It really was an unremarkable event. But it led me to think about the differences between people.
An international visit
This week is NAIDOC week in Australia, a week where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is celebrated. (NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee.)
Our church celebrated NAIDOC week last Sunday. A Torrres Strait Island elder led the service, and an Aboriginal pastor and elder gave a message. Both are members of our congregation, and have become our friends.
We were surprised (and excited) when a large group (about 25) of African American visitors joined us. They were Christians visiting Australia for a conference, had been looking for a church with Aboriginal people, and found us.
Making friends
Naturally we all got talking afterwards, taking group photos and selfies and finding out where people were from.
I got talking to a lady, a nurse, and we shared thoughts and a few laughs for 20 minutes or so. She was enthusiastic and keen to talk about life. She took a selfie and forwarded it to us. We had made a good connection to someone we will probably never see again in this life.
Viva la difference!
This conversation, and the whole visit, made an impact on me and brought me considerable joy.
I couldn’t help thinking how different from me (and most Aussies) these new friends were. More exhuberant and demonstrative than white Aussies with a British heritage. Eager to be friendly, keen to meet new people.
Meeting new and different people is one of life’s great pleasures, I find. There’s so much to learn. So many different life experiences to share.
We all have different gifts and different races, different cultures can have different emphases. God’s kingdom is very diverse – and meant to be!
Who wants to miss out?
And I couldn’t help thinking. People who are racist miss out on a lot of this.
Their life experiences will be sadly truncated. They miss out on the blessings of the gifts that people different to us can share with us.
A lot more could be said about racism, but this brief time of friendship led me to reflect on the personal impact. I felt sad for those who forego these opportunities because of prejudice.
Farewell friends! May your time in Australia be refreshing!
Graphic: created using NightCafe Creator. (I didn’t want to use a photo without having permission.)
