In a biblical response to Christian Today Australia, Ms. Jacobs argued those who are opposed to saying 'sorry,' since we are not held accountable for the past action of our ancestors, should look carefully at the Scripture where a severe famine had hit Israel after Saul massacred the Gibeonites.
"My response to those who would argue that we should not be held accountable for the mistakes of our predecessors could well benefit from reading the account of David's seeking the Lord on behalf of Israel during a severe famine in 2 Samuel 21:1-14. The Lord said in answer to David's seeking: 'The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites'."
"We are not too sure just when this occurred but Saul had gone against an oath given by the Israelites in Joshua 9:3,6,15. He had massacred the Gibeonites contrary to what had been promised to them. However we do know that it was many years prior to David seeking the Lord as recorded in this Samuel portion of scripture."
Going further, Ms. Jacobs, again using the Bible, said atonement was needed by those responsible for the 'blood spilt' in Australia where the land had been polluted by many massacres of Aboriginal people.
"According to Number 35:33 atonement needed to be made for 'blood spilt' as it polluted the Land. Such atonement needed to be made by those responsible. We could also consider Deut. 21:1-12. There had to be shedding of blood before there could be forgiveness."
"We know that Jesus paid the ultimate atonement price by shedding His blood and thus making atonement once and for all as recorded for us in so many passages in the New Testament such as Heb. 9:14 and 1 Peter 1:18-19. However, we as His disciples need to appropriate this fact."
Saying 'sorry' on behalf of our predecessor was a good place to start, she continued. However, some Christians had taken it a step further by conducting communion services on Massacred ground and pouring prayed over communion wine on the earth together signifying the powerful cleansing of the Blood of Jesus, she told Christian Today Australia.
She believed this act was worth considering on a national scale but it needed to be done in a true spirit of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation by both parties.