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…

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