I avoid crowds, and I mistrust the publick religion of this time. So, although I did watch a documentary on Andrew Russel last night (and I have read his autobiography: a good son of the Anglican church he was: and after the first world war he put his energy into the rehabilitation of veterans) I am not at the parade this morning.

I did not serve. I honour those who did. And in this time it is far more important to do what is needed for the church and thus indirectly the community, rather than think that the works of the past generations should suffice.

Which brings us to the third letter of John, who started is life as a Galilean Jew: written to Gaius — that Good Roman name, and warning of the false teaching of Diotrephes, whose name is Greek. The next generation was about to move the church forward: those who had seen Jesus resurrected — tha five hundred still living when Paul wrote, were no longer alive.

And like Russell noted when reflecting on that disaster that was Gallipoli, we need to look beyond nationality to the humanity of all.

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

(3 John ESV)

Now, what is the duty of the layman? Gaius is not called an elder: he is a member. Probably of some means: he has the ability to offer hospitality, and to help those who travel for the gospel. His duty, indeed a test of qualification for elder-ship, is the ability to open your home and let strangers in for the sake of Christ. The false doctrine of Diotrephes is reflected in his life, for he does not open his home, but lives in the foolish mystery that he created.

We are also told it is our duty to imitate that which is good. And indeed there was good in the ANZAC campaign: we added Beersheba and Megiddo to our battle honours as we liberated Palestine from the Ottoman yoke, making the Balfour declaration a living document, and paving the way for the restoration of Israel. And Russell did his duty at the Western Front, including warning against the third battle of Passchendaele, in which the artillery shelled the advancing NZ Division, which means the blackest day in NZ military history was the consequence of “friendly fire”. (For the Canadian readers, this is before the Canucks captured the village).

We have to seek the good where we are and wherever we be. We need to seek the beauty in the circumstances we are in. Our duty is to do good and to imitate those who do good: hospitality is a duty but also an example.

And if the spirit of this world hates us, and turns the institutions against us, we continue.

I don’t like crowds, and as New Zealand falls into a neo pagan syncretic worship of the old Maori Gods, I avoid the publick religion. But our duties remain. Previous generations did their duty, at great cost. Let us not be remiss at this time.