The Lord Next Door

I didn't have much Indonesian friend when I was in university, one of the reason is cos I was studying in state university; most Indonesians go to private university.
I have one Indonesian classmate, naturally, we bonded well – let’s call her Ms.F. Despite our different beliefs, we still get along quite well. I even join into her Christian Church family –  the member  were 100% Indonesian. For someone who hardly see any fellow country-mate, the “Indonesian” church quickly became my sanctuary too.

One day, I was walking at university-canteen with Ms.F, I suddenly saw one of the fellow church-mate, I greeted him. As I said, not many Indonesian in my university, I sort of get excited whenever I see another Indonesian, I usually greet them.
“Hi, R!!!” 
“That’s R! I haven’t seen him for a while” – I told F
F quickly grabbed my hand, and said “Stop, don’t call him. We are no longer friends”
      Me: You? Fight with him? Why?
F: No, not me… the church. R no longer is the member of our church. He moved out
      Me: So?
F:  We cannot talk to him anymore. He betrayed our church

I was left puzzled, Ms.F was a very nice girl, she’s not the type that will make any trouble to anyone, esp because of someone’s faith.
I later found out that R, moved out to a different Christian Church – one that carry the name “Youth and Young Couple Church”
R was a graduate-student in my university. I regarded him as one of the “capable” students – a post graduate at a prestigious state university. R was much older than us, R moved out from our church because he was about to get married.

The previous church (the one that Ms. F attending) was a high school/university students’ church. The priest sermons were all about exams, assignments, tuition fee, puppy-loves, and all students’ life matters. They even held “Pre- Exam Prayers” to have Holy Spirit to guide us in our exams.
Those sermons no longer fits R. R is a good Christian, of course he has the need to go to a church every Sunday, so he chose the Youth and Young Couple Church. The exam sermons won’t fit him anymore, He need to grow up, thus he left, to find another church that accommodate his new needs – marriage, new family, babies, new job, etc.

How can it be a sin to “change” church? Why they out-casted him from his previous fellow church friends?
They pray to the same God, same Jesus, and those 2 churches even speak same language: Indonesian. Both were “immigrants” in foreign Land of Oz.

And in my years there, I saw many people come and go to different Christian churches.
Some create a new church to accommodate their spiritual needs.
Some create a new church to be the new “Real Prophet “and claim others to be fake ones.
Some create a new church to collect the 10% levy on behalf of God – which of course goes to their own personal bank account.

Would God of Church-A condemns and threaten you just because you pray to God of Church B or C or Z?
Or even give cruel curses and punishments, or even ceases the heavenly blessings for your infidelity towards churches?

If there is only 1 God, why bother competing?
We worship the same God.
Aren’t we supposed to be grateful that there are so many people believe and worship our God?
Isn’t that the whole purpose of the church’s member-get-member program?

If the Bible always claim that God is everywhere, isn’t natural that the same God is in every church?
In every human-being?
In every soul?

Same goes to Buddhists.