Artwork by Michael Duckett, 1998
Reproduced with permission
"The cross symbolises the cross of Jesus Christ surrounded by the glory of God. The red blood symbolises how the blood of Christ washes away the sins of mankind. The hand prints show that mankind is reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus. Once man is reconciled to God, they can then be reconciled to their neighbour. Black and white hands are reconciled through the blood of Christ" (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
An Acknowledgement
I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Psalms 140:12
"We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we meet. In his wisdom and love, God gave this estate to the Bidjigal people of the Dharug Nation. We have much to regret in the establishment of a British colony that dispossessed the Aboriginal people of their land, and led to the destruction of Aboriginal people and culture. We are sorry. As we continue to learn to live together on these ancestral lands, we acknowledge and pay our respects to their elders, past and present, and pray that God will unite us all in a knowledge of
his Son, in whom all things were created, in heaven and on earth.
We rejoice in the ministry of Christians like Richard Johnson and Thomas Hassall, who reached out to the indigenous population of their day with the gospel of God’s love. This gospel that reminds us of the damage caused by sin, of the importance of apology and true repentance which brings about real change, and the gift of reconciliation."
Rev. Dr Glenn Davies
Archbishop of Sydney
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ... and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19
"As an Aboriginal church we believe Reconciliation between all people groups can only be found at the foot of the cross, made possible in and through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Pastor Michael Duckett
Minister, Macarthur Indigenous Church