Asking for forgiveness?
It's difficult to feel anything other than positive about the Australian Parliament's statement to say sorry to the Stolen Generation and those deeply hurt by what happened. My only concern is that the statement has baulked at an important element of reconciliation: seeking the forgiveness of the hurt party. Instead, the statement says:
We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.
Perhaps this is just an expression of humility—a reflection of the fact that we have no right to ask their forgiveness, and that forgiveness is an act of grace. But I hope and pray that the leadership of indigenous communities will demonstrate greater grace and leadership than our white community has up until now—by realizing what they need to do to make reconciliation possible and acting on it by offering forgiveness. It's difficult to imagine that without that step of forgiveness, there is going to be a much greater sense of reconciliation and more dynamic for change.