Coming of the light
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Introduction
Christmas in July
looking forward to this week - Coming of the light
God working things together - OCC and Hannah Chaplaincy
National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee - NAIDOC
A celebration that brings in this week is the Coming of the Light - July 1st
Pray
Lord, thank-you that we can gather today to hear your word. May it be your words we hear, guided by the Holy Spirit. May we each humble ourselves to learn what it is in this moment you want to teach us. May todays message spur us on to be bold to declare Your good news to the people you put on our hearts. Amen
he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
Chpt 40-55 come from a time when many of the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon, crushed and without hope. The Prophet proclaimed that God would set his people free and take them home to Jerusalem, to begin a new life. A notable theme of these chapters is that God is the Lord of History, and his plan for his people includes the mission to all nations, who will be blessed through Isreal.
So what does this passage have to do with Australian stories? Well, simply I want to give 2 examples of the fulfilment of this blessing to all the nations. One example of it done well and one when we only stop at the small thing of restoring our own tribe instead of being a blessing.
Video - 151 years -1871
Dabad - In defiance of tribal law Dabad, a Warrior Clan Elder on Erub welcomed the London Missionary Society clergy and teachers.
The acceptance of the missionaries and Christianity into the Torres Strait Islands is often credited with ending conflict between different island groups. However, Christian principles were already somewhat compatible with the Islander religion. The missionaries offered a more practical advantage. Torres Strait Islanders had been grossly exploited in the maritime industry. The missionaries provided some protection and assistance to Islanders who negotiated with outsiders in the maritime industry.
integration of Culture - drums, interpreted into the Island's languages
Shoe boxes - an attempt to give the gift in their language and provide education
Schools
- Pray for meaningful connections with students and ongoing relationships despite only being at Queechy one day a week.
- Pray for greater inclusion in the wellbeing team and connection with other support staff - eg. social worker, psychologist.
- Pray for opportunities to speak about Jesus and share God's love with students and staff.
Be able to tell the story of Jesus, the coming light in a context that they understand and impacts their life for the better.
Chistmas in July
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Tassies Story
Tassies Story
As happy as it makes me see the light come to the Torres Strait Islands, it grieves me that Tasmania did not have the same experience and instead the pain inflicted on the indigenous population.
I was reading about the missional experience in an essay from N. Plomley called ‘The Aborigines of Tasmania and Christianity’
Here is a summary of its history and the attempts to evangelise to the Aboriginal population.
To start with a key difference is that the first settlers here did not come with the calling to spreading the light of Christianity. Instead, it was about settling in the land and prosperity, this created conflict between European settlers and Aboriginals. The first record of Christian influence was on Aboriginal Children who had been kidnapped or separated from parents as they fleed for their lives. They were baptised and given Christian instruction as they lived with the settlers.
Although in NSW there were a number of early attempts to make real contact with the Aborigines - setting up schools for their children - there was no official move in Tasmania to give the Aborigines a European education or to promote Christianity among them. What motivated NSW to connect with the aborigines was the faint glimmer of the idea that Aborigines were Human beings, while in Tasmania they were thought of as little more advance than beasts who hampered the settlers in following their ‘lawful pursuits’.
governor of Van Diemen's Land Thomas Davey and then William Sorell drew public attention to this practice of taking aboriginal children as it was done to provide house servants. Tensions rose again when the children would rejoin their family and reject European ways which were seen as ungrateful and disrespectful.
This escalated into warfare and to enforce the British way of life 2 series of hangings were conducted to send a message. However, this only resulted in increased aggression
In 1828 Governor George Arthur put in an application to the Church Missionary Society was made asking for a missionary to work among ‘the wretched Aborigines of Van Diemens ’
That application was rejected ‘until larger means are obtained, to enter a new field of labour’.
April 1828 a soldier was stationed on Bruny Island to issue biscuits and potatoes to the aborigines. August that grow to include blankets.
As this was seen as the first attempt at a mission towards the Aborigines a letter was written to ask if anyone was willing to take on the mission. no reply. in March 1829 the role was given a salary and rations to ‘a steady person of good character, … who will take an interest in effecting and intercourse with this unfortunate race, and reside upon Bruny Island, taking charge of the provisions supplied for the natives of the place’.
9 applied with George Robinson given the role, a religious man involved in preaching to the seamen and visiting gaols. Robinson’s proposal to make the Aborigines civilised was to make a native village and be instructed with Christian principles through public worship and schooling. This idea took 5 years and was relocated to flinders island.
1830-34 - remnant brought into captivity and lodged in a settlement off the coast of Tasmania
Robinson and later Wilkinson translated sections of the bible words into the aboriginal languages but were both discouraged to do so.
Christianity was a Sunday service, the sabbath and the aborigines needed to adhere to this practice in English. some did they just had no idea what was being said or it was a time to have a nap.
With the departure of Robinson in 1839, all formal teaching stopped and any presentation of the gospel was only in church services and prayer meetings. thereafter the Aborigines were rarely exposed to Christianity.
From the beginning of Aboriginal settlement, there had been a need for ‘some simple-minded affectionate and Christian agent’. Christianity had entirely failed them.
When the mission was to bring the light to the population it brought peace, integration of values and culture and something to celebrate. When the mission is to relieve overcrowding in Britain's prisons, and Christianity is only part of the colony. There is a war created, a clash of values and culture and now something to be mourned.
1924 - Ida West - Pride against prejudice - Reminiscences of a Tasmanian Aborigine
Ida grow up on Flinders Island
100 years on and still faced with prejudices - Called half-casts, there is this story in the early chapters of her mum coming out to meet her at the road. The new neighbour an English lady was also coming down her driveway to wait when she saw Ida’s mum and family. She ran away but Ida’s mum yelled ‘stop at once’ with authority and she stopped in her tracks. Ida’s mum went up to her and asked why are you running from us. The lady told her that she was frightened of them and said she was told that black people would eat her or kill her when she arrived on Flinders Island.
She also tells a story that intersects with her faith
While on a beach we would eat currants that grew on the banks. We had no bathers, only bloomers or trousers with the legs cut off. We couldn’t swim, but we tried to. all the girls went out further than we should have. The waves got bigger and bigger and lifted us off our feet. A great big fish like a stingray with big eyes on the top of its head chased us to shore. We told Uncle Johnny Smith who looked it up in the fish book. It was called a Boat Ray and could swing its tail around and cut our legs off. We never ever went out so far again. I feel the good Lord sent that fish to warn us against going out so far.
Ida's simple faith is that we are all made in the image of God and all people are to be treated with respect.
I love the storytelling and integration of faith and life.
I am so thankful that where man fails God redeems.
What Jesus has done for us fulfils these prophecies in Isaiah and goes beyond Jacob and Israel now. The light has gone out to all nations. But I wonder if like the nation of Israel we can lose sight of the light we have in our lives to share with others for the institution of religion.
He has Chosen us to continue to carry the light into all situations and among all people.
This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
I look forward to the years ahead as we walk in the light to see peace and unity in Australia, the richness of culture and faith integrated and something to celebrate like what the Torres Strait Islands have been celebrating for 151 years.
Pray