On 13 May 2018, Indonesia experienced its worst terrorist attack since 2005. Three churches were hit in a coordinated bombing, all by members of the same family. Thirteen people were killed and many more, including the Muslim security guard of one of the churches, were injured. How do you respond when your church \u2013 your spiritual home \u2013 is so brutally attacked? The message from Santa Maria Catholic Church, Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church and Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church is one of forgiveness and peace.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benedict Rogers, East Asia Team Leader<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I visited Santa Maria Church and Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church almost three months to the day after the attacks, the message from the priests, the pastor and the relatives of victims was the same: \u2018We must love others; we forgive the attackers; we do not want revenge.\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was told that the mother of two young boys aged 8 and 12, who died as a result of their injuries at Santa Maria Church, said just two days after the bombing, \u2018I have already forgiven the bombers. I don\u2019t want to cry any more. I know that our Mother Mary also lost her son, Jesus. I forgive.\u2019 Father Aloysius Widayawan, the priest of Santa Maria Church, said to me, \u2018For the Church, we must forgive \u2013 this is our doctrine. But for an individual, like the mother of these two boys, the ability to forgive is about faith, not doctrine.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He went on: \u2018None of the victims ever asked \u201cWhy has this happened to me?\u201d They just said \u201cOkay, we forgive them, and we pray for the victims.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018There was no anger, no criticism of other religions. There was only forgiveness and prayer. Of course they had not conferred with each other. It came from their heart. People from other religions came to them to show sympathy. Our message: it\u2019s about equality, solidarity and unity. Keep doing good, don\u2019t discriminate, and work for equality, solidarity and unity. Respect for God means respect for other persons.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018God\u2019s plan is still good\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the Pentecostal church the stories were similar, as were the messages of forgiveness. \u2018We don\u2019t understand why this happened, but we continue to teach about forgiveness and love. God\u2019s plan is still good,\u2019 said the pastor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This attitude of faith and forgiveness was reflected in the response from Indonesia\u2019s Muslim community. Indeed, some of the horror of the attack came from the knowledge that Surabaya\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muslims have always been peaceful; Father Aloysius told me, \u2018That day was very terrible for us, because Surabaya was a safe city, with many moderate Muslims.\u2019 Santa Maria\u2019s own security guard is a Muslim who lost both legs and was blinded trying to stop the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Catholic Archbishop of Jakarta, Monsignor Ignatius Suharyo, told me of a beautiful incident that took place at evening Mass that same day in Jakarta\u2019s cathedral, just over the road from the mosque. Two young Muslim women arrived unannounced and began to hand out red and white roses (the colours of the Indonesian flag) to the congregation, in a gesture of solidarity and peace. Father Aloysius said that in Surabaya Muslims had come to the churches to express their condolences and help clear up the wreckage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have seen many atrocities in my time working for CSW, and yet the attacks in Surabaya still, to me, stand out as especially brutal. However, the response of the communities, both Muslim and Christian, has also challenged me deeply. Standing in the ruins of their churches, these people spoke only of love and forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much work is needed to help heal the wounds inflicted as Indonesia struggles against its growing culture of intolerance; writing my new report made me all the more aware of this. But the churches of Surabaya, and the actions of their Muslim friends, give me hope that faith and forgiveness in Indonesia isn\u2019t gone for good.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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