Celebrating Mankind’s Kinship

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Beating tambourines, representatives of the Gusdurian community take part in the procession ahead of Christmas Mass on Wednesday (25/12/2019) at St. Vincentius A. Paulo Langsep Parish Catholic Church in Malang, East Java. The 30 members of the Gusdurian community participated in the Christmas procession as a display of friendship and support for the spirit of diversity and tolerance as taught by Adurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid.

Christmas is not only about the joy of Christians reminiscing about the nativity story of Jesus Christ. It is also a special day to share happiness with others. Christmas becomes more special upon seeing joy and happiness in members of marginalized communities.

At a roundtable, Lukas, 50, sat with nine women. They were eating bowls of ice cream, a dessert after their lunch at an upscale restaurant in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Wednesday (25/12/2019).

It was a special day for Lukas. This year, he celebrated Christmas with his new family in the Christmas lunch with the Sant’Egidio community.

The nine women that Lukas had lunch with on Christmas day were from disadvantaged families. Many of them live in wooden houses in dilapidated corners of Jakarta.

“Celebrating Christmas with family members is ordinary. What is extraordinary is meeting with our brothers and sisters and giving them the opportunity to be joyful,” he said.

Other than disadvantaged families, the 600 guests at the event also comprised disabled persons and asylum seekers.

Other than disadvantaged families, the 600 guests at the event also comprised disabled persons and asylum seekers. One of the guests was Mak Eem, who lives in Kedoya, West Jakarta. The woman, who has a shop and takes care of her special needs grandchild, said she was happy to have been invited to the special banquet.

Sant’Egidio Indonesia Community national coordinator Respati Teguh Budiono said the lunch with disadvantaged families was held every week as a form of service. On several occasions, the community also holds communal dining events during the fasting month and Idul Fitri.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Nuns embrace young female members of the Interfaith Youth in greeting them on Wednesday (25/12/2019) at the Santa Maria Monastery in Cirebon, West Java. The visit took place during the Cirebon Saint Dominic Foundation’s open house, which aimed to strengthen tolerance in the Kota Wali, or the City of Muslim Saints, as Cirebon is known.

“Events like this are not about religion. It is about family and kinship. Some of them pick waste or do odd jobs on the street for a living. Not many wish to pay attention to them,” Respati said.

The Catholic youth community nurture friendship not only with disadvantaged people but also with groups from other faiths, such as Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah Islamic mass organizations.

Joy

An atmosphere of friendship was also felt at the hall of Vincentius Putra Orphanage in Kramat, Central Jakarta. Hundreds of children from 11 interfaith orphanages in and around Jakarta joined together in joy in an event on Wednesday.

They were invited by the Archdiocese of Jakarta to have lunch together after Christmas Mass for Catholics. Before the lunch, the orphans were entertained by various games and they sang together.

For her, it was a special moment as she could meet with many friends and sing together with them.

Agatha, 19, among hundreds of orphans, could not stop waving her hands as she sang together with the others. For her, it was a special moment as she could meet with many friends and sing together with them. “I am so happy to be able to sing together with other orphans. I got a Christmas gift and have found new friends,” said the teenager from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.

Aminah Fitriani, 20, also felt the bond of kinship as she shook hands with the sisters of St. Mary’s Monastery in Cirebon, West Java. Aminah talked and ate together with the sisters under the lush trees. Despite the blazing sun, the day felt cool.

Aminah and her friends are members of the Pelita Interfaith Youth community, which comprises youths from various religious backgrounds in and around Cirebon. This time, Pelita attended an open house held by the Cirebon branch of the St. Dominic Foundation.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Christmas lunch is served to 374 children from 11 orphanages in Greater Jakarta on Wednesday (25/12/2019) at the Vincentius Putra Orphanage in Kramat, Central Jakarta. The meal celebrated the Christmas spirit of sharing and giving to those less fortunate.

“My mother was mad at me for coming here. However, I said that I just want to visit and I would not join the prayer. So, it is OK,” said the fifth-semester student at the Quran and interpretation studies department of Cirebon Syekh Nurjati State Islamic Studies Institute (IAIN).

Aminah enjoyed the sisters’ hospitality. She said that she felt accepted despite being from a different faith. “Pluralism is like batik. It has various motifs but it is beautiful,” she said, explaining her feelings. She continued that she received the same hospitality when visiting a Confucian community.

Several days before, members of the Pelita community helped prepare Christmas decorations at St. Joseph Church in Cirebon. In May, Pelita was involved in a breaking-of-the-fast event at the Welas Asih Vihara in Cirebon. The event was attended by Sinta Nuriyah Wahid, the wife of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Sister Albertine, 50, said she had felt tolerance in Cirebon every day for the past 18 years. “We have Muslim, Buddhist, Christian and Hindu students and workers. My senior teacher has gone on the haj. I visit his place on Idul Fitri and he comes to mine on Christmas day,” she said.

“We may come from different faiths but we are joined in humanity,” Sister Albertine said, smiling. (ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI)