Gado-Gado: Redefine Indonesian Cultural Diversity

Talking about cultural diversity may be a petty concept to some people. Those think that diversity is not compatible for their values. My personal judgement about people who hate other people according to the differences is clear, i would like to consider them as a factor of disintegration. I really don't understand why people can harm other people just because the physical appearance, ideology, and even prejudice. The lack of understanding and courtesy can bring discouragement of national stability. I think it has been declared by some scholars, yet the progress to respect others still hits the wall.

Then, what is the solution? Indonesia is well known with its cultural diversity, many people from different cultural backgrounds come to define Indonesia as a nation. It's not formed by one major ethnic group. The rise and fall of Indonesia is determined by its complexities. It involves cultural assimilation and cultural blend as ethnic experiences. To preserve the national stability, Indonesians must embrace a system which can accomodate the differences among ethnic groups. We must abandon personal prejudices to other ethnic groups. We need to realize that we are growing among cultural diversities, regardless our religions,cultural customs, or personal beliefs. If we trace back our history, we can't neglect the role of our ancestors, Indonesia isn't built by homogenous culture. I would like to call my beloved country, Indonesia, as a place where people can put their diverities peacefully without being threated by a dominant group. Being an Indonesian can't be defined by just one major perspective. We have to challenge the taken for granted definition, the unjust condition can only be clarified through multiculturalism.

Multiculturalism itself is a system of belief and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization /society , acknowledges and values their social -cultural differences and encourage and enables their continued contributio within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization o society. Multiculturalism emphasizes seven actions which are recognition ( the understanding of diversity), respect, acknowledging, valuing, encourage and enable, celebrate. The multculturalism magnifies us to look upon the others as partners not as foes. Inclusively, we don't patronize other cultures, where none /nothing is left behind. There is no agent which is deemed as a superior and the other is an inferior. Therefore, we must expel any conducts that can provide tendency to attack other groups merely based on negative prejudices, due to socioeconomic, cultural, political, biological. The prejudices are basically produced by unreasonable fear.

To redefine Indonesia, i would choose gado-gado ( an Indonesian food) as a good metaphor. In the multiculturalism context, diversity is treated as a foundation that can bond a unity. We, Indonesians are a heterogeneous society which includes our uniqueness, we maintain our personal identities. Similar to gado-gado, it is made from different ingredients (vegetables, peanut sauce, tofu,etc), but the ingredients keep their flavors to create new sensation without terminating any flavor. Certainly, when we eat gado-gado we can still taste lettuces and tomattoes but it comes in one package. The metaphor can define Indonesia, so the cultural diversity isn't the obstacle to move forward even it's a highly important factor to its development. That's how multiculturalism redefines Indonesia....

(Singapore, 29 Oct,2011___sembari nonton Animal Planet...)

.

Happiness,, is mine

I taught speaking class last week. I asked my students about what happiness was?were they happy with their life?Some of them talked to me that they had an unhappy life. More or less, they were unhappy with the circumstances around them.
I have known well about how to be a miserable person. I was a miserable person because i hadn't known about how to be happy...

Many things have happened all these years, many bad things and good things have come like ocean reef. I might say bitter things have come back and forth during my life. I talked to God. Why this happened to me? Kept asking that...all the time...it was worthless..because God wouldn't answer anything. Then, i left nothing but emptiness.

I have found out that happiness should be created by thank fulling,reconciling, and compromising our life.I have been struggling so hard all these years to do all those things. It's very hard.However, to be happy or unhappy is our choice. Well, many people have been through many disapontments during their lifetime. Me too,,If we leave our lives to be unhappy it will be wasting all my life in advance.

Remember, we have a Savior, our God, Jesus..He has been through all the painful things as a human. How can we compare our miserable life to His life as a man. Who wants to die as an innocent person? We shouldn't talk about our miserable life....
to be or not to be?....you should choose to be happy or unhappy...

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Kasih Setia-Mu

KASIH SETIA-MU
Kasih setia-Mu yang ku rasakan
Lebih tinggi dari langit biru
Kebaikan-Mu yang t’lah Kau nyatakan
Lebih dalam dari lautan
Berkat-Mu yang telah kuterima
Sempat membuatku terpesona
Apa yang tak pernah kupikirkan
Itu yang Kau sediakan bagiku
Reff
Siapakah aku ini Tuhan
Jadi biji mata-Mu
Dengan apakah kubalas Tuhan
S’lain puji dan sembah Kau

Ir. Niko Njotoraharjo
1990 Symphony Music

Kasih-Mu Bapa

Tuhan,
aku ini pendosa, wajahku sudah dilumuri oleh lumpur dosa, sampai aku tidak mampu melihatnya secara jelas. Lidahku kelu karena ucapanku, kakiku tidak sanggup lagi berdiri tegak,bebanku sungguh berat ,Bapa.Orang melempar pandangan hina akan kehadiranku. Aku ini bukan siapa-siapa...aku hanya orang berdosa...

Mungkin kita sekarang berada di masa-masa sulit kehidupan kita, hidup kita sungguh terbeban oleh perasaan bersalah akan dosa-dosa masa lalu kita. Kita merasa tidak berguna, cemar dan hina. Beban tersebut membuat kaki kita terpancang pada tiang dosa masa lalu. Tuhan Yesus tahu itu, Tuhan Yesus mengerti beban kita...

Pada suatu masa Tuhan Allah sedang melintasi sebuah daerah dekat Samaria, Tuhan Yesus duduk di sebelah sumur Yakub. Ia merasa kehausan, kemudian melintaslah seorang perempuan Samaria yang membawa timba untuk mengambil air.Tuhan Yesus menyapa secara pribadi perempuan tersebut. " Berilah aku minum" (Yoh, 4: 7). Tuhan Yesus mau menyapa seorang pribadi yang dianggap hina oleh masyarakat pada zaman itu. Dia,perempuan Samaria yang telah menikah 5 kali dan tinggal dengan laki-laki yang bukan suaminya (Yoh, 4: 16-19). Perempuan itu datang seorang diri, ia dikucilkan olah masyarakat pada masa itu. Tetapi Tuhan Yesus, menyapa dia secara pribadi, Dia tidak memandang dosa dan stigma sosial yang buruk yang melekat pada perempuan tersebut.

Melalui refleksi kisah tersebut, kita tahu betapa besar kasih Allah kepada orang berdosa.Ia mau merendahkan diri dengan manusia yang sudah dilumuri beban dosa. Tuhan Allah, mengasahi kita dengan kekurangan dan masa lalu kita yang pahit. Marilah, letakkan beban yang kita tanngung, pandanglah Tuhan Allah sebagai sumber harapan yang memberikan kekuatan bagi kita untuk melangkah.

Allah mengasihi kita, orang berdosa...
In God we may have eternal life,,,