7 | tyrendarra IPA | gunditjmara country #Lent 2023

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation … (2 Corinthians 1:2-3)

Tyrendarra IPA is not a beer. It is an Indigenous Protection Area at Tyrendarra, about two kilometres north of the Princes Highway. As you approach the area, you can see to the west a fold of hills running north-south into the sea. To me this seems to guard the flat fertile plain to the east, with the Fitzroy River running north-south between the fold of hills and the fertile plain.

The plain is dotted with tumuli (volcanic eggs). On the plain there is a bird hide, eel traps in a stream and some replica huts like those used by the local Indigenous peoples when they were settled there for many thousands of years.

When there, I sense the Spirit of God like a blanket lying over the land, draped across the hills, covering the river and resting on the fertile plain. It is a blanket that brings peace to the land and a comforting salve, as this part of what is now called Victoria has the highest concentration of massacre sites in Australia.

For me the Spirit of God embraces this pain and loss and horror, and holds it with love and care and grace. The Spirit silently weeps while bringing life and growth and hope for the future. I feel calm when on this land. I feel the Spirit of God as a being. I am drawn in. Amen. Ω

Image shows Tae Rak (Lake Condah), also part of the IPA.

What is this? Lent is the 40 days, excluding Sundays, before Easter. Traditionally it is a time of reflection and pilgrimage. To help you on this journey, Sanctuary has put together daily stories and images from people in the congregation which are focused on God in this place. Why this theme? Read this! #Lent2023. Our Spiritual Geography © Sanctuary, 2023. Sanctuary is based on Peek Whurrong country. Full acknowledgement of country here.