It’s not every day that I get to walk the seemingly endless corridors of Parliament House, guided by a friendly staffer and ushered into the art filled meeting room of an MP.

So I was excited – and nervous – to be doing exactly that last week! Scott, Andrew, Geoff and I were representing Baptist Mission Australia as part of a group of 40 Baptists from across Australia, joining together in Canberra to meet with politicians and speak up on behalf of people in Myanmar.

It was a privilege to be part of this passionate contingent, especially as half of the group were from Myanmar. Our Burmese sisters and brothers led the way in sharing the desperate reality of life in Myanmar with Federal MPs and Senators.

Here is a video recap of our time at Parliament House:

Video link: https://vimeo.com/1133720666/a35a977a80 

Why advocacy? I see this opportunity to advocate for the vulnerable as a way to express my faith. As a follower of Jesus, I believe we have a mandate to speak out against injustice and use our voice to lift up the voices of those who can’t be in the room. We see this in verses like Proverbs 31:8-9 and Micah 6:8. We are called to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” and “To act justly and to love mercy”.

God hears the cries of families and communities suffering at the hands of the military junta. Minority people groups, many of whom are Baptist, are targeted with aerial bombings and landmines. We know that God has a heart for the oppressed. He is for peace, freedom and hope. And this is what we pray for the people of Myanmar.

Every year, a group of Australian Baptists gather in Canberra for the Converge Conference to advocate for a local or global cause. This year, Converge was a key part of the wider Stand with Myanmar campaign and we invite you to add your voice to our shared message. You can use the letter template to send a letter to your Member of Parliament on the Act page here >>

And you can give to back the urgent humanitarian work of Baptist Mission Australia and Baptist World Aid’s trusted partners, both within Myanmar and in border camps.

It was a deep privilege to stand alongside Burmese leaders and young people in meetings with politicians. Across the board, we were positively received and the politicians seemed to listen well to the information and asks we shared.

Pray with us that the stories and information we shared will stay with our elected leaders. Pray that they will work together to use the mechanisms available to government to make a positive impact on communities in Myanmar.

And pray for peace.