The Outreach

There is no such thing as spiritual corruption. But the act of giving and providing salvation is something that can drive people to commit leap of faith.

Imagine Baghdad which had population of 5million people (compared with Klang Valley 1.5million) rocked by bombs, mortars and artillery shells. The earth shook like a thousand trains or rollercoaster starts to rumble on its tracks. Apartments were without facades, roads turns into replicas of moon surface and air were filled with smells of weaponry carbide. The only entertainment is a mono-stereo battery powered ala-walkman radio, looters are everywhere, food were scarce and soldiers were ravaging homes for something to please their homesick bone dry libidos. They're bored of playing blackjack rummy while chomping on tobacco.

During war, there is always a spot called the ‘sanctuary’. A place which these struggling to survive, war torn people seek salvation and protection. A safe place where blankets and bread were miracalously available in such situation . A confinement which the military would not deliberately fire on, or bombs fall onto, neither shelled. This is due to a pact made to confirm that the ‘sanctuary’ areas belongs to the ‘White Zone’ as what being ruled out in laws of engagement or whatsoever convention. During wartime, these so-called sanctuary are actually The Church

Churches exist not only in warzones. Of course, in warzones, they don’t just pop up out of osmosis when the machines of war is rolling at full throttle, but even before the initiatives of war, churches are already there, erected with a cause to spread Christianity practice the teachings. Lets shift our focus on slump and poor areas. Churches may established by small groups of missionaries in the midst of the slump. In the crowded unplanned high density urban slump, where the inhabitant were living merely enough to feed themselves, getting themselves cleaned in communal bath-house which just a piece of corrugated zinc is separating their naked body from the public eyes. Living in a depressed situation where they were surrounded by the hectic and catalytic urbanization and highly competitive mechanics of capitalism, they become nothing but a bunch of depressed city workers. The churches started preaching, doing activities, contributing charity drive on weekly basis, later on daily basis. Finally, fully involved with the communities of the slump.

It’s these churches that starts giving them the materials needs and protection. War aids were sometimes made available at the hands of the churches first, which, in effect made these refugee seekers or civilian war victims seek their help in an act of survival. Like a stream of ants seeking sugar crystalline. How did the churches got the deal of receiving the war-aids firsthand? Or come to a term with military commanders to declare their areas as ‘white zone?’. The chain of organization which these Churches belonged has ensured that their demands were made heard through influential entities. May it be United Nation, or nations which had war superiority or bargaining power of terms. Connection runs globally, funds for churches seems like inexhaustible.

Of course, without prejudice, help are given without regards of religion background. Churches were there to help. And the act of giving eventually made the receiving end to feel owed. The role of churches as sanctuary and lifeline to those who had lost everything during the war, had nothing to repay except by submitting themselves to the causes which saved them at the first place. Thus, they decided to join those who had helped them tirelessly. They even jumped into the same cause, reason and finally faith.

The terms spiritual corruption never existed. No single religion conjures corruption. They were translated into the ‘art of giving’ or in other words ‘giving is caring’.

This might be the new paradigm of Christianity spreading of their teaching. Through lightening the burden of others in need especially when war, crisis, poverty, famine and instability is everywhere. This are their chances. The terms ‘spiritual opportunist’ also does not exist, since religion do encourage us to offer assistance when someone is in dire need of help. So, the missionaries made themselves available and presence seen through churches in a middle of urban slumps or in the deepest jungle tribal villages. If medical officers were needed, the church had theirs delivered. If teachers were needed, the church may even built schools and provided the sylibii

In Malaysia, where peacefulness happens like hot and humid happens all year long, the pagan, atheist or ancestral worshipping in the deepest regions of Borneo are those which were approached and offered by the gives. The missionary were the first to approach them and their preachers were the first preach them about ‘revealed’ religion. Even in the less jungle covered peninsula Malaysia, the orang aslis are most likely to be approached by these determined missionaries with their makeshift churches.

As a Muslim, living in Malaysia which had a repeated stance as a Islamic nation ( negara Islam), we should have felt the brunt of being left behind in finding possible mualaf (Islam converts). We even have lost counts of those who converted to Islam but received poor attention and supervision in leading their life of new faith. Which in the end, they decided to revert, with our syariah court justifying this on grounds of ‘not practicing or no proof of practicing the Islam’ (look who is talking?). Are we capable of maintaining a single surau located near a deep jungle tribal village 100km southeastern of Miri, Sarawak? Lacking funding? No willing worker, sponsors? If not then maybe our organization is weak somewhere somehow.

What made church comfortably available and stood the worst situation ever imagined? The bombarded, artillery shelled Baghdad? The rebellious post-Taliban city of Kabul? The densely populated and depressed slumps of Jakarta or Calcutta? Sudan scorching hot sun exposed refugee camp? They are well financed, well managed, and well received by the locals. A blessing, some might say. What motivates their organization to have access and bargaining power in almost all of situation? How did they get much funding? Where did they round-up the expertise (doctors, engineers, geologist etc. etc.)? What made them contribute very generously? There must be a motive which had thrived this places of worship to flourish and wins the heart of the locals . Perhaps, if we had found out the real motivation, the ulamaks over here too would scramble quickly to the deepest plateau of Sabah and Sarawak to approach the tribes and start leading them the way of our straight path.