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The Victorian Multicultural Commission(*) stood in solidarity yesterday with the Sikh community who have, in recent weeks, been subject to racist incidents after a lake (not previously named) in Berwick was named in honour of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith. See media release from Hon Jacinta Allan.

(*) VMC has oversight for the Multicultural Advisory Group (MAG) which includes multicultural and multifaith leaders, including Christian representatives. 

Victorian multicultural and multifaith leaders gathered at Parliament House, alongside key government officials, to acknowledge the immense contribution of Sikh Victorians to a safe, strong and cohesive Victoria.

The gathering affirmed the universal values of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith: selflessness, service to others, tolerance and respect. Guru Nanak taught that people should help the poor, live honestly, and keep God’s name in their hearts. Victoria is home to Australia’s largest Sikh community, with more than 91,000 Sikh Victorians recorded in the 2021 Census.

“Our Victorian community is gratefully aware of the generosity of Sikh members,particularly in times of adversity. I am sure when more local folk are aware of the connection of this Sikh generosity to the teaching and inspiration of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, they will feel proud to have this connection. As with many things, patient and “careful dialogue will be important in the period ahead.
With my prayers, ✨🙏Bishop Philip.

The Victorian Council of Churches Standing Committee responded to an invitation to be a signatory to a statement (see below). It is important to recognise and value cultural and religious diversity as part of social cohesion.

Statement from Multifaith and Multicultural Leaders
We, the undersigned multifaith and multicultural leaders of Victoria, stand in solidarity with the Sikh community in the rise of racism.
Diversity is Victoria’s greatest strength. We come from over 200 backgrounds, speak more than 290 languages, and follow over 200 different faiths.
From the values of service to the sense of generosity shown to all, Sikh Victorians embody the very best of this diversity.
Today, we come together as leaders from different faiths to say this: we stand with you in solidarity and harmony. This is not just about one name, or one place. It’s how we honour contribution from diverse communities to the story of our state.
Here in Victoria, we don’t just tolerate diversity we celebrate it. To the Sikh community: you are not alone. Your hurt is our hurt, and your strength is our strength. We appreciate the universal values of Guru Nanak of serving humanity selflessly, no matter their caste, creed, or background and nurturing our natural environment to promote equality and togetherness.
We’ll continue standing together – shoulder to shoulder now and always. Because this is what it means to be Victorian: united, proud, and stronger together.

Additional references

Prominent neo-Nazis gatecrash a community rally (paywall)

Community consultation – the decision is not without controversy

Ingrid Stitt comment to Parliament

Media release: Celebrating Victoria’s Sikh communities

Name a place in Victoria – nominations close 16th December 2024

 

(originally published on 26th November on World Communion of Reformed Churches)

Rev. Professor Choan Seng Song, an influential theologian, ecumenical pioneer, and advocate for justice died on 26 November 2024.

Spanning decades and continents, Professor Song’s remarkable career shaped the identity and mission of the church in profound ways. His passing marks a significant loss, yet his enduring legacy of faith, scholarship, and advocacy will continue to inspire generations.

Rev. Dr. C. S. Song was a theologian of extraordinary depth and insight, whose work was firmly rooted in his Christian Asian heritage. His reflections, which wove together faith, culture, and a commitment to liberation, spoke not only to the church’s spiritual mission but also to its call to address social and economic injustices. Over the course of his distinguished career, Professor Song served as a mentor and teacher in Taiwan, the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong, leaving a transformative mark on the lives of his students and colleagues.

“It is with a sense of deep sadness that we heard of the passing of the Rev. Professor Choan Seng Song,” said Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). “We thank God for his life and the profound impact he had on so many. His theological voice, grounded in his Asian Christian roots, was a clarion call for justice and liberation. He challenged the church to not only preach the Gospel but to embody it in transformative ways,” added Nyomi.

Adding to the tributes, Rev. Najla Kassab, president of the WCRC, reflected on Song’s pivotal role in the global Reformed movement.

“Today, the passing of Dr. C. S. Song comes at a time when we remember the long journey that the WCRC has enjoyed for around 150 years, shaped by a faithful cloud of witnesses who strengthened the Communion. Dr. Song, in his role as President of WARC between 1997 and 2004, stands as a great witness to sincere service and commitment to deepening the communion. His theology impacted many, and his dedication remains a powerful expression of contextual theology,” shared Kassab.

Professor Song’s influence extended far beyond the classroom. His ecumenical contributions were immense, including his service as Director of Studies for the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and as Associate Director of the Faith and Order Commission at the World Council of Churches. During his tenure as WARC President, the Accra Confession – a landmark theological document that continues to guide churches worldwide in addressing economic injustice and environmental degradation – was developed.

“Song’s leadership during the development of the Accra Confession was visionary,” noted Nyomi. “He believed in a church that speaks truth to power and acts boldly for justice. This conviction shaped his presidency and will continue to inspire us,” expressed Nyomi.

“Under his leadership, the WCRC approved the Accra Confession during its General Council in Accra, Ghana, in 2004. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Accra Confession, a powerful statement denouncing economic and ecological injustice. The injustices that the Accra Confession confronted two decades ago have not disappeared – they have worsened. Dr. Song’s passing serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing need to dedicate ourselves to the fight against injustice, carrying forward the legacy of his prophetic vision and tireless commitment,” shared Yueh-Wen Lu, former Vice President, WCRC.

For many, Song was more than a theologian or leader – he was a mentor and a friend. His ability to combine theological depth with practical action earned him the admiration of students, colleagues, and church leaders across the globe.

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, where Song’s faith journey began, joins the global church in mourning his loss. The WCRC has extended its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the ecumenical community.

“With his passing, the Reformed family and the ecumenical movement have lost a great leader, mentor, and friend,” said Nyomi. “We give thanks for his life and pray that his legacy will continue to guide us. May he rest in perfect peace,” Nyomi reflected.

Rev. Dr. C. S. Song’s life reminds us that theology is not merely an academic pursuit – it is a call to action and a witness to God’s boundless love. His remarkable contributions will live on in the lives he touched and the movements he championed.

Statement on the Commemoration of the Religious Observances of Advent and Christmas in the Midst of the Continuing War

November 22, 2024

Last year, as a means of standing in solidarity with the multitudes suffering from the newly erupted war, We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, took a mutual decision to call upon our congregations to forego the public display of Christmas lights and decorations, along with their associated festivities.

While our intentions in doing so were good, many around the world nevertheless misinterpreted this call to signify a “Cancellation of Christmas” in the Holy Land – the very place of our Lord’s Holy Nativity. Because of this, our unique witness to the Christmas message of light emerging out of darkness (John 1:9) was diminished not only around the world, but also among our own people.

For this reason, for the coming Advent and Christmas seasons, we encourage our congregations and people to fully commemorate the approach and arrival of Christ’s birth by giving public signs of Christian hope.

At the same time, we also call upon them to do so in ways that are sensitive to the severe afflictions that millions in our region continue to endure. These should certainly include upholding them continuously in our prayers, reaching out to them with deeds of kindness and charity, and welcoming them as Christ himself has welcomed each of us (Romans 15:7).

In these ways, we will echo the Christmas story itself, where the angels announced to the shepherds glad tidings of Christ’s birth in the midst of similarly dark times in our region (Luke 2:8–20), offering to them and to the entire world a message of divine hope and peace.

—The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem

(image: St George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem)

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12, NKJV).

(originally posted on WCC website, 10th October 2024)

Yom Kippur (‘Day of Atonement’) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. This year it will be from sundown on October 11^th until sundown on the next day. The Jewish community spend 25 hours without food or drink, engaged in prayer and reflection.

Alongside the related holiday of Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year), Yom Kipppur is one of the two components of the High Holy Days of Judaism.

In an article in the Washington Post entitled ‘The thin joy of the new year, the horror of the one just concluded’, Ruth Marcus writes that ‘all the apples dipped in all the honey in the world cannot erase the bitterness of the year just concluded or offer reassurance of a year to come that will be any less painful or precarious.

She quotes from the prophet Jeremiah, in a passage used in the liturgy for Rosh Hashanah, ‘a cry is heard in Ramah – wailing, bitter weeping – Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone’.

(So much wailing – for Jewish people, for Palestinian people, for our global community)

She writes:

‘We weep, we must weep, for all the children. Because it is also true: No fast can be easy when so many Gazan children are dead and maimed. Their fates are something I will mourn, and for which I will atone in synagogue this week, because our sins are collective as well as individual”

On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jewish people listen to the piercing sound of the shofar, the ram’s horn. It is usually understood as a wake-up call, to jolt us out of complacency and ponder our deeds.

‘This year for the first time in my life, this teaching doesn’t work’, said Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt. ‘We’re already awake. We’re on edge, and we’re shaken to our cores. This year, the shofar sounds more like wailing to me – a ritual that captures the utter sorrow and pain and unimaginable loss of this year. The shofar is a representation of the wordless anguish that hovers over us and in us. Anguish that we cannot turn away from. Anguish that we cannot close from our ears or our hearts. But it is also our teacher… What if this year the shofar is a call to us from thousands of years ago asking us to find another way forward, to end the sacrificing of our children and to cling to life?’

An excerpt from the article by Ruth Marcus in The Washington Post, 8^th October 2024

The original sculpture of The Knotted Gun also known as “Non-Violence” was created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd (1934-2016), a friend of John Lennon’s family. He created it after Lennon’s tragic death as he wanted to honour the singer’s vision of a peaceful world.

In 1988, a bronze version of the sculpture was unveiled in front of the United Nations’ headquarters (donated by the Government of Luxembourg)

Replicas have been placed in more than 30 strategic locations around the world including Beirut (Lebanon).

This week Beirut has suffered ‘unprecedented’ bombardment” with a series of gigantic blasts that reduced six buildings to rubble.

Military activity in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan and other places around the world use more than guns but the ‘knotted gun’ remains a powerful call to de-escalate violence and the weapons of war which jeapardize international peace and security and sustainable development. And new and emerging weapon technologies including autonomous weapons and drones pose a challenge to global security as do nuclear weapons as has been threatened more than once in the Russian-Ukraine war.

How many resources are wasted on military spending, which sadly continues to increase! I sincerely hope that the international community understands that disarmament is first and foremost a moral duty. Let us keep this clearly in our minds. This requires courage from all members of the great family of nation, to move from an equilibrium of fear to an equilibrium of trust.
(Pope Francis, St Peter’s Square, 3 March 2024)

There are many from Lebanon who now call Australia home, who watch from the safe shores of Australia and look with dismay, concern and shock at what is happening in Lebanon to innocent civilians.

Prayer (adapted from here)
O God, you hate nothing that you have made and tenderly call your creation into reconciliation with you, that we all may have life in abundance.

Forgive us for the times when we have ignored your call to follow in the way of the reconciling Christ. Turn our hearts to make us more attentive to the needs of those who suffer as a result of war, oppression, displacement and poverty.

We pray particularly for the civilians in Lebanon who suffer the consequences of military bombardment, and who now face a catastrophic crisis.

Sustain them in the power of your Holy Spirit and inspire them to hold onto a vision for peace, and your promise that “Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest”. (Isaiah 29:17)

Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen.

Prayer (adapted from here)
God of refuge,
hear our prayer
as we hold the people of Beirut
in our hearts at this time.
Fill us with compassion
and move us to reach out in love.
In your mercy,
bring comfort to those who mourn,
healing to those who are injured,
shelter to those who are homeless
sustenance to those who hunger.
Lead us in your ways
so that together we may bring
the light of new hope
wherever there is destruction and despair.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.