Seventh-day Adventist® Church

I was my son's age when the story of baby Azaria and the dingo hit the headlines. An Adventist family was camping in the Australian outback. The mother went back into the tent to check on their baby daughter. But Azaria was gone. The claim was that a dingo, a wild dog, took Azaria. 

The mother, Lindy, was tried and sent to prison for life, for the murder of her daughter, and Michael, the father, an Adventist Pastor, was given a suspended sentence, being found guilty of being an accessory after the fact. 

The media and the nation were captivated by the story, which also attracted global interest. Of course, having a church connection, Adventist at that, all kinds of false stories and suspicions were rumoured. 

Then, due to new evidence, Lindy was released, and then pardoned. It has taken 32 years of courtroom drama to get to the stage this week (12 June) of having yet another coroner's report, the fourth, give the latest verdict that a dingo caused the death of baby Azaria.

Such was the interest in this story that Hollywood made a film about the story, called "A Cry in the Dark", starring Meryl Streep. 

Protesting their innocence for all these years, now Lindy and Michael, and their children, can find relief in knowing that they have not only had their convictions overturned, but they are exonerated from the suspicion of murder. I presume that despite a large compensation pay out, and a major movie made of their lives, they would rather have their daughter alive.

The Chamberlains are not guilty. But they had to fight, and wait for 32 years, to reach this point in clearing their names and concluding the cause of Azaria's death.

We, on the other hand, are guilty. 

Guilty of turning away from God, and showing selfishness towards our neighbours, and sometimes even our families and friends. This is called sin. Sin became part of life on earth when Eve and Adam ignored God's instruction, and only thought of themselves. Turning away from God leads to self destruction. 

But because God is a God of relationships, of presence, He looks at us with grace, as though we are not guilty.

Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)
“Come now, let us reason together,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool."

God says, come to me, we can enjoy each other's presence. I will forget about what has separated us. There is no consequence to you.

It's time to come and reason with God. To experience His presence. Come. Now.

-Pr Nathan Stickland