So begins Charles Dickens' 'Tale of Two Cities'. A novel that powerfully explored one world with two radically different world views; fully dependent from which 'city' - London or Paris - one hailed.
I have been reminded of this today, as I have come from the New Zealand Labour Party's Annual National Conference, in Palmerston North. Coming a year after one of the Party's most disastrous electoral drubbings in its 99 year history, it could so easily have been a time of teeth-nashing and voice-wailing. It could have been a time of blood-letting, of recriminations, of looking only to the distant past of 'what once we had'. We could have lifted up the drawbridge, sealed off the entrances, and hidden inside our fortress - hoping against hope that, the world would finally realize how wrong it was, and coming cap in hand to us, begging to let Labour lead again.
Instead it was an uplifting and positive event. Past divisions were put aside. The loss was acknowledged and owned. But there was a determination to look forward, not hark back. To listen positively, not scream negatively. To seize tomorrow, not pine for yesterday. The leader's end-of-conference speech had the audience on their feet excited about winning in 2017: believing it as a real opportunity. Truly, it was the best of times.
And then, there was the Baptist Union's conference, held in Tauranga - which I did not attend. Its most significant decision was on the non-place of same sex marriages in our buildings by our pastors. Not satisfied with affirming its position on the biblical basis of marriage (a view I fully endorse, by the way) the conference looked for ways to enforce this on all its constituent members. Certainly, the conference ended with clarity on belief. And certainly there were speeches that contained real highlights.
But...
Where was the vision for tomorrow? Where was the sense that we were establishing a cornerstone platform that would see the gospel transform families, Iwi, communities? Where was the 'hook' that showed we were looking out, looking forward, looking up? In what way did we lower the drawbridge and run out to embrace the people around us? Talking to those who attended, I heard none of that.
The best of times, the worst of times. Two cities; Palmerston North, and Tauranga. Two visions; Labour's, and The Baptist Union's.
I'm glad I went to Palmerston North this weekend.
