Jesus Christ in the reflection of Palestine and Papua for Christmas blessings for peace in the world!

Jesus Christ in the reflection of Palestine and Papua for Christmas blessings for peace in the world !

By Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta

Christmas this year is very special to me. Christmas means the birth. The word “Natal” in Indonesian entry through the Portuguese language which means birth. The word Natal is rooted in the Latin language, which is also used to celebrate universities anniversary in Indonesian, Dies Natalis. The term in the English, “ Christmas”, is rooted in the Anglo-Saxon which is Cristesmaesse that means a worship performed by the church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Day is a special day for the Christian community around the world. On this day, the entire human grandeur humanity as if not meaningless. Delicious food prepared by the family, which is offered by well-known restaurants including celebrations in hotels as if bland. Music that sings in concerts including in churches as though not giving relief to people. It all becomes useless if it does not vibrate with the celebration of the history of human life itself.

In Indonesia, the church is the most crowded in time for Christmas. In addition to Christmas, Christians also flocked to attend Easter services. But Christmas is very important because at the moment, everyone is faced with the birth of her or his own. Anyone humans, whatever their background, with different types of religions, beliefs conflicting ideologies of mainstream society, when faced with the center itself, the question that often arises is what is the purpose of my birth?

Christmas reminded of the purpose of the birth of humankind. The birth of Jesus Christ, as a holy baby bestowed by God, to people so that they can describe from here repeatedly trip of their life on earth. Since becoming a baby, Jesus Christ had to deal with tragedy, was born in an animal cage as understood by the Christian tradition.

Islamic tradition says in the book of Mary, Jesus Christ is born under a palm tree, a baby who is born of a powerful sacred feminine, strong, Maryam.  Only Mother Mary with baby Jesus the Messiah, lying without pomp signs as described in the Bible where there were the wise men, who came bearing gifts as a mark of respect to the infant Christ is the King Saviour of the world.

When all the power and strength of humans does not mean at all, that's where the omnipotence of God becomes very strong. Both Christian and Islamic traditions  describe the inclusion of God to the mother of Mary. Mary in the Christian tradition to sing the glad tidings of God's mission in the body without having a husband who will give birth to a baby sanctuary, which was given the name of Jesus Christ. Mary sings to glorify the greatness of God, the splendor of the universe said. The glory of God that is unmatched being done to her, a woman, Mary, to bring peace to this world.

Peace be very important message from God to humankind. Thousands of years, tens of thousands of years, billions of years, peace be human struggle. Humans must sail that they are God's creation who have the heart of God so they can stop to admire the sky incredibility, underground natural horror, beauty and power of the moon and the sun heat. Under heavy snow, heat vaporizes the ground so the birds with tiny legs could run.

For Christmas this year I painted Christmas cards to celebrate my joy. These cards I have sent to various people, those who  have prayed for me when accidents befall on our vehicles so that my spine fractures. The first Christmas card I painted was  a cardinal bird on a tree covered with snow. Snow also covered the ground. After I was given a body brace to protect strengthening the T-11 and L-4 spinal, my doctor said that the bones can no longer grow unless the muscles are strengthened to support upright posture. I can do many things, except  I can only write.  My office at our home in Boston, has back garden view. This is where I watched small birds, including beautiful eastern cardinals with a strong red color in the sparkling snow whitened.

Small strong birds, where do they settle down when the snow storm comes? I always look around to find out where are the birds when cut into small pieces of snow like tiny cotton continues to expand to cover the ground. I went to sleep after night fell and the snow  was still falling. I woke up early in the morning open the bedroom window to see fresh delicate snow on hand. My heart was cheering, like small birds were waiting for me. They had already been glorified God the Creator.  Whistling the birds,  small birds that I continue to draw on my heart to paint every ruler shaping their appearance. Little birds are proof God's presence to me.

 
                                      My painting:  a cardinal bird on snow

Baby Jesus Christ is a sign of the holiness required by human beings to fill their hearts. The pain felt by humans, can only be cured in the love of Jesus Christ. I remember the prayer of Amelia Jigabalom, a female figure who have fought for justice in Papua. Amelia Jigabalom and all the people of Papua get the power of Jesus Christ to those who are warriors. Jesus Christ becomes the pattern for them to fight for justice and truth.

No different from the brothers and sisters in Palestine, they also get the power of Jesus Christ. This morning, I was reading the Israeli newspaper, The Time of Isreal on an article written by Raphael Ahren. In this article, Raphael Ahren questions the validity of history as Palestinian Authority (PA),  President Mahmoud Abbas claims that Jesus Christ was a Palestinian. Raphael Ahren said that President Mahmoud Abbas does not understand the real history of Jesus Christ who was a Jew. President Mahmoud Abbas said Jesus Christ as Palestine, to explain that Israel is the cause of the expulsion of the Christians, the Palestinians from the holy land, Jerusalem. Raphael Ahren said that the Palestinians were to rewrite the history of Jesus Christ. To remind President Mahmoud Abbas, Raphael Ahren writes his article  titled "Israel to Abbas: No, Jesus was not a Palestinian". Mockingly, Ahren said that President Abbas may want a hug from Santa Claus because of transgression.

 See the link http:/www.timesofisrael.com/israel-pans-outrageous-rewriting-of-christian-by-abbas/

The day before Natal, Christmas of 2013 , President Abbas said that Jesus Christ was a Palestinian , is tantamount to the Papuan fighters who also regard Jesus Christ is the Papuans , a soldier . Jesus Christ is a part of the history of Islam and Christian who brings tidings of peace to those who are weak , powerless . People who are marginalized , those who fight for justice to obtain basic rights of life are omitted by the ruling . They gain strength from Jesus Christ , the baby born already faced tragedy from her life completely and fully built by God , the owner lives so that Jesus Christ can serve and do wonders in the world that is not fair . Current world loses its meaning if it does not see the work of God which remains strengthen the weak , helpless by a power greater than himself .

I am writing to strengthen myself whom being covered by the shield , and grateful for the power of Jesus Christ being together with my brothers and sisters in Papua  and in Palestine . When my right hand bandaged because of my elbow shifted,  I painted about peace in Gaza . The painting was very touching my heart , because I like getting in-depth information about of the holy land is the source of human suffering . I shed tears while I painted . In my imagination , I saw the underground no boundaries created by humans on the ground . Underground and in the sky there is only sanctity , holiness required by human beings to live in this world .

To celebrate Christmas 2013 , I wanted to show the painting titled " God's peace in Gaza, Palestine! " . This painting along with paintings, photographs , sculpture , and writing criticism culture heralds exhibited in Yogyakarta in May 2013 . This painting is a visualization of my poetry . I present the poem and the picture of the painting again.

Accessibility to the poety titled “ God reconciles in Gaza, Palestine! published in the blog "Indonesianku Indonesiamu Indonesia untuk semua" on November 18, 2012, which can be seen in the link http://farsijanaindonesiauntuksemua.blogspot.com/2012/11/tuhan-berdamai-di-gaza.html

 

Or I rewrite the poem: 

God reconciles in Gaza, Palestine!

 

Heavy rains overnight
 dead calm
 all creatures sleep
 interchange Creator
 with lie down
 guard the mutual

 Lord , thou there
 lie with
 children
 in Gaza
 side by side with
 female
 Central in the east
 Lord , thou there
 with Palestinians

 Before dawn
 call to prayer
 I guard the
 here
 remember
 war news
 in Gaza
 in prayer
 I call your name
 Lord , thou art there
 interchange with them !

 The rain eased
 the soil is wet
 moths fluttering
 once alive
 after the seasons change
 fragile moths
 broken wing
 before limp
 disappeared
 no imprint

 Lord , thou there
 drip
 love
 soften hearts
 all creatures
 guard the mutual life

 like moths
 flew in the direction of the street
 landing then run over
 such as human
 running to avoid self-
 of attack
 modern weapons
 they 've lost
 before arriving at a safe place

 What can I do to
 they
 Palestine
 except to write poetry
 affirming soul
 immediately
 God , I beg
 Put an end the war there
 not thou
 want peace ?

 Thank you God !

 

While my painting titled "God reconciles  in Gaza, Palestine!"  which is a visualization of the poem of the same titled can be seen on the link

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/535083999447586878/

The world needs peace so that all religious communities , with a variety of other human beings who simply believe in the humanist values ​​can also live peacefully . This is the hope of Christmas is giving birth to a resolution for the new year journey that all people are to deal with . New Year's resolution is to make this earth peace to others , especially to stop the war that led to the little guys like in Papua and Palestinian suffering . Christmas brings such ruling government in Israel and in Indonesia to negotiate with the Palestinians and Papua . May the power of peaceful Christmas in 2013 giving the peace in 2014 for us all .