Christians Called to “Change the Heart” of Australia Day in 2020

By Katrina RoeThursday 16 Jan 2020Hope MorningsNewsReading Time: 2 minutes

Australia Day is a challenging day for the indigenous peoples of Australia. But it has the potential to bring us all together and grow our understanding of what it means to Aboriginal people in Australia.

Aboriginal elder Aunty Jean Phillips and Common Grace are calling for Australians to pray in the lead up to Australia Day. In an interview with Katrina Roe, Aboriginal Christian leader Brooke Prentis (pictured below), a descendant of the Wakka Wakka people, talked about the idea behind Change the Heart.

• A Call to All Australians: Connect With Indigenous People and Hear Their Stories on January 26

“Change the Heart” prayer services are taking place in 22 locations across Australia, including several in the greater Sydney area. They are services to acknowledge the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples around the date of January 26.

Brooke explains, “January 26 is a day of conflict where many Aboriginal peoples are mourning, commemorating survival, acknowledging invasion, or just hurting and grieving. Through these services we create the space for community and learning as we pray for love to triumph, as together, Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginal peoples, we cling to the Cross and cry out for justice to Jesus the great healer.”

In a statement Aunty Jean Phillips said, ”It’s important that we as Christians come together and look at our history, but also to see how we can journey together and bring God’s true healing and reconciliation into this nation.”

Find a prayer service near you on the Change the Heart website.