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Christmas for converts: Navigating cultural, familial tensions
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Devotion: Two Catholic converts profess their faith in a cathedral in Jakarta. (Courtesy of Wega Wicaksono) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Wega Wicaksono)
T
em>They surprised – or deceived – their families and converted to a minority religion. How was their journey into new frontiers of spirituality, and what did they do for Christmas?
Five years ago, Nisa came to Catholicism as a tourist and returned home a devotee.
“I just thought the cathedral was beautiful, so I came with a friend,” said the 24-year-old NGO staffer, who used a pseudonym for this article. “Then Mass started, and the preist said, ‘The church is not an exhibition for holy people. It’s a hospital for sinners and people with ruined hearts.’”
Something clicked that day, and it kickstarted a spiritual journey that eventually led to her baptism over a year later. But while Indonesian society prides itself on its religious tolerance, conversion remains a taboo topic, especially when one crosses over from the majority camp into the minority.
“I think people refuse things that feel foreign and unfamiliar, and Christianity is alien to many of us, especially in my family,” Nisa said. “For several years, I had to sort of prove myself to them.”
Finding peace
Dhiah Vierda was finishing her studies almost a decade ago when family troubles stopped her dead in her tracks. “I didn’t know what to do,” the 32-year old personal branding coach said. “A friend told me to pray, but who was I supposed to pray to?”
