Stan Grant, a respected Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi journalist, has transitioned from a decades-long media career into theology and spiritual reflection. After facing intense public backlash during the Voice to Parliament referendum, Stan Grant retreated to his property on Muradjug land, seeking healing and connection. He described the deep pain of the 'No' vote as a profound existential sadness, not merely political but personal—a rejection of Indigenous identity. Silence, for him, became a sacred and powerful language when words failed.
In the interview, Stan Grant reflects on the trauma of racism, both historically and personally, recounting a disturbing incident outside the ABC where a racial slur left a lasting emotional wound. Despite these experiences, he acknowledges the paradox of Australian identity—where love and racism coexist. He sees truth-telling and reconciliation as moral and spiritual pursuits, beyond the limitations of politics. Rather than relying solely on government, Stan Grant believes that stories, poetry, music, and art have the power to move hearts and open pathways to healing.
Stan Grant's shift into theology emerged from a yearning to explore deeper truths. While philosophy brought him to the edge, it was theology—especially within the Catholic tradition—that immersed him in the sacred. He speaks of the profound overlap between his Indigenous spirituality and Christian faith, rejecting the notion that these must be at odds. Faith, he asserts, remains strong among Aboriginal communities, offering sacred grounding and communal resilience. His journey into contemplation reflects a need to move beyond a media landscape he found increasingly toxic and soulless.
Finally, Stan Grant reflects on personal transformation, especially in his relationship with his ageing father. From a man who taught him to be tough, his father’s vulnerability now invites a different kind of intimacy—one of love and reconciliation. Stan Grant acknowledges that while he may not see the full change he hopes for in Australia, he has faith in the next generation. He ends with gratitude for his family, culture, faith, and country—finding God not in accolades or achievements, but in stillness, the land, and the sacred presence that surrounds him.
Journal and reflect on the following
Why do you think Stan Grant turned to theology and silence after the Voice referendum?
What does Stan mean when he says 'silence is another language of a higher order'?
How does Stan’s experience of racism reveal the lasting impact of history on personal identity?
In what ways can faith and Indigenous spirituality work together rather than against each other?
Stan talks about his father's vulnerability—how can seeing the weakness in others lead to deeper love?
Why does Stan believe storytelling, poetry, and art are more powerful than politics for creating change?
What small actions can we take today to contribute to reconciliation and justice in Australia?
Discuss
Song - Longing for Place
Final Prayer
Loving Creator,
You speak in the silence of the land, in the wind through the trees, and in the stillness of broken hearts.
You were with First Nations peoples long before colonisation, walking with them in the Dreaming and dwelling within Country.
We thank You for voices like Stan Grant’s—voices that rise in truth, fall in grief, and find refuge in sacred silence.
Forgive us, Lord, for the wounds our nation has caused: the racism, the silence that erases, the systems that divide.
Let our hearts break open, not with bitterness, but with humility and compassion.Help us to sit in the silence—not to escape, but to listen. Not to dominate, but to learn.
May our silence become sacred ground, where love speaks louder than words.
Renew in us the courage to tell the truth, to face history, to walk gently with one another.
Bless all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with justice, dignity, healing, and hope.
And draw us into deeper communion—across culture, faith, and story—so we may be one people, reconciled in Your grace.
