A small group of Adventist church members have been part of groups lobbying for Indigenous and climate justice at Australia’s Parliament House on November 3. Participating in the “Let Justice Flow” conference, hosted by Common Grace, first-time lobbyist were briefed on the relevant issues, led by yarning circles with Indigenous Christian leaders, and prepared for meetings with elected representatives, as well as spending time in worship and prayer.
“I was blown away by the deep Christian conviction and dedicated cooperation of the group in achieving the weekend’s goals,” reflected Dr Gwen Wilkinson, a retired academic from Cooranbong. With her husband Steve Sleight, she said she found the weekend program in Canberra “invigorating.”
The Common Grace group of 140 Christians from around Australia had meetings with some 40 Members of Parliament and Senators, focusing on the issues of raising the age of criminal responsibility in Australia’s states and territories, particularly as this issue disproportionally affects Indigenous young people, and the need for greater climate action.
“The politicians met us with curiosity and grace, finding points of commonality and appreciating our Christian perspective that went beyond the statistics with which they are already familiar,” reported Dr Paul Johanson, a medical doctor from Brisbane. “But the Let Justice Flow conference also gave me a unique experience of the Body of Christ.”
Common Grace is a network of more than 50,000 Christians and churches around Australia, “pursuing justice together for the flourishing of all people and all creation.”
