October 2026 News Update

The Image of God and our Public Life

A reflection on the alleged attack on Dr Helen Haines MP, how we treat those we disagree with, and the profound truth that all people are made in the image of God.

___________

Like many Australians, I’ve been left reeling from the horrific alleged attack on Independent MP Dr Helen Haines. The shocking nature of the attack, the life-altering injuries Helen has suffered, and the grief and uncertainty facing her, her family and her community are deeply heartbreaking. We’ll continue to hold them all in our prayers.

On one level, this alleged attack is disturbing because of the sheer tragedy of it. Helen, according to those who know her and work alongside her, is a person of deep compassion and integrity, generous towards others and devoted to her community. It’s natural to wonder, why her?

But Helen’s status as a sitting Member of Parliament has made this tragedy resonate at a deeper level across the Australian community. The alleged attack has dominated our headlines, rightly prompted an outpouring of grief and compassion, and brought our Parliament to a standstill.

Much of the coverage has sought to make sense of deeper anxieties that have been bubbling away in Australia. Thankfully, we are a country where we are used to political differences, however robust, being resolved through debate and deliberation rather than violence.

But as we witness democracies overseas becoming increasingly fragile and feel our own politics becoming more polarised, there’s a growing fear that violence may be used as a political tool here as well. The killings of Charlie Kirk and Democrat Melissa Hortman in the US, alongside the death of Labour MP Jo Cox in the UK, have brought the threat of political violence into sharper focus.

The Australian Federal Police have reportedly raised concerns about growing threats against politicians, with reports of harassment, threatening behaviour and offensive communications rising sharply over the past five years. Before the attack, Waleed Aly observed that more Australian adults now believe that “political violence is sometimes justified” than attend church. The fear that violence could increasingly become a tool of political expression is not unfounded.

In Helen’s case, we still don’t know what motivated the alleged attack. Given her reputation for deep listening, compassion and tireless advocacy for her community, it is particularly difficult to make sense of why she was targeted. Reports suggest the attacker may claim the incident was accidental and that he held no grudge against Helen. Until more is known, we should be careful not to turn this tragedy into confirmation of any particular political assumption.

There’s a lot of uncertainty to unpack, and a lot of pain. But in the midst of it all, one of the clearest and most extraordinarily gracious voices has been that of Helen’s husband, Phil. Last Monday, he left his wife’s bedside to speak with parliamentarians. In the midst of unimaginable personal suffering, he shared his family’s hope that this tragedy might become a turning point, an opportunity for Australia to choose a gentler, more cohesive path. The Prime Minister described Phil’s grace as almost beyond comprehension.

Across the political spectrum, Helen’s colleagues have spoken with great affection about her kindness, compassion, generosity and respect for others. A former nurse and midwife, Helen has described how caring for people through life’s most joyful and difficult moments taught her that every life is precious, every person deserves dignity and respect, and good policy begins with listening.

The outpouring of compassion across party lines has been a welcome reminder that, despite our differences, there are values we continue to recognise and cherish together.

Historically, Christianity and the Church have played an important role in embedding this conviction in the Western imagination. At the heart of this conviction is one of the most profound truths of our faith: every human being is made in the image of God.

The more this ethos shapes the way we do politics and the societies we build, the closer we move towards communities and a nation where all can flourish.

This conviction has profoundly shaped Christian understandings of justice and helped inspire movements throughout history to care for the sick, challenge slavery and defend those pushed to the margins. The Church has not always lived up to this vision, but at its best, it has helped transform how our world understands the dignity and worth of human life.

It is a vision reflected in Phil Haines’ call for a different path, and in the kind of politics Helen Haines has sought to practise.

The apostle James challenges us with the contradiction of praising God while cursing those made in God’s likeness (James 3:9–10). How can we honour God while dishonouring those who bear God’s image?

This conviction should shape our public conversations and how we engage with our leaders and decision-makers. People we disagree with, even passionately, are always fellow image-bearers of God and should be respected as such.

It should also shape our personal interactions and the kind of society we seek to build. For those of us who follow Jesus, it should be at the forefront of our minds in what we desire for migrants and refugees seeking safety, how we respond to the suffering of women and children experiencing domestic and family violence, how we address the problem of crime, and how we challenge the injustice and exclusion experienced by those on the margins of society.

This commitment to human dignity should shape both the ends we want for our communities and the means we use to achieve them.

Reflecting on Phil Haines’ words and the tributes paid to Helen by her colleagues, I’m struck by the fact that the challenge before us isn’t simply to persuade Australians that kindness and dignity matter. It is to live consistently with values we already recognise as good, particularly when we’re angry, afraid or confronted by people with whom we profoundly disagree.

As the Common Grace movement, this is the kind of public witness I hope we continue to offer: a community of Christians who pursue justice with courage, extend grace generously and seek to recognise the image of God in every person.

May Helen and her family know the love and prayers of a nation as they journey towards healing. And may we honour their invitation by helping to build a society marked by greater kindness, compassion, dignity and justice.

____________________________

October 2026 Updates

Introducing Common Grace Conversations - a new monthly series on the Common Grace Podcast!  Tune in each month to hear from people across the Common Grace movement as we make sense of the world around us, explore what it means to follow Jesus, pursue justice and put love into action. In this month’s conversation, Phil Walker-Harding and I reflect on Season of Creation, our collective superpower and God’s ordained rhythms of rest and care. Listen Now! Find The Common Grace Podcast on Spotify, PocketCasts, or online here.

At our 2026 Let Justice Flow Conference, Common Grace delegates met with Parliamentarians to advocate for youth justice reform, including greater investment in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and the vital role they play in supporting First Nations children, families and communities to thrive

This week, the Commonwealth Government announced changes to funding arrangements with the Northern Territory Government, including redirecting $80 million to build the capacity of Aboriginal organisations, amid concerns about the Territory’s progress on Closing the Gap.

While this is one small step in a much bigger journey towards justice, it’s an encouraging reminder that change can happen incrementally. We give thanks for the ACCOs leading this work and for the Federal Government’s steps towards directing resources to Aboriginal organisations. We continue to call for the sustained funding, genuine partnership and self-determination needed to ensure all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families can thrive.

Earlier this month, the Coalition announced that, if elected in 2028, it would halve Australia’s humanitarian intake from 20,000 to 10,000 places. With 117.8 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, many fleeing conflict and persecution, Australia must not turn away from its responsibility to offer welcome and refuge.

As public debate over immigration intensifies, our voices can help shape a different story: one of compassion, justice and welcome. Join Common Grace and the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce’s End the Waiting campaign to call on the Australian Government to expand our Refugee and Humanitarian Program to 27,000 places and strengthen pathways to protection.

On 6 October, faith communities across Australia joined the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) for a national Day of Action, calling for stronger climate action ahead of COP31. Thank you to everyone who participated in this day! 

Together, people of faith gathered in seven major locations across the country, standing in solidarity with our Pacific Island neighbours in calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty. These events garnered over 150 media items and over 22 million views. The national Day of Action followed the presentation of a statement from Pacific Church leaders at the opening service of the Pre-COP summit in Fiji. Since then, 80 senior Australian faith leaders and organisations, including Common Grace, have added their voices through an open letter to the Prime Minister, echoing the Pacific leaders’ call. 

As we look towards COP31, please join us in praying for courageous leadership, meaningful commitments to climate action, and justice for Pacific communities on the frontlines of climate change. Watch the Day of Action highlights and read the open letter to the Prime Minister.

Domestic and family violence affects people in every community, including our churches. Our new Domestic and Family Violence Church Toolkit is a free collection of practical resources designed to help churches understand DFV, respond safely when someone reaches out for help, and take meaningful steps to prevent violence and build cultures of safety, dignity, and healthy relationships.

Wherever your church is on this journey, this Toolkit can help you take the next step. Sign up now to receive access to this FREE resource or share this email with your church leaders and ask them to sign up on behalf of your church.

Find out more by reading our latest blog ‘Turning on the Light’ featuring Heather, who is a member of Common Grace’s Domestic and Family Violence Working Group, and who generously contributed to the formation of the Toolkit.