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INDONESIA
 Geredette Phillips, rscj
Going beyond our borders in Indonesia we have to go beyond many
borders. This is enough to explain the richness and diversity
experienced in this country. The borders are both geographical and
spiritual. We live in the multicultural city of Jakarta, share in the
joys and sufferings of the people of East Timor (now called Timor
Lorosae), and work for the empowerment of the people of Papua.
Indonesian RSCJ Seung Mai Ja (left) with friends. Work and school continued even in the aftermath of area flooding.
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One of Mai Ja's students helps clean up her neighborhood after the floods.
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On the spiritual level, with Indonesia having the
largest Muslim population in the world, our spirituality is coloured by
Islam. We have the privilege of experiencing all the four points of
dialogue: life, action, faith and theological reflection. We share life
with our Muslim neighbours, street children and people in prison.
Neighborhood children we teach to draw, paint and complete their daily
homework, which also includes the way to live out the Islamic Law (the
Syariat). “Our leader” of the nearby mosque invites us to celebrate the
festivals with the faithful, including marriage and circumcision
ceremonies. We work together with Muslims for children who are mentally
challenged. We share our faith and our reflections with the University
of Islam (Paramadina), in the Theologate, in the Catholic University,
with young people who are interested in building interfaith relations
and work in the Bishops Conference of Indonesia in the Commission for
Interfaith relations and Beliefs.
The Religious of the Sacred Heart came to Indonesia, "a country of the
future," on February, 8th 1989 in honour of the Canonisation of their
first missionary St. Philippine Duchesne on July 3,1988. The first RSCJ
to step on Indonesian soil was Sr. Anne O'Neil who continues to find
home in the land of rich and diverse cultures. Over the years RSCJ from
different countries have rendered their generous services to Indonesia
and have returned. Today there are five final professed RSCJ from five
different countries, Japan, Korea, Philippines, India and the United
States. In January, this year we welcomed our first two Indonesians as
temporary professed members of the Society.
The
expression of our spirituality of the "Open Heart of Jesus" is realised
in the hope that RSCJ in Indonesia have, to offer A PLACE where ALL
PEOPLE can feel at home. This year’s celebration of Saint Madeleine
Sophie marked the opening of this PLACE which has a "post modern"
designed chapel, a library and a small quiet space for reading and
recollection. This place is rightly called PONDOK SOPHIA (a little
house of Sophia - Wisdom).
Our lives are lived in the presence of Muslims. This is a mutual joy
and challenge. Joy because it gives us the opportunity to relate to
people of another faith and constantly discover God from a different
perspective. This makes us aware that we cannot stop discovering the
greatness of God. Challenge because our Muslim sisters and brothers by
their strong faith in the Word of God, the Holy Quran, urge us to live
by the faith we profess, the faith in the Word which is Jesus Himself.
If a Muslim's life is the Holy Quran then a Christian's life is Jesus.
In discovering and revealing God everyday in this multi faith context
our "ordinary" lives becomes "extra" ordinary by that "extra" touch of
God that we receive by living among Muslims! Going beyond our borders
in Indonesia is not a matter of choice but a way of life for us.
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