By Anil Netto
The four days from Jan 8 to 14 will be remembered as a period when some quarters took advantage of the controversy over the use of the term “Allah” to try and inflict damage on church buildings across the country.

At the time of writing, more than half a dozen church buildings were hit by molotov cocktails, stones or black paint. Only one church, its adminstration wing more precisely, was badly damaged though.

Needless to say, such acts are reprehensible. This lapse into madness arose when certain quarters decided to take matters into their own hands to express how they felt.

Prior to that, it did not help that certain media were fanning sentiments instead of promoting interreligious understanding. Nor did it help that national leaders, when it mattered most, largely failed to take a clear, unequivocal stand against groups inciting ill-feeling. They failed to dispel fears and reassure the public in the wake of the High Court ruling. Instead a state of fear and a sense of siege prevailed among some segments of the public.

What a way to start the New Year!

What is needed now: restraint, levelheadedness, forgiveness, love and tons of Wisdom.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus embodied God’s wisdom and justice. Thus, as always, the question we have to ask ourselves is, what would Jesus do in a situation like this? How would he react? To help us in this process, perhaps the following steps are needed.

First of all, we have to continue discerning his will for the church in Malaysia — among ourselves and in dialogue with our brothers and sisters of other faiths, including the Muslims.

Secondly, we need to always remember his words, “Do not be afraid”. When Peter did not keep his faith focused on Jesus as he stepped out of the boat, he began to sink. Some scholars say this Gospel narrative symbolises the faith of the Church in Jesus. As long as we follow the will of God, as Jesus would want us to, we have nothing to fear. But if we lose sight of Jesus and his will, then we begin to sink.

Thirdly, we need to remember Jesus’ exhortation. Forgive always. How many times? Seventy times seven. Even on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”

The early Christians went through hell and even had to hide in catacombs. Why, even saying “Jesus is Lord” was a risk for them as the Roman Empire then had its own imperial theology with its pantheon of gods. Communities throughout the Mediterranean region worshipped Roman imperial power, the dominant ideology. Emperor Augustus was also referred to as “son of god”; thus, for Christians to openly proclaim that Jesus is Son of God, Lord and Saviour must have been treasonable.

This does not mean we have to live as if we are in a state of siege. We have to be confident in our faith, as Marina Mahathir put it, when referring to more progressive Muslims.

We also need to look for the light beyond the clouds. If we peer through the darkness, we can see Muslims, Christians and others who have stepped forward to build bridges. In particular, Dr Rafick, a Muslim blogger spearheaded a donation drive to help repair the Metro Tabernacle Church which has netted around RM6,000 so far. Others were keen to volunteer to clean up damaged churches. We need to continue building bridges with such progressive groups of all faiths and continue efforts at dialogue. And 125 civil society groups from a whole spectrum of society as well as five political parties have come out with a joint statement condemning violence.

Discernment requires Wisdom and plenty of reflection on all sides. It requires a frank assessment of what are matters of faith and what is a reflection of our own insecurities. It means knowing when to take a principled stand and risk facing the lions in the arena and when to lie low in the catacombs, awaiting God’s time.

It means not being diverted from the other pressing issues of the day: corruption, injustice, climate chaos, social ills, poverty and income inequalities. It involves loving our enemies and reconciling with them, constructing bridges, not walls.

Ultimately, it also means not losing sight of the overall mission of building a kingdom of justice and compassion and viewing our neighbours through the lens of love.