Posted by Kevin Bates The change in the young person, thanks to the apology was just a wonderful thing to see. The tragic events of the past weekend at Redfern, highlight for me again the value of forgiveness and mercy. Their value is priceless. Their cost is significant, but well worth paying. As a nation we have allowed fear, denial, political pressures, and perhaps a prejudice to shape our nation's response to the tragic treatment of Aboriginal people in this country. Having listened to some of their stories and their yearnings, I am convinced that an apology and a spirit of reconciliation to go with it, would go a long way to bring peace and a sense of new dignity to so many. The transformation in our communities could be as striking as that which I saw in the young person I mentioned at the beginning. It's a part of the gospel life that we find so hard to embrace - Elton John had it right in his wonderful song: "Sorry seems to be the hardest word."
on February 17, 2004, 4:23 pm
Recently I sat with a family who had experienced a situation where a family member had suffered an abusive incident from another person. The victim was a child who, when questioned by the parents, said that all that she really wanted was for the other person to apologise. An apology was eventually forthcoming, and was a genuine and heartfelt one.
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