Within the first hour (as soon as the bombing hit), we received texts and phone calls from people letting us know of the situation and checking up on us. We are grateful for people who are looking out after us here in Indonesia. We have also received a lot of e-mails from people in the States asking us how we have been doing. We are grateful for all the prayer support.
The team and my family live west of Jakarta, therefore we were not affected. We are all safe.
It has not even been a full week here in Indonesia, but I have been reminded of several things in light of the bombings in Jakarta.
First of all, I am reminded of the importance of living every single day of my life with purpose and passion (again). When we first heard of the bombing and the specific place where it went off, it was a bit surreal. Christina and I were in that exact area 2 days before because we were meeting up with some people from our visa sponsoring organization. Their building was located right in between the Ritz-Carlton and the J.W. Marriott. I clearly remember passing by the Ritz-Carlton and telling Christina to check out how awesome the building looked.
The bible reminds us that our days here on earth are numbered (Ps 39:4-5; 139:16). We forget that we are mortal and that we will not live here on earth forever. When we live every single day as if it could be our last day here on earth, it will revolutionize the way we live. We will have a greater sense of urgency.
The second thing that I was reminded of was the importance of our mission and the need for sharing the Gospel. Not only is there a sharp divide between the “have’s and have not’s” but there are many people who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The terrorist group who carried out the bombings were from a radical Islamic group, which reminded me of the need for the Gospel.
It has been an interesting to observe that many of the Muslims we have been meeting and interacting with are more moderate in their beliefs. In fact, they are more cultural Muslims (“my parents have always been a Muslim, therefore I am a Muslim”) than anything else. If some of them could experience God’s “radical” love, then their lives would never be the same.
The team and I are more resolved about our mission and the purpose of why we are here. We are also trying to not allow fear to hinder us from living every day with urgency and purpose. Our passion is to see the great nation of Indonesia bow down and worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Our God is Great!