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February 2001
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Indonesia must seem a strange and frightening place from the
news that filters through. Yes, frightening these days, but also
still full of beauty, nobility, courage and faith. Many friends
are tempted by despair at the crisis that never seems to end.
We are trying to figure out what it means to be Indonesian and
how to find a viable path forward to a just political, economic,
and social stability, in a still erupting social landscape.
A week or so ago, I got up at 5:30 a.m. and climbed up our little
tower that looks out over the roofs towards Mt. Merapi, the most
active volcano in Indonesia. As the sun slowly rises, I usually
start the day there, in silence, beauty, and prayer. To my amazement,
huge, boiling clouds of ash soared several miles up from the gaping
mouth of the volcano. Merapi was erupting! At night you can see
the burning lava flowing down.
Like Merapi, Indonesia continues to erupt with breathtaking levels
of intrigue, demonstrations, sporadic violence and fear that to
some look like a steady descent into the abyss of chaos. But I
don’t think so. I don’t hope so. No one knows the future,
but there are deep reasons for hope in this lovely country. Millions
of good people, struggling to survive together in harmony, do
not make the news. Christians and Muslims sharing rice and making
music together do not make the news.
The news is dominated by President Gus Dur’s apparent failings
and the vigorous attempts to impeach him by the Congress. He’s
accused of corruption, though the charges don’t seem credible.
Not that he is faultless, but his various eccentricities are petty
in comparison with the evils of his main accusers. Gus Dur still
lacks control over the military, the Congress, the vast bureaucracy
and the media. Some think he cannot survive. My intuition is that
he will survive and gradually gain more control over the levers
of power. But we’ll see. Recent efforts to start an impeachment
process came to a thundering halt when hundreds of thousands of
his followers took to the streets. The stakes keep rising, as
more and more powerful figures from the former regime are imprisoned
on charges of corruption.
Meanwhile, what about Ambon, the Molluccus, West Papua, Aceh,
Poso and other places of violent conflict? This past year has
seen horrific violence in all these places, leading to mini-civil
wars that leave behind festering, painful wounds. In many places
the violence has been channeled into warfare between Christians
and Muslims. Farsijana’s Ph.D. dissertation on the Molluccan
conflict promises to be a deeply moving document. Suffice it to
say that in the Molluccus relatively neutral military forces stopped
the large scale warfare and life has returned to a nervous normality.
Most of the jihad forces have withdrawn from Ambon. But the pain
is very deep. God is not divorced from the pain, but alive and
at work in the midst of it. Churches are packed as people seek
meaning and liberation in the midst of suffering.
Meanwhile our life in Yogyakarta continues to be rich. At our
home, we held several "open the fast" meals with Muslim
and Christian friends during Lebaran. One evening there was an
interesting discussion of Muslim-inspired marriage laws followed
by young people playing percussion music into the early hours
of the morning.
A group of young artists held an art exhibit in our home, including
a children’s painting contest and a discussion of religion
and art. Farsijana loves orchestrating the volumes of eclectically
inspired food that amazes the palates of our many guests. Someone
commented that the exhibition gave him hope for Indonesia. Small
and humble things give hope. They shine brighter when there is
so much darkness.
At the university, our graduate program in theology continues
to thrive, with a record number of students. We’re grateful
for a new building, additional faculty, stronger library resources,
a new catalog and a revised curriculum. We are trying to create
strong institutional foundations. But teaching and learning along
with our students is my joy. I feel so honored to participate
with these leaders in grappling with the major issues facing the
Church and society.
Writing is a major part of our work. Farsijana has just returned
to Holland to finish her Ph.D., while I am drafting a book on
social ethics. We are pained to be separated again. It’s
a bummer. Thank God for the Internet, which makes daily communication
possible. We do know this is right and necessary. Farsijana will
meet me in the States next July. Peter graduated from UC Santa
Cruz and is here visiting for a couple months. Joy... He’s
working his way around the world as a street performer. He’s
sooo cool.
More good news is that we have been appointed for another term
in Indonesia (till July 2005). We’ll be together in the States
for most of July, August, and September this year and would love
to visit you and preach or speak in your church. Please write
to us soon if you would like to schedule a time. Then in October
we’ll fly to Holland. I’ll be doing research there for
a year while Farsijana finishes her dissertation. We are grateful
to PC(USA), Duta Wacana and IIAS for making this possible. We
return to Yogyakarta in August 2002. Thank you for your prayers
and love.
Warm greetings,
Bernie and Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta
The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 159
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