By the waters of Surabaya

By the waters of Surabaya,
rivers of tears, all the world sits down to weep,
when we remember the people
of Santa Maria Church,
Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church,
Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church,
police headquarters checkpoint.

For those who mourn, we pray,
lifting up the memory of blessed lives,
and for those who are wounded,
and those who are fearful
to come again to a place to pray.

So much sorrow for Christians
persecuted in their homes, their churches,
the streets when women walk
with heads uncovered,

for Christian immigrants in America,
of Indonesian heritage,
many here for decades,
wondering whether they will be deported,

and for Muslims, too, appalled
that the holy season of Ramadan,
and the sacred bond of family
has been so abused and mis-claimed
by terrorists
in the name of some twisted faith.

All the world — in places
where people gather to worship,
expecting to be safe — sits down to weep
for the saints of Surabaya.