Religious Education

Reconciliation Week

Beginning with a reading from Pope John Paul II that recognizes the connections Aboriginal people have to their country. At Alice Springs in 1986 the Holy Father spoke to Aboriginal people and said:

‘You lived your lives in spiritual closeness to the land, with its animals, birds, fishes, water holes, rivers, hills and mountains. Through your closeness to the land, you touched the sacredness of man’s relationship with God, for the land was the proof of a power in life greater than yourselves. You did not spoil the land, use it up, exhaust it, and then walk away from it. You realized that your land was related to the source of life.’’

Prayer of the four directions

The following prayer is an expression of how Aboriginal beliefs can be combined with Christian beliefs. When Aboriginal people meet they place themselves in country. They identify where they currently are, they identify their neighbours and their boundaries. The purpose of this is to express gratitude to the Creator Spirit for their connections to country, their connections to people and their connections to all living things. And so we now place ourselves in country with the Prayer of the Four directions. In the land there are four directions, in Aboriginal way we orient ourselves to the movement of the Sun. 

Let us face the West

As the sun travels across the sky and sets in glory in the west this directions represents strength for the people of the future. The Kookaburra, the first of the birds, sings the sun to rest. The West represents hope for the future and strength for the people. Sure in the knowledge that the sun it puts to bed will rise again bringing with it renewed hope and energy. The Kookaburra flies true and straight, sure of its purpose and its goal. So we look to the West with hopes and dreams of peace to move into our future. From the west comes the promise of gentle sleep, reflection, contentment and rest from our labour.

Thank you for the gifts of the West

Let us face the North

The North represents the wisdom of the ancient sources from the past. The stream from the North represents the ancient wisdom of the Christians who came to Australia. The symbol of the North is the Kangaroo. It was a source of life for many Aboriginal people and a reminder of ancestral beings and creation. The Kangaroo has become a national symbol for all who now live in this country a symbol of uniqueness, strength, endurance and abundance. The land is like the scriptures in that it speaks to us through sacred stories and signs that are inscribed in the landscape and in the animals who inhabit it. Wisdom comes through reflection.

Thank you for the gifts of the north

Let us thank the South

The South represents truth from within, insights from Aboriginal culture. Truths can be discovered in the land, the stories, the teachings, the history and the ceremonies. The insights reveal the presence of the Creator Spirit. The symbol of the south is the Emu. A bird that tracks the land and who searches with intense curiosity. It is in searching one’s experience and culture that one discovers the tracks of God in our past and present. The South cross hangs over Australia in blessing and protection for our Nation.

Thank you for the gifts of the south.

Steele Anderson

Religious Education Leader