At our recent Sorry Day Assembly, our Chapel Captains shared these poignant words:

"Today we are thinking about the past, present and future as we build relational bridges from now to next. In Ephesians 4:32 we read, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Let’s think about our values of kindness and compassion with regards to Sorry Day and reconciliation. There is, unfortunately, so much that has been done in the past that has caused harm. But today we can act with compassion and fairness in our daily choices. 

What does it look like to display faith in action and build bridges in all of our own relationships? The Bible says that we should say sorry, forgive others and reconcile with them. The question for now and the future is, can we do it and how do we do it? 

Jesus not only taught this but chose to live it out. He is the ultimate model of faith in action. God can restore us into a right relationship with Jesus, who also opens the door for us to live in right relationships with each other. We need God’s help to forgive both others and ourselves, to promote forgiveness and be willing to say sorry - as a nation, community, in our families and as individuals. We hope for a better today and a better tomorrow together.

Let us pray together: Dear Lord Jesus, you have modelled for us forgiveness and reconciliation and we acknowledge our need of you in this area. May we build new connections and restore relationships where there has been hurt. Thank you for dying and rising again so that our wrongs can be forgiven. We place before you the pain and anguish of dispossession of land, language, culture and family kinship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced. We acknowledge the pain of the past, as well as the hurt and frustration of many of our sisters and brothers in the present. But with hope, we look towards more positive things to come. May we never be complacent about the need to work for justice. Give us the courage to work together towards change and improvement. And may we be people for whom it is natural to say sorry, to ask for forgiveness, to grant others our forgiveness and above all to accept your forgiveness. Amen.’

Jon Taylor
School Chaplain