One of my favourite urban walks anywhere in the world is the short walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Unfailingly, I feel my spirits lift as I join strangers crossing the old Coat-hanger, taking in some of the most stunning views the Emerald City has to offer. On Wednesday this week, I crossed the famous bridge on foot once again.
On this day, twenty-five years ago, Sydney witnessed an extraordinary and hope-filled event, the inaugural Bridge Walk for Reconciliation. On that first occasion, I was obliged to work and so was not able to join the 250,000 people who walked across the Bridge in a powerful public statement of solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
When I finished work that night, my three-year-old son Michael and I quietly walked across the Bridge. The crowds had long gone, the traffic was light, and it was cold and dark. It was a profoundly ethical act, reinvigorating my commitment to social justice in my time and place. It is now one of Michael’s earliest memories.
It was also a moment that stirred the national conscience and called the Church to deeper reflection on its role in reconciliation. As we celebrate National Reconciliation Week and mark the 25th anniversary of the Bridge Walk for Reconciliation in Sydney, I am reminded that we walk in step with Jesus, who longs for everyone to experience the fruit of justice, healing, and restored relationships.
For Christians, reconciliation is not merely a social or political goal – it is a spiritual imperative. At the heart of the Gospel is the call to be reconciled to God and to one another. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Peacemaking requires humility, truth-telling, repentance, and active steps toward justice.
The journey toward reconciliation with First Nations peoples involves acknowledging the deep wounds caused by colonisation, dispossession, and past church complicity in cultural erasure. It also offers a profound opportunity for healing, mutual respect, and transformation. This is not about token gestures, but about genuine partnership – walking together, listening deeply, and honouring Indigenous voices and leadership.
The Church in Australia has a unique responsibility to model Christlike reconciliation. As followers of Jesus, we must continue to walk the bridge – not only symbolically, but in real, ongoing acts of solidarity. That may look like advocating for truth-telling processes, supporting Indigenous-led ministries, and integrating Indigenous perspectives into worship and community life.
I pray that God will inspire you in the coming days to step out in faith and goodwill, and “walk the bridge” in your own way as together we celebrate National Reconciliation Week.
Rev Dr Rod Benson is General Secretary of the NSW Ecumenical Council and minister of North Rocks Community Church in Sydney.
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