Even clergymen are robbed in Jakarta

Here are two stories of different foreign/expatriate clergymen who were robbed. However, at the time of robbery, they were not wearing their religious outfits, which, in a way, lessens the robber's sin. Otherwise, it would be abominable that even a man of the church becomes the victim of robbery.

1. A priest was driving his car when, at a crossing, he stopped because of a red signal. Suddenly, evil appeared out of the darkness. The priest had left the car window half open, so the robber thrust his filthy and tattooed hand inside and tried to snatch the priest's wristwatch.

The priest instinctively bit the robber's hand like a fox terrier and would not loosen his grip, although his teeth hurt. When the red light turned to green, the priest pressed his foot firmly on the gas pedal and the car hurtled forward. The robber was unfavorably surprised at his victim's determination and released his grip on the wristwatch and the car sped away. The priest was saved from a nasty robbery.

2. My American teacher of an English Bible study class had the following story to tell.

A pastor with his family had just arrived from the airport to their lodging at Jl. Kayuputih. When his wife and child left the car, and he himself stepped out of the taxicab to get his luggage, after paying the fare, the car suddenly lurched forward. What the driver had in mind was to get hold of the expatriate's luggage, which would undoubtedly sell for a good price in the thieves' market.

However, the pastor had the presence of mind to cling to the open window with both hands. The car was zigzagging to get rid of the pastor, but the honorable clergyman held fast.

The driver, who realized that he could not get rid of his determined victim, stopped suddenly, opened the luggage compartment and threw his passenger's belongings on the street. The pastor was glad to get his luggage back and the devil who took the form of a taxicab driver sped away into oblivion!

A. DJUANA

Jakarta