I recently attended the opening of the Melbourne Festival featuring Big Hart’s production Murru. This ten song production is part tribute to John Pat, an aboriginal who died in custody, part protest about aboriginal deaths in custody and part proclamation for a a better future as people of different backgrounds hold hands and work together.
In these days of terror concerns, about two thousand gathered in the open space at Federation Square seemingly without fear and without an obvious additional security in addition to the obligatory stage security.
As I sat and listened and observed I thought this is a freedom worth preserving – the freedom to speak out against injustice, the freedom to gather and the freedom to think. Peddlers of terror want to take that away as they have done in many parts of the world.
I think the message of Murru is right on the money when it comes to this. The more we hold hands and work together despite our differences the less fertile ground those who peddle terror will ahve to plant their seeds of disunity.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)