Attitudes to Australia Day make us reflect on being Christian.
Australia Day has been and gone for another year.
As we watched the reports of the day, two things struck me: it is a day that celebrates both inclusivity and exclusivity.
Inclusive and Exclusive
Inclusive because it is a day where we share all the good things about Australia: we saw the images of thousands of faces with roots from all over the world at the beach, the cricket, the fireworks focused together on the event. This is an absolutely wonderful thing to see, and fits the second verse of our national anthem:
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
But exclusive as well. For years now we have seen the ugly side of people draped in Australian flags shouting taunts at anyone who has ethnic origins outside Europe. For these people it is a day where “you are not welcome” is declared.
The gospel
The gospel is both inclusive and exclusive as well. Remember 1 Timothy 2:4-6
God, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.
Inclusive: God wants all to be saved. Exclusive: only one way to be saved, and that is Christ Jesus.
This gives us the model to view inclusivity and exclusivity in Australia: open to anyone, but there are appropriate ways of interacting that are to be applied to all.
What does it mean?
We are in danger of assuming everyone has to be like me. So here are some things I find helpful in living out a gospel shaped Australian identity.
• Rejoice in what God has given us in Australia
• Rejoice in what God has given us to share in Australia
• Look for groups that you think don’t fit in
• Listen to, observe and be involved with those of other cultures
• Seek to engage with and understand the cultures from which people come
• Look for points of contact between yourself and those of other cultures
