Toward a response to the Commonwealth Government of Australia's Indigenous Peoples.(Originally written Feb 13, 2008)
The formal text of the Parliamentary Speech can be found at
It was quite an extraordinary sensation. A hundred first-year theological students sat in silence, listening to a small portable radio. We listened intently as the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, tabled the historic motion that both recognised the brutality of, and apologised for, the policies and actions that led to what we now refer to as the Stolen Generations. His speech made no excuses, and it brought up raw and shameful aspects of Australia's past.
Several reactions were evident in the room. There was great relief that this apology had finally been made. There was sadness that such a horrific and heartless policy was still in action so recently (Prime Minister Rudd noted that the forcible separation of children from their mothers was still occuring in the 1970's – pointedly noting that there were some sitting Members of Parliament who had been elected during this period). There was great optimism that this symbolic gesture would become as significant a milestone as the passing of the Referendum recognising Aboriginal people as legal, voting citizens. And there was heartfelt thanks to the Lord that this country's leaders' hearts had been softened enough for this most important statement to be made.
One of the reactions that moved me the most was from an Aboriginal student. As we discussed the meaning and implications of the Apology, he said that it brought to his mind the Old Testament story of Mephibosheth. King David's extraordinary act of mercy restored the honour of the last surviving member of Saul's family; a better Biblical example of the true nature of reconciliation between former enemies would be hard to find.
So far, so good. But tomorrow – and the next day and the next – what should our response be? We truly need to expend thought here. We must, as Christians first, also make our own apologies. And we need to commit ourselves to true repentance within our own hearts.
For the times that we have listened to racist talk (and in many cases watched racist action) and done nothing, we must apologise and seek repentence.
For the times when we have seen, read or heard commentators in the media who have deliberately sought out the worst examples of Aboriginal cruelty, abuse and violence to fellow Aboriginal, explicitly denigrating their ability to be members of “our” community – without holding the rest of Australian society to the same harsh judgement – and we have never sought to give voice to the injustice of this treatment, we must apologise and seek repentence.
For the times when we have ignored, forgotten or turned a blind, apathetic eye to the conditions that past generations and governments have condemned our country's first inhabitants to, we must apologise and seek repentence.
And, in our hearts, we must also recognise that the goal of “reconciliation” is both a poor and inaccurate goal to aim for. The very word “reconciliation” implies a bringing-together of peoples who were once united but then divided. Such a word is appropriate for David and Mephibosheth. It is appropriate for America following the Civil War, or, perhaps in a modern context, for the Sunni and Shi'a communities of Iraq. But from the first arrival of European discoverers until today, we must acknowledge that our two communities have never been close enough to call united – ever.
We must think in terms of uniting, not reuniting. To consider it in other terms will still hide the gulf that has always separated us.
What then? I suspect that our proper response, for the immediate future, is to say no more. And to listen. We must not assume that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will simply, immediately and unconditionally accept these apologies as they stand at present. For that would be just as arrogant as never apologising in the first place.
We must listen. If there are loud voices from the Aboriginal communities raising the issue of monetary compensation, we must listen. If there are loud voices from our own communities complaining about the issue of compensation, we must insist that they be quiet and listen.
We need to wait, prayerfully and anxiously, for the leaders of the Aboriginal communities to represent their people as they reply. We must not simply make plans to “improve their lot” until we have heard the reply. We must demonstrate that we consider their views not just worthy of listening to but absolutely critical to begin the process of healing.
And then? One thing at a time. There have been moments of national significance in the healing process between black and white. The Referendum. The election of Aboriginal Senators and Members of Parliament in both State and Federal Government. The appointment of Aboriginal judges to the High Court. The recognition of native title. And yet the separation between our two communities is still shamefully apparent. By any measurement – from infant mortality to life expectacny, from rates of diabetes to literacy levels – the division between black and white is an indictment upon our inability to match words with deeds. Faith without works, we recognise, is dead. And there have been, sadly, few enough reasons for the Aboriginal community to place faith in anyone else.
Prime Minister Rudd's address contained an echo of the apostle Paul, when he noted that words without actions are like a clanging gong. We need to amplify the echo from 1 Corinthians 13. Without love, even the best of actions and intentions will come to ends both incomplete and manipulable. For our part, we need to demonstrate that love. Before that, we need to have that love for them. Do we need to remind ourselves about love? That famous passage is read out enough times at weddings, and it may well be that 1 Corinthians 13 is the most appropriate text to meditate upon as we seek union – for our two communities to finally become one flesh...
Several reactions were evident in the room. There was great relief that this apology had finally been made. There was sadness that such a horrific and heartless policy was still in action so recently (Prime Minister Rudd noted that the forcible separation of children from their mothers was still occuring in the 1970's – pointedly noting that there were some sitting Members of Parliament who had been elected during this period). There was great optimism that this symbolic gesture would become as significant a milestone as the passing of the Referendum recognising Aboriginal people as legal, voting citizens. And there was heartfelt thanks to the Lord that this country's leaders' hearts had been softened enough for this most important statement to be made.
One of the reactions that moved me the most was from an Aboriginal student. As we discussed the meaning and implications of the Apology, he said that it brought to his mind the Old Testament story of Mephibosheth. King David's extraordinary act of mercy restored the honour of the last surviving member of Saul's family; a better Biblical example of the true nature of reconciliation between former enemies would be hard to find.
So far, so good. But tomorrow – and the next day and the next – what should our response be? We truly need to expend thought here. We must, as Christians first, also make our own apologies. And we need to commit ourselves to true repentance within our own hearts.
For the times that we have listened to racist talk (and in many cases watched racist action) and done nothing, we must apologise and seek repentence.
For the times when we have seen, read or heard commentators in the media who have deliberately sought out the worst examples of Aboriginal cruelty, abuse and violence to fellow Aboriginal, explicitly denigrating their ability to be members of “our” community – without holding the rest of Australian society to the same harsh judgement – and we have never sought to give voice to the injustice of this treatment, we must apologise and seek repentence.
For the times when we have ignored, forgotten or turned a blind, apathetic eye to the conditions that past generations and governments have condemned our country's first inhabitants to, we must apologise and seek repentence.
And, in our hearts, we must also recognise that the goal of “reconciliation” is both a poor and inaccurate goal to aim for. The very word “reconciliation” implies a bringing-together of peoples who were once united but then divided. Such a word is appropriate for David and Mephibosheth. It is appropriate for America following the Civil War, or, perhaps in a modern context, for the Sunni and Shi'a communities of Iraq. But from the first arrival of European discoverers until today, we must acknowledge that our two communities have never been close enough to call united – ever.
We must think in terms of uniting, not reuniting. To consider it in other terms will still hide the gulf that has always separated us.
What then? I suspect that our proper response, for the immediate future, is to say no more. And to listen. We must not assume that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will simply, immediately and unconditionally accept these apologies as they stand at present. For that would be just as arrogant as never apologising in the first place.
We must listen. If there are loud voices from the Aboriginal communities raising the issue of monetary compensation, we must listen. If there are loud voices from our own communities complaining about the issue of compensation, we must insist that they be quiet and listen.
We need to wait, prayerfully and anxiously, for the leaders of the Aboriginal communities to represent their people as they reply. We must not simply make plans to “improve their lot” until we have heard the reply. We must demonstrate that we consider their views not just worthy of listening to but absolutely critical to begin the process of healing.
And then? One thing at a time. There have been moments of national significance in the healing process between black and white. The Referendum. The election of Aboriginal Senators and Members of Parliament in both State and Federal Government. The appointment of Aboriginal judges to the High Court. The recognition of native title. And yet the separation between our two communities is still shamefully apparent. By any measurement – from infant mortality to life expectacny, from rates of diabetes to literacy levels – the division between black and white is an indictment upon our inability to match words with deeds. Faith without works, we recognise, is dead. And there have been, sadly, few enough reasons for the Aboriginal community to place faith in anyone else.
Prime Minister Rudd's address contained an echo of the apostle Paul, when he noted that words without actions are like a clanging gong. We need to amplify the echo from 1 Corinthians 13. Without love, even the best of actions and intentions will come to ends both incomplete and manipulable. For our part, we need to demonstrate that love. Before that, we need to have that love for them. Do we need to remind ourselves about love? That famous passage is read out enough times at weddings, and it may well be that 1 Corinthians 13 is the most appropriate text to meditate upon as we seek union – for our two communities to finally become one flesh...
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