Rachel and I are now back home after nearly two very busy
weeks away from our regular activities. Before we left, I wrote about our
expected activities, although I didn’t actually know precisely what all we
would be seeing and doing.
One thing I thought we would do was visit a slum community
where people live under a bridge. We didn’t get to go there, but we did see
work being done in a number of other interesting places. I’ll share about a few
of them in my next few posts.
One of our first visits was to a slum community where people
have made their homes in … of all places … a cemetery. The idea of living in a
cemetery seems very strange to most of us. It is a necessity for these people
We walked along the outer edge of this community, where a
body of bright green stagnant water was no doubt an excellent breeding ground
for mosquitoes of all types.
Along the banks, we passed one tiny cement block shelter
after another. Old women, young mothers with tiny babies, and small children
stood in the doorways watching the visitors pass by. Most of our group couldn’t
speak Indonesian, but I was thankful that Rachel and I could at least speak to
them for a little bit.
Once we left the small pathway past the green water, we
returned to the side of the strip of dwellings that faced the cemetery itself. A few monkeys were tethered to trees. Geese and goats
roamed freely through the area, lying down to rest wherever they wished. Plastic
bags and other rubbish could be seen everywhere.
The graves at the edge of the cemetery were in such close
proximity to the shelters that in some cases, people used the fences around them
as a place to dry clothes. Tables were set up right over some of the
grave sites. In a couple places, I saw broken-down seats from old cars placed
among other graves as a sort of open-air living room. As people step out of
their doorways, those reminders of death were right there only a step or two
away. In some cases, I am pretty certain that there were actually grave sites
inside their dwellings.
I am struck with the thought that we were seeing life in the
midst of death. At the very least, we were seeing people living in the midst of
death.
Thankfully, we did not see only the sad living conditions of
the people. We also saw a group of medical professionals – a doctor, a dentist,
a nurse, and a pharmacist – who give of their time to regularly visit this
community and others like it to offer free health care. By giving of themselves
in this much needed manner, with no strings attached, they share the love of
Jesus with these people who are dearly loved by God.
As they do, they also reflect the One Who is THE LIFE in the
midst of death.