Happy Saturday, a children’s worship service in Pulo Gebang flats, East Jakarta, turned frightening when it was interrupted by a man wielding an ax. The police investigation revealed that the culprit, Nasoem Sulaiman, commonly called Joker, said he had been irritated by the noise from the worship service and wanted to rest after some work he had done around the building. This was his third attempt since 2015 to interrupt the worship.
“What he did has caused fear among our children,” said their teacher and the parents of these children (see the video in the YouTube Freddy Soenyoto, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Evangelical church and Institutions of Indonesia (PGLII), urged Christians to respond peacefully but also called on the police to uphold the law.
The police, Agustino Darmawan (head of People’s Housing and Settlement of Jakarta), and the perpetrator have come to an agreement that if he attempts this or a similar act again, he will be prosecuted.
Thank You, Father, for protecting the children during this frightening act. Calm their hearts and silence the memories. Comfort them with the assurance of Your presence. Strengthen and embolden the police to uphold justice and the religious rights of all Indonesians so that Christians can continue to worship in the Pulo Gebang flats. We pray for Your Holy Spirit to work in Sulaiman’s mind and heart and bring him to repentance, that he might bring glory to the name of Christ and cease his actions against the Christians. In the name of Jesus who said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt 19). Amen.
