Answers to Questions re. Welcome to Country and Aboriginal/Torres Strait Flags
(from Sherry Lowah, Sunday 27-April-2025)
Many people have questioned the use of the Welcome to Country ceremonies and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait flags in events and occasions held across Australia. To the best of my knowledge as a First Nations/Indigenous Christian believer:
- Welcome to Country is to acknowledge the First Nations/Indigenous people and the tribal area you’d be standing on or visiting at the time, e.g. Arrernte, or Luritja, etc. – it’s not to welcome people to our country Australia (except if you are becoming a 1st time Australian citizen), it’s about the tribal area you are standing on.
- Because there are so many tribes/clans in Australia, our people have always invited/welcomed each other on their tribal areas – it’s protocol. It’s also seen as a blessing to welcome/invite people to your tribal area.
- It also shows First Nations/Indigenous peoples’ continued connection to their tribal land/area when God (Yahweh; Ngkarte) placed First Nations people as the custodians/caretakers/traditional owners to look after their tribal land/area (Genesis 1:27-28, Acts 17:26).
- The majority of First Nations people love this beautiful country Australia (the nation) just like anyone else who has come to live here. We are First Nations – the originals of this country Australia – and our tribal areas/land make up the whole of Australia. A lot of us see Australia as not only separated into states and territories, but as tribal areas/land/boundaries where our people live.
- Welcome to Country is for formal settings, i.e. politicians, heads of state, other First Nations elders, chiefs, royal visitors, conferences, special occasions, NAIDOC week, etc. It’s seen as a blessing to Welcome our VIP visitors; it’s an honour to have you on our tribal land. (At our First Nations Womens Conference we asked Elders and Traditional owners to speak out the Blessing on the people – Numbers 6:24-26 – we blessed them.)
- Welcome to Country is to be used wisely: that’s why Elders and Traditional Owners bring the message. If not available, the host of event can then acknowledge the tribal land/area and the First Nations custodians – past, present, future/emerging) of that area.
- Australians that have been born here i.e. 4th, 5th or 7th generation, etc., please understand: we know you are here – we aren’t welcoming you to Australia (the nation), we are welcoming you to our tribal land/area.
- Another topic about the Aboriginal flag (nationally/officially recognised) is that it brings all our Aboriginal tribes together in unity; it gives us strength and pride as First Nations/Indigenous people. The same with the Torres Strait (nationally/officially recognised) flag – it brings the clans together. When our First Nations people see these flags, they feel safe, connected to each other. To us it’s not division, it’s unity. A lot of us do acknowledge the Australian flag, because its our nation’s flag and our soldiers (First Nations and Aussie) fought under this flag and for our country (some people don’t like the Australian flag because of the British Union Jack).
- We as First Nations/Indigenous people (just like any other First Nations/Indigenous around the world) have our tribal flags that represent our tribes-clans/people, i.e. like the Maori of NZ, Native American Indigenous, Native Canadian First Nations, Scottish Celts (their kilt with clan patterns on them), Jewish – 12 Tribes have their own flag. Each First Nations people have their own tribal/clan flag, but also have a national flag for their country.
- Many of us First Nations/Indigenous people do not agree with the Aboriginal flag being flown or affiliated with other recent groups that don’t represent our plight and who are anti-Australian in every way: they have hi-jacked our people’s marches and have misused our flag for their own selfish interests. We only want to see the Aboriginal flag flown alongside the Australian and Torres Strait flags.
I’ve tried above to cover the main areas related to these issues. However, I also suggest that people sit down with a First Nations/Indigenous person and have a discussion about these things.
**N.B.** I just want to clarify, when we held our Conference for First Nations/Indigenous Christian Women, we weren’t ‘calling in or stirring up’ ancestral spirits, we were ushering in the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and welcoming/greeting everyone with a blessing from the Lord, and our Elder and Traditional Owners were OK with doing that in this way.
Pastor Sherry Lowah Snr.,
I AM House of Worship,
Alice Springs,
Northern Territory,
Australia
Application of Laws, Mercy, and Judgements
(by Bjorn Schmid, April 2025)
“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” (John 9:1-7 NIV)
In the Gospel of John chapter 9, Jesus demonstrates some profound revelations about laws, mercy, and judgements.
He would have known the man blind from birth was at that location. Many beggars had a a set place, often in agreement with the local city administrators or merchants, for a small fee; a place where many people passed by that the beggars can always come or be taken to on a daily basis to beg. Since he was there on a Sabbath, which is usually quiet, it is quite likely that this spot was on a thoroughfare to the Temple so he could beg from Jews going up to make their offerings and sacrifices.
According to the laws given by God to Moses, no-one was to do any work or any effort to obtain income on the Sabbath day, yet here was a blind beggar in his usual spot. The Pharisees had “expanded” the laws of Moses to cover many circumstances and situations so that devout Jews were very tightly controlled on what they could and could not do, especially on a Sabbath. Jesus of course fulfilled God’s laws, but did not constrain himself with the “expanded” laws of the Pharisees when someone was in need of help, when a challenging lesson and demonstration of God’s love was appropriate, and when God was to be glorified.
Note the first response of Jesus’ disciples asking whose sin was responsible for the man being born blind. Our first reaction is often “Who did this?” and “Who’s to blame?” This is actually a deep question as the man was BORN BLIND. A natural answer was that the parents were responsible and a blind child was their punishment; it’s their fault. If Jesus had said it was the man himself that had sinned, this would have opened a whole new theology on sin: we can be judged even before birth for our (potential) sin? This would also justify the abortion of unwanted babies: “They are sinners anyway” would be the excuse. But Jesus surprised them with His response that neither the man nor his parents were at fault; it was for God to be glorified that this man was born blind.
This puts a whole new perspective on our life and sufferings here on Earth: our existence is for God’s glory, not our pleasure.
Of course we know God loves us all equally and has sacrificed His only Son for our redemption; to recover us from our sins, but He is also our perfect and totally fair judge, and He is our creator: we are made in His image (not the other way around). The laws he handed down to Moses were for our benefit, not His, just as the words and actions of His Son when He came to Earth illustrate those laws and the higher laws of agape – God’s love. And because we are made in His image, we are not temporary, just to live a short life here in this limited physical universe, we are made eternal, intended to live with Him in His glory, forever!
Does it seem cruel of God to allow a man to be born blind? What about other (so-called) birth defects? It seems cruel, but God can turn anything around in an instant, even with a bit of mud made from Earthly dirt and water of life from His mouth, as He made Adam.
So how did the local court handle this miracle? They verified the identity of the man and his previous impediment of blindness from birth from appropriate witnesses (verses 13-23), and they even admitted that God should be glorified (verse 24), but they condemned Jesus because He did not subscribe to their “expanded” laws. The man who was blind from birth responded to them with total clarity of God’s laws, challenging the Pharisees to rethink their closed mindsets.
“The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.” (John 9:30-34 NIV)
But the Pharisees would not accept this truth and rejected God’s word to them through a lowly, uneducated, “sinful” man.
Jesus then does a typical God thing: He goes to see the man after his rejection by the court of man, and he asks him if he is willing to go to the next stage of a relationship with God.
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”” (John 9:35-39 NIV)
The Pharisees who were always shadowing Jesus to see if they could use anything He said to have Him put to death, understood what He was saying and asked Him to confirm it. Jesus answered yes, and (like Satan) because they thought they knew everything there is to know, they were guilty – of pride and arrogance.
The blind man knew he was blind, he had never seen, and when Jesus healed him he knew he was healed and he knew who to thank for his remarkable healing. The Pharisees refused this healing because it was not done the way they said it should have been done – they presumed to tell God how He should do things.
Knowledge does not make you free, you have to let it humble and change you. Knowing about Jesus will not save you, you need to submit to Him and accept Him as your Lord and Judge.
There’s an old saying: “The older I get, the less I know.” We, especially those in ministry, need to admit that we can learn God’s principles through His written word in the Scriptures and the testimonies of the body of Christ as best we can, but ultimately we need to listen to our Lord and follow His living mercy and judgements. Let the Holy Spirit lead you!
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 NIV)
Pray for the Sphere of Law and Justice
(an extract from 40 Days Prayer and Fasting for 7 Mountains or Spheres of Influence by Lilian Schmid, available on Amazon & Kindle)
Pray for the judicial and law-enforcement arm of your country’s government, and of any regional governments across your country.
In many countries this arm of the government is staffed by completely independent personnel to reduce any conflicts of interest or political or religious interference. However, in some countries the courts are presided over by religious leaders, and/or law enforcement is handled by the military.
Other potentially corruptive variants that are becoming common is the outsourcing of prisons, customs, and even some police roles to non-government corporations.
- Pray for Attorney Generals and their staff and advisors.
- Pray for all courts, law enforcement, prisons, and justice systems – national, regional/state and local/district.
- Pray for the judiciary and legal profession; the Bar and similar boards of legal appointments, judges, barristers, advocates, layers, solicitors, legal advisers, clerks, legal researchers, secretaries, and court officials.
- Pray for law enforcement, police and the heads of police, detectives, special investigation units, vehicle maintenance, administrative staff, and colleges.
- Pray for holding and correction services, prison wardens and officers, secure transport, administration and support staff, and prisoners and their families.
- Pray for customs and import/export protection services.
- Pray against intended crime and violence, particularly by criminal gangs and organisations. Pray that these acts are thwarted, and offenders incarcerated.
- Pray for the safety of families of the judiciary and law enforcement personnel.
- Pray for the protection of Christians working in these facilities and organisations. Pray that they are able to reach out and minister to all they come in contact with.
“Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.””
(Ecclesiastes 3:15-17 NIV)