In Depth:  Charley Ballinger

letter from New Zealand

When people hear the word “religion” in New Zealand, the responses vary widely. When an unbelieving friend spoke of religion this week, it was to joke: “Rugby is our religion”.

And if the press from the All Blacks official website is accurate, on average 1 in 3 Kiwis is actively engaged in watching the All Blacks. The most recent test matches against the Springboks kicked off at 3:10 am NZ time. Meaning almost a third of the country’s entire population were sleep-deprived on Sunday 6th September. At our church we saw a slight dip in attendance, but it was also Father’s Day and happened to be raining cats and dogs, so perhaps there is no correlation!

letter from New Zealand

It’s winter here in New Zealand, and for most parents of school-age kids, that means one thing: Saturday sports.

A large proportion of children play for local clubs, and it is a great way to develop skills like teamwork and self-discipline. Maybe it’s part of why the All Blacks are so good. But for me, as a Christian whose children go to a local Christian school, it’s a great way to make friends with people who don’t know Jesus.

letter from New Zealand

At our church in Christchurch, New Zealand, it has become our regular practice to go door-knocking with invitations around the neighbourhood of the church.

We are often met with polite smiles, but a “thanks, but no thanks” response. At other times, people are keen to chat and open up a bit about their experience of “church” or religion. The most open and friendly people are often those from other cultures. Last Easter, one lady from India invited my friend and me in to talk; she was so pleased to have someone come to her door.

letter from New Zealand

What do you picture when you think of New Zealand? Perhaps the idyllic scenery and breathtaking vastness made famous by the Lord of the Rings movies. Undoubtedly it’s a country that remains at the top of many people’s bucket lists. Whilst the scenery is truly magnificent, it hides a very dark truth for the people who make up this beautiful nation.

Death by suicide remains alarmingly high in New Zealand, and the shocking reality is that the incidence of self-inflicted death is highest amongst 15–19-year-olds. In a recent report by UNICEF, out of 36 OECD and EU countries, New Zealand ranked bottom in mental health wellbeing for children.

letter from New Zealand

In the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell’s character speaks these famous words: “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure”.

And, whilst Liddell didn’t actually say them in real life, they encapsulate something beautiful about how we can give God glory through our sporting abilities.

letter from New Zealand

Christmas Day 1814 saw the first preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the shores of New Zealand.

The preacher was Samuel Marsden and he had arrived from Sydney convinced of the transforming power of the gospel to reach the indigenous Māori of New Zealand. The various tribal groups were gripped in cycles of “utu”, where one tribe would attack another as retribution for a previous conflict; the premise behind utu is one of restoring balance to society.

letter from New Zealand

February 6 is a significant day in the New Zealand calendar; a nationwide public holiday that sees demonstrations that sometimes result in violence.

February 6, 1840, was the fateful day when the British Crown and many Maori chiefs (but not all) signed the Treaty of Waitangi. In essence it is New Zealand’s founding document; the chiefs were agreeing to give the British Crown rights to certain lands, but it was by no means an agreement to give up all their lands.

letter from New Zealand

As I have written previously, New Zealand is often at the cutting edge of progressive law making. With euthanasia it is no different; we are amongst 19 jurisdictions in the world where it is legal to request medical help to die.

The End of Life Choice Act came into force on 7 November 2021: as a result almost 1,000 people have been euthanised. When the law was introduced the Ministry of Health was required to review it after three years. The review was published at the end of November 2024, and many of the recommendations made are alarming for those who believe in the sanctity of life.

letter from New Zealand

New Zealand sees itself as a forerunner when it comes to progressive thinking: in 1893 New Zealand became the first self-governing country to award women the vote. And, whilst many of the progressive advances have brought good, there have been others which have had a detrimental impact.

One such ‘progressive advance’ came in 2018 when the Anglican Church of Aoetearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (ACANZP) voted to bless same-sex relationships despite this being contrary to Scripture and the Church’s canons.

letter from Japan

‘You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed … There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains’ (Matt. 24:6-8).

With the war in Ukraine well into its second year, severe droughts in Ethiopia and extreme weather, this verse is a prescient exhortation. This verse came to mind whilst my mother was visiting us in Japan from the UK.

letter from Japan

If you look on Google there are over 22 million hits for Japanese queueing etiquette.

‘Japanese people are well-mannered, and they respect the rules, that is known throughout the world.’

letter from Japan

‘The nail that sticks out gets hammered down’ is a well-known Japanese proverb. The meaning behind this proverb comes from a strong cultural emphasis on conformity.

Japanese culture is heavily influenced by both Confucianism and Buddhism; within both of these ideologies there is a focus on group harmony over individual well-being.

letter from Japan

If you have ever read the Chronicles of Narnia you may remember reading the words ‘Aslan is on the move’.

As you did so, perhaps a chill went down your spine as the prospect of the coming victory over evil becomes a palpable reality. Well, as I write, a chill goes down my spine as it would seem that the Lord is on the move here in Japan.