Ministry in Australia

place. The protest was to highlight the non-recognition by whites of the original occupants of this land.

As the world media was focusing on the arrival of the Queen to open the new Parliament House, Charles and I unrolled the huge Aboriginal flag over the western wing, just above the place where the Aboriginal marchers had been assembled. Their loud cheering echoed throughout the forecourt, as they saw their flag unfold.

Aborigines have always seen the spiritual aspect of life in their daily living. This helped them to live in harmony with their own environment. Their spirituality has enabled them to survive over 200 years of all kinds of attempts to eradicate them as a people. Their spiritual bond to each other, to the land and to the higher being is stronger than the powers of the new-comers. Through the Congress Aboriginal church leaders were taking the affairs of the indigenous church into their own hands. This was the only way they could regain their dignity and put their spirituality into practical living. I fully supported them in these endeavours, and whenever there was an opportunity, I offered my help for the Aboriginal cause, whether it was at Aurukun in the late 70s or at Noonkanbah in 1980.

Aborigines have also corrected my attitude towards the blatant materialism and capitalism of our society. In their culture people share what they have. When I read the bible again I saw that the early church also shared their possessions. I cannot see how our church can turn a blind eye on the present-day capitalism with its economic rationalism. I would like to hear a clear prophetic voice which says that our capitalism is wrong, that we need to put people before profit and to protect the environment from the rapacious mining companies. Greed in any shape or form is wrong, and our capitalism is based on greed. I have alienated several members of my congregation with such views, because there hardly seems to be a debate in the church press about such issues, let alone statements by the church to condemn our capitalism outright. The church has a mandate to look after the poor and oppressed, not just to give palliative care. It needs to expose the roots of this poverty and oppression and offer alternative solutions, such as an economy based on love and care and justice. Many Liberation Theologians have pointed to other roads, but they are not being heard.

It is not surprising that with my background I have always abhorred authoritarian rule, wherever it cropped up. I have found the Presbyterian system of corporate leadership very congenial, and have always supported it. When the subject of bishops in the Uniting Church came up for discussion, I was alarmed. I couldn't understand the motivation of people who were for bishops. Did they want bishops because other churches had bishops? When I read in the bible, that the people of Israel wanted a king (1 Samuel chapter 8), I had to smile. Maybe our people wanted bishops for the same reason. We need to accept the fact that power corrupts, no matter how good the intention. Then why implement a system that lends

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