A SERVICE OF RECONCILIATION AND APOLOGY

Last night I was privileged to attend one of the most moving - and historic - Christian events I can remember. The Baptists of Victoria made their apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: the first Baptist Union in Australia to formally do so. (South Australian Baptists have begun discussions to initiate a similar process).

We heard half a dozen powerful and sad stories of people who were 'stolen' children. We saw the video 'Bringing Them Home' (see it with your church group or friends). And then we read aloud, together, this apology:

'We, the members of Victorian Baptist Churches, with the known support of numerous other Australian Baptists, offer this heartfelt apology to the Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islander peoples.

We make it acknowledging the injustice, the dispossession, the pain and the sorrow borne by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for more than two centuries: that their lands were occupied and claimed without fair and just negotiation when people came here from Europe in the eighteenth century; that their presence in the land was not recognized; that their culture, religious freedom and heritage were not respected; that we forcibly sought to assimilate them into our culture; and that children have been taken away from their parents and families.

We make it acknowledging the consequent suffering and injustices they still endure, and in the belief that it is only as we as a church and a nation face the truth of our past, which lives on in us all, that there can be reconciliation, healing and hope for the future.

We recognize this crucial moment in the history of this country. We are conscious of the God given opportunity before us to seek justice, pursue it, and implement it.

We confess that we have sinned before God and against you: we have failed to recognize your prior occupation of the land. Without recourse to just and fair negotiation, we claimed as our own, land that was your livelihood and to which you belonged. We have not respected your culture, religious freedom and heritage. In violation of fundamental human rights we have taken so many of your children away from their parents and families.

We confess that our failure to see what we were doing denied our common humanity, degraded us all, and was not Christian.

For all this we are truly sorry and apologize unreservedly.

We ask your forgiveness and commit ourselves to work with you, and all other Australians, for reconciliation.'

The aboriginal representatives graciously responded, then we stood and all said together:

'We stand together as one body, to acknowledge our history and the pain it has caused for many people. We are united in our commitment to healing these hurts, and learning from them. As we continue this journey of healing and hope, we will be there for each other. Together we look forward to building a better future, based on hope, trust, and friendship.'

Then followed a ceremony of the exchange of gifts: Baptist leaders offered green/yellow/ black ribbons representing the colours of the Baptist Churches of Australia and Aboriginals present offered red/yellow/black ribbons to the rest of us.

Then we shared communion...