Titiro ki te Atua Ka Ora

I tērā Hune, i tū ai tētahi aituā kino i te whenua o Lesotho i te taha tonga o Awherika. I te haere tētahi pahi iti kei runga rā ngā taitamāhine e 20 nō te Peka o Maputsoe o te Hāhi me ngā kaiārahi tokowhitu ki te pā matua, a Maseru, mō tētahi huinga taitamāhine o taua takiwā. I a rātou e haere ana i tētahi rori ara rua i ngā hāora o te ata, i haere mai tētahi atu waka mai i tērā atu taha, i ngana ki te tohipa i tētahi waka i mua i a ia, ka kuhu ki te ara o te pahi. Kāore i whai wā ki te karo i taua tukinga upoko ki te upoko, ā, ka tukia ngā waka e rua, ka takapore atu i te rori, ā, ka kakā mai te ahi.

Ka mate ngā tāngata 15 i taua aituā, tae atu ana ki ngā wāhine tokoono, tokorua ngā Kaiārahi Taitamāhine, me te tumuaki o te peka rāua ko tana hoawahine. He nui ngā kare ā-roto i puta ai i ngā mōrehu, ngā mema o te whānau me ngā hoa pērā i te riri i ētahi wā, te pāpōuri me te kaniawhea. Ahakoa ēnei kare ā-roto me ngā pātai urupare kore, kua whakatau rātou i a rātou anō, ā, kua tahuri atu ki te Atua mā roto i ngā waiata tapu, ngā karaipiture, te inoi, i reira rongo ai i te āio. I whakaatu tētahi o ngā mōrehu, a Setso’ana Selebeli, “E aroha ana a Ihu Karaiti ki a tātou, ahakoa e mamae ana ō tātou ngākau.”

I kawea tētahi taitamāhine me tētahi kaiārahi ki te hōhipera mō ngā weranga o te kiri, i a rāua i a reira ka pānui tahi i te Pukapuka a Moromona. Ko tā tētahi, “Inatata nei i te pānui mātou i Moronai, ā, he rite ngā kōrero a Moronai ki ngā whakaaro i roto i ahau. … Ina kōrero ia, ko te āhua nei kei te kī ia, ‘Me ako koe i ēnei kupu nā te mea kua tuhia mōu hei āwhina i tō haerenga i roto i tēnei āhuatanga.’”

I tae atu tētahi o te Whitu Tekau a Erata Siyabonga Mkhize ki tētahi o ngā huinga poroporoaki, ka mea, “Me tahuri katoa tātou ki te Ariki i tēnei wā me te inoi ake ki a Ia kia whakaāio ai i ō tātou ngākau … kia whakamauru nei i te mamae e kikini nei i a tātou.” I akiaki te kaiārahi Taitamāhine o te Peka o Leribe, a Mampho Makura: “Kia tahuri ki te Ariki, ā, rapua te kaha ki te whakarongo ki Tāna e pai ai. Ko Ihu Karaiti ‘te kaitito me te kaiwhakakōpani o tō tātou whakapono’ [Hīperu12:2]. Kaua e tahuri atu, engari titiro ki a Ia.”

Titiro ki a Ia. E pari kārangaranga ana āna kupu i ngā kupu a Arami ki tana tama a Heramana: “Kia titiro koutou ki te Atua kia ora.” I takina e Arami ngā mea i pā ai ki a Rīhai rātou ko tana iwi me te Riahona anō nei he momo: “He pērā rawa te ngāwari o te whakarongo ki te kupu a te Karaiti, e ārahina atu ana ki te ara tōtika ki te oranga tonutanga, pērā i te ngāwari o ō tātou tūpuna ki te whakarongo ki te kāpehu, i ārahina atu ai ki te huarahi tōtika ki te whenua o te kupu whakaari.” Ko tā Arami: “Mehemea ka titiro rātou tērā pea ka ora rātou. … Ā, mehemea ka titiro tātou … tērā pea ka ora tātou mō āke tonu atu.”

I tētahi atu wā, i whakahua a Arami i ngā kōrero mō te nākahi parāhe i hikina ai e Mohi i te wā i whakamamaetia ngā Iharaira e ngā nākahi ahi. I kī atu te Ariki ki a Mohi kia hangaia tētahi mea e rite ana ki te nākahi, kātahi ka hīkina ake i runga i tētahi tokotoko, me te whakaari “ka ora te hunga katoa kua ngaua mehemea ka titiro ki taua nākahi.” I whakamāramahia e Arami, nā, ko te mea parāhe tētahi tohu o te Karaiti, e hīkina ake ai i runga i te rīpeka. I titiro ngā mea tokomaha, ā, ka ora, engari he tokomaha anō, hei tā Arami, “he tino pakeke rawa” nā konā kua kore rawa e titiro, ā, ka mate rātou.

I uia e Arami:

“Mehemea ka mahu koe mā te huri noa i ō karu e mahu ai koe, kua pērāhia wawetia e koe, kua whakapakeke rānei i ō koutou ngākau i runga i te whakapono kore, ā, ka hakirara, kia kore ai e huri atu ō karu, kia mate rā anō koutou?

“… Tēnā tahuritia atu ō koutou karu, ā, kia tīmata ki te whakapono ki te Tama a te Atua, nā, ka haere mai ia ki te hoko i tana iwi, ā, ka whakamamaetia ia, ā, ka mate hei whakamārietanga mō ō rātou hara; ā, ka ara ake anō ia i te mate, e pahawa ake i reira te aranga, nā, ka tū anō ngā tāngata katoa i mua i tōna aroaro, kia whakawākia hei te rā whakawākanga whakamutunga, e rite ana ki ā rātou mahinga.”

Kāore e kore, he whakamāramatanga anō tō te tohutohu “titiro ki te Atua kia ora” kaua noa i te mau tonu engari koinā kē te rerekētanga i te āhuatanga me te kounga o ō tātou oranga i te ao kikokiko. Kia mahara ki ngā kupu i whakapuakina ai e Tuahine Selebeli i Lesotho—“E aroha ana a Ihu Karaiti i a tātou, ahakoa e mamae ana ō tātou ngākau.”

Kei roto i te āhua o tēnei ao taka—e haruru haere ana te rēwera, ā, e pokea ana ngā tāngata katoa—kāore e kore ka nui ngā mea pōuri me ngā mea takahi mana, te manawanui i ngā pōuritanga, te hinganga, te whakatoinga me te whakahē kino. Mā te titiro anake ki te Atua ngā tāngata, ngā whānau me ngā iwi e whaiora. Nā Tumuaki Russell M. Nelson i whakaako, “Nā te Kaiwhakaora, mā roto i Tana Whakamārietanga mutunga kore, i hokona ai tātou katoa mai i te ngoikoretanga, ngā hapa me te hara, ā, nā te mea i rongo Ia i ngā mamae, ngā āwangawanga, ngā pīkaunga katoa kua rangona e koutou [tirohia Arami 7:11–13], ka mutu, i a koutou e rīpenetā pono me te rapu i Tana āwhina, ka taea te kake ake ki runga i tēnei ao mōrearea.”

Kāore he whakaari i roto i te Pukapuka a Moromona i tua atu i tēnei: “Ki te mea ka pupuri koutou i aku whakahaunga ka kake koutou i te whenua; engari ki te kore koutou e pupuri i ngā whakahaunga ka hātepea atu i tōku aroaro.” Nā ngā wheako o ēnei iwi o te Pukapuka a Moromona i ngā rautau maha ki muri e whakaatu mai nei i te pono o ēnei kupu. Ko te whakamāramatanga o te kupu “kake,” arā, he whiwhi i te ārahitanga me ngā manaakitanga o te runga rawa i ō rātou oranga. Ko te whakamāramatanga o te “kake,” arā, he kake ake ki ngā taumata ohanga nā konā taea ai te mārena, te whakatipu whānau me te minita ki ngā hiahia o ētahi atu. Ko te whakamāramatanga o te “kake,” arā, ko te āheinga kia kake ake ki runga i te uauatanga me ngā whakamātautau. Mā roto i te aroha o te Karaiti, “ka mea[tia] ngātahitia ngā mea katoa hei painga mō [rātou],” i whakapakarihia rātou, ā, i whakahōhonutia tō rātou hononga ki a Ia.

I whakamārama mai a Arami, nā, ko tā te titiro ki te Atua he pupuri i Ana whakahaunga, he karanga putuputu ake ki a Ia kia tautokona mai, he kōrero tahi ki a Ia i roto i āu mahinga katoa, ā, kia tukuna tō ngākau kia whakakīa ki te whakamoemiti ki a Ia i te ao, i te pō. Ka kitea ngā whakahaunga me ngā tohutohu a te Atua i roto i ngā karaipiture me ngā kupu o Āna pononga. He tauira nui ngā tikanga me ngā mātāpono kua whakatakotoria iho i “Te Whānau: He Whakapuakitanga ki te Ao.” Ko tētahi atu ko ngā kupu arataki e kitea ai i te pukapuka For the Strength of Youth. Ko te kaupapa matua mō ngā Taitamatāne me ngā Taitamāhine i tēnei tau ko te “Titiro ki te Karaiti,” he mea tiki mai i ngā tohutohu whakatau mauri ki a Hōhepa Mete rāua ko Ōriwa Kautere: “Titiro mai ki ahau i ngā whakaaro katoa; kaua e ngākau ruarua, kaua e wehi.” E kōrero ana For the Strength of Youth e pā ana ki ētahi o ngā whakahaunga nui me ngā ture, ā, e whakaako ana me pēhea tō titiro ki te Ariki i roto i ō kōwhiringa. Ehara i te mea he kupu arataki noa mō te hunga taiohi engari mō tātou katoa.

Ko tētahi tauira whakahirahira, kei te For the Strength of Youth ētahi kupu ārahi whakahirahira i roto i te upoko e kīa ana “He Tapu Tō Tinana.” Ko tāna e tohutohu nei: “He tapu tō tinana—he tapu ngā tinana o ētahi atu.” I a koutou e kōwhiri ana i ngā kākahu, ngā makawe me tō āhua katoa, uia koe anō, ‘Kei te whakahōnoretia e au tōku tinana anō nei he takoha tapu nā te Atua?’”

Ko tā For the Strength of Youth: “Kia tapu te onioni me aua kukumetanga o te tinana.” Me kaua e tuku hei kaupapa whakakata noa, hei mea whakangahau. Kei waho atu i ngā herenga o te mārenatanga o te tāne me te wahine, kāore e tika ana kia pā te ringa ki ngā wāhi tapu o te tinana o tētahi atu ahakoa kei te mau kākahu. Hei roto i ō kōwhiringa mō tāu e mea ai, e tirohia ai, e rangona ai, e whakaarohia ai, e pōhia ai, e pātuhia ai rānei, kia karo ngā mahi katoa e whakaohooho mai ai i ngā whakaaro tūkari i ētahi atu, i roto rānei i a koe anō.”

Nā konā mahara ai ki ngā kōrero akiaki a Tumuaki Nelson inātata nei:

“He ruarua noa ngā mea e nui ake tōna whakararu i tō oranga i te takahi i tēnei ture [o te tapu o te tinana]. Ki te hunga kua oti te mea i ngā kawenata ki te Atua, ko te takahi i tēnei ture tētahi o ngā huarahi e ngaro wawe ai tō whakaaturanga.

“… Ko te mana ki te waihanga oranga tētahi o ngā waimārie o te atuatanga e tukuna mai ana e te Matua i te Rangi ki Ana tamariki hei meatanga mā rātou. Pēnei, kua whakatakotoria iho e te Atua ngā tikanga mārama hei whakahaere i tēnei mana oranga tapu. E tika ana anake te onioni mā te tāne me te wahine kua mārenatia tētahi ki tētahi.

“Kāore te nuinga o te ao e whakapono ana ki tēnei, engari ehara i te mea ko ngā whakaaro a te makiu te pae whakatau i ngā mea pono. Kua whakapuakina e te Ariki kua kore tētahi mea pūremu e kake ake ki te kīngitanga o Tikitiki o Rangi. … Mehemea kua pūremu koe, e inoi ana ahau kia rīpenetā koe. Haere mai ki te Karaiti kia whiwhi ki Tana whakaari o te murunga katoatanga o te hara i a koe e rīpenetā katoa i ō hara [tirohia Ihāia 1:16–18; Whakaakoranga me ngā Kawenata 58:42–43].”

Kia mahara kei roto i te whakaari o te Pukapuka a Moromona, ehara te rawakore i te tauaro o te whaiora—ko te hātepetanga kē i te mauri o te Ariki. E hāngai ana Tōna mauri ki te whakaaweawe o Tōna Wairua i te oranga o tētahi. Kei ngā tāngata katoa te Māramatanga o te Karaiti i te wā e whānau mai ai ki tēnei ao. Hei āpiti, ka mahi ētahi kia rumakina, ā, kia whakawhiwhia ki te takohatanga me te māramatanga anō o te Wairua Tapu. E kawea mai ana e ia te whakaaweawenga me te ārahitanga, ka whakakaha ake, ā, ka whakapakarihia e ia ngā taonga me ngā pūkenga a te tangata, ā, ka āwhinatia e ia kia karo i ngā kukumetanga kino, ngā kōwhiringa kāore i te pai me ngā aukatitanga.

Pērā i a koe, e mōhio ana ahau ki ētahi i tōna wā i piritahi te Wairua Tapu ki a rātou engari nā tana kotiti i ngā whakahaunga a te Atua kua riro atu taua manaakitanga. Ka toko ake tētahi i taku hinengaro, arā, tētahi i riro atu tana mematanga i te Hāhi nā te takahi i ngā whakahaunga. I puku te rae i te tuatahi. I whakaaro ia kua whakawākia ia e ngā rangatira pokea. I mōhio ia kua hē ana mahi, engari nā tana aro ki ngā hapa me ngā hē o ētahi atu ka whakaaro kei te pai ia. Nāwai rā, ka tau ia i tana oranga i waho atu i te Hāhi, kāore ōna haepapa karangatanga me ngā herenga kia haere ai ki ngā huinga koropiko me te minita atu ki ētahi atu.

Ka pēnei haere mō tētahi wā, engari ka tīmata tana rongo i te korenga o te Wairua Tapu—te mauri o te Atua—i tōna oranga. Nā te mea i a ia i mua, i mōhio ia ki te āhua o te piringa tahitanga, ia rā, ia rā, te āio, te ārahitanga me te māia i tau mai i te Wairua, ā, ka ongeonge ia ki tērā. I te mutunga iho, i meatia e ia ngā mea i tika ai kia rīpenetā, ā, kia tika ai tana rumakitanga ki te wai me te Wairua.

Ko te āhua nei kāore he mutunga ki ngā puna e rapua ai e te tangata hei puna māramatanga, ā, hei puna harikoa, ā, hei puna āwhina. Ko tā te nuinga he “titiro ki tua atu i te māka.” Engari ehara i te mea me rite ki ngā “tamariki, e takaoreorehia ana, ā, e kahakina ana e ngā hau o ngā akoranga katoa [ngā ia whakaaro rānei].” Hei tā te titiro ki te Atua, ka rapu tātou i te rangimārie i roto i te uaua, ā, ka tipu tonu tō tātou whakapono i roto pū anō i ngā wā rangirua me ngā uauatanga o te wairua. Ka taea te whiwhi kaha i te mata o te pakanga me te mokemoke. Ka taea te hono tahi i tāu e manako nei ki ngā āhuatanga tūturu o nāianei. He pono, kāore he huarahi kē atu i tā te Atua pū anō i whakamana ai: “Titiro ki ahau, ā, kia ora koutou, e ngā tōpito katoa o te ao: nā te mea ko au te Atua, ā, kāore he mea kē atu.”

Mehemea kei te titiro koe ki te Atua ehara i te mea ko Ia tētahi o ō tātou mea matua; ko tāna kē, ko Ia tō tātou mea matua tiketike anake. Ka tōia mai anō ki te hinengaro taua aituā kino i Lesotho i tērā Hune. Mai i tana moenga i te hōhipera, i kī ake tētahi o ngā mōrehu, arā, tētahi o ngā kaiārahi Taitamāhine, kīhai i whakapono ki te Atua i mua i tana urunga mai ki te Hāhi, ko tāna he rapu māramatanga he aha i tohua ai tōna oranga. “Mā te kaha mahi ki te Atua e mārama ai au ki tōna whakautu, mehemea ka rapua tētahi whakautu,” tāna i kī ai. “I whakaaro au i mua he nui tōku aroha ki te Atua, engari ināianei he tino, tino, tino, tino, tino nui tōku aroha ki a Ia. Ināianei ko Ia taku mea [nama tahi] i tōku oranga.”

E whakaatu ana ahau e pā ana ki te Matua, te Tama, me te Wairua Tapu, i runga i te kotahitanga wehenga kore o te kupu, te whakaaro, te pūtake me te mahi he Atua kotahi, i reira titiro ai tātou ki ngā mea pai katoa. E whakaatu ana ahau mō te Whakamārietanga o Ihu Karaiti, i reira ahu mai ai te mana ki te whakatutuki i tēnei whakaari mīharo: “Titiro mai ki ahau, ā, kia ū ki te mutunga, ā, ka ora koutou; nā te mea ka hoatu ki te tangata e ū ai ki te mutunga te oranga tonutanga.” I runga i te ingoa o Ihu Karaiti, āmine.