The day Bali faded from my life

 The day Bali faded from my life.

 Bali ... searcing for the idyllic and finding the idolatry in stead.
I must have seen a thousand pictures of idyllic beaches in Bali, and I have seen the film South Pacific, being filmed in one of those places, so when I received an invitation to a wedding in Bali, I opted in ... almost at any cost.

I remember the popular sailors' song "We joined the navy to see the world, but what did we see ... we saw the sea."
And what did I see in Bali? I saw the chaotic traffic, narrow and kinking roads like Venice, scooters outnumbering cars by ten to one running wild,  the idol temples and idol offerings and the poverty.
Enough of that for now.
I wish to dwell on something idyllic and something religious. Both which has left the island in a big way.
We all enjoyed the Broadway film "South Pacific" some six decades ago. It was based on the Pulitzer price winning book by James Michener named Tales of the South Pacific, which sent a strong progressive message on racism.
The plot centers on an American nurse stationed on a South Pacific island during World War II, who falls in love with a middle-aged expatriate French plantation owner but struggles to accept his mixed-race children. A secondary romance, between a U.S. Marine lieutenant and a young Tonkinese woman, explores his fears of the social consequences, should he marry his Asian sweetheart. The issue of racial prejudice is candidly explored throughout the musical.
What I remember is the beautiful song "Some enchanting evening" which I love to this day.
Although the idea of the mysterious Bali Hai and its grotesque mountain features in the film, it was filmed in Hawaii.
I did not notice any racism during my visit. In fact, I do not think racism as such exists in the world, as everybody I normally and abnormally talk to respect different and all races. What other people call racism, I call classism, casteism,  culturalism religiousism and colourism in stead.
Being a Christian, Indonesia stood out for me as the place of one of the most vibrant and massive religious outburstings of the Holy Spirit.
The 1960s Indonesian Revival was a major spiritual awakening, primarily known as the Timor Revival, which began in September 1965. Sparked by mass repentance, visions, and the public destruction of occult fetishes, the movement saw hundreds of youth travel across islands to perform mass evangelism, healings, and thousands of conversions.
This awakening dramatically altered the religious landscape of the region, yielding several historical and cultural outcomes:
• The Spark at Soé: The revival exploded on September 26, 1965, at the Maranatha Church in Soé, Timor, after a rebellious young man had a vision commanding him to repent, confess his sins, and burn his amulets.
• Evangelistic Teams: Hundreds of youth-led teams were formed. Despite severe hardships and travel restrictions during turbulent political times, they traveled from village to village performing healings, exorcisms, and baptisms.
• Miraculous Testimonies: Eyewitness accounts, popularized in Mel Tari's Death to life, water to wine. Christian History Magazine and books like Like a Mighty Wind, reported extraordinary miracles including supernatural healings, exorcisms of magical amulets, and even stories of water turning into wine.
• Political Context: Occurring simultaneously with the anti-communist purges of 1965–1966, the Indonesian government required citizens to declare a belief in God to avoid accusations of atheism. This socio-political climate directly contributed to a massive increase in Protestant adherents, growing from five million to seven million nationwide.
When we visited the Hindu temple and I asked the guide whether he can tell us somethjng about Mel Tari, he had not heard the name.
What I saw is that they are back to occult fetishes with less than 2.6 % Christians.
My idyllic dream of Bali died on this visit.
To compound my chagrin, I saw numerous offerings everywhere to dead things namely steel, stone and fire ... and many other inanimate things.
Bali will not see me again until I have resolved my trauma or is it PTS syndrome.
Are there beautiful things in Bali? Yes! God's creation is magnificent, supreme, pristine and serene. I might come back for that one day when the chaos and idolatry ends.