Adi Walujo

Worship in a cozy church? In an Anabaptist parlor? What if the church is closed by the Muslim authorities? Nevertheless, celebrating in front of and behind the church, even in the rain, nevertheless sharing the water with the others, that was the service of our small congregation in Indonesia. And then it was like a miracle...

 

More information:

According to an interview on July 23, 2015 at the Mennonite World Conference in Pennsylvania/USA on the day's theme Conflict and Reconciliation.[1]

I'm a part of GITJ, the Javanese Mennonite Church in Indonesia. I'm pastoring small churches in rural areas and it happened several years ago that just right after Easter celebrations, a group of the Muslims came to the church compound. And then they pulled a paper and blocked the door of our church and said that that they would not allow us to use our church building or any activities related to the Christian faith.

This was surprising to us because some of our church members were a part of their families. Most of our church members have a Muslim background.

Some of our church members did not go to church any more. But as a pastor I encouraged our church members to attend Sunday worship, even though it was not held inside the church building, but in the front and the back yard of the building. We just sat on the ground. Even in the rainy season, we worshiped with our umbrella or a plastic cover over our heads.

The people in the community started talking about why the church was closed and why Christian worship in the church was not allowed.

Once, when we had a Sunday worship, a group of young people, Muslims, came. Some of them brought sticks, too, to beat us. They told us that we had to leave the area if we wanted to worship our God, because this was a Muslim area.

On the premises of the church there is a well. At that time it was the only well for the surrounding area. Most of the people who needed and depended on water from our well belonged to the Muslim community. The people who fetched the water from our well day after day then told their leader that they still had water from our well even though the church building had been closed.

After about eight months, the Muslim leader came to me: "Brother, you Christians are good people. We recognize that you are part of our community. Your people are working together with us. And there is something else I want to tell you: We have closed your church. But the water from your well is still flowing. It gives life to our people in this area. I apologize for what has happened. We have decided to allow you to use your church again."

Soon after, we were allowed to put a cross on it as a sign that this is a church.

Being a peace church does not mean that we have to be quiet. We have to be active to be a part of the community and show that we love it. The meaning of love must be visible through our lives.


[1] Adi Walujo - Anabaptistwiki.