The Tsunami Tragedy

The earth-shattering events associated with the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami on December 26, cast a long and darkened shadow over the face of the earth within twenty-fours of our celebration of Christmas. In the Christian Church, December 26 is marked as the feast day of St Stephen, the first of the Christian martyrs. December 26, 2004 is a day we shall always remember and associate with it the death of over 100,000 people ~ our sisters and brothers of many cultures, places and religious Faiths. Even now, words fail to adequately express the depth of sadness, grief and lament associated with this global tragedy.

We may perhaps never know exactly how many of our student friends, members of their families, relatives and other friends have lost their lives or been injured; nor how many are now homeless or still missing. News has filtered back to us from a number of places; some tell us of tragic loss, while others have assured us of their safety, and yet others have been able to relate the glad tidings of their having located safely family members and friends.

Our prayers and love remain a vital expression of our care and compassion. On Monday, January 10, 2005, we celebrated a special twilight service of prayer and remembrance at St Francis'.

Photos taken at the Service

On Tuesday, January 11, an Inter-Faith Twilight Service was held at Federation Square in the city centre of Melbourne. This service brought together people of all religious Faiths and people of good will from across Melbourne, in an expression of solidarity and a spirit of prayerful remembrance and compassion.

The service began with a recognition of the original custodianship of the land that is now known as 'Federation Square' in Melbourne. The good 'spirit' of the ancestors was invoked as a source of unity and healing amid the tragedy that had devastated parts of our world and so many of its communities. Representatives of the Victorian State Government and the Melbourne City Council spoke words of welcome and expressed sympathy and then in recognition that Melbourne is a lively "multi-Faith city", invited all present to participate in the service. Victoria is Australia's most multi-cultural State. It comprises people from more than 208 countries. Victorians speak over 150 languages and follow more than 100 Faiths.

The prayers, reflections, invocations, laments, songs and ritual actions were drawn from the traditions of the Indigenous People of Australia, from Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, Ba'hai and Christianity.

The sounding by the Jewish Rabbi of the 'shophar' (the rams horn) echoed across the Square as a 'summons' for people of all Faiths and ways of life to have a 'common hearing' … something like a 'wake-up call to humanity' … and to find a 'common way forward' from tragedy to new life filled with hope.

The ceremony concluded with all participants being invited to offer a greeting or gesture or kind word to those near them as a means of personalizing the unity created in the Service; then everyone was encouraged to come forward to take a handful of flower petals and sprinkle them over the pool of water that had been set up as a focal point for the Service.

Having gathered, established a common unity in our purpose for being there, having prayed, reflected and offered responses, it was time to take our leave and disperse across our city. For one hour we had been together under the blessing of God. In our dismissal there was the sense that our work of rendering care, aid, compassion, offering support and continuing our prayer was very much a priority.

A Prayer
Compassionate and gracious God,
through your Son you have taught us
that nothing in life or in death
is able to separate us from your love.
Look in mercy on all
to whom great sorrow has come
at this time of natural disaster.
Help those who are injured,
and support those who are dying.
Strengthen those who operate emergency services,
those who work for aid agencies,
all who channel relief to those in need,
those who work to prevent the spread of disease,
and those who keep open the lines of communication.
Console and protect
those who have lost loved ones
and the relatives and friends of those who are missing.
Give your light in darkness
to all who are near despair
and assure them that you hold them in your love and care.
This we pray through Christ Jesus, our risen Lord. Amen.