Looking Outwards

Ernabella Anangu School and Emmaus Christian College were the privileged recipients of the 2019 Community Event Award week on Australia Day. Marion Council gave the award to the College to recognise the significant Emmaus - Ernabella Celebration event of our partnership of 25 years on Saturday 26 October. We were up against some impressive contenders from the local community.

The evening included the official opening of the commemorative mosaic which was a collaborative effort with local Anangu artists and students from our Aboriginal Studies class from both 2018 and 2019. The project is a significant artefact to celebrate what is a remarkable relationship. The local Anangu choir, Iriwi, celebrated the occasion with us and we were very fortunate to have them attend.

But best of all, many old scholars attended and relived their Lands Trip experiences. This is the part of the event that I feel was most significant as it represented the inclusive and adopted attitudes and new perspectives for so many of our students, past and present.

Empathy for the plight of those who are different or do not have the same circumstances in life is one of the most important aspects of this exchange. Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount is, for me, the Biblical manifesto for a Christian’s call to social justice and empathy for those who we share life with. God’s values are the complete opposite of the world’s and we need to pay attention to this. We want to encourage our students’ values to line up. How do we help our young people to develop attitudes that reflect this philosophy? It starts at home and it is reiterated by the programs we run at Emmaus.

Together we can help our young people look outward and fulfil their God given purpose.

Blessings
Andrea Grear