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Prevention of family violence and violence against women

Statement on the prevention of family violence and violence against women

Faith Communities unite to say NO to family violence and violence against women (02/05/2024)

The Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) has issued the following statement on the prevention of family violence and violence against women:

As faith community leaders, we oppose family violence and violence against women in all its forms, and call upon people of faith to play a role in its elimination.

In 2024, one woman every 4 days is violently killed in Australia. Violence is not just physical, it can be psychological, emotional, sexual, financial or spiritual. The roots are abuse of power and the control of one person over another.

Violence against women and their children takes a profound and long-term toll on women and children’s health and wellbeing, on families and communities, and on society as a whole. It is a violation of basic human rights that affects people in all social, economic, racial, religious and ethnic groups.

Across our faith traditions, we declare:
• Sacred texts, scriptures and cultural traditions should not be used as a way to justify or excuse violence against women.
• We commit ourselves to changing community attitudes that accept violence toward women. We undertake a journey together to raise awareness in our communities and to stop violence against women before it occurs.
• We stand against all forms of violence and discrimination. We see preventing family violence and violence against women as a key entry point for addressing all forms of violence and promoting human rights.
• Every human being should be seen as valued, important and equal. To live in a world where our families and communities are free and safe from violence, we must treat all individuals – women, men, girls and boys – with dignity, equality and respect.
• Promoting equality and respect in our communities benefits us all and strengthens our communities. A strong community is one where we can all contribute and participate equally.
• Our faiths affirm that love, respect, equality and living well together are goals to aim for.

We strongly advocate for a time when every religious and spiritual community can fully embrace their unique and vital role to provide prevention education, to speak out with moral authority against all forms of violence and provide a safe space for those seeking support when impacted by family violence.

For guidance on how to support families and victim survivors go to faithsafe.org.au

Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) is comprised of the following peak bodies: Baha’i Community of Victoria, Brahma Kumaris Australia, Buddhist Council of Victoria, Hindu Council of Australia (Victoria), Islamic Council of Victoria, Jain Council of Victoria, Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria and Victorian Council of Churches.

Prayer written by Lynda Dunstan for Domestic Violence Prevention Month, May 2024
(on Common Grace website)

Loving God, creator and sustainer of all.
You bring light into darkness, and darkness cannot overcome the light of your love. During this month of raising awareness of domestic violence we ask that the light of your love will reveal that which is so often hidden – the suffering of many of your daughters who are subjected to abuse, control, emotional and psychological injury, physical and sexual violence at the hands of someone they have loved or trusted. Pour out your love into the hearts of those who continue to suffer: remind them that you are the God who sees, and you know every detail of their experiences; remind them that you are their strength and refuge, they are not to blame; remind them that you are their Shepherd, and you long to tenderly care for them and restore their dignity and joy.

For those who have further suffered when your word has been used against them to dominate and destroy, or when those who should have offered care and hope within the church community have only added to guilt and shame- we ask that you would hold them until they can trust you again.

For those who continue on their journey of recovery, remind them daily of their strength to survive, and when they grow weary, be their strength and their fortress, a resting place in times of struggle.

Lord you are the one who works righteousness and justice for the oppressed, you stretch out your hand against our foes, with your right hand you save: we ask for deep repentance from those who have chosen abuse and violence in their relationships. We ask that we as your church would deeply repent of words and actions that have not condemned abuse, but simply turned a blind eye. We ask for a deeper understanding and willingness to challenge our beliefs and attitudes that allow abuse to flourish. We ask that we might live up to our call to be light in the world, standing with you for justice. We ask that our churches would be places where women and men live and serve together in true dignity, equality and respect; where each one’s giftings are acknowledged and given space to flourish as your Spirit leads.

Lord we long for that day when there will be no more tears or crying or pain, when your glory will cover the earth, and our hope peace will be completed in you.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

Amen.

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A prayer for a time of distress

A prayer adapted by Captain Star Conliffe from a prayer written by Auxiliary-Lieutenant Rosy Keane.

Come to us in the time of our distress
Merciful God

We bring our prayers of lament to you today and cry out against the violence we are seeing perpetrated in our community.

We mourn the senseless loss of life, loss of dignity, and loss of safety experienced by women, children and the vulnerable.

In this moment Lord we bring to mind the loved ones, the witnesses, the survivors, the first responders and the communities who are reeling from the consequences of violence. (Moment of silence)

Comfort us Lord when silence seems too scary

When the words ‘senseless’ and ‘violence’ open up old wounds of confusion, and fear

Comfort us when we are reminded of all the violations visited upon innocents – war, and genocide, being hurt in our own homes, injustice upon injustice with no end in sight.

Draw your arms near for embracing us
in our nervous wreck states

Come home to us, Lord
Make us comfortable in our skins, unafraid.

We pray for the comfort of your great love. We ask for revelation of you, knowledge of you, pursuit of you. We pray that our community would not only be great but good, not only resilient but resolved, not only healed but whole. All humanity is yours and you are with us in our devastation.

Let us draw on our hope that you are the one who comforts the mourning, that we are witnesses who bear fruit, that all those who call you Lord also call you Saviour.

Let our salt be our knowledge of your love, bringing flavour, comfort and healing.

Let our light be gentle and insistent on the truth of good things to come, even while we sit in the discomfort and spaces of loss and mourning.

Let our wordlessness in the face of grief be a reminder that you are the word made flesh, who suffered all grief so we may never do life or death alone.

In all things we praise you,
Even now we praise you,
You are worthy of praise
Our Holy Father,
Amen.

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St George

St George Day

St George was an early Christian martyr and is venerated as a saint.

Saint George stands out among other saints and legends because he is known and revered by both Muslims and Christians. He is the patron saint of many peoples and nations even today.

Many of our VCC Member Churches celebrate Feast Days for St George and honour his life, witness and courage. 

The Orthodox Churches celebrate St George’s Feast Day on 23 April (traditionally understood to be the day of his martyrdom), but if it falls before Easter, it is celebrated on Easter Monday.

The Coptic Orthodox Church (Egypt) call St George the “Prince of Martyrs” and celebrates his feast on May 1. There is a second celebration on November 17, in honour of the first church dedicated to him.

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates three St George Feast Days each year – April 23 (the date of his death), November 3, to commemorate the consecration of a cathedral dedicated to him in Lydda (current day Lod in Israel), and on November 26, for when a church in Kiev (now Ukraine) was dedicated to him.

Saint George’s Day in Bulgaria is a national holiday always held on 6 May. For almost half a century, the communist government banned the holiday after it came to power in 1946. The holiday was reinstated in 1993 and is again a proud day for Bulgaria. It is also known as Army Day and Bravery Day.

Saint George is also the patron saint of England and St George Day is celebrated on April 23. His cross can be found throughout England. Even though St George never visited England, his reputation spread far and wide.

The life and martyrdom of St George

Saint George (also, George of Lydda) lived in the latter part of the third century A.D. during Diocletian’s rule of the Roman Empire. He was born around 256-286 CE in Cappadocia in Minor Asia and died 23 April 303.

His father’s name was Anastasius, and his mother’s name was Theobaste. They were pious Christians from noble and wealthy families. George was raised to follow the Christian faith of his parents.

George’s father was a Roman officer, martyred for his faith, when George was 14. His mother was a Greek native originally from Lydda (Syria Palestine), known in the biblical narrative as Lod*  She and George returned there when George’s father died. She had family farmland there, and at that time it was mainly a Christian population.
(*eg in Acts 9:32, Lod was the place where the apostle Peter healed the paralytic Aeneas who had been lying paralysed for 8 years).
(*article about present day Lod and tensions post Oct 7)

At a young age, George served in the Roman army under Emperor Diocletian and was commended many times for his service to the Empire. From the rule of the Emperor Decian until 284 A.D., when Diocletian became emperor, the Church went through a period of peace and prosperity. Christians obtained important positions in the government during that time; many built churches and schools and organized the authoritative structure of the Church. Diocletian gave many of his loyal officers political positions so that he could have the military strength of his Empire on his side. After Diocletian had suppressed the barbarian tribes which were attacking the Empire and after he had secured its borders, he began to concentrate on the Empire’s internal affairs. Diocletian believed that a state religion could keep the empire united. Since paganism was the state religion, Diocletian focused his efforts toward the suppression of Christianity.

During the year 303 A.D., Diocletian summoned his aides to meet in Caesarea, a city of the Eastern Roman Empire. He held three general meetings with his aides, instructing them to persecute the Christians. St. George, since he had shown his excellence while serving in the army, was among these aides. Diocletian asked them to pledge their allegiance to this cause by making pagan sacrifices as proof of their loyalty.

All the aides pledged their loyalty except St. George, who gave all his belongings to the poor, and in front of Diocletian himself, tore the Emperor’s edict of persecution apart and professed his faith in Christ. He condemned the vanity of the idols and those who believed in them. He was resolute in standing firm in his loyalty to his Christ and his faith. For this he suffered terrible torture and was eventually beheaded.

To save George, one of his own loyal military officials, Diocletian attempted to convert him to believe in the Roman gods, and offered him land, money and slaves in exchange for offering a sacrifice to the Roman gods, and made several other offers that George refused.

Finally, the emperor, after exhausting all other options to convince George to recant his Christian faith, ordered him to be taken to prison and a boulder to be placed on his chest as a form of torture. The next morning Diocletian ordered that the prisoner be brought before him for questioning. George stood steadfast and again told Diocletain of the Christian teachings, the Godliness of the crucified Nazarene, and of his belief in the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The emperor then summoned the executioners to take the saint and have him bound to the rim of a wheelset with sharp spikes. He was lacerated on the wheel of swords and required resuscitation three times, but still George did not turn from God. (Many other forms of torture are reported to have been used against George). Diocletian admired the courage of the saint and asked him to sacrifice to the gods to save himself. He refused Diocletian’s request and welcomed the chance to martyr for Christ, as his father had done.

Saint George had the divine zeal in his heart and delivered himself to death, a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (c.f. Romans 12,1), paying heed to Saint Paul’s words: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1,21). That is the reason why Saint George became an imitator and communicant of Christ’s passion. “He that abideth in me, and I in him” (John 15,5).

After praying to God, it is reported he heard a voice from heaven say, “Do not fear, George, I am with you.” With the help of Christ, the spiked wheel had had no effect on George. When he appeared before Diocletian, not only was he unharmed, but an angelic aura had settled about him. Suddenly, two officers of the Roman army, Anatolios, and Protoeon appeared before Diocletian with two thousand soldiers. They admitted their belief in Christ and Dioceletain had them all executed.

On April 23, 303 A.D., George was decapitated. His relics were transferred by Christians to their homeland, Lydda, and there he was buried. Christians went to his resting place to honour George as a martyr.

A witness of George’s suffering convinced Empress Alexandra of Rome to become a Christian as well – and she joined George in martyrdom.

When piety shone upon Constantine the Great, Saint Helen visited to the Holy Land and erected a magnificent Basilica abbove the tomb of Saint George. The consecration of that Church was held on November 3.

St George was canonised in AD 494 by Pope Gelasius, who claimed he was one of those ‘whose names are justly revered among men but whose acts are known only to God’.

During the Middle Ages, people believed that St George was one of the ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’ – a group of saints who could help during epidemic diseases. St George’s protection was invoked against several nasty diseases, many fatal and with infectious causes, including the Plague and leprosy.

(Not sure about the dragon though…)

The tomb where the relics of the St George were laid is now located in an Orthodox church dedicated to him. The first church was built in the 6th century. The temple was destroyed several times and was restored in its present form with donations from Russia. The consecration of the restored temple took place on November 3, 1872, the anniversary of the day when it was first consecrated. The Russian Church remembers and celebrates this event in the Menaion, in honour of the churches built and dedicated to Saint George in Russia.

References
Various sources including Wikipedia and Saint George Antiochian Orthdodox Church, St George Catholic Church and Coptic Crew.

 

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Earth Day 2024: Planet vs Plastics

Planet vs. Plastics unites students, parents, businesses, governments, churches, unions, individuals, and NGOs in an unwavering commitment to call for the end of plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040 and an ultimate goal of building a plastic-free future for generations to come.

To goals to achieve a 60% reduction by 2040 need to be:

(1) promoting widespread public awareness of the damage done by plastic to human, animal, and all biodiversity’s health and demanding more research be conducted on its health implications, including the release of any and all information regarding its effects to the public;

(2) rapidly phasing out all single use plastics by 2030 and achieving this phase out commitment in the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution in 2024;

(3) demanding policies ending the scourge of fast fashion and the vast amount of plastic it produces and uses; and

(4) investing in innovative technologies and materials to build a plastic-free world.

“The word environment means what surrounds you. Now plastics do more than surround us;  we have become the product itself- it flows through our blood stream, adheres to our internal organs, and carries with it heavy metals known to cause cancer and disease. Now this once-thought amazing and useful product has become something else, and our health and that of all other living creatures hangs in the balance,” said Kathleen Rogers (President of EARTHDAY.ORG)

“The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.”

Plastics extend beyond an imminent environmental issue; they present a grave threat to human health as alarming as climate change. As plastics break down into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulate through the air we breathe. Plastic production now has grown to more than 380 million tons per year. More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire 20th century, and the industry plans to grow explosively for the indefinite future.

“All this plastic was produced by a petrochemical industry with an abysmal record of toxic emissions, spills, and explosions,” said Denis Hayes, Chair Emeritus of EARTHDAY.ORG. “Plastics are produced in polluting facilities that somehow seem to always be located in the poorest neighborhoods. Some plastics are lethal when combusted; other plastics transmit hormone-disrupting chemicals; and all plastics can starve birds and suffocate sea life. At every stage of their life cycles, from the oil well to the town dump, plastics are a dangerous blight.”

More than 500 billion plastic bags—one million bags per minute—were produced worldwide last year. Many plastic bags have a working life of a few minutes, followed by an afterlife of centuries. Even after plastics disintegrate, they remain as microplastics, minute particles permeating every niche of life on the planet.

100 billion plastic beverage containers were sold last year in the United States. That’s more than 300 bottles per inhabitant. A few of them will be converted into park benches; none of them will be made into new plastic bottles and 95% of all plastics in the US won’t be recycled at all. Even the 5% of plastics being recycled are “downcycling” to inferior products or shipped to poorer countries for “recycling”, leaving the demand for virgin plastic undiminished.

People seldom think of water when they think of plastics. But making a plastic water bottle requires six times as much water as the bottle itself contains.

The fast fashion industry annually produces over 100 billion garments. Overproduction and overconsumption have transformed the industry, leading to the disposability of fashion. People now buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago, but each item is kept for only half as long.

Approximately 85% of garments end up in landfills or incinerators, with only 1% being recycled. Nearly 70% of clothing is made from crude oil, resulting in the release of dangerous microfibers when washed and continued contribution to long-term pollution in landfills.

Social injustice and fashion are directly intertwined, with exploitative working conditions, low wages, and widespread child labor. For far too long, the industry has relied on a fractured supply chain and an almost total lack of governmental regulation.

To learn more about Planet vs. Plastics and join the movement for a plastic-free future, please visit: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2024/.

(edited from Earth Day 2024 website)

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A reflection from Rev John Gilmore (NCCA President)

 ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’ John 13:34

The past few days have been confronting for us all. We have been coming to terms with the deaths of women in Ballarat, Victoria, and then the tragic event in the Bondi Junction shopping centre and now most recently the stabbing attack in the Christ the Good Shepherd Church at Wakeley. Making sense of these happenings is difficult.

We are all, at one level, powerless in the face of such targeted hostility. We know that violence is always wrong and leads to great suffering and vulnerability.

We share a deep and prayerful commitment to community, unity and peace, and with all of this we are faced with a number of risks.

The risk of ‘escalated blame’ is very real. In some ways it is natural to demonise the other and to blame them and to want to punish them for what was done. When such punishment is explored it seems that no proposed punishment is ever enough.

A second blame pathway is to look for reasons as to why such events have happened.  Was it the person’s religious commitment or is there some other reason? Answers can lead to generalisations that all people who share a particular common perspective are to be feared. The outcome of this pathway is a growth in anxiety and suspicion.

Another risk is a growing fear of others. Other people are not to be trusted and are to be feared, particularly if they look, worship or dress differently to me. This leads to a loss of our common humanity.

None these outcomes are of the way of Christ. The Christlike perspective involves holding two realities close together. One being an honest and open understanding of these events and the other being a deep commitment to the way of love (agape) incarnated in Jesus.

This way of Christ leads us to life, builds compassion, creates unity and holds people accountable for what has happened. This path is a prayerful, honest and at times a lonely one. It is the ’narrow path’ and it leads to life.

Jesus says to us in John 13:34: ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’ 

Out of these words of Jesus comes not the energy of blame and fear, rather the life of sacrificial, forgiving and renewing love.

Rev John Gilmore

NCCA President

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Redressing Harm

(first 3 paragraphs and quotes are from an article published on World Council of Churches, 18th April 2024)

On 15 April, faith-based and civil society organizations came together to engage with the theme of the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and its implications for the work of religious organizations working with and for People of African Descent.

The recommendations centered on what states and other actors can do to redress the historic exploitation and harms that Africans and people of African descent have suffered.

Adele Halliday, Anti-Racism and Equity lead for The United Church of Canada, urged participants, most of whom represented churches or faith-based organizations, to

approach the discussions with the full knowledge that faith institutions and actors were complicit in or legitimized racism.

Rev Dr Jermaine Ross-Allam, director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Presbyterian Church (USA), reflecting on Acts 2 suggested that

the result of divine grace is economic or wealth redistribution for a harmonious community in which everyone’s needs are met.

While Australian Churches are not part of that particular discussion regarding the impact of colonisation on Africa, the one before us right now is not dissimilar – our relationship with First Peoples, and the impact of colonisation on the First Peoples.

The Yoorrook Justice Commission in Victoria is implementing the first formal truth-telling process into historical and ongoing injustices committed against First Peoples in Victoria as a result of colonisation, across all areas of social, political and economic life. The Victorian Government has committed to working with the First People’s Assembly of Victoria for a truth and justice process.

For decades, First Peoples have fought for truth-telling, to recognise the impacts of colonisation and address historic and ongoing injustices. The work of the Yoorook Justice Commission is ongoing, and we can expect truth-telling will throw up many challenges as questions are explored.

Some of our Member Churches are already involved in preparing submissions and making presentations to the Commission and are committed to actively engage with the Commission as it proceeds with its work.

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Darkest valleys are lit by the mercy of God (Psalm 23)

Written by Rev Sharon Hollis, President of the Uniting Church in Australia and originally published here

This week, many of us will hear Psalm 23 read in our worship services. It is a psalm that speaks of God’s goodness, God’s mercy and God’s provision. It is a psalm that has been prayed for millennia by the people of Israel. It is a prayer Jesus prayed as he grew up and went about his ministry.

It is also a prayer that speaks of suffering so profound it is experienced of the darkest valley.

We come to the psalm this week with the shadow of death, fear and suffering all around us. And we wonder where God is. Are we forsaken? How will we live in the face of violence, death and despair?

We think of the darkest valley that those who were killed in a shopping centre in Bondi, those who were wounded and those who witnessed the violence are walking through.

We remember the priests and people of Christ the Good Shepherd Church who seek peace and forgiveness in response to the violence in their sacred meeting space.

We call to mind the people of Ballarat struggling with the violent death of three women, and women and non-binary people everywhere who wonder if they are safe to go about their daily business.

We think of those in our communities with mental illness; who will now fear how they are seen, will worry that people will turn from them afraid they too might be violent. They walk this dark valley daily.

Ever before us is the darkest valley of Gaza, the war in Ukraine, violence, war and hunger in countries we barely hear of where people suffer without end in sight.

The witness of Easter is that our darkest valleys are lit by the mercy of God who comes not as one removed from the suffering of the world but as One who has walked this darkest valley before us and has transformed the darkness. The One who cried at the grave of a friend, prayed for suffering to pass him by, laid down his life, died with a cry of God forsakenness on his lips. This One walks with us in the darkest valley and calls us to love and peace.

Because we walk through the darkest valley with the Holy One who has trod this path before us, we can hope that maybe, just maybe, healing will come to brokenness, we will see peace where it seems hopeless, those most in need will know mercy.

Because we walk through the darkest valley with the Holy One who has trod this path before us, we can hope that maybe, just maybe, we will find ourselves comforted and made whole and can participate in God’s healing of a broken world.

I encourage us all to continue holding our nation and world in prayer and to hold each other in loving care.


If you are distressed or need support at this time, reach out to:

Lifeline
24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services.
13 11 14

Beyond Blue
Mental health support for anyone in Australia.
1300 224 636

13YARN
A free, confidential and culturally safe service managed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
13 92 76

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Christ the Good Shepherd Church and Bishop Emmanuel

Shocking to learn of another stabbing attack in Sydney, this time in a church by a 15 year old. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed, as well as three others, during a worship service in an Assyrian Orthodox Church in Wakely in Sydney’s south west.

The attack took place as Bishop Emmanuel was delivering a sermon, which was being live-streamed. Police have labelled the attack a terrorist act.

The Bishop says he’s “doing fine” and has forgiven his attacker as he urged his followers to act in peace.

Churches in Australia have called for prayers of peace.

Places of worship – including synagogues, churches, mosques, temples, and shrines of all faiths and religious heritage sites – are places of prayer. The people who gather there should never feel threatened or unsafe, no matter what religion they follow.

People everywhere must be allowed to observe and practice their faith in peace, as affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Religion cannot be used to justify human rights violations and abuses or to fuel violence.

We must stand together as faith communities to support one another in solidarity, to cooperate in protecting and preventing attacks against places of worship, and to counter intolerance and discrimination.

A statement from Christ the Good Shepherd Church said,

“Dear Brothers & Sisters, Our beloved Bishop, His Grace Mar Mari Emmanuel, and Father Isaac have been admitted to hospital. They are in a stable condition. We ask for your prayers at this time. It is the Bishop’s and Father’s wishes that you also pray for the perpetrator. We also kindly ask anyone at the Church premises to leave in peace, as our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, teaches us. Thank you”.

The Moderator of NSW/ACT UCA Synod issued a statement:

“In the face of this horrific incident, we all must stand together to recommit to respecting and caring for one another, to protecting one another, and to preventing such violence. Any form of violence we reject and denounce. Let us together as a community embrace human rights and values. I call on all of us to continue to pray for peace and hope for those who have been impacted.” (Rev Faaimata Havea Hiliau)

The Most Reverend Bishop Robert Rabbat*‘s Statement on Attack in Wakeley and a Plea for Peace. (* Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand and All Oceania)

Statement from NSW Ecumenical council here

Statement from Syriac Orthodox Church

Statement from Uniting Church Vic/Tas Synod Moderator, Rev David Fotheringham

Other faith traditions have condemned the act of violence.

Multicultural NSW statement here.

The Australian Jewish Association has said:

“Our thoughts are with our friends in the beautiful Assyrian community and we wish them a speedy recovery”.

A statement from the Australian National Islamic Council and the Australian National Imams Council has condemned the attack – read more here.

(Other links to statements will be added if they become available)

In an update, the Regulator has ordered Meta-owned platforms and X to remove all content livestreamed from Sydney’s Wakeley Church (and the Bondi Junction attack).

Further reading
More Protections Needed for People of Faith article (2020)
https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/more-protections-needed-people-faith

https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/rights-and-freedoms/publications/freedom-religion-australia-focus-serious-harms-2020 (with downloadable link on ‘Freedom of religions in Australia: a Focus on Serious Harms’. July 2020)
ahrc_freedom_of_religion_2020

 

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Recognising Jesus in the world

John 21:1-19

In this week’s text, Jesus appears to the disciples yet a third time, but significantly this time they are no longer fearfully hiding in the house. Rather, they are on the lake fishing. Simon Peter had returned to his life as a fisherman, and six of the other disciples decided that they would join him.

But when the fearful disciples try to return to their former lives, they find that their old patterns no longer work. Despite being on the boat and fishing throughout the night, John tells us, the disciples had “caught nothing.” Their old patterns no longer work for them, and they finish a long night tired and emptyhanded. It is an image not only of failure but also of scarcity. If they can catch nothing, how will the disciples feed themselves? How will they make a future for themselves?

It is at this point in John’s narrative that Jesus appears, telling them to “cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some [fish]” (21:6). It is not that the disciples are bad fishermen (it is difficult to imagine that they had not even tried the other side of the boat) but rather that Jesus has miraculously provided fish for them. According to John, the failed patterns of the old life are transformed by the miraculous presence of the risen Jesus, in whose presence the fruitless toil of the long night yields to nets overflowing with abundance. It is the presence of the risen Christ that makes the difference.

Yet the story also introduces a critical complication into the narrative, which is that the disciples seem to find it nearly impossible to recognize Jesus when they encounter him in the world. This theme appears repeatedly in the Gospels. Only when Jesus multiplies the fish do the disciples begin to understand who he is. This detail is important, as it reminds us of the earlier times that Jesus has procured fish for hungry people, notably in the story of Jesus feeding of the 5,000, which occurs in all of the Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). Jesus’s capacity to feed the hungry is fundamental to his identity, not only in his earthly ministry but also in his resurrected existence. The connection is so clear that John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”) immediately recognizes him. “It is the Lord!” he shouts. Peter, too, recognizes him, leaping into the water and swimming to meet him.

Yet the other disciples continue to struggle with recognizing Jesus. When they finally row to shore, Jesus has started a campfire and is already cooking some fish of his own, along with some bread. But Jesus does not simply feed them with food that he himself has brought, instead turning the gathering into a community meal. “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught,” he tells them. Together they make a meal for one another, of bread and fish, those that Jesus brought and those that the disciples caught. We imagine them together forming a little community of abundance as the toil-filled night yielding to the morning’s dawn. It is in that moment that the rest of the disciples recognize him (21:12).

If even his own closest disciples struggle to recognize him, how much more so must our faith communities offer unmistakable signs of Christ’s presence for those who are yet struggling in the night. Holding out possibilities of new life to those trapped fearfully in the failed patterns of the past .Sharing what we have with those in need, even if it is only a few fish and some bread, and inviting others to do the same. The disciples recognize Christ when he creates communities of abundance in the midst of scarcity. Our task is to do the same.

Adapted from a reflection by Robert Williamson Jr.

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Truth-telling at the heart of reconciliation

Aunty Dr Jill Gallagher AO is a proud Gunditjmara woman, a former Treaty Advancement Commissioner, and Chief Executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. She provided an opening keynote speech at the Statewide Treaty Gathering in which she outlined ten things she suggests must be part of a Statewide Treaty. They are her views, and not policy of the First People’s Assembly of Victoria.

She suggests that Aboriginal People must be exempt from Land Tax (including stamp duty), and council rates, and have access to interest free loans to empower Aboriginal People to purchase homes. She highlighted  the fact that Aboriginal people historically were robbed of the opportunity to generate wealth, and could not purchase land and homes. In the education space, she said Aboriginal People must be exempt from HECS / HELP fees. Tertiary education must be provided to Aboriginal students without charge. Her focus was on addressing historic disadvantage and closing the gap in identified areas of concern.

Unfortunately, it has generated a response from politicians who are using social media to spread mistruths.

The campaign demands a response.

Fact checking
The social posts incorrectly state that Premier Jacinta Allan has said that race-based tax is on the table in Victoria. She has not. And it is not. Furthermore, one of the posts states that the State Government is considering tax, including land tax and stamp duty, being imposed based on race. This is blatantly untrue and seems to be designed to stir up racism and fear.

In fact, the Premier has explicitly declined to comment on whether the Government would accept or reject the ideas proposed by Aunty Dr Jill Gallagher. Firstly, she had not seen the comments at the time she was interviewed. Secondly, the views expressed in Aunty Dr Jill Gallagher’s speech belong to her, and are not policy, nor even proposed policy. When the First People’s Assembly have formulated policies there will be an opportunity for negotiation and dialogue. At that point, the Government will consider whether to accept or reject proposals.

Why is this important?
Race issues have grown significantly since the Referendum was defeated. Some people have become emboldened in the way they disparage Aboriginal people and Aboriginal culture. Eddie Betts’ sons recently had a racial slur yelled at them repeatedly while they were playing basketball at their home. They are now too scared to go out and play basketball at night. This kind of racist behaviour is completely unacceptable and is emboldened further by fear campaigns.

We can expect that our elected officials will behave in a way that shows respect for all people in their electorate, and not stir up racist thinking and behaviour for political purposes.

We need political leadership that shows a commitment to reconciliation in this country, and strategies to close the gap.

As Christians, let us “aim to respect, value and acknowledge the unique cultures, spiritualities, histories and languages of the oldest surviving culture in the world, and to engage in a unified and positive relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities”. (Source: TSA RAP)

What can you do?

  • Contact your local Member of Parliament by letter or email or in person to respectfully express your concerns.
  • Be clear you expect politicians to work together for the common good.
  • Use your own socials to raise concerns.