Merry Christmas and all that jazz…
December 26, 2007 by mbak rita
Hail to the Jakarta Post! I found an article that I need so bad so I don’t have to explain further for Eva, a fried with many questions like a five year old brat, why as a Muslim I have to join the joy of Christmas. Jesus or Isa Allaihi Salaam (AS) is my prophet too; even he was named ulil azmi or the five ultimate prophets along with Ibrahim AS or Abraham, Musa AS (Moses), Nuh AS (Noah), and Muhammad SAW.
Celebrating the Maulid Nabi Isa or Christmas should be my party too. So I was always more than happy when the smiling Ibu Siahaan, sent me her famous homemade Christmas cake every December 25. Celebrating the spirit of love is always yummy for me!
Okay, getting serious now, well, after taking a brief moment to contemplate a little, I have to mention Mbak Sima as the living proof of how the spirit of love has been spreading to the world. She is a dear friend for me but also such an inspiration, for always thinks positively, mostly with smile or jokes , and she’s never bothered if sometimes the laugh is in herself.
Even on her most fragile moments, she still managed to come in a point to use it as a weapon to empower others just like what she just did on her personal blog where she wrote down her battle with cancer. The blog is very informative for others, written in such a great way of writing (yes, she is a writer with capital W!!!). For me, Mbak Sima herself is the translation of such spirit of love. She is the walking Christmas because she always spread the love to humankind. Gee…., God is, indeed, everywhere, right?
Mbak Rita,
You are a person after my heart. What you wrote is wonderful. I wish more people have your opinion. I am another bird of the same feather with you. I was educated at the SD and SMP Frater in Makassar for 9 years, and half of my friends were Christians and the other half are Moslems. And until now I still consider them as more precious and closer than my own blood brothers and sisters.
Yes, the Holy Quran and the Holy Bible both mentioned that it is not those who call the name of God or profess to be religious who will enter heaven, but only those who practise what they believe. And that if people do not accept the Torah, Injil and Quran, they are not even considered religious at all. [QS Almaidah(5:68)] I call myself a Hanif Christian or Chrislam, and wholeheartedly believe that only those who are true followers in the footsteps of Ibrahim the Hanif, will be found in heaven. Religion should not only be a profession but a way of life. If this is practised to the letter by everyone, there would not be war on earth. The meaning of Jerusalem is “the City of Peace”, but until now there has never been a city more filled with violence and wars among its inhabitants who are supposed to be offsprings of the same man. Only when the Righteous Judge, Al-Maseh Isa comes back and rules as the Prince of Peace will there be eternal peace in that city. And thank God, only those who have been changed in their hearts into citizens of peace by the Word of God and Spirit of God (Kalimatullah wa Rohullah) will comprise its citizens there.
Otherwise there will not be Peace and Goodwill among men in that place at akhirat either!
I would very much like to meet you so that we can put our heads together in planning something to make this dream a reality. A dream of a world where everyone realize that we are all saudara dan saudari which should mean just that: ‘we are “se-darah” or satu darah”, in Indonesian. We are all children of Adam, so we are all “Banii Adama” in Arabic.
Let us pray that as we joined our hands and hearts together we will be able to accomplish this greatest longing planted deep in everybody’s mind, Peace instead of War. We pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, and we say “Insya Allah” (God’s will be done), but most of the time we have not been putting our hands and feet where our mouth is. We are only doing lip-service. We have acted as munafikin or hypocrites, we claim as children of God, but as Al-Maseh Isa himself said: “you are actually the children of the dajjal, who is a muderer and a liar from the beginning.”
So my dear brothers and sisters, let us join our voices together for the last appeal to the world that everybody come to our senses and do our best to bring peace on earth before we all become pieces of radio-active charcoal or dust!
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barukatuh! Shalom and blessings by the grace of God to all of you! Amen!
Sammy Wiriadinata Lee
Victory Global Vision Association
Sydney, Australia
Waalaikum salam, Pak Sammy. Thanks a lot for the sharing and warm support. Yes, surely my doors are widely open to greet you, just let me know anytime you’re going mudik to Indonesia.
hi mbak rita..
i fully agree with pak Sammy.. you really did a good job with what you wrote. i wish those highly respected religious people in MUI, and also all FPI leaders, read it…
thanks for all your supports. i am happy to have a friend like you.
-sima
Million thanks Mbak Sima, btw I learnt from the best teacher kan..hehehe, it’s you!