On the evening of Wednesday 18 February, Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth, played host to a moving vigil for two Australian men, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, who are likely to be executed in Indonesia as a result of drug trafficking charges.
The event was held as part of the Mercy Campaign, and included a number of speakers who shared their passions and mercy for the men, branded as two of the Bali 9. Performances were also made by local musicians Kav Temperley from Eskimo Joe and Abbe May.
Myuran and Andrew have been in an Indonesian jail for almost 10 years and have since changed their lives, now devoting their time to the rehabilitation of other prisoners.
Over 178,000 people have signed the Mercy Campaign petition so far, asking that the penalty for Myuran and Andrew be a jail sentence rather than execution. Many millions of people have voiced their disapproval of the planned executions of these two reformed men and there is still hope that they will be granted clemency.
Rev Craig Collas, minister at Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth, said that the vigil was well received and attended, with over 200 people present.
Craig said it was important for the church to be involved because the message is aligned with the Christian faith.
“Human life has value because we are created in the image of God,” Craig said. “To turn against someone – to murder someone – is to turn against God.”
To sign the petition asking for mercy for Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan visit http://mercycampaign.org/.