NAIDOC Week: When you dance I dance with you

I love The Servant Song, which I sang for the first time in high school. It’s a song about being sisters and brothers towards each other, and sharing in the life journey. I thought of The Servant Song this week, because it’s NAIDOC Week.

Now there are some times when we are asked to bring our tears, our lamentations, as we sit with the suffering of others. The Day of Mourning (the Sunday before 26 January) and Sorry Day are times like that. But NAIDOC Week is a bit different. It’s actually a time of celebration. Of joy. Of dance. We are asked to join in with Aboriginal and Islander folk as they celebrate their beautiful culture, and all their achievements.  

And so I thought of that line from The Servant Song that goes: “I will weep when you are weeping; When you laugh I’ll laugh with you”. NAIDOC Week is actually the time for joy, and laughter. Not that we ignore the injustices. But we celebrate the great resilient spirit of First Nations people, despite all they’ve been through, and the riches they share.

Hope you can find a way to celebrate with First Nations folks. Check out the NAIDOC Week website to find a celebration near you.