Saya terperanjat kala siang itu google search engine menghantar saya ke alamat berikut: http://www.catholicherald.com/eddesk/04ed/ed040122.htm. “Surprising Request”, demikian judul surat dari meja redaksi Arlington Catholic Herald, Amerika Serikat, yang isinya membuat saya sungguh merasa surprised!

Surat Redaksi tertanggal 22 Januari 2004 itu berkisah mengenai Indonesia dengan segala kekerasan dan aksi teroris yang kala itu tengah merajalela di negeri ini. Menariknya, di tengah paparan, redaksi menulis, “In the midst of all this violence, it was a little surprising the other day to receive an email from an Indonesian woman asking for permission to reprint articles she read online in the Arlington Catholic HERALD.” Tak salah lagi, itulah surat yang pernah saya layangkan sebagai webmaster YESAYA beberapa waktu sebelumnya.

Semakin lanjut membaca, semakin saya merasa terharu; bukan karena ada nama saya di sana. Melainkan karena surat diakhiri dengan suatu pengharapan besar yang tersirat di sana. “In a small way, we hope that Father Saunders' translated columns will assist in Indonesia's ongoing peace process,” tulisnya.

Saya tercenung. Pengharapan yang sedemikian besar? Siapa saya? Siapa Yesaya? Apakah yang sesungguhnya diperbuat Yesaya sehingga orang merasa dapat meletakkan pengharapan yang sedemikian besar? Pengharapan yang bukan sebatas paroki, sebatas Surabaya, sebatas Jawa, melainkan seluas Indonesia! Kata-kata ini terus terlintas di benak saya, “Will assist in Indonesia's ongoing peace process.” Bagaimana hal itu mungkin terjadi?

Sementara asyik merenungkannya, tiba-tiba alam pikiran membawa saya ke Suara Gembala yang ditulis Rm Gregorius Kaha SVD, pastor pembimbing rohani Yesaya, hari Minggu yang lalu. “Jadikanlah dirimu lilin-lilin kecil dengan cahaya Yesus Kristus,” tandasnya. Lebih lanjut, beliau menulis, “Seperti Kristus yang hadir memberi pengharapan, demikian pula sebagai orang yang percaya kita sepatutnya tampil sebagai penuntun dan pembawa damai. Semoga apa yang kita lakukan walaupun kecil / sederhana / kadang tidak dilihat dan pasti nampaknya tidak berarti di mata dunia, bisa menjadi sumbangan berharga untuk membangun keadaan yang lebih baik.”

Saya mengerti sekarang. Dan betapa saya merasa semakin dikuatkan dan diteguhkan dalam pengharapan. Lebih jauh saya berpendapat bahwa pengharapan di atas bukan dipercayakan kepada kami saja di Yesaya untuk lebih mengabdi dalam pelayanan yang nyaris tidak ada artinya ini: yang hanya mengumpulkan dan menterjemahkan bahan! Melainkan juga pengharapan ini dipercayakan kepada sekalian para pengunjung setia Yesaya. Sejauh manakah artikel-artikel yang telah diterjemahkan Yesaya telah menyentuh hidup kita? Adakah artikel-artikel itu mampu membantu menyalakan dan mengobarkan cahaya Yesus Kristus dalam diri kita? Adakah orang-orang lain dapat melihat terang Yesus Kristus yang memancar dari diri kita itu?

“Kamu adalah terang dunia (Mat 5:14),” tegas Yesus. Beranikah kita menerima tantangan ini: ikut berperan-serta - dengan segala macam cara, bakat dan kemampuan, kelebihan dan kekurangan, serta keunikan masing-masing kita, dalam bimbingan Gereja - untuk mewujudkan Indonesia yang damai sejahtera?

Indonesia, a country composed of more than 17,500 islands stretched between the Asian continent and Australia, is the world's largest archipelago and most populous Muslim nation. There are 365 ethnic and tribal groups in the country, 90 percent of whom are Muslim and only 9 percent Christian. The country has a tumultuous and, at times, violent history. Recent terrorist attacks have rocked the capital city of Jakarta and surrounding areas.

Catholic News Service reported that during a recent ceremony at the Vatican welcoming the new ambassador of Indonesia to the Holy See, Pope John Paul warned that international terrorism has taken on new and more virulent forms, but he said the response must go beyond punitive or repressive measures. What is needed is a wide program of education and political mobilization that removes causes of desperation and fosters respect for human life, he said.

Indonesia has suffered several terrorist attacks in recent months that have killed more than 200 people, many of them foreigners. A few hours after the pope spoke, a blast at an Indonesian karaoke club killed four people.

The pope described international terrorism as a "baneful scourge" that has generated brutal massacres, aggravated tensions and eroded possibilities for peace. But he said that despite the contempt for human life shown by terrorists "our response must never be one of hatred or revenge."

In the midst of all this violence, it was a little surprising the other day to receive an email from an Indonesian woman asking for permission to reprint articles she read online in the Arlington Catholic HERALD.

"Can I have your kind permission to translate Father William P. Saunders' beautiful `Straight Answers' to Bahasa Indonesia?" wrote Nathalia. "I've been voluntarily teaching Sunday school in my parish in Surabaya for more than five years now. I love Father William Saunders' `Straight Answers' very much. His answers enrich and deepen our understanding on the beautiful teaching and tradition of the Church.

"I like to share those valuable articles with other Indonesian Catholics," she said. "Therefore, can I have your kind permission to translate Father Saunders to Bahasa Indonesia, our language, and post them on Yesaya, our Sunday school Web site? In that way, may our dear Lord's name be glorified by many more people."

Nathalia's optimism was echoed by the Holy Father, who praised Indonesia's efforts to maintain harmony among the followers of various religions as it tries to strengthen democratic principles in its multiethnic society. The pope highlighted the educational contribution of the country's minority Catholic Church, which has an extensive school system that demonstrates its social concern and its commitment to religious tolerance. The pope is hopeful that the Indonesian government will continue to assist the church's educational mission by respecting the Catholic identity of its schools and other educational activities.

Father Saunders' popular column has appeared in the HERALD since 1993. The columns have been collected into two volumes published by Cathedral Foundation Press in Baltimore. The second volume of columns was recently published and is now available through the Notre Dame Graduate School (703/658-4303) or may be purchased through the Daughters of St. Paul, the Catholic Shop, the Paschal Lamb and other religious book stores. All proceeds benefit the building fund of Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls, where Father Saunders is pastor. - M.F.F.