The following piece, The Peace We Seek, was inspired by a recent 9-week course I did. The course was conducted by Scott Vaswer from OnEarth. The course was centred around the SBS series, The First Australians, and consisted of 9 sessions discussing and trying to relate to the First Australians’ experience of white rule in Australia. The course was conducted at the invitation of PeaceChurch, an experimental ecumenical para-church, of which I am a member of the Steering Committee.
The indigenous people of Australia are thought to have migrated to Australia from South East Asia around 50,000 years ago, perhaps even as long ago as 100000 years ago. They probably first encountered this country near modern day Darwin or even in the north of what is now Western Australia.
Over time they spread out through the mainland until they occupied pretty much the whole country, living and developing in to distinct cultural and linguistic groups, which became individual nations.
These nations engaged in trade and cultural exchange and developed complex legal, social and spiritual systems that knew boundaries similar to the boundaries that exist between nations today around the world.
They developed a spiritual awareness which permeated every part of their culture and socio-economic systems. This spiritual awareness as we can see in many of their stories extended to a deep understanding of and communion with the natural environment that surrounded them.
For 40-50,000 years these social religious environmental economic systems developed in a way that seems to have been almost at one with the country in which they lived.
Into this system, came firstly the incidental explorer and trader, but then 220 years ago this country was invaded by a totally different, almost opposing culture that had developed literally on the other side of the world.
Naturally, problems arose from the beginning. Health, land and cultural issues caused a great deal of pain within the indigenous population, exacerbated by the fact that those who came saw the indigenous inhabitant as less than nobody, less than human and the country as ‘Terra Nullous’ – a land inhabited by nobody.
Move on 221 years to a little church in Wembley Downs in Western Australia.
About two years ago, this church involved itself in somewhat of an experimental para-church project, which we have called PeaceChurch. PeaceChurch’s mission is to explore non-violent resolution to conflict. We recognise conflict exists in all aspects of life and that sometimes we need to accept that conflict will continue to exist, but hopefully we can find ways to move through the conflict and hopefully come out the other side with ways of moving forward even though the conflict itself is still there. We can accept differences, we can accept differing views, we can even accept differing goals, but within that we can still move forward with a Christ-centred common experience. We can both change but also not-change.
Over the two years we have explored this idea of idea of ‘peace within conflict’, we have discovered that one of the keys is to listen. Listen to what each other has to say, listen to what each other’s grievances are, listen to how we view each others’ strengths and weaknesses.
Out of that idea of listening came the idea of travelling on a listening journey – a journey that had no aim of solving problems, no aim of achieving goals and no desire to impose one view over another. Just listen and hopefully, perhaps understand. And then maybe some sort of journey could happen together.
An obvious candidate for a context in which to embark on this listening journey was the story of the inter-twining of the lives of the new white settlers and that of the indigenous population of this, our own country. Hence we began the PeaceChurch OnEarth Listening journey using the SBS series The First Australians as a catalyst for our exploration and listening with Scott Vawser leading from the front or maybe he was pushing from behind.
The course and associated discussion was brilliant and it culminated in a weekend retreat to Mandurah and a wonderful trip to several remote communities in the Kimberley. It was an inspiring experience that opened my eyes to something I vaguely knew about. As I listened to the stories and became more a-tune to listening, it occurred to me that the journey was rather like the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As the disciples listened and engaged in hospitality, the stranger vanished. If we take the time to listen to our indigenous sisters and brothers, then maybe the strangers among us will also vanish.
The Peace We Seek
I met the man unexpectedly,
I neither heard nor saw him,
He just appeared behind me, saying
Hey man – is it peace you seek?
We walked the dry and dusty road,
And I was so thirsty for the truth,
I listened as He talked about
Living the peace we seek.
Acknowledge misdeeds of the past he said,
The misunderstandings and even the hate,
Denying the stealing and the crying children,
Will only darken the peace you seek.
As we walked the road together,
His words rang loud and true,
Walk together; share the load, he called.
You’ll see the peace you seek.
By exercising your responsibilities,
He said, as we journeyed on,
By building relationships, showing respect,
That’s what will bring the peace you seek.
In times of silence with meditation, he said,
Perhaps via tears and inner pain,
Through confession and forgiveness,
‘Sorry!’ a light will be, on the peace you seek.
He talked some more, I listened intently,
on that dry and dusty road.
We finally arrived at our destination,
And I could almost feel the peace we seek.
It is in the dance and the stories, he continued,
In the trees and in the stars,
It is through the Spirits and the Dreaming,
That you can see the peace you seek.
Show some love and understanding.
Work at tolerance and friendship.
Share the joy, the happiness and hope,
For there, in that place, is the peace you seek.
A black ‘fella’ carrying a cross, he was.
And as he broke the bread and gave thanks for the wine
This is what it’s all about, he said.
For together, we can live the peace we seek.
©2009 Steve Mellor
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