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Australia needs to look deeper to find ‘social cohesion’
Can’t we just get along?
In the 1970 film ‘Waterloo’, a British soldier’s cries are heard over the din of battle, ‘how can we kill one another…how can we? Why do we? Why? Why?…”
Why can’t Australians all get along?
Hatred and discord are woven into the human condition. The original imago dei didn’t contain such stains, but ever since the Great Fall, humanity has carried and desired personal gain through demeaning the other and yes, even through bloodletting. The history of the world is less peace interrupted by violent moments, as it is, continued iniquity that finds momentary rest by the grace of God.
Almost everyone is talking about the State of Australia. The massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach on December 14th has forced us to ask questions that most Aussies are ill equipped to even frame, let alone answer with resolve. There is widespread shock, there is tremendous grief, along with anger, fear and yes, and still with much gaslighting.
Can’t we as a society just get along?
Clearly the answer is no. It should be yes, and I imagine the average Aussie longs for the answer to be yes, but we are falling far short of this thing called, ‘social cohesion.’
There are three simple observations that I wish to make here. They are not new or novel. Others are far better qualified than myself to speak to this topic. And even here, many of my words are ones that I’ve previously offered up in public discourse.
The 3 points that I wish weave together are these:
- Government can’t bear the weight of creating social cohesion.
- Take note of the scholarly work of Christopher Watkin. He has much wisdom to offer on the subject.
- Come home to Christianity.
One year ago and a week before Christmas, the Victorian State Government proposed ‘social cohesion’ laws. A watered down version of the Bill was adopted by Parliament in April 2025. At the time I suggested that ‘social cohesion’ when it’s attached to government and to laws has a touch of the Machiavellian about it. One doesn’t know whether to think it’s more like George Orwell or Monty Python!
No doubt this is a testing time for any government. There are pressures applied from all kinds of directions, and at times this leads to inaction or delayed resolve. As we have seen for more than 2 years now, this has given more oxygen to antisocial, and especially, antisemitic voices and violence. Antisemitism is an indignant on the moral and spiritual state of Australia.
Australia has never been heaven. We have never been ther perfect country, but we have witnessed developments over the past decade that are injurious and bring grief to many. We are less peaceful than we were. We are less inclusive and kind. There is more personal and social distress and with little sign of a turnaround. This is evident across the country, but Melbourne is Australia’s protest capital (not a title to boast about). Ever since 2020, when the government turned a blind eye to certain marches while slamming others, every Jane, Nguyen, and Bob has seen fit to grind city streets to a halt. Not a week goes by without banners and angry faces blocking traffic.
According to the Bible, from which we owe the fundamental notions of civil society, governments have a responsibility to protect its citizens and to punish evil doers (Romans 13:1-6). This requires the careful and just creation of laws and their reasonable enforcement. It’s not a coincidence that the Apostolic framing of Government responsibilities is accompanied with an injunction for citizens to pay taxes. The purpose of taxation is largely tied to enabling government to do this double edged sword duty of protecting and punishing effectively.
Government inaction is no longer an option. Thankfully NSW’s Premier, Chris Minns, seems to realise this and is moving beyond empty rhetoric and thin pieces of legislation. Even a Muslim Mayor in Western Sydney has taken decisive action to close a hate factory where one of the gunmen was fed his lies about Jewish people.
We have too long sacrificed cohesion at the altar of diversity. Diversity, properly defined is a beautiful thing which adorns a healthy society. I thank God for the tapestry of multi-ethnicism that has given strength and flavour and wonder to Australia. But as we have deconstructed big T Truth and other axioms, we have lost the ability to acknowledge that some ideas are counter productive and even dangerous. We can practice pluralism while recognising not every worldview is equally valid or good.
If we think that our society is beyond and above 1928 Germany, we are suffering from a greater dose of egomania than I thought.
How can the Federal Government not call for a Royal Commission to investigate the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on December 14? This wasn’t an isolated event, but the culmination of more than two years of government sitting on their hands while Jewish Australians were attacked in their synagogues and cafes and homes. And while genuine hatred was proclaimed and promoted on our city streets every week. As Stephen Mcalpine has noted, there is a directed line from the Sydney Opera House to Bondi Beach.
Even the slaughter of 15 Jews at Bondi Beach hasn’t been enough to completely silence the keffiyeh wearing mafia. So much whataboutism and justifying and excusing continues even before the bodies of the slain were laid to rest. Of course, their right handed sibling, neo nazism with men in black, is equally a scourge on our society.
While Governments must taken action against anti-semitism, Government action is not suffice. I’m not suggesting some kind of community vigilanteism; please no. But everyday Aussies are responsibile for their own words and actions and setting an example to others and demonstrating the power of kindness and grace and generosity over hatred and intolerance and selfishness. Of course we must be intolerant towards views that breed hatred toward Jewish people and views that dehumanise the other. That we need laws to demand ‘decent behaviour’ communicates how far our society has strayed. Churches need to take a lead in this, by teaching and practicing what is in accord with the Christian faith. I still cannot fathom how one Melbourne Anglican Minister in 2023 excused Hamas’ slaughter in Israel. Such disgusting commentary should be held to account.
As the Victorian Government proposed their ‘social cohesion’ laws last Christmas, I expressed discomfort at the language of ‘social cohesion’, and I remain uncomfortable. I get it; they are ‘trying’ to address a specific problem without naming the elephant in the room. Why not call it ‘Rules for Safe Protests’ or something like that?
The reason why I’m uncomfortable about the Government’s language of ‘social cohesion’ is because the task of social cohesion doesn’t belong to the government, but to the people. When government sees itself as the answer to every social ill and when the people demand government to fix every crisis, we are obfuscating personal responsibility and creating systems of governance that cannot bear the weight of such responsibility.
This is one area where the work of Dr Christopher Watkin is worthy of consideration. Monash University’s Dr Watkin articulates a positive and important work on contract theory. He says,
“Civil society is sometimes the neglected dimension of the social contract, the “missing middle” as it has been called. We have a tendency to jump straight from government and law to the individual.
These civil society relationships across different visions of the good are a glue that holds our social contract together.”
From his book, Biblical Critical Theory,
‘the vague and sporadic measures taken by contemporary governments to shore up the social contract with well-meaning but half-hearted attempts at “civic edu- cation” have little effect, when all the while billions of advertising dollars and a destructive paradigm of competition in all areas of society expertly catechize individual consumers to be little predisposed to the civic duties a strong social contract requires. No rewriting of the social contract can be complete without giving serious attention to its cultural and liturgical infrastructure.’
We will do well to engage with Dr Watkin’s material closely and carefully. There is much goodness and valuable ideas to be found. Here is one lecture he gave recently on the subject.
No Government is up for the job, and it’s not designed to be. Part of the problem embedded in any Government setting the rules for social cohesion is that this is never a natural space. This is one of the heresies attached to secularism. Secular is certainly preferable to Sharia Law and to Christian Nationalism, but it is no more epistemologically and morally neutral. Secular is the sum of the worldviews present in and controlling the moral impulses of the day.
There are wonderful pockets of social cohesion is found in all kinds of places and communities across our State. There are sporting clubs and men’s sheds, and there are temples and synagogues. It is certainly experienced in local churches.
Churches are frequently more culturally diverse than the communities surrounding them. Where I have the privilege of serving and belonging, we have people from China and Uganda, families from Vietnam and India, Nigeria and Columbia. Young and old mix together, single and married are friends and serve one another. Of course, Churches have their failings and blindspots, (after all, the very point of Christianity is that there is only one perfect saviour and we’re not him!), and yet there is profound togetherness and other person-centredness.
The Victorian Government accompanied its Social Cohesion directives with expanding anti-vilification laws. Religious groups were understandably concerned such new laws will tighten the noose of faith groups from teaching and practising in accordance with their convictions; history is a strong indicator. It’s amazing how often over the last 10 years Victoria has assumed the bishopric role when Christian praxis hasn’t supported their social agendas. There is a mine of irony in Victoria where Government identifies a growing social disorder and yet clamps down on one of the few societal groups who are truly exhibiting positive social health and life. If we are interested in civil society, maybe we ought to return to the worldview that created the ideas and values from which this vision derives: Christianity.
Not every religion is equal. Not every idea is equally valid, and assuming so will only give licence to the kind of behaviour that is all to common now in our city streets. And yet we must delver deeper than legislative reforms. No, I don’t support the idea of a State religion. Religious freedoms and pluralism is a Christian idea for Christianity isn’t something to be gained via Government guidelines and laws. Christianity is grounded grace not law. Without irony however, it is the Christian message that cdreates the space and gives air to the art of persuasion and serving others through disagreement. It is, for example, because Christians believe Jesus is the only way to God that we don’t want Governments legislating religious doctrines. There are however religious and irreligious teachings which contradict basic ideas of social freedom and respect of life and dignity of fellow Australians.
This is one reason why we are losing something precious by running away from the Bible and the God the of the Bible. It’s not something for Government to oversee, this is something the people have largely lost and would do well to come home to. The Scriptures that Jews and Christians alike believe, teach that we must love God with all our being and love our neighbour. Jesus insisted,
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
We must love our neighbours. We ought respect and reach out to our Jewish neighbours. We should show kindness to our Muslim neighbours. Law and legislation is a necessary weapon, but the bigger antidote to seeing real and heart transformation requires something more.
Two days ago we celebrated Christmas, the ultimate day of truce-making, although that first holy night was filled with peril. Nonetheless, the hope born that night in Bethlehem really is the only hope we have today. Come, check out a local church and see that hope in action. Let me leave you with the great Messianic promise of Isaiah for he is breathtaking,
‘The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.’
Bondi Beach Massacre: Naming the evil
Josh Frydenberg addressed the media and onlookers at Bondi Beach yesterday. The former Federal Treasurer is a Jewish Australian, and one who has been raising the alarm over anti-semitism these past two years. Yesterday, he delivered a must-watch speech. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Frydenberg’s words are remembered in 100 years, either as a catalyst for change or as the warning that went unheeded. It wasn’t political grandstanding. There was pain in his voice, as well as anger and frustration. He gave a clarion call for Australia to rid herself of this ancient evil: antisemitism.
“Prime Minister, can’t say those words, Islamist ideology, if you can’t speak them, you can’t solve them.”
The gaslighting and bullying over the last 2 years have been staggering. Even as the blood congeals at Bondi voices are casting doubts and questions. When Dr John Dickson made a comment expressing anger at the persistent ‘tradition of violent jihad’, one prominent Sydney religious leader suggested he shouldn’t make such a link. On Tuesday, ABC’s Laura Tingle had the gall to suggest that the attack was not motivated by religion, even though the terrorists made that claim themselves with an ISIS flag draped over their car, and with Federal investigators confirming links with Islamic hate preachers in Western Sydney.
There is one word our Prime Minister has used, and it is being uttered by many politicians, religious leaders, and ordinary Australians alike is, ‘evil’.
It is evil. Name it. The targeted slaughter of Jewish men and women at Bondi Beach was an act of evil. There are many evils in our streets and suburbs, and yes in every human heart. There is something particularly abhorrent about what took place on the evening of 14th December. It is an ancient and wicked sin, and one that the world has yet to put to death. Even the murder of 5 million Jews in the holocaust was not enough to end this vile.
I would like to address the concept of evil. Why do we turn to this word, and what do we mean by it?
Calling out certain attitudes and actions as evil is more than a gut reaction. Evil is a moral category. It requires there to be a standard of goodness and righteousness. Indeed, for evil to be anything more than a sociological label that is used to explain how we feel about bad events, evil requires there to be a good God who defines what is right and true.
I grew up in Melbourne of the 1990s, and then in Sydney and Melbourne in the 2000s. In the society in which I walked, learned and worked, there was an underlying quiet, yet smug insistence from people too smart for themselves who alleged evil doesn’t really exist. I recall an article published by the ABC during the pandemic by a Zen Buddhist psychologist who argued that while death is not very pleasant but it’s little more than part of nature’s cycle.
Geoff Dawson asserted,
“If one’s view of the world is based on science, we are not special, we were not placed here by a God to be the custodians of the Earth (and if we were, we have let the Almighty down big time!) and like all other species, we will have our place in the sun.
We will die out, and other, more adaptable, life forms will take our place.
The myth that we are somehow special and will continue to live forever as a dominant species is based on a deluded human-centric form of existential narcissism.
We may wring our hands and our hearts may ache at the rapid destruction of wildlife that is happening right now before our eyes, but we never seem to seriously consider that we may go the same way.”
I guess Geoff Dawson is trying to be consistent. I quote him because his philosophical consistency is both revealing and repugnant. If all that exists in the universe is matter and mathematics, and there is no God, it is difficult to suppose there is ultimate right and wrong. At most, what we have are little rights and wrongs, where we agree some things are unacceptable, but only because there is a group consensus, not because there is a universal truth.
And yet we know that cannot be the case. Evil isn’t defined by a poll. Evil isn’t just a label adopted to soften the blow of what are uncomfortable but ultimately meaningless events. But to maintain the objective and universality of evil, we need a counterpoint of objective and universal truth. In other words, we need God. And not only God, but a God of utmost righteousness and goodness.
The Philosopher Alvin Plantinga explains,
”Could there really be any such thing as horrifying wickedness [if there were no God and we just evolved]? I don’t see how. There can be such a thing only if there is a way that rational creatures are supposed to live, obliged to live … A [secular] way of looking at the world has no place for genuine moral obligation of any sort … and thus no way to say there is such a thing as genuine and appalling wickedness. Accordingly, if you think there really is such a thing as horrifying wickedness (.. and not just and illusion of some sort), then you have a powerful … argument [for the reality of God.]
Without God, notions such as love, compassion and grace also lose their moorings and essential status. Without Divine orchestration, what is kindness and compassion other than an evolutionary product to help us survive as a species? They aren’t inherently good and necessary; they’re cosmic luck. They’re chromosomal, chemical and cultural byproducts of evolutionary processes.
Again, we know that such thinking is nonsense. It’s not only cognitive dissonance, but moral and existential dissonance. We know justice and compassion are more than ways of describing our preferences, just as we know evil isn’t simply a way of categorising things we hate or are afraid of.
Our world requires a God who is above us and outside the universe: A Divine Being who defines right and evil, justice and compassion and who has shaped the universe to have and need these things.
We can categorically say Islamic Jihadism is evil. We can confidently say NeoNazism is evil. Why? Because existing outside ourselves and yet imprinted into the image dei is the God of love and goodness.
Like Sydney, Melbourne enjoys a large Jewish population. Melbourne is home to more Holocaust survivors than any other place in the world, other than Israel. Between my home and the city stand many Jewish schools and synagogues. My kids regularly played sports with and against local Jewish schools, such is the vibrant Jewish community in this part of Melbourne.
But Melbourne, and perhaps this is also true of Sydney, has relied upon hubris and false piety for far too long. How different we are today from William Cooper. A Christian man and Aboriginal leader, William Cooper stood in solidarity with the oppressed. With foresight, Cooper understood the unfolding evils in Germany and spoke up when most world leaders remained silent. On December 6 1938, William Cooper led a march in Melbourne to the German Consultant, in response to the infamous Kristallnacht, and condemned the “cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government in German.”
For all our pseudo-sophistry and boasting in our cosmopolitan and cultural greatness, travelling in our DNA are the same iniquities that have tainted all nations of old, including what was once considered the most ingenious and advanced culture in the world: Germany. We Aussies love to sing our own praises, with this gleeful myopia that sometimes shares more in common with Nero than with William Cooper.
This week, I am reminded of one of the books that both Christians and Jews hold as Holy Scripture, the book of Jeremiah. The prophet spoke in a time of immense upheaval and uncertainty.
‘We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
You who are my Comforter in sorrow,
my heart is faint within me.
Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King no longer there?”
“The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?’
(Jeremiah 8:15, 18-22)
Months ago, I reflected on the growing expressions of hatred echoing around Melbourne,
“The sad reality is, I don’t know if our fragile cultural cladding is able to resist the kinds of attacks on Jewish people we are now seeing. I think the jury is out, and that should cause us great concern for the future.”
Today, Jewish families around Australia are less certain about tomorrow. They are less confident and free. Their warnings and fears have become reality. That ought to bring great sadness to our land and shout a loud warning.
And yet there remains an unwillingness to learn the lessons of history. We struggle to use the right words or even understand them, because for so long we have stripped the world of ultimate realities and truths in exchange for personal preferences.
Sunday, 14th December, saw evil in its brutal force; religious beliefs fuelling hatred and mass murder. Whether it is the result of ignorance or fear or complicity, we have failed the Jewish community in Australia.
The words of Jeremiah resound loudly today, and yet that doesn’t have to be the end. 600 years after Jeremiah’s day, an elderly Jewish man lived in Jerusalem. We are told,
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him”
His eyes saw Jesus and he exclaimed,
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
One thing I do know is this: if Simeon’s assessment is true, Divine consolation can be found. As much as we need evil to be more than a gut-wrenching sensation, we need a consolation that can plumb the depths of despair and pain and bring healing. He is who I am thanking God for at Christmas. And I pray my fellow Australians, even those who disagree with me, will also come to know this Divine consolation.
Blood soaks into the sands of Bondi Beach
Last night our church building was packed with people, gathered to celebrate the birth of Jesus. While our evening was filled with laughter and joy and praise, what we didn’t know at the time was that a massacre was unfolding at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
Thousands of Jewish Sydneysiders gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. As they welcomed the festival of light, darkness descended as two men dressed in black opened fire.
15 people are now dead, with dozens injured, including 2 police. One of the gunmen is also dead, and his accomplice is critically injured. Police and the NSW Government were quick to announce this as an attack on Jewish people and an act of terrorism.
I am shaken. I am profoundly saddened. What has become of this nation?
I am angry, really angry. Damn those men to hell. Damn those who cultivate and stir hatred toward Jewish people, and those who excuse growing anti-Semitism in Australia.
Can we say that Australia is safe for Jewish people? If the answer wasn’t already tenuous, after last night’s terror, it is difficult to say yes.
Melbourne this year has borne witness to Neo-Nazis leading marches through our city streets. A prominent Neo-Nazi has addressed crowds in public. Arson at Melbourne’s Addas Israel Synagogue saw the building severely damaged 12 months ago. Jewish Aussies are regularly subjected to anti-semitic graffiti and verbal attacks on the streets.
To suggest Australia is safe for Jews rings hollow. It is too our shame.
Stories of heroics are slowly emerging. It needs to be said, given the likely identity of the gunmen, that one hero who emerged last night was a Muslim man who ran and tackled one of the gunmen, almost certainly preventing further loss of life. He in turn was shot twice and is now in hospital.
As hundreds of people came together at Mentone Baptist Church last night, we focused on the God who came. I talked about how hurt and harm naturally produce friction and distance. God knows how deeply divided our cities and suburbs have become. Something counterintuitive happened with Jesus; God determined to come closer. When God saw all the evil in this world and all odious motives and words and deeds, instead of walking away as he had every right to do, he came to us. He came in the most miraculous and vulnerable of ways. The Son of God didn’t come to take away life, but to lay down his own life so that we might gain eternal life.
The birth of Jesus was accompanied by such bright light, and the scene was also interrupted by a wave of evil and darkness. The Gospel of Matthew records the massacre of the innocents, when Herod chose violence and murdered the young of Bethlehem in his hunt to rid the world of the prophesied one.
Matthew turned to these Scriptures to echo the horror,
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Today, there is weeping and great mourning in Sydney. This should not be. Why are we not surprised? We are shocked, and yet who is surprised by the blood soaking into the sands of Bondi Beach? Perhaps the location took us by surprise, but our fractured society is losing coherence as we struggle to find something that keeps us together.
Politicians, stop pandering to groups who advocate this bile.
Religious groups, expose and expel religious preachers who teach this evil.
How long must we watch city streets clogged with protesters shouting obscenities and anti-semitic slurs, all in the name of ‘freedom’.
This isn’t a left or right issue, for the hatred has its horns on both ends. It is a religious issue. It is an ideological issue. It is a heart issue, and evidence suggests we are not equipped to respond. Violence isn’t the solution. Vile social media posts won’t bring about peace and healing.
The Gospel of John records Jesus attending Hanukkah. While not one of the Festivals instituted in the Bible, this commemoration of the Second Temple’s restoration in the 2nd Century BC, had quickly found a home in the Jewish calendar. It is unsurprising that Jesus, a Jewish man, participated in this Festival of Light (John 10:22).
A light was snuffed out last night at Bondi Beach, and the light has grown dim around Australia.
Where will we find light to overcome the darkness? Political muscle and social goodwill have some but limited influence. Who can gaze into the soul? Who can outdo evil?
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Pray for the injured. Pray for the hundreds of victims who were present and witnessed last night’s evil. Pray for our emergency services who today continue to work and protect our streets, investigating last night, and attending to the wounded, both the physically and mentally hurt. Pray for our Jewish friends and neighbours. Check in on them. Assure them of our friendship. Pray for them.
As Hanukkah continues and Christmas approaches, my hope rests in the One about whom it is written,
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Lord, have mercy. Maranatha
The future of the Gospel in Australia
How many Reformed Evangelicals does it take to change a light bulb?
I’ll let others decide on the answer, but in June this year, a relatively rare (although becoming less rare) sight was spotted in Newtown, Sydney. Reformed Evangelical leaders from across Australia gathered to talk, listen, dream and pray.
Under an invitation from The Gospel Coalition Australia, a coalition of Gospel minded leaders met for a Summit. That winter’s day was the second year we met, with hearts burdened and captivated.
So what, you might ask? What’s so unusual about that? Well, anyone who has tried will appreciate how hard it is to convince busy Christian leaders to give up time and travel to a strange place for a meeting where finding any tangible outcome is far from certain. It is also tricky to get Christian leaders in the same room where there is trust, theological clarity, and gospel generosity and grace.
The Gospel Coalition Australia is providing such a ballast, not so heavy and not so light. Not for a second, however, did the leaders who gathered think that other Christian groups are not doing essential Gospel ministry and mission. We recognise and praise God for the many different churches and organisations that are built on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming Christ, and seeing people becoming Christians and joining His Church.
Gospel Unity
At the same time, folk like Rory Shiner and Andrew Heard are noting a peculiar season for Reformed Evangelicals, and making the most of every opportunity is surely wise and good.
Such a Summit probably wouldn’t have taken off 20 years ago. The day in June reflects a beautiful shift among evangelicalism where some of the old tribalism and differences are being replaced with greater Gospel charity and desire to work together. Sure, we disagree on some matters, and there were certainly robust conversations. And yet, what is an Anglican or Baptist, or Turramurra and Townsville? We are not playing golf or tennis. This is cricket, and in this team we aim to play, work, and serve together.
This kind of visible unity is now found in numerous places. I think of the Reach Australia Conference, where 1400 pastors, planters, and ministry workers converge on the NSW Central Coast from around the nation. Or the growing number of TGCA local chapters that are becoming hubs where Gospel workers across denominations meet, pray and are nourished. And there are para-church groups like AFES that are Gospel centred hubs of mission on university campuses.
From my small corner of the country, I am seeing there is greater Gospel solidarity across the country, and what’s extraordinary is that it’s happening at a time where our society is becoming increasingly fractured, and where Christian denominations are also splintering.
The Summit resolved to create a statement that reflects what the 40+ women and men in attendance affirmed. After an initial drafting, the statement was sharpened by a small group, returned to the larger group, and is now finally released.
A prayer for Australia
Here is the statement. Rory Shiner rightly refers to it as a prayer. This is our prayer, that under Almighty God, he will do wonderful things through his gospel for the salvation of many Australians.
“We acknowledge God works out all things according to the counsel of his will and in his mercy saves his people through the faithful preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the glory of God, as a movement of Reformed Evangelicals in Australia, we commit to pray for and work toward a doubling (at least) of the number of gospel-centred Christians in our country over the next fifteen years.
We will pray for and work toward:
- seeing 5% conversions (as a percentage of annual attendance in our churches and ministries)
- the gospel going to every socioeconomic, ethnic, and community group within our nation—especially those currently under-reached.
- a doubling of the number of men and women with the necessary conviction, character and competency in full-time Christian ministry and missionary service.“
What do you think?
Politicians are well known for leaking. Sometimes, news is so exciting and audacious that it can’t be contained. I reckon this TGCA prayer has become one of the worst-kept not-so-secret secrets of 2025!
The 5% vision and its accompanying points have been the subject of at least 2 episodes on the Pastor’s Heart podcast, REACH Australia is already beating the drum, and both FIEC and the Sydney Anglican Diocese have adopted the goals. All this before we announced the final statement!
People have been talking about the 5% vision for several months now. Some have come out in strong support, while others are criticising. But now we can all read it for ourselves.
One of the positives coming from these pre-emptive discussions and announcements, and no doubt, all the conversations that are yet to take place, is that people are talking about reaching Australians with the Gospel. What a great thing to talk about! Even better, what can be more important for our prayers and hearts and imaginations and ministries than wanting people to come to know the Lord Jesus?
This prayer isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It comes from an awareness of growing gospel collegiability about reformed evangelicals and a conviction that we need to press on to reach Australians with the Gospel.
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel said in his recent address to the Sydney Anglican Synod,
“The 5% number arises from a national conversation that has been initiated by The Gospel Coalition Australia across like-minded denominations. It is not a way of telling God what to do, it is a way of making every local church ask, what may we do?”
Gospel Urgency
Amen Kanishka! Evangelism and the Great Commission is surely what we are about as churches. Everyone’s an evangelist. We live in an age of conversion: competing ideas and passions are trying to win over people all the time. We are not living in a neutral space where there is no convictions and calls to repentance and faith. Whether it is prominent religions, sects or cults, or one of the various iterations of secular humanism, we live in a marketplace of ideas where groups sell their vision for the good life. Is it a market or a temple? Is it the Agora in Ephesus or Artemis? all the above!
There are signs that in Australia, we are witnessing a rise in neopaganism and exotic spiritualities, Islam and Hinduism are growing (mostly through immigration), and there is a quiet opening of the door toward Christianity. As much as secular humanism us promised utopia without God, reality struck a blow; we can’t live without God. We need God. We are desperately praying there is a God.
The prayerful goal for 5% annual conversion growth in our churches may feel overwhelming for some; I get it. To others, it may appear modest, but even modest goals will buck the trend in Australia. Over 15 years, 5% growth will mean a doubling in the size of our churches. That’s exciting.
This prayer, with its Gospel goals, is as much about reminding us of the urgency of mission. Without faith in the risen Lord Jesus, God’s image bearers remain dead in their sin and facing a wrathful God. The vision sets our priorities and does so in a way that reminds us we’re not doing this alone. There may be meaningful ways in which we can support and encourage one another.
In the New Testament, we find early glimpses of how churches may serve the broader body of Christ:
- Providing financial gifts and support
- Praying
- Sharing trained Gospel workers
- Sharing theological writings (Paul expected his letters to be shared among churches. Peter refers to Paul’s writings and affirmed their divine origin and usefulness)
There is something thoroughly Christian about Christians recognising one another and seeing each other as fellow workers rather than competitors at either end of a tennis court.
During the Summit, there was recognition of our reformed evangelical shortcomings, and there was a desire to do better. Overall, the tone of the day, which is reflected in the prayer, is one of humble confidence in God and his Gospel and stimulating conversations together.
Gospel Confidence
We’d love to encourage others to pray this prayer. Maybe your church or group would like adopt it. We are praying this prayer because we know God is Sovereign, we are convinced Jesus loves his church and we know the Gospel is powerful to save everyone who believes.
Jesus promised, ‘I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it’. We believe him. No single local church or denomination or ministry or preacher can reach every part of the Great Southland. Maybe there are ways we spur one another on in evangelism.
There are always dangers and challenges facing our churches, and most of these come from within, not outside. We probably can’t control or influence what a State Government might do and decide around religious freedom, but we can work to ensure our churches remain true to sound doctrine and focused on the Great Commission. We will need to teach and push against strands like Christian nationalism and old school deathly liberalism. We also need to guard our hearts against materialism and gnosticism. And be enthralled by the Gospel, and hearts captured to see our church doubling over the next 15 years. Many won’t and many will, and some will grow much more. But let’s not aim for nothing and pray for nothing.
There may not be a quiet revival in Australia, but the spiritual temperature has changed a little bit. More people are asking questions, and more people are no longer satisfied with the hopelessness offered up by life without God. People are remembering that God has placed eternity in the heart.
What are we waiting for? Would you like to join us in this prayer? Let’s get on with the Lord’s work and see what great things he can do.
The heading comes from a survey conducted by TGCA earlier this year, where we invited Christians from around the country to share their ideas and dreams.
Here is the link to Rory Shiner’s TGCA encouragement to Australian Churches to join in this prayer together – https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/a-prayer-for-australia/
The man with the golden microphone
It was a momentous day at Sydney’s St Andrews Cathedral as celebrities and politicians gathered…for a funeral service.
John Laws’ State Funeral was televised live around Australia this afternoon on Channel 7.
The funeral is, of course, significant for family and friends, for those who knew and loved him. His passing is also emblematic of an older Australia that has become less familiar. Listening to John Laws on 2UE Radio was a regular ritual during my 4-year hiatus in Sydney. He was entertaining and a great interviewer, one whose golden voice softened many a brittle caller. John Laws was one of a dying breed: old school dink di Aussie. He exuded Australia, much like Sydney Harbour, Bondi Beach and the Akrubra. He was an everyman Aussie, who could chat with celebrities and common folk alike with equal measure and interest.
St Andrews Cathedral was filled with the rich and famous, with media personalities and politicians. Russell Crowe gave a moving eulogy, and John Williams echoed the Aussie larrikin spirit with a rendition of ‘True Blue’.
Speaking into the service, woven from beginning to end, were the words of one who was far less popular than John Laws in the day. His words didn’t give him a golden microphone; he instead wore a crown made of thorns. His words will, however, outlast every rhetorical flourish we will ever utter.
And so Kanishka Raffel, Archbishop of Sydney, opened the service with these words,
“We come to together to mourn John Laws, to honour him and to lay to rest his mortal body and to support one another in grief.
We face the certainty of our own death nd judgment. But those who die in Christ share eternal life with him. Therefore in faith and hope we turn to God. “
“In grief we turn to the word made flesh, Jesus, who speak to us grace and truth.”
How much we need men and women who speak with grace and truth. But the reality is, we all fall short in our words and lives. Whether it is with a smooth baritone sound or Estelle Costanza, we’ll all drop like a mic before the throne of God, except for the exceeding grace and kindness of God in Jesus.
‘be kind to each other’
“Be kind to each other” was John Law’s famous sign-off at the end of each show. Boy, we need more kindness, don’t we? More kindness in our homes and schools, more kindness in our cities and offices, more kindness toward friends and those whom we struggle to tolerate.
That is why we’ll do well to return to Jesus. We need the kind of kindness he displayed. Our communities need the kind of truth-telling and grace Jesus was able to speak and show. For his kindness cuts deeper and goes to the very soul of man; indeed, as the Bible explains, it was because of kindness of love that he volunteered to enter the grave.
“when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:4-5)
Here is the link to the State Funeral and watch, listen (including Michael Jensen’s excellent homily) and enjoy
Philippians 4: an antidote for Christian doomers
I was catching up with one of the young guys from church this afternoon. We have been reading through Philippians together. Today, we looked at chapter 4, and as we were reading and then discussing it together, it dawned on us how striking Paul’s directives are, and how much they contrast the kind of words and ideas that we see dominating the media and online discussions every day.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
What an antidote! What an alternative to 98% of what Christians and non-Christians alike share on their socials these days.
Doom scrolling is a thing. Doom sharing is also a thing. And algorithms are only too happy to feed these negative appetites and drag us further into the vortex of polarisation.
I follow loads of people online, Christians and atheists, left and right, and everyone in between. I have to say, it’s not pleasant out there in the cyber world (and neither is it in general life as well sometimes). There is this unhealthy, although understandable, negative undertone that is taking people hostage. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, it is the critical spirit and judgmental tone that attracts the most attention.
Sometimes I’m reading yet another comment and I’m thinking, does this person ever think anything good, noble and encouraging? Sometimes you leave wondering, is there t nothing good happening in the world? Some Christians would have us think it’s all bad and evil, and the church is worse today than it was yesterday, and yesterday the Church was the biggest problem of all! (All these weak insipid feminised men not expressing anger with the same degree that I am feeling!…you know the posts). If your impression of Christianity is these kinds of public verbiage, I don’t blame you. Some religious voices are a constant negative tune, like an irritating cat screeching through the night. Why would we think Jesus is good when Christians are always so angry and unkind.
The thing is, there are real and really dangerous and serious issues facing our world and our country. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to suggest that we are moving toward one of the most dangerous periods in all history, and playing cricket while people go to hell is a little bit sadistic. However, and it is a BIG however, at the same time, this isn’t just the worst of times, it is always the best of times. The Gospel of Jesus remains good and true. God is changing lives and growing churches all over the world. There seems to be a growing interest in Christianity among young Aussie guys and girls. I suspect the interest is greater today than it has been for generations: this is a profound encouragement.
If I may suggest a word to Christians who find themselves online a lot, and unable to control yet another word of complaint or rage or criticism, what if we change the song list? Could you share something different for a change?
Instead of everything being triple forte and with dissonant chords, find a melody in F major where there is lyricism, beauty and goodness.
Goodness and beauty are interesting. They are complex. They are intriguing and stimulating and attractive. Can anyone deny the nobility of Bach’s Preludes and Fugues? Or the wondrous sounds of a Chopin Ballade? Or even the captivating story of many a pop ballad.
There is occasion for a requiem to be sung and there is a time for hardcore punk anger and listening to Shostakovich’s C Minor String Quartet. But they should not and must not be our constant melodic line.
Is the gospel of Jesus good news or not?
So instead of doom scrolling, remember the Lord’s goodness and rejoice and share that joy.
Instead of topping up rage with the latest daily outrage, follow Paul’s advice and focus on what is noble and beautiful and useful. Not only will this do your own soul much good, it will paint a more accurate portrait of Christ and that is surely what we want to do above everything; to show people the compelling good news of the God who saves.
Notice where Paul lands at the end of his encouragement: “the God of peace will be with you.”
How much our tumultuous world needs peace. How much our cities and streets need this Divine peace. If peace is our aim, to be at peace with God through Christ, start practising Philippians 4:4-9
Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service: an event with 2 narratives
One of the largest memorial services in American history has just concluded.
Whether we approve or not, whether we are invested in the story or not, the assassination of Charlie Kirk has dominated the news cycle and continues to do so today, with his memorial service taking place in Glendale, Arizona.
The papers and social media are speaking about very little else. It’s not that this is the only thing that matters today, but there are moments in history that capture the public imagination in ways that coinciding events do not.
It’s clear that there were two narratives running through the memorial service, and we mustn’t confuse them as being the same or necessarily belonging together. I want to pull apart the politics that were present and the gospel that was also present.
Several members of the Trump administration spoke, including the President. Donald Trump gave a speech in which this line has already gone viral,
“He [Charlie Kirk] didn’t hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them – that’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I HATE my opponent and I DON’T want the best for them.
I suspect the President said these words with a certain tongue in cheek. He was bringing a moment’s levity to what was a very sombre occasion. At the same time, that does seem to be his modus operandi. But of course, Trump’s words are not his alone; this is the norm and assumed posture across religions and ideologies and politics. Whether it is fascist or anti-fascists or left or right, and most of the middle, we think ill of those who disagree with us. That the President is saying so with knowledge of the truth isn’t laughable, it’s woeful. Doubling down on hate doesn’t resolve the growing friction and factions that are disintegrating our societies. That leaves us with a game of power where the loudest, fastest and strongest aim to take charge and impose their will on the rest of us.
Trump, the ever populist and pragmatist, may well use whatever movement that helps maintain momentum. That’s a problem, as it was when previous American presidents co-opted Christian language and concepts to promote their own ethics and agendas.
On Saturday, I gave a lecture at the Reformed Theological College, where I outlined 3 principles for doing public theology:
- Don’t conflate Church and state.
- Don’t confuse common grace with particular grace.
- Understand both the common good and the eternal good.
Christian pundits, commentators and pastors would do well and serve our congregations and the unbelieving public by recognising and practising those distinctions. Of course, the differences are not always perfectly clear and it is true that the gospel of Jesus changes every part of us, but nonetheless, we will do well to avoid those trappings. Why? In part, because the gospel is too important to be confused or co-opted by red or blue or green.
Merging the Christian faith with politics is fraught with dangers, and that’s true across the political spectrum. If you think that your particular position is exempt from that rule, that only exemplifies the very problem. It doesn’t mean every political ideology is equally true or good or respectable. Of course not. How we value the unborn really does matter. How we view migrants and the poor matters. And many other topics.
As I said earlier, two narratives were present in the memorial service, and it is the second one that I hope shines the most.
Charlie Kirk’s pastor, Rob McCoy, gave a clear presentation of the good news of Jesus. He said.
“Charlie knew … at an early age … he entrusted his life to the Savior of the World. . Jesus came to this earth, was tempted in all ways, yet was without sin, was crucified upon the cross…”
“His blood was poured out because blood must be shed for the remission of sins…And His death upon that cross was sufficient for all the world’s sins, but only efficient for those who, like Charlie, would receive Him as their Savior.”
Can we say an Amen to those words?
Erika Kirk then addressed the crowds and uttered the impossible word,
“I forgive him…I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”
“The answer to hate is not hate,” she said. “The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love – love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
This is the message our polarised world needs to hear. I thank God that God has not judged me according to every word I have said and every thought I have entertained. I am eternally thankful to God that he forgives sinners such as me. And grasping this gospel does something to us, where Trump’s words disappear and where love and forgiveness take shape.
What is so sad and troubling is that I know our culture well enough to see how this is going to play out in the media and social media: most people will simply double down on their prior commitments and attitudes. People are so entrenched in their ideological preferences that we will read the room as our glasses are glued onto our faces, and we are unable to see any other perspective. MAGA supporting Aussie conservatives will criticise me for my posture here and progressive Aussies will criticise me for not damning Charlie Kirk to hell alongside the President.
Reality is almost always more complicated and nuanced. One does not need to elevate Charlie Kirk to the status of Stephen (Acts 6) or label him ‘ult right’. The Christian truth is that sinners are saved by grace alone on account of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus alone. Anything else is hubris.
Here is a thought: regardless of our political leanings, if God uses the gospel preached at Charlie Kirk’s funeral to convince some people of God’s saving news through Jesus, will we rejoice or will we resent & grumble like Jonah in Ninevah?
Nicola Olyslagers wins gold and shows us so much more
The mystery of Christianity’s ongoing relevance in Australia continues.
Shining through the dark clouds and rain of Tokyo last night was an Australian woman. It wasn’t her winning the high jump at the Athletics World Championship that so much elevated the spotlight (as impressive as this is) but how Nicola Olyslagers pointed her praise and joy to God.
“And every time that I was jumping. It was just worship. I was like, let’s go. And so even if waiting and out there in the rain, I have such a joy because I know these moments are forever, the gold medal was the added bonus.”
She’s right, it was worship. It was worship not because her performance was outstanding (as it was) or because of her world-class athletic ability, but because Nicola Olyslagers was using her gift in delight of and for glory of God. The Apostle Paul describes the entire Christian life as a living sacrifice of worship to God. It is a life of thanksgiving and joy to and for the God who made us and whose Son gave everything for our redemption.
It’s not only the Ancient Greeks who deified their athletes. Australians raise our athletes to a bar that they, nor anyone, can measure up to, whether it’s sporting successes or their personal lives. We stick them on a mantle and throw garlands of gushing praise that would make Hercules blush.
There is something humbling and attractive when winners don’t point to themselves. How interesting it is to hear athletes directing praise not toward themselves but to God. In Western countries like Australia, we pride ourselves in the so-called decline of religion in general, and Christianity specifically. We preach how we have built an alternative society in the vein of John Lennon’s hopeless ‘Imagine’. But as we’re discovering, this secular humanism is more like Camus’ Myth of Sisyphus. Except, Sisyphus is no longer pushing the boulder uphill; it’s fast chasing him down the hill, and yet strangely Sisyphus is shouting, ‘Look at me, I’m free!’
No matter how we try to squeeze out or sanitise Jesus, he won’t be locked in a cultural box, but in so many areas of Australian life, and yes, even among our athletes, this Jesus is making an appearance. Think of Geelong’s Ollie Dempsey, who is playing in the AFL Grand Final this Saturday, or Gary Ablett Jnr, Labuschagne and a host of NRL players.
Nicola Olyslagers’ words may appear strange to many of our ears, partly because God is the idea we are trying hard to leave behind. Who needs God today? We’ve also accepted a popular myth; God is baggage that keeps us from having success and happiness. Nicola Olyslagers is one of may athletes at this year’s World Championships showing us otherwise.
It is one thing to compete for self-satisfaction or actualisation. It is another thing to represent one’s country. It is reaching beyond the stars when athletes strive and exert for the glory of God. It’s not that the last of these is the least or cancels out the love of sport and the honour of running, jumping and throwing for your country. Competing for God raises the bar, not the bar of expectation, but the bar of realised contentment and happiness.
Think of it this way, if competing for yourself brings about a certain but limited happiness, and competing for others brings a higher level of wonder, then to jump or run for God’s pleasure is the greatest pleasure of all.
“God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure,” so said Eric Liddell, the 400m gold medalist from the 1924 Paris Olympics Games.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games Nicola Olyslagers shared,
“I think as a teenager I was always an outcast; and I got welcomed into a faith community that loved me. And I just remember encountering god’s love and it changed the way I thought of myself – as a misfit why was I created so tall and stuff – and it gave me passion and purpose to use it.
“In 2017, it was my big moment when it flicked the switch and I decided to pursue God over sport.- whatever comes from sport is a bonus, but I am already complete and perfect and loved as a person regardless of it.
“That just allowed me to soar over high jump bar and not be scared anymore because I am loved and that is the most important piece.”
There are extraordinary athletes who follow Jesus, and there are extraordinary athletes who do not. This is the case in every field of endeavour. Some of the most brilliant minds in the world today are followers of Jesus, while others are not. Many of history’s most influential thinkers were professing Christians, and others not. Today, in the fields of medicine, law, science, music, film, and economics, there are men and women who profess the name of Jesus, and there are men and women who do not.
The difference doesn’t depend on a person’s intellect or effort, but in the category that is greater than all others. Neither is the distinguishing characteristic success, as though Christians are more likely to win Word Championships or unbelievers are more likely.
One of the lessons here is that you don’t need to sacrifice God for sporting achievement. You don’t need to ditch God in order to find success. We are not required to ignore God in order to find our truest self. Nicola McDermott and Sydney McLaughlin are among the many athletes who prove this myth to be false. And what these athletes have shared is a message of good news that surpasses sporting achievement. Eric Liddell who felt God’s pleasure as he raced to gold, also said this, “Many of us are missing something in life because we are after the second best.”
The Apostle Paul once wrote a letter to a young man. He used a sporting analogy to describe the greatest race worth running.
“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
You see, Christianity’s ongoing relevance in Australia isn’t a mystery. My generation may be stuck with ‘Imagine’ on repeat, but Zoomers are looking for meaning and realisation beyond the low and crumbling ceiling we call ‘self-actualisation’.
No doubt many young Aussies are dreaming about future sporting success. Many more are thinking about the future and considering the possibilities before them. We do not need to make the mistake of locking God out of life. Indeed, through Jesus Christ, he promises something of eternal meaning, joy and satisfaction. A few may eventually win a World Championship medal or AFL Grand Final, but let’s not miss out because we are after the second best.
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