Tim Costello argues that Australian aid is a faithful expression of the Christian call to reconciliation, urging the church to speak and act with courage for human dignity, peace, and care for the vulnerable in a divided world.
Ambassadors of Reconciliation
In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul writes that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). It is a striking phrase, and one we can easily pass over too quickly. Paul does not say that God was reconciling one nation, or one people, or one group who happen to think alike. He says God was reconciling the world.
He then goes on to say something even more remarkable, that this same ministry of reconciliation has been entrusted to us, and that we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18, 20).
If we were to search for a single word that captures the heart of salvation, I suspect reconciliation would be as close as we can come. We are reconciled to God, and through Christ, reconciled to one another. The dividing lines that so easily define and fracture human life are not affirmed in the Gospel, they are overcome.
A Vision of Peace and Wholeness
The Scriptures give us glimpses of what this reconciled world looks like. Isaiah offers those beautiful images we return to again and again, of swords beaten into ploughshares (Isaiah 2:4), of the lion and the lamb lying down together (Isaiah 11:6), of a child playing near a viper’s nest and not being harmed (Isaiah 11:8). These are not simply poetic pictures, they are a vision of the world as God intends it to be, a world marked by peace, safety and restored relationship.
Paul echoes this in Ephesians, where he writes that in Christ, and particularly in the cross, the dividing wall of hostility has been broken down, creating one new humanity out of what had previously been deeply divided and unreconciled peoples (Ephesians 2:14–16). That is the trajectory of the Gospel, and it is worth holding onto that vision when the world around us feels so far from it.
A Time of Tension and Hesitation
Because if we are honest, this is a difficult time to speak and to engage. There are many voices competing for attention, many strong opinions, and a growing sense that to step into public issues is to step into contested and potentially divisive space.
In many of our churches, people describe the experience of walking on eggshells. There is a reluctance to raise anything that might be perceived as political, for fear that it will divide rather than build up. That hesitation is understandable. The tone of public conversation has shifted, and for many, identity has become closely tied to political conviction in ways that make disagreement feel deeply personal.
If someone sees the world differently to me, it can feel as though they are not simply disagreeing with my view, but questioning my values, or even my faith. It is not surprising then that many choose silence.
Recovering a Larger Understanding of Advocacy
And yet, if we step back, we see that advocacy, in its deepest sense, is not simply a political activity. It is something much more fundamental.
In Genesis, God speaks, and in speaking, brings order out of chaos, light out of darkness, creation itself into being (Genesis 1:3–4). There is something profoundly creative about speech that is aligned with the purposes of God. When we speak in ways that reflect truth, justice and compassion, we are not merely entering a political conversation, we are participating, however imperfectly, in God’s ongoing work in the world.
In that sense, advocacy, when grounded in the Gospel, becomes an expression of reconciliation. It is not about winning arguments or asserting identity, but about bearing witness to a different way of being human together.
The Possibility of a Different Kind of Conversation
I was reminded of this recently in a context that I initially approached with some apprehension. I found myself part of a panel made up of people with very strong and very different political perspectives, including commentators whose public writing can at times be quite combative.
I wondered how the conversation would unfold.
What I experienced instead was something quite different. Sitting together, face to face, there was a level of courtesy and civility that is often absent from more distant forms of communication. There was even a willingness to recognise the strengths and contributions of people from across the political spectrum.
At one point I found myself thinking how valuable it would be if more people could witness this kind of exchange. Because what we so often encounter in public discourse is heat without light, whereas in that setting, something more constructive and more human was taking place.
It was a reminder that when engagement is relational, when people are present to one another rather than speaking past each other, the tone changes, and the possibility of understanding opens up.
A Sign of Unity in the Church
This is why what we have seen recently across the Australian Church is so significant. Leaders from our major denominations, representing different traditions and perspectives, have come together to affirm a shared statement in support of Australian aid. That unity is not something to take lightly.
It reflects a recognition that, at the heart of our faith, there are convictions that transcend our differences. It also provides a quiet but powerful witness to a broader community that the Church can speak together on matters that go to the heart of human dignity and care for those most in need.
That witness has been strengthened further by the thousands of individuals who have added their voices. In a time when division is often more visible than unity, this matters.
Loving Our Neighbour in Practice
At the centre of this is the call that Jesus makes so clear, to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). In a globalised world, our neighbour is not limited to those who live near us. It includes those in our region and beyond who are facing hardship, instability and vulnerability.
One of the ways a nation expresses that love is through its approach to aid. This is not about sentimentality, nor is it about neglecting responsibilities at home. It is about recognising that compassion and responsibility are not in competition with one another.
There is also, perhaps unexpectedly, a deep wisdom in this. A world that is more stable, more just and more secure for our neighbours is also a world that is safer and more secure for us. The call to love our neighbour is not only morally right, it is aligned with the way God has ordered the world.
A Modest but Meaningful Contribution
One of the challenges in these conversations is that many people assume that aid represents a large portion of government spending. In reality, it is a very small share, less than one percent of the federal budget, around 65 cents in every $100. This places Australia’s current aid program at or near historic lows as a share of our national income.
That does not mean it is insignificant. On the contrary, it is a modest investment that has very real impact, supporting health systems, education, disaster response and the strengthening of communities so that crises can be prevented rather than simply responded to.
In that sense, it reflects something of the pattern we see throughout Scripture, where small acts of faithfulness can have far-reaching consequences (Zechariah 4:10).
For those who would like to explore this more fully, including what Australian aid does in practice and why it matters in today’s world, you may find it helpful to view a short overview of the modern case for aid, or to explore our flipbook guide that sets this out in more detail.
God’s Heart for the Vulnerable
Ultimately, this is not about aligning with one political position or another. It is about aligning ourselves with the heart of God.
Again and again in Scripture, we see God’s concern for those who are most vulnerable, the poor, the stranger, the child, those without power or voice (Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 146:7–9). To care about these things is not to step outside the Gospel, but to take it seriously.
When we speak about aid in this light, we are not entering a partisan debate so much as bearing witness to what we believe about God and about what it means to be human in relation to one another.
A Future We Are Called to Reflect
In Revelation 7, we are given that compelling picture of a great multitude gathered before God, from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 7:9). It is a vision of a reconciled humanity, diverse and yet united, no longer divided by hostility or fear.
This is where history is moving, and in the meantime, we are invited to live in ways that anticipate that future, to be, in Paul’s words, ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20).
A Gentle Encouragement
In a time when it can feel easier to remain silent, or to withdraw from difficult conversations, there is an invitation to something more hopeful.
To engage with humility rather than certainty.
To speak with grace rather than anger.
To act with courage, grounded not in fear of division, but in confidence in the reconciling work of God.
We do not need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. God is already at work, reconciling all things to himself (Colossians 1:19–20). Our role is to participate, faithfully and thoughtfully, in that work.
And so we return to those familiar words from Micah, which remain as relevant now as ever. To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
In doing so, we may find that even small acts of faithfulness contribute to something much larger, the quiet, persistent work of reconciliation in a world that deeply needs it.