Next weekend you may notice an influx of visitors to our town.
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Perhaps you’ll drive past the showgrounds and wonder whether the Katherine show has come early.
But what you’ll actually be seeing is the 50th Katherine Christian Convention in action at the showgrounds.
The name can be misleading.
Although it’s held in Katherine people come from all over the Top End (and WA and QLD).
And from all kinds of backgrounds and communities. “Katherine Christians” are probably one of the smaller mobs present.
If you were to come along you’d see that Christianity is by no means a white person’s thing.
Not is it just for indigenous Australians. Rather you’ll see people side by side from a mixture of languages, locations, colours and cultures.
In an era where differences seem to divide us more and more, and where recent census data is so diverse that we can’t even get a picture of an “ordinary Australian”, something like the convention should make us pause and wonder “what could bring together such a mixed mob?”
And, further, what could keep doing so successfully for 50 years?
The motto for the convention is ‘All One in Christ’.
The claim is that Jesus loves all people, and is the Rescuer for all people. 50 successful years of this convention suggests that this is more than a religious platitude.
You’d always be welcome to turn up and see for yourself.
St Paul’s Anglican Church meets on Sundays@9am with kids church. All welcome.