Central to Christianity is the belief that God has spoken face to face with us in Jesus Christ. In one word – Jesus – God has communicated so much to us. The mountains, the sea and all the beauty God created for us on earth will speak to us.

Many of our actions have a multitude of outcomes, some predictable, some not. Often there are elements of risk. Such uncertainty is truer when weighing up motivations. Are you bold enough to precisely explain what precisely lies behind each of your actions”?

Do you ever reflect that being with technology isn’t actually alone time for our children? Are we feeding an addiction and reducing a capacity?

There are risks with everything we commit to. A shared faith helps bind us together however we always need love to be strong as one.

Within each of our communities and families, there may dwell Rembrandts, Manets, Van Goghs and Picassos - all so different in shape, form and colour yet each presenting a striking impression of the richness and diversity of life.

St Paul described those who collectively followed Jesus as being ‘the body of Christ’. Out of this vision he explained how Jesus’ death and resurrection had drawn together a new nation that affirmed the dignity and value of each human life anew.

While Christ stood dying on the cross, the watching crowd had no idea of how the death of this innocent man would ultimately inspire millions to worship the image of his cross.

Sin can be seen as a disease of the heart. All cultures are shaped by love. Love sits at every table. Efforts to confine it to family, clan or nation, never succeed. Love sees through; as Aristotle pointed out, even thieves love one another.

New Zealand has one of the world’s highest rates of teenage suicides. Also grim is that between a third and a half of young people will inflict self-harm during their teenage years. Has the flickering flame of hope in life has been snuffed out by the winds of today’s culture?