WHO ARE JESUS DISCIPLES?

One day, one of my church friends came to me and asked: Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So what happen to those people outside Christian who have never known Jesus? Are they all not going to the salvation? A question that I have never thought about before. For a while I was in silent, a bit surprising because I’ve never assumed that there would be such kind of question. Felt too over or whatever is that called, I got to think, what kind of thought he has so that he comes up with this conclusion? But at last, I started to understand the matter and began to answer.
I asked him back: “Has there ever been in a verse in the bible which says that Jesus is the leader of Christian?” That time he was thinking, perhaps trying to find the verse, or maybe presuming where will this conversation go? After a while he finally shook his head, as a signal that means he couldn’t find the verse, although he still said: “But it is very clear that He is the leader of the Christians.” And I said: “Who did appoint him to be the leader of Christian? You all of the Christians or Himself?” He was confused again, but still kept answering:
“It was His followers who crown Him to be like that.”
“So that means it’s not Him who asked for that, right?”
“But He was the one who asked His disciples to spread His commandments.”
“Yes, but He only asked for that, not asking to be the leader for a certain religion.”
“Then, how is this matter related to my question??” asked him peevishly.
“It’s very basic and clear. We must be able to differ wisely between figure Jesus as a teacher whose love for all the people without exception so that in this case He is a universally teacher. On the other hand, Jesus figure that is claimed by His follower as a Christian shepherd. For me, Mahatma Gandhi with his Ahimsa is clearly a really good Jesus’ disciple because he truly does Jesus’ main commandment of love. Even if we want to be more down hearted, there are lots of Christians who are not sure admitted by Jesus as His disciples because of their behaviors that totally against love. Which one is more important for Jesus, their personalities or their clothes?”
“Mmm.., I guess their personalities, but….” He was not continuing his word.
“But why? Are you disappointed because the Christians are not sure if they automatically hold a VIP ticket to Jesus’ Palace?”
He was just quiet, maybe he was wondering about something or probably he wanted to complaint but it’s too hard. Eventually he spoke again,
“If it’s like that, what do we have religion for? What’s the meaning of our pride of Jesus and church so far?”
“Religion is a community but it is not God itself. Making the religion becomes God is the same as making God little, same meaning as you are trying to jail God in a space that you make by yourself, whether it is religion, church, or any other things. But the religion community is still needed in this world. As you can see there are lots of cultural and behavior differences in the society. A group of certain people feel that they can enjoy themselves to be in a certain community. All of them need to be placed in a suitable community so that they can feel getting a perfect place for their activities, including how the way they praise God. It does, in a certain level, someone doesn’t need the religion community anymore. It does not a matter. The main thing is still about how we behave. Coincidentally, we feel the same that we are suitable in Catholic Church. Pardon me, do you know what’s the meaning of Catholic?”
He seemed to be surprised and shook his head. I continued,
“Catholic means PUBLIC. It’s supposed that we feel proud of it because although we are in one same community, the place that we are in has a universal and pretty wide meaning. The main important meaning is that we are not supposed to be alone, separating ourselves from the others, evenmore making ourselves to be the most special among the others. Jesus teaches us to be the salt of the world. How can we do all these things well if we already limit ourselves in a certain space. And also do not forget when Jesus deal with His disciplines about who’s among them is the greatest? So His answer was: ….(you must remember it for sure!)”
This time he seemed to accept it, and hopefully all of you can accept it too.
Amen.

IS THERE THE END OF LIFE?

Two parishioners next to me were enthusiastically debating. The problem was: reincarnation! The one (+) was obstinate that reincarnation does happen. The proof given was unmitigated: Jesus Himself incarnated becoming a man, so that is called incarnation! Another one (-) said that the event happened because He is a God who can turn into whatever He wants. Our religion did firmly say that after the death there is only either heaven or hell! The debating became more and more interesting:

(+): “Gosh, it is inconceivable if these so many people were only given two places: heaven or hell? Then if the person is partly good and partly bad, where would he be put into?”

(-): “Enter to the sanctification.”

(+): “That’s mean there are three places, not two! Then how does the sanctification look like?”

(-): “Like a place where we are waiting the final judgement while learning, just like this world but without real body.”

(+): “Gosh…, where does that theory come from? I am in the same Catholic Church as you but have never been taught like that! Probably you just make the things up! What is wrong if those in the sanctification are sent back to this world with new body, which is more suitable with his conduct when he was still alive in this world: Those corruptors who still can be forgiven could be turned into mice, those who were greedy should be turned into a pig, those who were a bit better but had ever fallen in great sin could be turned into man again who has better position and life as well as a place that more possible for him to learn better?”

(-): “Oh God!!! That is more unbelievable! That’s really in contradiction with God The Lover who really loves His creatures! How can people become a mouse, pig, and kinds of animals? They should just stay in that sanctification, don’t need to go anywhere, learn again and again until they pass, experience joy and sorrow too.”

(+): “You are so weird! Perhaps you did use to stay in that place and were reincarnated so thus you really understand that realm, and it makes me becoming surer that there is reincarnation.”

(-): “Whatever! In my opinion, there is no reincarnation!”

And then they stopped, having no clue. Suddenly, the one who agreed with reincarnation looked at me and asked:

(+): ”What do you think?”

Because being asked, I answered.

Me: “I am the one who “just enjoy”. It means: If someone feels that he was a monkey like in the theory of evolution (Darwinism), then he is now being grateful to be able to do “chatting” and “surfing” via internet with sophisticated laptop in cafes, and with the full awareness he gives his best effort to do anything well so that later after his death he could be lifted up becoming one of the gods, so that reincarnation is a good thing for him.”

(+): “That’s mean you are agree with reincarnation.”

Me: “Not that that I mean.”

(+): “Hey.., don’t be inconsistent, man.”

Me: “Not like that too. I just don’t want to be the one who “knows everything”, because I do don’t know who were I am in the past? And actually I do not know: what kind of life after the death? I just believe with one thing that I’m really sure, that God just wants us mentality growing again and again so that one day we could reach His kingdom. For this reason He gives various kinds of educations for us. And the reincarnation is just one of those learning ways. The others are uncountable and each creature, one to another, is experiencing different ways of learning. For me, there is no need to debate those things. There is a time when our parents are forced to say something easily to their children who still can’t be given long explanation yet, so that they will not do bad things, which purpose is to avoid them from trouble. But, whatever the way they give to their children is for sure with a good intention; as well as God to us. What God wants is our understanding that gradually grows of His good intention and our seriousness to respond Him.”

Amazing! Both of them beside me were quiet for quite a while. I felt guilty had been unexpected saying the words “knows everything”, probably they didn’t like with those words.

Me: “My apologize if my words were impolite or made you unpleased.”

(+): “Oh, that’s OK, I’m just still confused musing over these things: heaven, hell, added by sanctification and reality that at the moment I’m living in this world. When will be the end of all of these things?”

Me: “What?? The end???”

(-): “The end is the heaven or hell!”

(+): “I don’t really like the idea of heaven and hell. It was you that said if God is full of forgiveness. How can the one who is very forgiving create that really miserable punishment place while I am who are not like that will never want to be asked to torture the others like that bad? Doesn’t it say that there is no vengeance? What is the hell means if it is not vengeance! These days still using threat, huh! so old-fashioned…! It’s better for me to believe reincarnation than hell.”

(-): “Huush! Be careful, you might be accursed! Perhaps others would assume you as those who follow deviant ideology, which is being popular debated.”

(+): “I just said what I feel. There are heaps of crazier people outside. Think logically, what is wrong with my thought?”

Me: “Ok then, you don’t wanna hell. How about heaven?”

He was in silent for a while before answering.

(+): “It feels dishonest if I say I don’t want heaven. I do want it.”

Me: “Alhamdullilah! At first I was worried that you have great logical thought but do not have heart, thanks be to God if you do. Now I wanna ask again: In your mind, is heaven the end that you want to find?”

He was really confused at that time.

(+): “I don’t know; I just feel that I need a peaceful end.”

Me: “And if one day you found this kind of place, would you stay forever there and wouldn’t go to anywhere else?”

He was just being quiet. Maybe he was imagining the place that he dreamed while thinking about my question.

Me: “Ok, I’ll help you with my experience. One day, far from my country, I was in a place that incredibly beautiful with one of my daughters. An amazing peaceful beach, surrounded by mountains that were also adorable, even the big stones on the beach that I sat onto them were really awesome because of hundreds years abrasion, much more beautiful than a row of suiseki (the Japanese’s art of stone). The giant trees surrounded me were hundreds years old, by far more amazing than those bonsai art. All the artists’ works won’t be able to beat this beauty, all will worth nothing compared to it. All of those things were still added by various kinds of colourful and pretty birds coming to us, and we were really regret that we didn’t bring any food to be given to them because we hadn’t know if it would have been like this so that we crushed our snack that we brought and gave it to them that more and more coming to us, flying from the trees above. All of our snacks were run out and we were laughing so happy. The weather was really fine, the sun didn’t felt humid and the temperature was about 17 Celsius. The more incredible thing is, in that absolutely beautiful place, there were only two of us who enjoying it, no one else at all. That place and the atmosphere did really represent people’s illustration about heaven. “Thanks God that you accompany us to here. Seems that you serve us who had never had plan to come here.” And my joy was increasing after saying those words in silent, aware that God really loves us. But after two hours enjoying all of those things, I really missed my family who at that time were not with us. I also missed all my friends, which we usually gladly assemble, enjoying the time together. Longer and longer, this heaven became nothing without all the people who we love. And implicit feeling in my heart, how happy if we can love as many people as we can and miss them all to be together with me next to God.”

I finished my story that was really happened.

(+): “I’m inspirited by illustration of your experience, and I also feel that now I won’t be able to stay alone forever in the place that I had been dreaming of. I would feel lonely for sure.”

Me: “Yes, the reality would be like that if you were looking for the end. Don’t ever think anymore finding the end of this life, because when reaching there, you would just find a truly death because all the things stop there, no more way that you have to undergo. Heaven is a thing that life, not a death place like many people describe. And hell itself is not exist up there, but uniting with your heart, uniting with your sins. So actually all people have been there.”

(-): “Oh God!!! This is terrible, really very terrible, you really would be considered having a deviant ideology! This is really outside the route!”

(+): “Please continue, I want to listen to your analysis.”

Me: “If you read Apocrypha Book (a book outside Canon Holy Book, which becomes our guide at the moment), you will be scarier reading the illustration about that hell, much scarier than a horror movies! But even though I don't read it, I guarantee that all of those are only the writer’s illusion. The official churches have also finally put those things away. And one day, when these members of religious communities get more mature understanding, the illustration of heaven and hell like nowadays will also have its interpretation developed. Doesn’t mean that the former one is wrong, but as I said before, ‘parents often give easy illustration to their children not to do this or this so that their children who haven’t had any understanding won’t get into trouble’. Later, when their children are growing up, this illustration will be no longer needed. Ok, I will continue about the image of hell that actually has been experienced by all of us. When you commit a great sin to a person, even more a person that you love so much, in your heart there must be a great regret too. This regret will make you suffer, moreover if there are heaps of them. But often someone’s cockiness is able to hide all the regrets and longer and longer he won’t feel regret anymore when he commit a sin, so he easily redo it again and again. But when one’s body becomes so sick, those regrets’ shadow will come up again. And when the body is really gone in a death, only a naked soul is left, so the shadow will have no more place to hide then it causes a horrible woe. That is hell! And this woe is actually because of your own deed, not retaliation from God. What happens next is I don’t know because I haven’t experienced dead yet! Perhaps what you will regret the most is looking at yourself naked and get reality that is completely different from your illusion about yourself, that actually you really often hurt God who loves you, even more when you know that you were aware when you did those sins and now you can’t hide anymore. So may I suggest that from now on let’s us learn to live nakedly, try not to hide our sins from our own awareness and really ask for His forgiveness. We will just like that kid carried by Jesus. So, later when we died, we will get used to see ourselves as we are and won’t be regretting our past time. Really, no one is perfect, but how please if people can see their own imperfectness and try their best to correct it, because God will smile at them and won’t deal about it. My apologies if I have been like preaching. I just want to say the life reality and share with you without having intention to teach anyone because I’m also learning.”

(+): “Interesting. Thank you for that. At least it is more logic. So that’s mean heaven is not the end too?”

Me: “No the end. The end means finish! Even this realm has no end! So always go ahead! Don’t be ever afraid, because your guide is God The Almighty, who always accompanies you since the beginning you were created!”

(+): “One more, how about the statement that says about God is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end?”

Me: “It means that God is the one who begins all the things and is the highest limit from all of His creatures. Nothing can override Him. But God Himself will not finish at one point, because if He finishes, all His works and His creatures slowly will finish too. That thing will not happen.”

(+): “Thanks. I now become understand and have spirit to live in this world time to time! So we now “just enjoy” yeah?”

I was laughing. He shook my hand gladly and I responded gladly too.

(-): “????????” (evil thought?????)”

by Sis 1 2 (read: Sis one two)
htpp://sis12.blogspot.com



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INTERPRETING IDIOM IN THE BIBLE: BETWEEN SYMBOL AND REALITY

Have a look at Isaiah 2:3. It is said “Zion”, the hill of Jerusalem, is “the mountain of the Lord” because from this city was born a creed that brings this world to the peace. That creed is at least currently brought by the two big religions in this world: Christian and Moslem. So, inherently, the reality that happened was true. As long as the word “Jerusalem” itself is presumed to come from the word “U-ru-sa-lim” that exist in “Tell-el-Amarna” manuscript (1400 BC) and has a meaning as “Salim City” (Peace City). But there is another reality that accuses each other with the first one: The areas around Jerusalem are those that involve lots in physical war from the old age until the time being! Two realities that in the same time are accusing each other. What does it mean? It means that we have to separate clearly between “what is occupied by God” and “what is occupied by man”. “Zion” occupied by God is “Zion” that brings peace, and “Zion” occupied by man is another “Zion”, that not known when it’s going to be peace.

My brothers and sisters that I love, when we read the bible we often find many sentences (in this matter I called it “symbolic”) that can’t be interpreted directly like that. And because of the huge number of people, so it is not surprising if the interpretations that come up are also vary, from the “wise” one to the “false” one. Our brother, the communist, has been really annoyed looking at those religious people’s behaviors who tend to do mystical thing than a real one. For instance, in a poor and suffer condition, they only pray again and again instead of doing something that can make their life better! So when can they get better? As the result, come out the words like: “Religion is a social addiction! Has to be destructed! Bring people into day-dreaming and make them live in unrealistic world! So initially, what they see is partly correct: many religious people are behaving “inappropriately”. But practically, those communist are too over because they are too overactive destroying other people. Moreover, supported by their power and army, they destroy all kind of religious services without any mercy. And because of that spirit, they have insensibly treated all God’s creatures like a clay that can be formed as they want. At the end, the time will prove all. “What comes from God will be eternal” and “what comes from man will be extinct”. So that is the history that always happens again and again to the people on Earth. Sometimes to get a “pearl” in our life, people have to sacrifice lots of important things with unmeasured value. Mistake by mistake verifies them. Because of that, happy all those who can get that “pearl” easily and in peace, and those are people who read the bible with their true heart, thought, and observation to the existed reality so that the holy spirit is willing to show the righteousness implicit.

There is a good example to show how a different interpretation affects a reader’s behavior. We took one of the sentences that is so famous in the bible, which is in a prayer thought by Jesus: “So be Your will Father, on Earth as in heaven”. This sentence we observe together with: “At the end of time, God will come in His glory and covered in clouds of heaven, and so on….”. Interpreting these two sentences, Christians will straightaway divide themselves into two big groups:

The first group is the mysticism, which are those people who say lots of prayers everyday while “seriously closing their eyes” but never do anything in action to make this Earth to be as in heaven in the future. What they think is: “Isn’t that God can just say hey presto, so that in no second this Earth will be the same as in heaven! Why do we have to put ourselves in trouble instead of just believe it, and done, isn’t that easy? Moreover it is clearly said that God will come in the clouds of heaven! Sorting those true and false people. So why do we need to have a hand in? Just let God’s will happens.”

The second group is the realistic-religious. These people are aware that our Earth has millions years of age and during this time the glory of man is only reach its current level. Need a really long time to make this Earth to be as in heaven. How long will it be is depending on our role to take a hand in. So if there are people who say that the end of world will happen soon just because lots lots of disasters, that are words without any basis and reasonable context, seen from how hard our Earth has been doing evolution to reach its glory that God wants. That is false prophets’ bullshit. God wants to make this earth as in heaven is because for us, not for Himself. And it is impossible that heaven is fulfilled by those who just want all the things done in hey presto without having to do anything. And it is also impossible that God will destroy this Earth at once while it is still fighting to reach its glory and has been shuffling for millions of years. Even God has sent His beloved Son to hasten this process. For that reason, this group is aware: “Don’t just mumbling saying lots of prayers everyday, instead let us fight for it together with God the Almighty”.

My brothers and sisters, which group are you in? Just forget your past if you feel that you were in the first group and let us live in the second group. Why like that? Because our faith is clear: “Jesus is both God and a man, not just God who can say “leviosa” and please all Harry Potter fans (famous figure in magic fiction). I know God is glorious. And He also wants us to be glorious, until He willed to incarnate become a man to look after us, directly meet us who smeared all over the messiness to lead us to the right way in this Earth that is still far from its glory.” You have to believe that we will not reach that glory in a second, even it is needed a really hard work to contribute all of our best ability that God has given to us: intellect, good physical condition, nice family, and hopefully our country that will get better and better, and many other good things. “Earth as it is in heaven” will not happen if the mysticism people are always more that realistic-religious, even more added by anarchism, terrorism, imperialism, etc, that harass the human glory itself. Let us be more realistic and not too much dreaming. For every little thing that we contribute, we should do it with the spirit of serving for our beloved Earth.

SIS12, http://sis12.blogspot.com