Persecution

What do you think of when you think of persecution? If you are anything like me, you think of the early Christians, the martyrs who faced Roman legions or lions in the arena. Or maybe you think of Reformers facing the prospect of burning at the stake for their faith. Or maybe you think of missionaries who bravely face death to bring the gospel to hostile regions. All of these examples show persecution that is terrifying and often brutally violent.

But I am here to say that at times the persecution faced by Christianity can be much more subtle. In Indonesia I am learning about that kind of persecution. For example, it is a part of the Indonesian Constitution for freedom to worship. Diversity in religion is supposedly a foundational virtue in Indonesia. But in practice, religious tolerance can vary widely. I have met a Christian here who was asking me how hard is it to build a church in America. Not quite grasping at what he was getting at, I stated that it was sometimes a struggle financially, especially if it was a small or poor congregation. Then he said that what he meant was is it hard to get approval from government authorities to build. No, its never an issue of that in the U.S. I responded. Then he told me of his Church's struggle. For 13 years, they have been trying to build a church. For 13 years they have had the land and the money raised to build. However, building permits have been held up in the local government for 13 YEARS. The congregation just keeps waiting for approval. That my friends is subtle persecution.

Another form of subtle persecution is seen in identification cards. Let me explain some history. Indonesia is home to a small minority of Chinese. These Chinese have emigrated in three waves: in the 1700's, in the 1800's, and right before Communisum came to China in the 1940's. Most Chinese Indonesians did not convert to Islam when they came to Indonesia, but many came to Christianity through the Dutch missionaries of the day (though some converted for less then heartfelt reasons - being Christian gave them business advantages with the Dutch Colonists). So Chinese Indonesians make up a substantial portion of the Indonesian Christian Church, and have faced the ire of the Muslim natives

However, because of their ethnicity and religion, Chinese Indonesians have always suffered from discrimination. For numerous years, Mandarin, their ethnic language, was banned in schools and could not be displayed in public (let this be a lesson to those who think that English should be the "official language" of the U.S. We are a nation of immigrants; we all learn English eventually. To mandate only its use is cultural genocide). In Indonesia, the immigrants were forced to change their family names to more Indonesian sounding names. They had limited roles in government and often were segregated in their communities.

The tensions came to a head in 1998. The Asian financial crisis of the late 1990's was particularly hard in Indonesia. Almost overnight the value of the Rupiah (Indonesian Currency) dropped hard. Inflation was huge (for example the value of the Rupiah vs the Dollar went from 1000 Rupiah per $1 to 20000 per $1 - imagine a loaf of bread jumping in price 20 times in a week, and you get the picture.) Riots went off all over Jakarta. Chinese were the targets of the riots (which the government, police, and military were said to have backed - takes the pressure off you when you use the weak as the scapegoat for your economic problems). In the riots, hundreds of Chinese were raped, tortured or killed. In the aftermath, many Chinese simply left the country.

To those that remain, they are still discriminated against. One of the fellows in the BTGH offices here showed me his official Indonesian identification card, their version of a Social Security Card. On his begins a little code "09". Seems innocent enough. But this identifies him as a "citizen of Indonesia" as opposed to an "Indonesian". It does not matter if he was born in Indonesia or that his parents were, or generations going backward. He is not a pure Indonesian and is identified as such. It is insane. It reminds me of the star of David that Jews wore in pre-WWII Germany, which identified them as non-Aryan.

Imagine if we did that in American. I would be a Citizen of America instead of an American, because I happened to have Dutch and Swedish in my background. Lets say that this label was inherent in my Social Security number so that all potential educators, employers, or law authorities would instantly know that I was not "purely" American. Do you think it would make a difference in if I was hired? Or whether I would get that promotion? Or face charges in court if there is a trace of suspicion? Justice is now compromised between the pure blood and the impure. Or between the Christian "foreigner" and the Muslim "Native".

Just some food for thought. Persecution is not always about lions and guns and burning stakes.

Please pray for the freedom of the gospel and for the safety and livelihood of Christians in Indonesia.

In Christ,
Jonathan

P.S. Please also pray for my wife Keri as she begins looking for a new job after her graduation for medical transcription. Thanks.