"Gladys wrote in message <>

From the age of three years in Sunday School I used to wonder how the pennies (equivalent of one to three cents - but which buy much more) we sang about when the collection was taken could help children in other lands. Later, when I was appointed Missionary Secretary at Christian Endeavour I corresponded with missionaries in Inda. In my adult life I have had interest in mission work in various parts of the world including among Australian Aborigines.

In respect of the Aboriginal work I stayed for three weeks on an Aboriginal settlement in North Queensland. I would have liked to have been accepted for a teaching position at an Aboriginal Mission in the Northern Territory, but my medical history prevented that.

The text, "Öne Blood" by John Harris is a 'warts-and-all' account of Christian work from a number of denominations among Aborigines from 1788. Not all those involved were personally or professionally well-equipped to undertake that work. However, from their trial-and-error-sometimes-success came more enlightened ways. There are Aborigines who are glad that English and people of other Northern Hemispere countries came to Australia as they now have the means of living in a modern world. That is a fact that needs to be emphasised - rather than the attitude of some that they wish to push themsleves up by being critical of those who worked in the past with little training and few resources.

I responded:

Hi Gladys

One Blood is a brilliant book...

I have been privileged to address two national Christian aborigines conferences - one at Port Augusta, the other at Alice Springs

At both, aboriginal leaders - many, trained/educated by white missionaries - asked me: 'Why haven't we heard before that the Bible is full of God's concern for social justice?'

(See http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/579.htm for the jist of what I preached)

How would you have answered that?

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Shalom!

Rowland Croucher http://jmm.aaa.net.au/