‘Responsibility to be truth-tellers’: First Nations theologian answers Greg Sheridan

As a recognised First Nations scholar, theologian, activist and author I feel it necessary to respond to Greg Sheridan’s article in The Australian last week. This isn’t a tit-for-tat. I am not interested in debating facts, but I do wish to add to this discourse. 

The official history of Australia omits details of invasion, theft of land, massacres, cultural genocide, the rape of women and children, slavery, and certainly contains no mention of the Stolen Generations. Australia’s First Nations peoples are no longer satisfied with being a melancholy footnote to history. We want the full history to be told — the good, the bad and the ugly.

Australia has many secrets and it is time for the truth to be spoken. We Christians have a great responsibility to be truth-tellers as we are called by God to be Christ’s ambassadors for reconciliation. I find it interesting that Sheridan refers to the referendum as “identity politics”, especially when colonial Australia has always developed legislation and policy on the grounds of race to control First Nations peoples.

Identity politics isn’t new in Australia. Historians such as Henry Reynolds, Marcia Langton and John Harris have written explicitly about it and the racist policies that dictated and controlled every aspect of the First Nations people’s lives since invasion. So I am at a loss as to how constitutional recognition and the Voice to Parliament is now referred to as identity politics. 

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a profoundly spiritual appeal from Australia’s First Nations peoples asking to be recognised and heard. It is a deeply heartfelt plea and reflects the vulnerability of our peoples. First Nations peoples face a very anxious time over the next few months as we wait in anticipation to see what the future will hold for us. 

The Australian government will hold a referendum later in 2023 for the nation to vote on whether First Nations peoples should be recognised in the constitution as the first peoples of this land. The vote will decide if an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will give us the opportunity to influence government policy and decisions that affect our lives and our destiny. Whatever the outcome, be assured this change will have an impact on Black/white relationships — whether for better or worse only time will tell.

It is important for every Australian to reflect on our history as this will be the measure by which we are judged. 

It is important for Christians to reflect on the word of God and remember the reason his word can have such power, to lay open the hardest of hearts, is because it’s the sword of the spirit and not man’s sword. Instead, the spirit of God is the spirit of truth, and the true word of God can cut to the core of any human heart. 

John 1:14 states: “The word became flesh and made its dwelling among us. We have seen the glory, the glory of the one and only son from God, full of grace and truth.” John 32 states: “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

It’s this form of truth that is needed to be injected into the Christian church. It will inform our theology to embrace the spirit of God as the spirit of truth, which in seeking will set us free. 

The Statement from the Heart is a genuine sign of First Nations peoples extending the hand of grace to all Australians. Can you imagine, that here are a people who are placing their hope in your hands and asking for a relationship that is built on biblical justice and proper restitution. If you haven’t read the full statement I suggest you take the time to do so. It is powerful and spiritual and expresses a graciousness that should melt the most hardened hearts. 

Just as God gave his only son who suffered and died for our sins so we could have eternal life, so too must we give of ourselves to the creator God. There is no shortcut. Grace costs nothing but it demands everything: “Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus; it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the repentant heart. Grace is costly because it compels us to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him.” 

Thus we Christians are all called by God to be Christ’s ambassadors, to stand on the side of the poor, downtrodden, broken-hearted and oppressed. Surely this also means Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Let us be bold and courageous in our ministry for reconciliation, to which we are called to act for justice and to be transformative, and to raise our prophetic voice in our actions for justice for First Nations peoples. This is a time for us to right the wrongs and transform this nation, creating a new path that is built on love, justice and hope. 

It is important to note that I have come to realise that my people’s redemption is tied to the redemption of white Australia and that we can only find our redemption together. It is important that we walk alongside each other and listen to each other’s truths, cry as we share our pain, draw upon God as the creator spirit, as a wisdom teacher on country, and as the spirit to open our hearts to learning the wisdom of this ancient land and share hope and respect. In so doing we will find understanding, compassion, empathy and friendship.