Who knows? Who cares?

(a short reflection on movie Nobody Knows/Dare mo Shiranai)

The Movie, Nobody Knows, depict the life of two boys and two girls of one mother and different fathers who are abandoned by their mother and have to live by themselves. Anak depicts the life of two sisters and one brother, whose mother leaves them to work abroad as a domestic helper. Unlike the children in Nobody Knows, these children are are cared for by their uncle and aunt. Watching these movies, I was moved and almost cried, especially as I realized that this situation still happens in our world today.

The title of the movie is Nobody Knows. It suggests that few people or even no one wants to know and care about these abandoned children. In certain sense, this is true. In this selfish and individualistic world, fewer people want to care about their unfortunate fellows. They tend to think about themselves first before thinking of others.

What does it mean to be Jesuit in this era? It means to pay attention more to those who are in need. And I think, since the number of abandoned children is getting more and more, they are one of those who are most in need. In Nobody Knows, first of all, they need money to support them economically. This is their first and primary need. However, we cannot help them in this problem. We cannot give them money, no matter how big their need is. We can help them through the rich people who we can approach to ask them to help these abandoned children. Secondly, they need comfort. They are children lacking parental love. They may also have some psychological problem caused by their being abandoned by their parents. In this kind of problem, we can and must help them.

Indeed, we are called also to do service for them. If there is no one who wants to help them, then it is then it is our vocation as Jesuits to help them because they are most in need. One example of this is when Fr. Pedro Arrupe founded JRS. He saw at that time that refugees are those who are in most need. They needed an organization totake care of them, economically and psychologically. To be sharp in intuition and analysis like Fr. Arrupe is what we need as a Jesuit. We have to be able to read the signd of the time in order to see those who are in most need. Therefore, an ability to reflect on recent situation in the world is highly needed.

What I can do now as Jesuit in formation is to train my self to reflect upon my circumstances and find out who are my fellows who are most in need. I can’t do a lot in helping those abandoned children, but I can give comfort to the children in my apostolate. I can also be compassionate with some poor people who often come to this house. I might not be able to help a lot, but I can train myself to be in sympathy and compassion with them.

An error has been found on your life!

Indifference, Simplicity and Perseverance

(a short reflection on movie Beijing Bicycle)

"Beijing Bicycle" depicts the lives of two young men, Guei and Jian who both come from the low economic class. Guei is a simple man coming from countryside, rube and is uneducated, while Jian is an educated one, a man of modern times and up to date. But, both are poor and consider a bicycle as a precious thing to have. Therefore, when the bicycle, which both of them consider as theirs, gets lost, they try every attempt to regain it.

Indeed, the bicycle is only a means to gain the main aim. It’s like all creation in the face of the earth which is created to support us to gain the aim we are created, that is, to glorify our Creator. For Guei, the bicycle is a means to earn money for his life. So, we can say it’s his life. Without it, he can’t earn money and can’t live. For Jian, the bicycle is a symbol of his status. He needs it in order to be accepted by his friends and to approach a girl in his school, Xiao. Both use it for different aim. It’s good that Jian realizes that the bike is merely a means. He eventually gives up the girl he fancies when she goes with another man. He gives the bike to Guei who is still clinging to the bike as the most precious thing he has. He forgets that the bike is only a means to earn money. There are many other ways and means to live and to earn money. In other words, Jian is more indifferent than Guei. In some ways, I like the characteristic of Jian for his indifference to let the bicycle go and not to cling on it any more. In other ways, I like also Guei for his simplicity in life.

As I reflect on this movie, I find that I have to be like Jian in the way that he is indifferent and aware that there are many ways, not only a bicycle, to gain his aim. Indifference is important in my life as a Jesuit because it makes me detached from everything, which are only means for pursuing the end. As result, I can focus on the main purpose, and not to be distracted by the means. Like Jian is indifferent, I must be able to distinguish what means are for and what the main purpose is.

From Guei, one thinks of emulating is his simplicity. Being simple keeps him in a way that he remains protected from the culture of the city. I think it’s important for me to be simple for Jesuits are supposed to available to be sent everywhere. Hence, I must be able to adjust myself to the culture of the place where I am sent. But, not all aspects of culture are good to adopt. Usually, there are some parts that must be avoided. To avoid it and not to be drowned by the stream of the culture, I must be simple. By this, I mean I must be able to keep my own culture and try not to be uprooted from my own culture. Another thing I learn from Guei is his perseverance. He is so confident that he is sure to find his lost bicycle. And he tries his best to find it. His persistence led him to find his bike. He is really a persevering person. Day and night, he looks for his lost bike. I reflected on this and learnt that he is so eager to find his bike because he loves it and treasures it. Therefore, to persevere in something I must love and treasure it beforehand.

Finding God in All Things and Spiritualism

Last night, I was listening to the radio. There was a girl telling a story about her and her boyfriend that they are in conflict. However, this girl said that God must have arranged all for her and her boyfriend. So, she would just let it go and happen as God’s will. It seems good to think of God in that kind of situation. But, is it really good to always identify everything with the will of God? Can God really be found in everything?

Finding God in all things is a good thing to do. There is, however, a danger to fall into spiritualism. So, what is the difference? When you try to identify everything you experienced with God or spiritual things, you fall into spiritualism. The Pharisees in Jesus era was one example of those who fall into it. They almost always criticized whatever Jesus and his disciples did and connected it with the Ten Commandments or The Torah. In this country, the Philippines, the chance for someone to fall into spiritualism much bigger because every day and every time, people here are nourished with spiritual things. They are so spiritual that almost all things are associated with the plan of God. The danger of it is that we may forget that we are given freedom to choose. God’s will is not always absolute. If we are so absorbed to the spiritualism, we will always think that everything is planned well by God and there is nothing to do with our will. In fact, God’s will and our freedom have 100% in the accomplishment of whatever we do and in whatever happens to us.

Now, what does it mean to find God in all things? It means to separate and distinguish human experiences with the divine one. In the divine experiences or experience of God, we will find God. That is Finding God in all things. We can’t say that all experiences we have are divine experiences. Therefore, to avoid falling into spiritualism, we should be able to distinguish human experiences and divine one.

Flood

Another flood engulfs Jakarta once more. This one is not the one of the yearly cycle but of the five-year cycle. Therefore, this year’s flood is much bigger than recent years’. It’s comparable to the on happened in 2002, five years ago. In the time of flood like this, all people are the same; they suffer the same hardship. At least, ten died and thousands of people are in the refugee, trapped in the flood, and not sure when they will be able to go to their homes. A question arises: Where is God in this situation? Is he watching the suffering of His creation? Or is He sleeping?

It’s really pathetic to see weak and poor people suffering. However, knowing that many people are helping each other and giving hand for the need of others gives me a distinctive happiness. Then, I found that there is God. God is in the hearts of people willing to help their unlucky fellows and neighbors, in their probity and magnanimity and in the love poured to those in suffering. There, God is present. He is the compassionate and helping God. He is NOT Sleeping. God is at hand.

Banjir

Banjir melanda Jakarta lagi. Kali ini bukan yang siklus satu tahunan tapi yang lima tahunan. Akibatnya, banjir kali ini lebih besar dari tahun-tahun sebelumnya, dapat dibandingkan dengan yang terjadi pada tahun 2002, lima tahun yang lalu. Saat banjir seperti ini, semua menjadi sama, sama-sama menderita. Paling tidak sudah ada 10 yang meninggal, sedangkan ribuan orang terjebak banjir, mengungsi dan belum yakin kapan dapat kembali ke rumah mereka yang masih terendam banjir. Pertanyaan yang lalu muncul adalah di manakah Tuhan. Apakah dia hanya melihat saja penderitaan makhluk-makhluk ciptaan-Nya ini? Tidurkah Dia?

Melihat penderitaan orang-orang kecil memang menyedihkan. Namun, mengetahui bahwa ada banyak orang yang saling membantu dan mengulurkan tangan mereka untuk memberi bantuan kepada sesame mereka meski hanya semampunya sungguh membahagiakan. Dan, lalu kutemukan bahwa di sinilah Tuhan, dalam diri orang-orang yang rela membantu sesama mereka, dalam ketulusan hati dan kebesaran jiwa setiap orang berkehendak baik yang tergerak hatinya melihat sesamanya menderita dan dalam cinta kasih yang tercurah bagi mereka yang menderita. Di situlah Tuhan hadir, Tuhan yang pehuh belas kasihan dan bersolidaritas. Dia TIDAK tidur. Tuhan dekat di antara kita.

Contemplative in Action

"Rabbi, are you meditating or sleeping?" a Rabbi was asked by one of his disciple.

"I prefer that people think I am sleeping while I am meditating, think I am working while I am sleeping and think I am meditating while I am working."

Sand in Your Hand

Love is like sand in your hand. The more you try to grasp it and posses it, the more you will lose it. Squeeze and you will spill it. But, hold it loosely and it will remain there.

In love and any kind of relationship, the more you try to grasp it tightly and possesively, the more you'll lose it and spill it. So, hold it loosely with respect and freedom for the other person, and your love and relationship will remain intact.