Surprising Grace

In this reflection, a familiar rural scene in Indonesia leads our guest writer Wenny Lestari to ponder on periods of fullness and emptiness in life, and the mysterious freedom that lies in between. The biblical figure she refers to, John the Baptist, is a Jewish prophet who fluctuates between confident belief and wavering doubt in Jesus Christ as the One he has been waiting for. The original Indonesian translation follows. How narrow the difference – boundary – distance – between being full and being empty. In the time of fullness, when asked: “Who are you?”, John the Baptist answered, “I am the voice that proclaims in the desert…” In the time of emptiness – doubting – it was John who asked: “Were you the One to come, or have we to wait for another?” I have seen and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise, and to the poor good news is given. All this You have done for me. In fullness or emptiness, You keep answering the q...

 Some time ago, I visited a prison with a few other volunteers from a chaplaincy team. The experience was not quite what I expected. As we approached the prison riding in a tricycle, what impressed on me first was the land: it was hilly and dry, with the long grasses going brown under the summer sun, a sign of resilient life. The prison complex itself was surrounded by two layers of barbed wire fencing. After being checked by security, we were shown to a large, open-air visiting hall. Many people were there visiting their family members, enjoying time with each other over baskets of food, almost as if they were at a picnic. A tall, young inmate came in as we were there, and was hugged immediately by a little girl of around 7, who looked to be his daughter. I felt a little guilty, as if by looking we were interrupting a private moment. A few inmates then led us into the prison proper. The complex had many buildings: some were residential, but there were also small food and pro...