as pastor and worker for justice in South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana, and then as Bishop of Eastern Zambia. Now “retired”, he is in his 80s, almost blind, and lives in Lusaka, Zambia. Bishop John lives in a house near the cathedral in Lusaka, and shares it with some Rwandan students whose families fled the terrible genocide 25 years ago, and still consider it not safe to return. He provides them with a supportive home and raises money to give them an appropriate education, so they may become possible leaders in the future. He has done this for many years. Known for his work opposing apartheid in South Africa, Bishop Osmers spent many years helping the ANC, which earned him the hostility of the former South African regime. When he was in Lesotho in 1979, a parcel bomb planted by South African Security injured him severely, and he lost his right hand. In Botswana a few years later, he was warned that an agent had arrived in the country to assassinate him. He managed a narrow escape. Now in Zambia, he is highly respected, and can watch some of his former students, many in leading positions in medicine, education and other fields, back in South Africa. We were able to give him $2,000 collected in Chapel. Financial donations and hands-on service are complementary ways
in which we seek to nurture a disposition to serve.
world stage we are unique in there being more holding to “no religion” than religious. In this context, our school leads in the response to our unusual New Zealand context (which is so different from other countries). World-renowned Professor Emerita Suzanne Rutland said, “A strong grounding in one’s individual identity, combined with knowledge of other religions, helps to combat extremism by teaching respect for diversity.” Thanks and Congratulations Congratulations to Vinnie Wee and Archie Campbell Vink who were baptised on Saturday 4 May. Thanks to Chris Lee and Jack Lindo for their superb organisation and support as Chapel Prefects; to Ederick He, our school’s committed lay synod representative; to Nick Coxon and Nick Sutcliffe who shared with me in teaching Religious Education; to Director of Music Robert Aburn and Nick Sutcliffe for their tireless work to maintain and enhance the quality of music and singing in Chapel; yet again to Liz Gregory for her enhancing of Chapel with flowers; and Dr Andrew Taylor for maintaining the Chapel’s tone and culture as Chapel Steward. To all who contribute to the spiritual life of our school, in time and with their talents, we express our gratitude.
Inclusiveness and Diversity At the Chapel service that began the staff-only day at the start of the year, I focused on how we can decide when traditions are good or not by measuring them against the Christian messages of good news based on the teachings of the one after whom our school is named; connecting mindfulness and wellbeing to our faith-inspired foundation; and, with biculturalism, celebrating difference rather than building walls. There was a marked contrast between the acrimonious dispute around comments made by Australian rugby league footballer Israel Folau and the open response in our community to a student who identifies as transgender. In discussions around gender and sexuality, it helps to know more about the culture and language of the Bible. As just one example, the word “homosexual” first entered any translation of the Bible in 1946. And the Bible is clear that Sodom was destroyed for inhospitality to strangers (Ezekiel 16:48–50). The results of the 2018 Census are worth a lot of reflection. In the course of 18 years, New Zealand has gone from being a quarter “no religion” to a half “no religion”. Excepting countries where religion is forbidden or was relatively recently forbidden, on the
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Bosco Peters Chaplain
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Register 2019 Virtues
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