Reconciliation at Radford

By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19-20

Reconciliation is at the heart of Christianity.

God enters this fallen, hurting world with a message of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. The things which separate us from God and from each other have been healed by the sacrificial love of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. What humanity cannot achieve on its own, God offers freely and generously in the grace of Jesus and the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit.

As people reconcile to God, we are also called to reconcile with each other. Reconciliation implies that a relationship has been damaged in some way and needs repair. Families and friendship groups are full of stories of reconciliation that has taken place or of hope that it might occur at some future stage.

More broadly, when we hear the word reconciliation, we think about the commitment to heal the broken relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Australia. This is Reconciliation with a capital ‘R’. The decade of Reconciliation was introduced in 1990 by then Prime Minister Bob Hawke after the promise of a treaty was not followed through.

Over the past 32 years, there have been many acts of personal and collective Reconciliation. Among the most memorable were the Bridge Walks in 2000. As a nation, we are now working towards the hopes and aspirations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. As Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services and Dirrum Dirrum Speaker writes, issues such as children and the justice system have direct implications here in the ACT of which we all need to be aware.

I’d like to share a few ways that Radford College is currently pursuing Reconciliation. Celebrated artist Jodie Munday is the Aboriginal Artist in Residence in the Junior School. Jodie has been working with staff and students on some stunning shared artworks.

We have also signed an agreement with Aboriginal Christian leader and cultural consultant Brooke Prentis. Brooke will work with students, review curriculum, and guide us in the process of developing our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). We are seeking input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the Radford community and from non-Indigenous members of the Radford community. Staff, students, parents, and friends all have a part to play.

If you would like to be part of this process in a formal way or simply by having a conversation, please contact me: Katherine.Rainger@radford.act.edu.au.

This prayer for Reconciliation was written by Colleen Malcolm and Bishop Arthur Malcolm, the first Aboriginal Bishop in Australia:

Lord God, bring us together as one,
reconciled with you and reconciled with each other.
You made us in your likeness,
you gave us your Son, Jesus Christ.
He has given us forgiveness from sin.
Lord God, bring us together as one,
different in culture, but given new life in Jesus Christ,
together as your body, your Church, your people.
Lord God, bring us together as one,
reconciled, healed, forgiven,
sharing you with others as you have called us to do.
In Jesus Christ, let us be together as one. Amen

Blessings for the week ahead
Rev. Katherine