What it says about us when we leave bodies in the sea

Back in 2013 there was a boat carrying __ asylum seekers that capsized off Christmas Island. It was a complete tragedy and well documented in the media at the time (you may remember this very well). ___ people died. And the bodies of those people were left at sea. They weren't recovered.

Concerning this and the discourse around asylum seekers Rev. Michael Jensen wrote an article that was publish by the ABC Drum online. Michael Jensen is a Sydney Anglican Minister and his article pointed to something very important concerning the Australian view of asylum seekers and "boat people". As well as government policy. It seemed that the decision to leave the bodies of these people in the ocean said something about what we thought of the people that died.

In the campaign concerning asylum seekers Australia's perception of these people is of paramount importance. Much of the battle is to help ordinary Australian's see the value and importance of these people's lives. As Christians we believe that all people are created in the image of God. When this innate value of people is taken away from people the church must stand to recognise it and uphold it. And it is to this value that we hold as Christians, that God loves each of us, that Michael Jensen speaks to in his article. It is also why he held a memorial service for these people at St. Barnabus Church.

Click here to read the article