day, but the sense of others is more than those who are physically looking at the painting with me. Two texts from Hebrews spring to mind: ‘We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses’ and ‘long ago God spoke to our ancestors …’ (Hebrews 12:1; 1:1). As I stand looking at Baiame, I feel the presence of those who have stood and looked at this painting over centuries and, more importantly, those who created it. There is a sense of peace as I look at this ancient painting. It is thousands of years old. No doubt the legend of Baiame predates that. Aboriginal people have been on the continent we now call Australia for millennia. My own origins link with this heritage of thousands of years. Like most Aboriginal people I feel connected to this land, and I stand in awe of its beauty and mystery. It is a land that is silent but speaks. The peace and quietness of the bush says something to those who stop to listen. We name this land as sacred. The Creator’s hand can be seen in all of creation. The gum tree, spinifex and yakka, kangaroo, possum, snake, wombat, and platypus. Strange plants and creatures, unsettling in many respects, but they are part of God’s created world. Creation that God looked upon and declared good. Some get nervous when we speak like this. They think we equate God with creation. They think we are saying God is a gum tree or a kangaroo. But no, Aboriginal people are not that simplistic. We understand nuance. We understand the presence of God in all things, but all things are not God. There is a difference. The hand of the Creator can be seen on all things that God created. The book of Job encourages us to ‘ask the beasts and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or the plants of the earth, and they will 14
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