehe, engari i akiaki mai taku tumuaki peka kia nohopuku, kia inoi mō taua take. …

“I te tīmatanga, i raru au i taua kōrero. I te mea ehara i te mea he hara pūtea ōku hara, e whakaaro ake ahau he aha kē nei te tikanga o tētahi ‘utu pai’ … [engari] ka taka rawa te kapa ehara i te mea ko te pūtea te mea nui.

“I hui tahi aku kaiārahi tohungatanga me [taku hoawahine o mua] me aku tamariki kātahi ka kitea i te raru tonu rātou, ā, kāore anō kia mahu te ngākau.”

“Ko taku whāinga hou ko te anga whakamua i runga i te whakapono. … Ko tāku noa he kōrero mō taku hiahia kia momotuhia ngā here. … I whakatau au ka [tukuna atu tētahi tahua pūtea ki taku hoawahine o mua] ia wiki, koia tētahi wāhanga o taku pūtea whānui ka whiwhia. I mua tata i taku tuku i te moni tuatahi, nā te Ariki [te whakaaro i whakatō ai ki roto i taku hinengaro e mea ana e tika ana] kia tuku i nga moni e rua [kia whakarea kia rua te rahi o taua pūtea].

“Kua ako ahau ehara i te mea ko te pūtea te mea nui. Ko tāna he ū whakaiti nei ki te Ariki. … Ko te moni tētahi mea hei āwhina ki te whakautu i aku tūkino ki taku whānau he mea nā ōku kōwhiringa kino. Ko tāna, he mahi, he pupuri i ngā oati, kāore e hiahia ana ki tētahi utu, ā, e āwhina ana ia kia kaua e māharahara ki ngā pire e taea ai te whai atu i te Wairua.”

Tērā pea kāore he pānga ō ō mahi whakatikatika ki te moni, engari i a koe e āta kōrero tahi ana i runga i te ngākau whakaiti ki te Ariki, ka kite koe he nui ake ngā mea e taea ana.

I a koe e whai ana kia murua ō hara e te Ariki, kia manawanui i a koe e whanga ana ki Tana whakaaetanga. Kia whakaarohia tēnei karaipiture:

“I … whakaiti rātou i a rātou anō … ki roto i te hōhonutanga o te whakaiti; ā … i karanga kaha ake ki te Atua; āe rā, mō te roanga katoa o te rā. … [Engari] i pōturi te Ariki ki te whakarongo atu ki tā rātou karanga he mea nā ō rātou hara.”

“Hei aha koa i rongo te Ariki i ā rātou karanga, ā, ka tīmata … kia māmā ai ō rātou pīkaunga; … ā, … ka tīmata tā rātou kake.”

Kia manawanui i te Ariki e hoatu ana ki a koe Tana manaakitanga me āta whakaaetanga.

Ina pai ai te Ariki, ka rongo koe i Tana reo e kōrerohia ana ki a koe, “Kaua e tukua kia raru anō koe i ēnei mea.” Hei tōna rā, i a koe e ū tonu ana kia tahuri atu ki te Kaiwhakaora, mā tō Matua i te Rangi tō “kaniawhea e muru i [tō ngākau], mā roto i ngā painga o tana Tama.”

Mō koutou te hunga kua taotū kino nei i ngā hara kino o ētahi atu, e manako ana ahau ki te tuku atu i te aroha o te Kaiwhakaora, Tana āio me Tana rangimārie.

Ko te pōuritanga kua rangona, te mamae o te ngākau, te ngaronga, te taumahatanga o te tinihanga, ko ngā raru katoa i tō oranga pērā i tāu i whakaaro ai—kei te whakaū au i tēnei ki roto i a koe, e mōhio ana, ā, e aroha ana te Kaiwhakaora ki a koe. Torona atu ki a Ia. Ko Ia tō āiotanga me tō kaha; Māna e tono Ana anahera kia pīkauria ake koe. Hei āhea pau ai tō mamae, mauru ai tō pōuri, wareware ai ngā maharatanga kino? Kāore au i te mōhio. Engari kei te mōhio au ki tēnei: Kei a Ia te mana kia whakaputaina mai ngā mea ātaahua i ngā pungarehu o tō mamaetanga.

Ka whiwhi ō tātou teina me ō tātou tuāhine aroha o Grand Blanc, Michigan, i runga i tā rātou whakapono ū tonu i a Ihu Karaiti, i runga hoki i tō rātou māia me tā rātou matapiko kore, kua whiwhi nei, ā, ka whiwhi hoki hei ngā wiki me ngā marama kei mua i te aroaro, te raneatanga o te aroha me te rangimārie o te Kaiwhakaora.

I a koe e ū tonu ana kia whakawhirinaki ki a Ia, ka panoni ō kapua pōuri me ō tangi hotuhotu i te pō e hīrere ana ngā roimata o te koa me te rangimārie i te māramatanga o te ata. “Ka tahuri tō pōuritanga hei koa. … Ā, kāore [tētahi] e muru atu i tō koa.” Ka tae mai taua wā. E whakaatu mai ana ka pērāhia.

Ka rapua te aroha whakamārie o Ihu Karaiti i ngā āhuatanga uaua, engari e tika ana kia tau mai te aroha whakamārie o tō tātou Kaiwhakaora. Nā Tumuaki Dallin H. Oaks i whakaako: “Nā Tana mahi whakamārie i tēnei au, e taea ana e tō tātou Kaiwhakaora te whakaāio, te whakaora, me te whakakaha i ngā tāne me ngā wāhine katoa, engari e whakapono ana ahau ka pēnei Ia mō te hunga e rapu i a Ia me te tono atu ki Tana āwhina. Nā te Āpōtoro a Heemi i whakaako, ‘Whakaitia koutou anō i mua i te tirohanga o te Ariki, ā, māna koutou e hāpai ake’ (Heemi 4:10). Ka tika tā tātou whiwhi i taua manaakitanga ina whakapono tātou ki a Ia me te inoi ake kia āwhina mai Ia.”

I whakaae mai taku hoa tata, arā, ko te Mana Whānui, a Erata Robert E. Wells, ināianei kua 97 tau te pakeke, kia kōrero mai mō ngā āhuatanga kua kitea ai e ia i ngā tau 60 ki muri:

I a ia e noho ana i Paraguay i te tau 1960, ā, i te mahi ia i roto i tētahi peke ā–ao, he kaihautū wakarererangi a Robert Wells, e 32 tau te pakeke i tērā wā, me tana hoawahine a Meryl mō ngā kamupene wakarererangi rerekē, e rere atu ana ki Uruguay ki a Paraguay. I tā rāua tūpono atu ki ngā kapua mātotoru, kāore a Robert rāua ko Meryl i taea te kite, i taea rānei te kōrero mā runga reo irirangi rāua ki a rāua. Ka tere tau iho a Robert, ki te wāhi i rongo ai ia i tukia iho te wakarererangi o tana hoawahine. I mate tana hoawahine rātou ko ngā hoa tokorua. He whitu, he rima, he rua anō te pakeke o ana tamariki i te kāinga i Asunción.

I kōrero a Erata Wells e pā ana ki tōna pōuritanga:

“Kua kore rawa e taea e te kupu te whakamārama i te mamae i pupū ake ai i roto i ahau, e horo haere ana i ōku kare ā–roto katoa. Kīhai i pau te rere o ngā roimata. Nāwai ka hē, kātahi ka hē kē atu, i ahau e ngana ana ki te pīkau i tēnei aituā nui o te matenga o taku hoawahine, ka rongo au i tētahi kaniawhea nui me te mea nei nōku te hē i aituā ai ia.”

I uapare a Robert i a ia anō mōna kīhai i pai ake te whakahaere i te tirohanga o te wakarererangi, mōna kīhai hoki i tuku in ngā tohutohu tika ki a ia. I rongo ia i te ngau o te kaniawhea o te aro kore.

Ko tā Robert:

“Ka pōuri kerekere tōku hinengaro. … I ora noa au—[hei painga noa mō ngā tamariki,] kāore i kō atu.”

“I … mimiti tōku hiahia kia haere tonu.”

I tōna wā, i manaakitia a Robert ki tētahi āhuatanga ā–wairua kaha rawa. Nāna i kī:

“I tētahi ahiahi pō, e āhua kotahi tau whai muri iho, i ahau e tūturi iho ana ki te inoi, i heipū ake tētahi merekara. I ahau e inoi ana ki taku Matua i te Rangi, i rongo au i te piringa tahitanga o te Kaiwhakaora, ā, ka rongo au i tētahi reo e kōrero ana i ēnei kupu ki tōku wairua me ōku taringa: ‘E Robert, i utua e taku whakahere whakamārie i ō hara me ō hē. Kei te muru tō hoawahine i ō hara. Kei te muru ō hoa i ō hara. Māku tō pīkaunga e hiki. …’

“Nō taua wā, i hikina ake taua pīkaunga kaniawhea i ahau. Kua whakarauorangia ahau! I mārama pū au ki te mana tauapo o te Whakamārietanga o te Kaiwhakaora, nā … i te hāngai taua mana ki ahau. … I … kite au i te māramatanga i rongo au i te koa, arā, i tētahi āhuatanga kāore anō kia rangona i mua. … Kua homai tētahi taonga utu kore—arā, ko tā te Ariki taonga o te aroha. … Kāore au i aha mō taua taonga—Kāore au i mea i tētahi mahi e tika ai taku whiwhi, engari ahakoa tērā i homai tonu taua taonga ki ahau.”

Kia “whakatapua [tātou] i roto i te Karaiti mā runga i te aroha o te Atua, mā roto i te whakahekenga o te toto o te Karaiti, … [e meinga ana] hei mea tapu, e koha kore ana.”

E whakaatu ana ahau mō te aroha, te whakaaroha, me te atawhai o tō tātou Kaiwhakaora me tō tātou Kaihoko. E ora ana Ia. Nōna Tātou; he tamariki tātou nō te kawenata. I a tātou e whakapono ana ki a Ia, e whai ana i a Ia, e whakawhirinaki ana ki a Ia, Māna tātou e hiki i ō tātou pōuritanga me ō tātou hara. Ka mutu, hei tua atu i tēnei oranga kikokiko, i roto i te whare o Tōna Matua, ka noho tahi ki a Ia mō āke tonu atu. I runga i te ingoa o Ihu Karaiti, āmine.