Advent Within the Pandemic

 

Johanes Baptista Adhi Samudro

            The Advent cry from the Prophet Isaiah holds new meaning for our times and greater urgency because of the global COVID – 19 pandemic. In the face of such extreme suffering and heartache as a result of COVID – 19, as well as the economic, political, social unrest and uncertainty across our world, together with the devastating impact of climate change on our planet and on our lives, I hope and pray my reflection will comfort you and your communities in your waiting, hoping and longing!

            "Be watchful!" was the slogan at the very commencement of the Season of Advent. Our "waiting, hoping and longing" is not different from the call to "be watchful". However, the waiting, hoping and longing had been misinterpreted in the past, especially during Advent, as the preparation for a material Christmas. It is not necessary to describe this type of preparation in detail, for we know how we waited, hoped and were longing for so much during this season in the past. We were not "watchful" in the way Jesus called us to be.

            The present pandemic has caused all these for a significant change: what we are waiting, hoping and longing for is a cure: a divine intervention in the healing of those affected by the virus and divine providence in its eradication from mother earth.

            As followers of Christ, we share a common role as stewards of God's creation, and our well – being is linked to the well – being of our mother earth. It is also a moment of renewing our hearts and minds, and in rebuilding our relationship with Mother Earth, we are restoring our relationship with God.

            In these months in which our globalised world has been severely affected by the COVID – 19 pandemic, we became aware of our shared human nature and how interconnected the political, economic, social, spiritual and cultural dimensions are. We realised how unjust systems created the environment for the spread of diseases, how fragile our lives are, and how vulnerable we were before the virus. The pandemic also became an opportunity for us to join hands to defend lives and ensure that we do not fall victims of the virus. It is also an opportunity for a new form of solidarity to emerge.

            The Season of Advent invites us to reflect on our roles and responsibilities in building a just and equitable society which would give the possibility for each and every one of us to live in dignity and in harmony with Mother Earth. As Christians, our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God, and COVID – 19 must be for us a call to respect our common home.

            As Pope Francis reminded us during his catechesis on August 26^th, this home was given by God to the whole human race, and as stewards of creation, we are called to ensure that its fruits, are in fact shared by all. But unfortunately the reality that we observe every day doing our work alongside local communities are the first victims of the failure to safeguard our common home and today they are asking us for targeted and immediate action, especially concerning food security, access to water and ecosystem preservation.

            "O that today you would tear the heavens and come down to us, O God; come be with us; Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful: all of us have become unclean people. Be not so very angry Lord, keep not our guilt forever in mind look upon us Lord, for we are all your people." (Isaiah 64).

Doing God's Will: He Will Make All Things Beautiful in His Time

 

Johanes Baptista Adhi Samudro

            With the Covid – 19 pandemic still spreading in most parts of the world, we enter into the third great spiritual virtues – faith, hope, and love. We need to deeply and sincerely repent for the many times we have failed or faltered. After the Lord's Prayer which Christ Jesus taught us, He says, "ask any time for the Holy Spirit and you will receive His power."

            It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the power of receiving from the Father the priceless virtues of trusting faith, abiding hope, and love that is unending, unfailing, unlimited, unmerited, ever forgiving, merciful and compassionate. As we freely receive these virtues from God, we need to ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to give them freely to others so that they could fulfill the one great commandment that Christ Jesus gives to us, "Love one another as I love you." (John 15: 12).

            The Bible's faith chapther Hebrews 11 tels us that, "faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we can't see." (Hebrews 11: 1). This chapther also tells us that without trusting faith, it is impossible to journey with God. It refers to the faith of Abraham, Moses, and others while Christ Jesus is described as the pioneer and the perfection of our faith.

            Christ Jesus said: "My food is to do the will of the Father." (John 4: 34). He also says that He does only what the Father wants Him to do and says only what the Father wants Him to say. This deep desire to do the Father's will come mainly through constant or regular prayer and contemplative communication with the Father.

            In the Beatitudes, Christ Jesus also tells us that "those who have a pure heart will see God." (Mathhew 5: 8). Bible scholars say we will have a pure heart when we have a deep desire to discern and do God's will. He will then give us inner revelation and insights, meaning creative and imaginative ideas or thoughts that are beyond our expectations, imaginations or understanding.

            In one of his letters, St. Paul tells us, "rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ for you." (1 Thesalonians 5: 16 – 18).

            Doing God's will bring us eternal life. As Christ Jesus told Martha near the tomb of His friend Lazarus, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in Me and do God's will, will live forever, though they die." (John 11: 25).

            The founder of the Jesuit Order St. Ignatius in his thesis tell us 'How to discern God's will. Many miracles and wonderful things happen when we do God's will. It is not an easy or comfortable way. The Prophet Isaiah tells us, "for as the heaven is above the earth, so our God's plans are much higher than our plans." (Isaiah 55:9).

            Christ Jesus always practised what He preached and preached what He practised unlike the religious leaders of His time, who imposed hundreds of manmade laws on the people but they themselves as religious leaders did not practice what they imposed on others. That is why Christ Jesus slammed them as white-washed sepulchers, hypocrites and sanctimonious humbugs. That was why they somehow found a way to get Christ Jesus crucified by virtually forcing Governor Pilate to give the order after a mock trial.

            When Christ Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in Jordan River, the skies opened up, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus Christ and from heaven, a voice said: "This is my beloved Son, I am well pleased with Him." (Matthew 3: 17). When Christ Jesus came to be fully aware of this, He left everything behind and allowed the Holy Spirit to lead Him up to the point of His Crucifixion and Resurrection which opened the way for us to have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God. That is why we need to keep our focus on the eternal life that God offers us even at times when we go through crises, trials and tribulations such as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and economic consequences where millions of people are struggling to provide food for their families or send their children to school.

            St. Ignatius tells us that when we desire to discern and do God's will in small matters, God will give us the power to discern His will in major issues of our lives. Again this comes through prayer. St. Luke's Gospel refers to at least nine occasions where Jesus withdrew to a mountain or some quiet place to communicate with the Father and He prayed from evening till early morning. Catholic Bible scholars say that Christ Jesus went into prayer to be refilled with God's unconditional love so that He could continue to love the people who were rejecting or ridiculing Him despite all the miracles He performed.

            St. Ignatius tells us that when we pray to discern God's will in major issues we should first ask our conscience whether what we want to do is for our self – interest. If our conscience tells us there is self-interest then we should drop the matter because God is absolutely and all the time other – centred. While most of us most of the time are selfish or self-centred though we wear a Sunday mask to cover up our hypocrisy. Even if we find that there is no self – interest involved we need to surrender the issue to God and through events, circumstances, or through some person, God will show us His will. We also need to meditate on Bible passages connected to the issue, seek guidance from experienced counsellors and with with patience for God to reveal His will.

            As we sing in the inspring hymn, "In His time, in His time, He makes all this beautiful in His time. Lord, please show me every day, as You are teaching me Your way. That you do just what You say in Your time: in Your time, in Your time, You make all things beautiful in Your time. Lord, my life to You I bring with its winter and its spring may I fathom everything in Your time: There;s a time, there's a time both for sowing and for reaping there's a time. Time for losing, time for gain, time for joy and time for pain, every purpose under heaven has a time: There are times, there are days, weeks and months we cannot understand God's ways. If for years we fail to scan what is His eternal plan. We will remember that He can, all the time."

 

Beri Hidupmu Sebuah Kesempatan!

 

Johanes Baptista Adhi Samudro
 

            Seorang pria baru saja membuat catatan sejarah pada awal 1970 – an ketika dirinya terpilih menjadi anggota senat termuda. Namun, belum sempat jabatan prestisius itu dijalankan, sebuah berita memilukan hadir.

            Isterinya mengalami kecelakaan mobil saat membawa ketiga anak mereka berbelanja keperluan Natal di Delaware. Sang istri tercinta tewas, begitu juga putri bungsu yang baru berusia setahun, dua buah hati lainnya mengalami patah kaki dan patah tulang tengkorak ringan.

            Sang pria merasa hidupnya hancur hanya sebulan setelah namanya didengungkan sebagai senator termuda. Semua kejayaan terasa musnah. Natal yang sejatinya menjadi puncak kebahagiaan pada akhir tahun bagi setiap keluarga di sana menjelma kepedihan.

            Begitu berat untuk ditanggung hingga ia pun merencanakan mengakhiri saja seluruh penderitaan.

            "Saya memikirkannya (bunuh diri), tapi tidak melakukannya. Saya berpikir bagaimana rasanya hanya pergi ke Delaware Memorial Bridge, melompat dan mengakhiri semuanya."

            Namun, membayangkan kedua anaknya yang masih hidup harus kehilangan pula seorang ayah setelah ditinggal wafat sang ibu membuat dirinya bertekad kuat hingga berangsur keinginan untuk bunuh diri menguap.

            Tidak ada yang mengira saat itu tekad untuk memberi hidup sebuah kesempatan kemudian mengantarkan dirinya menjadi presiden Amerika Serikat alias salah satu manusia dengan kekuasaan terbesar di dunia, lima puluh tahun kemudian.

            Ya, cuplikan di atas bukan fiksi. Ia sepenggal kisah Joe Biden yang baru saja terpilih menjadi presiden AS tertua dalam sejarah. Sebuah fakta unik sebab ia sebelumnya senator termuda pada 1970-an dan 50 tahun berikutnya dinobatkan sebagai presiden – tertua sepanjang sejarah AS.

            Karier politik Biden bermula saat ia mengambil sumpah di samping ranjang putranya di rumah sakit. Demi menjalankan tugas sebagai politisi dan seorang ayah, ia melakukan perjalanan 90 menit sekali jalan dengan kereta api dari rumahnya di Delaware ke Washington DC, pulang pergi setiap harinya.

            Melakukan kilas balik lebih jauh ke belakang, sebenarnya Sang Presiden memiliki banyak catatan kelabu pada masa lalu yang bisa saja menjadi batu sandungan untuk sukses pada masa depan.

            Biden kecil bukan anak berprestasi. Ia bahkan mengalami kesulitan berbicara yang membuat dirinya sering menjadi target perundungan. Karena gagap ini pula ia sempat dijuluki Dash.

            Di kelas tujuh, saat membaca satu bagian kalimat dengan suara keras yang dilakukannya penuh perjuangan, seorang biarawati yang mengawasi sempat meledek, "Tuan Buh – Buh – Buh – Biden, kata ap aitu?" Biden kecil spontan meninggalkan kelas sebagai protes dan pulang.

            Ibunya lalu mengantar sang putra kembali ke sekolah sekaligus mengancam sang biarawati untuk tidak meledek anaknya lagi. Baru di usia remaja, Biden berhasil lepas dari kesulitannya berbicara. Sosoknya yang popular terpilih sebagai ketua kelas pada tahun – tahun SMP dan SMA.

            Joe Biden juga sukses di bidang olahraga. Sukses menoreh prestasi bersama klub di Universitas Delaware, apakah sosoknya kemudian sempurna? Tidak, sebab nilai akademis pemuda ini juga tidak mentereng, hanya mengantongi rata – rata C dan menduduki peringkat 506 dari 688 siswa di kelas.

            Setelah masuk politik pun, kariernya tak serta merta cemerlang. Ia pernah mencalonkan diri menjadi presiden, tetapi dituduh menjiplak pidato tokoh politik dari negeri lain. Ditemukan cacat lain, salah satu makalah sekolah hukumnya didasarkan pada artikel yang diterbitkan Review Hukum.

            Biden juga dianggap membuat klaim yang ternyata tidak benar terkait catatan akademis dan aktivitasnya. Akhir episode dari hal – hal memalukan di atas, dia pun menarik diri dari pencalonan.

            Selama masa jabatannya di Senat, Joe Biden sempat dikaitkan dengan sejumlah kebijakan yang kemudian dipandang kurang baik oleh anggota Partai Demokrat pada periode berikutnya.

            Ia menentang kebijakan "busing" yang bertujuan mengangkut anak – anak kulit hitam ke sekolah – sekolah yang didominasi kulit putih.

            Dia juga membantu menyusun RUU kejahatan yang diyakini banyak politisi Demokrat telah mendorong penahanan secara tidak proporsional dan merugikan kalangan Afrika – Amerika. Biden baru – baru ini mengakui hal tersebut sebagai sebuah kesalahan.

            Namun, terlepas dari segala kekurangan pada masa lalu, Joe Biden kini mencapai puncak karier sebagai Presiden AS. Harapan besar tertumpu padanya bukan hanya dari penduduk di sana, melainkan juga warga dunia.

            Sebuah prestasi hebat, yang terwujud sebab ia memberi diri, yang nyaris putus asa, sebuah kesempatan untuk bertahan. Tidak mengambil jalan pintas karena setiap kehidupan sejatinya memiliki masa depan yang layak diperjuangkan.

            Sebuah prinsip yang harus dipegang siapa pun ketika hidup berada di titik nadir.