I remember cycling towards the city by the river one weekend afternoon and the faint smell of a campfire wafted by – that particular smell of gum leaves and bark. For some reason I wondered if this was the dominant smell on the air before colonisation (along with the smell of mangroves)! The theme for this year’s NAIDOC week, ‘keep the fire burning’, celebrates the resilience of indigenous Australians and I thought we could use this lovely blessing on Sunday by Uncle Vince Ross:
May the God of creation warm your heart like the campfires of old
Bring wisdom and peace as shown to the first peoples of this land.
Shake off the dust from the desert plains by the refreshing rains
Followed by the glow and warmth of the sun.
Let the light of God show us the right path and stand tall like the big
River gums drawing life from the every flowing waters.
