Final paper

Wow....lama tidak update. Setelah berjuang dengan gigih akhirnya paper akhir kelar juga. Ada satu pelajaran menarik dari paper akhir yang satu ini. Aku menulis tentang Christian-Muslim dialogue di Indonesia. Waktu aku di Indo aku tidak pernah belajar serius tentang tema ini. Mungkin karena kenyataan pluralitas itu sedemikian dekat dengan kehidupanku sehingga membuat aku lupa untuk ambil jarak dari pengalaman dan melihatnya dalam perspektif lain. Dialog bagiku adalah keniscayaan. Sebagai orang yang besar dan tumbuh di tengah pluralitas agama dan etnis, dialog menjadi kata realitas harian. Ketika kemudian aku di Amerika, aku baru sadar bahwa pluralitas yang aku alami di Indo masuk dalam kategori dialog kehidupan yaitu dialog dalam level grass roots, daily life. Agar dialog bisa terjadi di konteks Indonesia aku memiliki tiga argumen: pertama perlunya reinterpretasi akan uniqueness. Bagian ini mau menggarisbawahi pentingnya theological foundation bagi dialog di masing-masing participant. Kedua perlunya political consensus. Hal ini penting mengingat dialog Christian-Muslim menyertakan kategori mayoritas-minoritas. Pihak minoritas selalu dalam posisi "terancam". Dengan adanya konsesnsu setidaknya ada jaminan bahwa hak-hak minoritas terlindungi. Relasi antar keduanya perlu dilindungi hukum positif. Dalam konteks Indonesia Pancasila menjadi konsensus politik bagi dialog. Ketiga perlunya actual relation dalam semua level. Akhirnya dialog harus terjadi dalam semua level, leaders and grass roots. Dalam konteks Indonesia yang patriarkal, peran pemimpin agama sangar penting. Jika relasi para pemimpin agama bagus maka mereak di kalangan grass roots cenderung melakukan yang sama.

Untukmu!

Untukmu, yang datang di keremangan malam
Saat sang malam bertandang dalam keangkuhannya
Saat insan-insan terbuai mimpi
Saat senyap menyapa sang kalbu
Untukmu, yang selalu lepas dari sergapan imagiku.
Adakah kamu tercipta selalu dalam keremangan?
Mencintai malam daripada siang, remang daripada terang ?
alam telah melemparkanmu dalam gulita masa
Mengapa kita kembali ke titik semula ketika jalan terjal ini telah terlampaui?

graduation!

Thanks be to God for the great moment! The graduation of Ignas, Wawan, Alejandro and Denny...CONGRATULATIONS!

love so divine

This video reminds me the funniest story I had when I was in the minor seminary, ten years ago. Let the video tell something....he..he..he.

Critical week!

What I mean by critical week is that a moment when everything seems to be difficult, a moment when everything is just new. I've been fighting with my last paper since last week. It's a critical week for me. Since I declared myself as a great procrastinator a few years ago now I should show that actually I'm not a really procrastinator. What I need is just perseverance, which is a basic need for success. Perseverance itself is virtue in reaching goal. But at least I have confidence to finish my paper on time...he...he....Actually everything is in my mind already, I just need to nail myself on the chair and start writing. But temptations come anytime such as chatting....please...don't chat with me this week unless I start it first.....(that's totally unfair). If everything goes well according to my plan then I will be happy. But that kind of happiness should be followed by an alertness of what I call as "flexibility". Wow....what's that? I mean..I'm too flexible., then I'm not obliged to follow my schedule (again that's totally unfair). So what? I'm the one creates the law as well as the law breaker. Anyway I need that kind of thought too....to relax to justify myself sometimes and to be human....you know what I've learned up to now is always something serious and meticulous. It's difficult even just to imagine it. Sometimes I just need to laugh...even laugh at myself..how silly I am.

Today nobody signed up for cooking. In the name of love...(what?) I volunteered myself to serve the community. I cooked beef with egg plant and mushroom. Not so bad....Paschal asked me what kind of ingredients I put on the food...."a little of this, a little of that" I said....the taste was..."conflicting" ehm. I just need to name it since it is a new recipe in cooking. Put everything together in one pan with olive oil as a main catalyst. The meat wasn't tender enough....we struggled to chew it....fortunately there were some leftovers from yesterday celebration, so I didn't really work hard to create new recipe.

The weather is great too, it has hit 82 F, and I guess that's the warmest day this year. In two weeks everything is going to be different. First of all I will be going back to Indonesia in June 4. For me it will be my first vacation after three years living in the US. It's gonna be an exciting moment. I will be going with Denny.......

Don't give up.....it's just the way.... life goes on!