May 2026 News Update

Reconciliation, Pentecost, and The Spirit at Work

I’ve had the absolute joy this month of meeting many of you at our Community Connection Events around the country and online.

Those moments of connection are such a huge inspiration for me, and a reminder that this wonderful movement that we are a part of is filled with remarkable people like you – people deeply shaped by their faith in Jesus, who centre His way of love, graciously pursue justice, and bring hope.

Last Sunday I was in Adelaide where I had the privilege of speaking at Brougham Place Uniting Church for Pentecost. As the Church marks Pentecost I was reminded of how radically the Spirit reshapes the community of believers.

At Pentecost, the followers of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem were living in a world deeply shaped by fear, division and hierarchy, where people were separated and ranked by ethnicity, status, age, gender, class, and power. Into this community of believers, the Spirit swept those divisions away, filling all that were present, young and old, rich and poor, men and women, slave and free, citizen and foreigner. The barriers fell, and a slice of the Kingdom manifested itself amongst them - a reminder that God’s image is equally present in everyone.

When you read the early chapters of Acts, you see just how deeply this transformed the life of the early Church. People across every dividing line shared meals together, carried one another’s burdens, and even sold possessions and property so that those in need would always have enough.

The early Church, for all its flaws, held onto enough of this radical, Spirit-shaped vision that it profoundly shaped their engagement with the world around them.

One of the earliest examples of Christian advocacy I’ve encountered was the Church’s opposition to the gladiatorial games. In a culture where human suffering had become entertainment, Christians actively advocated against the idea that people could be treated as disposable, or that violence could be normalised for public spectacle.

Atheist Historian William Lecky later reflected that:

“There is scarcely any single reform so important in the moral history of mankind as the suppression of gladiatorial shows, a feat that must almost exclusively be ascribed to the Christian church.”

What changed was not simply politics or law, but imagination. There was a growing conviction in Western moral reasoning that every human being carried inherent dignity because they bore the image of God. This conviction was at the heart of the Church’s support of universal education, healthcare, the welfare state, ending slavery and for civil rights. It’s a conviction that transformed the world.

This week is National Reconciliation Week. It’s with sadness I recognise that so much of the historic injustice our nation is now wrestling with, is because a nominally Christian empire chose to ignore these truths during the colonisation of Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were too often denied full humanity, dignity and equality, despite the Gospel pointing so clearly in the opposite direction. There were voices who resisted this from the beginning, including the man who commissioned Cook’s first voyage to Australia, James Douglas, the 14th Earl of Morton.

“They are human creatures, the work of the same omnipotent Author, equally under his care with the most polished European; perhaps being less offensive, more entitled to his favor… No European Nation has a right to occupy any part of their country, or settle among them without their voluntary consent.”

These were sentiments echoed later by Aboriginal Christian leaders, like William Cooper and Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls.

This week, as I reflect on the intersection of Pentecost and reconciliation, I’m feeling the need to allow the Spirit to continue to reshape our imagination, and through us help reshape the imagination of our nation. I’m yearning for a nation that sees the image of the divine in every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child that it continues to lock up. A nation that cares deeply and equally about every community struggling with poverty. A nation, blessed with such abundance, that it can ensure everyone has enough.

Can I encourage you to spend time with Common Grace’s National Reconciliation Week resources, and the beautiful reflections and conversation shared by Aunty Donna Meehan and Safina Stewart. Their reflections carry such generosity, wisdom and hope, while also inviting the Church into deeper relationships with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters.

My prayer is that this National Reconciliation Week we will be part of the ongoing work of becoming the kind of Spirit-shaped community we catch a glimpse of at Pentecost. A community where barriers continue to fall, dignity is recognised in all, and love reshapes the way we live together

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May 2026 Updates

Budgets and the Moral Imagination of a Nation.  The 2026/27 Federal Budget arrived amid global uncertainty, rising living costs, and deep human suffering across the world. While this budget includes steps worth welcoming, it still falls short of the justice and flourishing we should aspire to as a nation. Read Common Grace’s full analysis and reflections from Gershon Nimbalker, National Director of Common Grace, and Eliza Johnson, Policy Coordinator at Common Grace.

We are midway through National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June). This week is an invitation to honour, listen deeply, and learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme, ‘All In: Reciprocity as Reconciliation’, calls us to step off the sidelines and commit wholeheartedly to the shared work of reconciliation. Explore Common Grace’s 2026 Resource Toolkit, prayer resources, and a conversation with Safina Stewart and Aunty Donna Meehan reflecting on justice, reciprocity, and right relationship.

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Refugee Week (14–20 June) is an invitation to listen deeply to the stories of people who have sought refuge and asylum, and to reflect on how we can help build a more just and welcoming Australia together. This year’s theme, ‘A Million Stories’, honours the one million humanitarian visas Australia has issued since WWII. As part of Refugee Week 2026, Common Grace and the National Council of Churches’ Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce invite you to join a national webinar launching the 2026 #EndTheWaiting campaign, where we will hear powerful stories  of welcome and explore ways we can take action together. Sign up here.

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Last month, leaders from nearly 60 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia for the world’s first global summit focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels. In a world often marked by delay and division, many described the gathering as surprisingly hopeful, with conversations finally shifting from whether a fossil fuel phase-out is needed to what a just and practical pathway for transitioning could look like. With Pacific nations, Indigenous leaders, and communities on the frontlines helping lead the way, attention now turns to the next summit in Tuvalu in 2027 - a powerful reminder that those most impacted by the climate crisis are helping lead the call for a more just and hopeful future.

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Last week Ellaina Welsman, Common Grace’s Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Justice Lead, and our DFV Working Group hosted the ‘Healing After Leaving Domestic and Family Violence’ Webinar. We are seeing a growing community committed to justice, safety, and flourishing for people impacted by domestic and family violence in Australia. We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who registered, attended, or donated to help make this important conversation possible. If you would like to receive a copy of the webinar recording and transcript, you can register here.

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As we come to the end of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month we invite you to join us in a prayer, written by Gershon Nimbalker, National Director of Common Grace, that was shared in our ‘Healing After Leaving Domestic and Family Violence’ Webinar. 

God of compassion and justice,

We give you thanks that you draw near to us, and to all those in need.

Our heart breaks in the face of such pain and oppression. 

May your presence bring safety where there has been fear,
dignity where there has been shame,
truth where there has been confusion,
and hope that overcomes despair.

We pray for healing that is gentle and patient.
For courage for each next step.
For trustworthy people who will listen well, know their own limits, and commit to walk faithfully and wisely alongside those recovering from harm.

We pray too for your Church.
Make us communities that reflect the heart of Jesus.
Places that are clear on what you call us to, and what you call us away from.

May they be communities that bring safety and freedom, where all are supported to flourish.

May your Church be a place where people are met with deep wisdom and love.  May they be places that help lead change in their communities, and our nation.

Give us courage to confront violence, to protect the vulnerable, and to embody your good news in ways that are clearly life bringing, and that free us from harm and oppression.

Amen.

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Thank you for being a part of the Common Grace movement. Over the last little while, so many of us have had the joy of connecting with each other - at gatherings, events, conversations and around shared tables. In a time that can often feel uncertain or wearying, these moments have been a powerful reminder that this movement is full of people committed to justice, compassion and hope. Thank you for continuing to walk alongside us as we seek the way of Jesus together.

Blessings,

Gershon Nimbalker

Common Grace National Director