As I See It - 2
Recently, Howard and I responded to an invitation Bishop Trevor issued to all
parishes in the Diocese to attend a “National Prayer Vigil for Aboriginal Deaths
in Custody” at St Simon's Anglican Church in Kaleen.. The date, 26/9/18, was
chosen as it marked the second anniversary of the death in custody of Wayne
Fella Morrison, the inquiry into whose death is currently being conducted.
Amongst the congregation there were a number of Indigenous people from
South Canberra in attendance. It was a simple but moving service, consisting
of two Bible readings, a prayer written by Wayne's sister and another called
“Aboriginal Lives Matter”.
For me, the most moving part of the service was an explanation by the Rev'd
John Harris of a translation of the Lord's Prayer he had made himself as he
learned several Indigenous languages as a child. He prayed it in the Dhurga
Language and provided the equivalent in English for us:
Our Father in Heaven, your name, it is holy.
Father, you come to our land.
We will hear your dream in our land,
the dream they hear in Heaven.
Please give us our food today.
Please let go our sins.
We will let go other's sin,
when they do it to us.
Father, don't let us go away
to the track to sin.
Protect us from the Evil One.
You hold the land, you hold the power,
you hold the light.
Today and tomorrow and tomorrow.
Amen
- Joan Smith
(Reprinted from Holy Cross Pew Sheet, 14/10/18)
St Margaret’s News
3
October 2018