Rev. Nicholas Whereat's story
Rev. Nicholas Whereat shares his story of taking part in the End the Waiting Campaign, and the long road toward justice for people seeking asylum.
February has been a big month in my household. Our eldest returned to school, our middle child started kindy, and our daughter began childcare. It’s been a season of transition for our family.
There’s been a lot happening in our nation and the world, too. In Australia, the major parties are gearing up for an election. Severe flooding in Queensland has led to mass evacuations and the tragic loss of life. Globally, Ukraine marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Fears over the future of Gaza and Palestine continue to escalate. Meanwhile, the new U.S. administration has frozen international aid payments and introduced—or threatened—a raft of tariffs.
Next week marks the beginning of Lent, a time in the Christian calendar when many take space for reflection and renewal, journeying with Jesus toward the cross. In the midst of so much upheaval and change, I’m looking forward to the grounding and focus that Lent affords.
With an election on the horizon, Common Grace has chosen to do something a little different this Lent. We’ve launched our first-ever podcast series, where we will follow the final week of Jesus’ life and explore what it means for his followers—especially in how we think about and engage with politics.
I grew up in a faith tradition that emphasised keeping faith and politics separate. Politics was seen as divisive, a distraction from evangelism. But over the years, I’ve come to believe that praying and acting for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven means embracing a prophetic vocation—speaking out for the world as it should be rather than passively accepting the injustices of the world as it is.
In this sense, political engagement is not about partisanship—it’s about love. It’s about using whatever power we have to seek justice, bring light into darkness, and sow goodness amid brokenness.
I hope you’ll join us as we explore how Jesus’ actions in his final days before the cross had profoundly political implications. He subverted the expectations of a Messiah, confronted the misuse of power, stood with the marginalised, spoke truth, and redefined leadership as service.
I pray this journey inspires you and Christians across Australia to pray and act this election season for a world where all people—and all creation—flourish as God intends.
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February 2025 Updates
Everything is Political - Common Grace's 2025 Lent Podcast Series
Sign up to journey with us through a special 2025 Lent podcast series, 'Everything is Political' as the Common Grace team joins in conversation with voices from across our movement, walking through the last week of Jesus’ life in the gospels, reflecting on questions (and debunking myths) about justice and politics. This weekly podcast series starts Wednesday 5 March - 16 April.
Find out more and sign up here
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Justice for People Seeking AsylumOur Campaign Community Call on February 4 was a great opportunity to connect and reflect on the encouraging movement from the Australian government on calls to provide support to those fleeing conflict in Gaza. We know our calls for peace, safety and welcome are needed now more than ever in the face of the world's global displacement crisis - join us in the lead up to the federal election as we continue to work together to call for a more compassionate and welcoming Australia towards those seeking safety on our shores. |
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Join us as we speak and act together for a safe, free and flourishing future, for the common good and our common home.
In the lead-up to the 2025 Federal Election, the Common Grace team is holding a number of training workshops to help inspire and equip you to meet with your local candidates and call for just policy commitments. Join us online (4th March) or at our in-person events in Sydney (8th March), Brisbane (15th March), Bunbury (16th March) or Melbourne (23rd March). Register today!
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Thank you for being part of this passionate movement pursuing Jesus and justice together in 2025.
With hope,
Gershon Nimbalker
Common Grace National Director
This is Common Grace's February 2025 eNews update.
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