Greetings …

This coming Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, but it is also Reconciliation Sunday in the Uniting Church as it falls in Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June).  While these are both distinct events, it seems to me that they do have something in common.  The first Pentecost was a coming together of a diverse and divided people through God coming close to humanity with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  In many ways we are a diverse and divided people, but we are invited to work together committing ourselves to the work of justice and reconciliation.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements.  It is a time when we can each explore how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in this land.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023 is Be a Voice for Generations, extending an invitation to us all to consider how we can be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways with our families, friends, communities and networks.

In 2023, Australia faces a once in a lifetime opportunity to take a significant step forward for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice in the referendum on a First Nation’s Voice to Parliament. As I reflect on how I can ‘Be a Voice for Generations’ this National Reconciliation Week I am convinced that this is an opportunity to do something which will benefit all Australians.  I would like to invite you to also explore steps we can take together, as a community of faith, towards justice and healing for the flourishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Blessings – Heather (she/her).