The Statement From The Heart

Almost 200 years later, what has been the response of First Peoples to the destruction of their link to country, lore, language, and spirituality? How have we responded to the genocide?

A quick read of the Statement will reveal no words of demand, violence, or revenge – no evil for evil. Just an open hand and an invitation to forgive and empower.

It is absurd – the absurd compassion of transformational forgiveness and restorative justice in the type of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

It was deemed absurd then and it’s absurd now.

This is an invitation of the type in the Psalm reading, the opening up of redemption to include not simply justice for First People but for all people of Australia – from individual nations to all nations including Australia itself. It is not just about our people, but all people.

What does that absurdity look like?

• We do not seek revenge; we seek to walk across the land together building a better future for this country.

• We seek recognition in the 1901 Constitution, the birth certificate of this nation.

• We seek a Voice on matters that impact our sovereign relationship with country and kin.

• We seek a treaty over time identifying how we live together, sharing this space based upon being included in the Constitution.

• We seek the opportunity to talk about the truth of what happened and what it feels like for both of us to live in this space called Australia.

• We seek the opportunity to make the changes necessary to become a just and whole nation through Makarrata, the coming together after a dispute.

As our text also reminds –

5 And now the Lord says,……

‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ What does this mean in this Australian moment?

• An opportunity has been offered to all nonIndigenous people to begin the process to right the wrongs by welcoming us into their world as equals, persons with a voice, able to contribute equally as co-sovereigns of this land. This invitation is not given to our own people. It is extended to you and if you accept, you will share the blessing of wholeness it leads us toward. We will no longer be persona nullius. We will be seen.

• If you can accept this offer with a yes, we will also allow you to shape your yes through legislation. We have resisted the temptation to tell you how to make your yes work. We have blessed you with the right and privilege to ensure the legislation is fit for purpose. We have resisted the urge to be colonial and demand you do it our way. We know the impact of doing that, as it is what has been done to us from the beginning.

The gift of the Statement reminds us we are not seeking a better future for ourselves, we are seeking a better future for this nation. This is not about First Peoples as a whole or First Peoples as individual language groups, but about what is beyond the edge of everything you know.

As this paraphrase of our text based on Wiradjuri language says;

‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Ginaaginaa ngaya-manha nganha mala yumbiyumbidyang-ndhu murrayalalinya mayiny nguran-ban bagaray-bang garranydyang nguran-ban

‘It is reasonable that I ask you to help me lift up the people on your country, and make comfortable those who remain there. ngadhu ngalan-guranha-ndhu bangal-buwu-rayi or (nganha-ny-garri) taking the invitation of forgiveness to all beyond the edge of everything you know.' nganha gurwarra-ngahdi dhulanggarra ngulumunggu bangal-buwu-rayi

This gift affirms that we as a people are to be a light to the world, a light that opens the possibility of hope and justice and brings about reconciliation and redemption within our own nation as a symbol of what is possible for all nations who pursue justice for all.

This is a gift of the type given to a sinful world in the Easter Triduum – the resurrection of the broken body of Christ still carrying the visible signs of his physical destruction when he did Makarrata for us – he took the spear to repair our relationship with God and creation. This gift does not hide the evil done. The scars remain and the Christ asks us, as he did with those in the Upper Room, to look at them, no matter how difficult that may be to do.

The light of forgiveness is the gift of the Spirit, and it is required of us to accept this gift from the 83% of First Peoples who support Recognition and Voice and offer this gift of forgiveness for our individual & collective yes.

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