This morning, a collection of country towns across Victoria made history. The electorate of Indi in north-eastern Victoria, which has been considered an extremely safe Liberal seat since Federation, has been won by a local independent candidate. The sitting member in Indi, MP Sophie Mirabella has held the seat for 12 years, but this morning she conceded the seat in a statement to Independent Cathy McGowan. Full of impassioned grassroots campaigns, mysterious missing votes and weeks of anticipation, the story of Indi is the story of the election, especially on Twitter, where the hashstag #indivotes has been a trending topic.

Independent Cathy McGowan

The story of how Indi came to be the most watched seat in the election comes down to something simple: people power. Politics aside, the human interest side to the story that’s captured social media is the battle between the underdog, McGowan, and the incumbent, Mirabella. Before running as a candidate, Cathy McGowan was part of a group of local citizens going by the name “Voice for Indi” who were researching patterns of political disengagement in their community. It was their assessment that people had given up expecting to have a political voice, because the seat was so safe. They decided to work out what really mattered to local people. Once they had answers, they decided to put up a candidate and the rest is history.

But what can we learn from #indivotes?

This morning in her victory statement, McGowan made a point of saying it was a “community win” and she couldn’t have done it without over 600 active volunteers who worked to “engage the communities all across Indi”. Indi is no small electorate, covering 28,567 sq km. But with an emphasis on the values of respect and community engagement, McGowan became a voice for the people. She has become an example of what can happen when you really listen.

It struck me that as Christians, this is something we must learn do better. Listening is fundamental to communication, and it is fundamental to engagement and change. If we want to love our neighbours, and if we want a voice in our communities, we have to learn to listen. And once we’ve listened, to roll up our sleeves and serve. A brilliant example of this is Break the Cycle, a community service hub which Eternity visited recently in south-west Sydney. Aiming to reach the unemployed and marginalised in their parish, Break the Cycle offer community breakfasts, counselling, no interest loans, emergency grants, anger management and cooking classes, a men’s shed, playground … the list goes on. As a result, the organisation, and the church, is respected in the community.

Imagine if churches across Australia took the time to determine the needs of their neighbours, to really listen, and then got on with helping. Beyond the joy of service, there might be opportunities to contribute to community forums, to have a say on local issues, to become a representative voice at a time when Christians are largely marginalised.

The lesson of #indivotes is one of humility and one of courage. It takes humility to listen, and courage to act. As Christians, we must do both.

Photo from Cathy McGowan’s campaign page.