Don't Count on Being Remembered

People want to leave legacy when the leave the earth. But if we want to leave the legacy for ourselves' s sake, it's kind of emptiness at the end.

Because when death picks us up, our existence on earth disappears. For us, it's nothing.

If we want to leave legacy, do it to leave the earth a slightly better place than when we entered before. Not to be remembered, as our satisfaction of ourselves will finish when death picks us up.

The late Lee Kuan Yew insisted not to have any memoriam for him after he died. He remembered all the great kings of the past, at the end, vanished in history. He knew that legacy for him is just to ensure he left behind a treasure that is useful for the next generation and not for him to be remembered.

Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story. Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow? Nobody’ll remember them either. Don’t count on being remembered....

Life Under the Sun

 If you ever go to Singapore Zoo, it is interesting to see an enclave of a Baboon Kingdom. Tourist can see from outside the artificial fence or the well designed glass, their life. The baboons form their 'kingdom' too One alpha male becomes the leader, many becomes harem too. Some becomes the lower class of the society too. 

But no matter progress they have or they make, they will still stay inside that enclave. Even as the baboons will reproduce from generation to generation, they will still be there. The zoo may go into renovation, their food may be improved, whatever... they will always live in that enclave.

Such also man's life on earth, under the sun, beneath the heaven. Generations come, generations go. Things may look different from age to age. A stone knife to a nuclear weapon. Riding horse to drive a Tesla car. But it is still within the enclave. There is nothing new about life.

There may be something new for the eyes to see and for ears to hear. But at the end, it's the same essence and repeating season. At the end man just are stuck inside the enclave.

One baboon may rise as leader to another. But he will too face the same destiny like others, all of them will die inside the enclave. Human too, whatever achievement we have on earth, we will face the same destiny.

Death on earth.

Even as most young people believe they will live forever or a thousand years. 

So, find something that is meaningful in this meaningless life on this meaningless enclave. Make the most of it. 

No need to follow the crowd. Find what is meaningful to your own heart.

Remember we are just inside the enclave.

One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old planet earth. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again—the same old round. The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind. All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again. Everything’s boring, utterly boring— no one can find any meaning in it.

My Valentine

To my Valentine, one and only ...

13 years ago, I penned down this poem for you, about my love for you.

Biarkan aku direngkuh erat hatimu
dalam peluk kukuh lenganmu
karena cinta kuat seperti maut
hasratnya tak teredam alam kubur
Cinta membakar bagai hangus api
laksana nyala yang membara
Tiada air dapat memadamkan
tiada sungai dapat menyapunya
Tak dapat dia dibeli, tak dapat dia dijual
namun karena cinta kita rela menyerahkan
...
...
...
segalanya

After all these years, I will continue carving my love into your heart

Let my love keep you close to my bossom's embrace
Let my arm hold you tightly
For love is stronger than death
Passion overcomes graves
Let my love burns bright
Burning, smoldering, lighting up the sky
No water can quench it
Nor rivers can wipe it off
For love, I lay down everything for you
And I pray, the Love of Christ will always bind us together

Happy Valentine, my dear wife.

The Goal in Life - as said by Rick Warren

Excerpt of Rick Warren's interview with  Paul Bradshaw  

“People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

    One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body– but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act – the dress rehearsal.

    God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

    Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

    This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.

    I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

    You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness, “which is my problem, my issues, my pain.” But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

    We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal my wife or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

    You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don’t think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

    First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

    Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

    Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

    Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

    We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes (for my life)?

    When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better …

    God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He’s more interested in what I am than what I do. That’s why we’re called human beings, not human doings.

    Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

    Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

    Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

    Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

    Every moment, THANK GOD.”

Dream, dream

Dream, dream....
There are 2 Pixar movies, that left a deep imprint in my heart, in particular about dream.

One is UP. In the story, Carl idolizes the famous explored, Charles. As the matter of fact, his love story, marriage life revolves around his dreamy obsession of that Charles and the place he explores.

They have a happy love life. Very happy, indeed. They love each other till they grow old and his wife passes away. They plan to go for the adventure, but they never make it happen, as they do not have enough money and the saving they have is always used for something important.

But, when old Card has the chance to explore and finally he arrives at the place of his dream and the idol he admires, the dream is shattered to pieces. The idol is not the hero he imagines, and at the end the happy place is not the place of his "initial" dream.

It's the same for Coco. Little Miguel has a dream to be musician, even though music is curse in his family. His idol is Ernesto de la Cruz, who later he thinks is his great great grandfather. 

He gets a chance to meet him, in the Land of the Dead. He enjoys the basking of fame and sense of importance for a while. Until he realizes who the man that he thinks is his great-great grandfather really is. Until he realizes who is his real great great grandfather and what really matters in life. At the end not even his passion, fame, success matter - he realizes that family and love matter.

Such a beautiful plot. 

There is one thing needful above all our dreams. Seek that one thing first and all other things will be continuously increasing in your life.

Mimpi aneh di Phuket

I dreamed that I was abducted on the way to work. I was made a slave in a factory that suprisingly just near by my office. 

Cut short the story, after some 1-2 years I managed to escape and made police report. I was so angry to the abductor and the factory master. 

In the morning I was thinking what does it mean?

Suddenly I could feel more on what Joseph have felt. Why didn't Joseph try to find his father right after he was made Zafnaat Paaneah?

He had the power and plenty of time. Just sent some 10 fine men of Egyptians to travel and find some information is so easy. 

Joseph was a teenager when he was abducted. Doted by his dad. He relied much of his dad. 

I am pretty sure, in the first few weeks and months he thought that his dad will pick him back. Years, the hope was fading. He never knew for sure, why. Did he feel the feeling of being abandoned by his dad? He did not know of course that the brother had told Jacob that he has died. 

Then I remembered that fulfills the picture when Jesus cried 'Eli Eli Lama Sabakhtani ..'

Joseph focused on God for the rest of his days. 

Perempuan Siro Fenesia

Ingat akan cerita tentang seorang perempuan Kanaan, Siro Fenesia di dalam Injil? Kisah ini ditulis hanya oleh Matius dan Markus. Matius adalah Rasul yang diutus untuk orang Ibrani dan tulisannya ditargetkan kepada mereka. Injil Markus ditulis untuk menekankan pelayanan dan pekerjaan Kristus, dengan kata lain: Kristus sebagai Pelayan atau Hamba.

Kisah ini sering menggelisahkan banyak orang atau membuat orang Kristen sedikit tidak nyaman. Kesannya, kok Tuhan Yesus seperti kasar? Atau juga membingungkan. Ada yang bilang malah, rasis. Yang jelas tidak konsisten kan? Di banyak ayat, di semua kitab Injil, dijelaskan kedatangan Tuhan Yesus adalah untuk menebus dosa dunia, kok sekarang malah seolah-olah mau mengusir orang yang mengiba-iba kepadaNya?

Ada yang bilang karena memang ada pesan tertentu soal pilihan kepada bangsa Israel. Ada yang bilang, mau menguji. Cuma kalau mau menguji... apakah tidak terlalu kejam?

Kisah ini dimulai dengan pemberitahuan bahwa Tuhan Yesus bersembunyi. Tuhan Yesus bersembunyi ? Jikalau Dia menghendaki untuk bersembunyi maka mudah saja bagi dia, untuk membuat diriNya tidak ditemui siapapun. Tentulah Tuhan Yesus tahu, bahwa ibu itu akan datang, namun Dia bermaksud supaya Dia memiliki momen tertutup dengan murid2Nya tentang suatu pelajaran penting yang sensitif. Kalau bukan karena Tuhan Yesus memang memberi jalan agar ibu itu bisa menemukan Dia niscaya dia tidak akan bisa menemukan Yesus.

Datanglah seorang ibu dengan beban yang sangat berat. Anak perempuan yang dikasihinya disiksa oleh setan. Saya tidak tahu bentuk siksaan-nya, apakah sakit di badan atau jiwa - tapi dapat Anda bayangkan bukan, betapa mengerikan dan kejinya siksaan setan itu? Kalau Anda adalah orang tua, tentulah Anda bisa merasakan beratnya beban itu. Kasih ibu, seperti sungai deras yang tidak akan menyerah, menggerus semua batu dan lumpur. Di benak ibu itu, seolah-olah apapun akan dia lakukan untuk menyelamatkan anaknya.

Tidak mudah bagi ibu itu untuk mencari Yesus. Ibu itu bukan seorang Yahudi, kan? Orang Yahudi memandang hina orangi Gentile (non-Yahudi) dan sebaliknya. Bagi ibu itu untuk menyebrang ke daerah orang Yahudi dan mencari Tuhan Yesus yang 'seolah bersembunyi', dia memerlukan tekad yang kuat, bukan? Ah, kasih ibu - siapa dapat memahami kekuatannya?


Paragraf sebelumnya bicara tentang kesia-siaan hukum, dan bahwa bukan soal hukum lahiriah yang berarti, tetapi apa yang ada di dalam hati. Iman.

Dan langsung setelah pertemuan dengan ibu tersebut Yesus melakukan pelayanan di daerah Gentile. Sekiranya Yesus anti terhadap Gentile, tentu Dia tidak akan melakukan itu bukan? Sebaliknya Matius dan Markus dengan sangat cermat menaruh kisah ibu Siro Fenesia ini, diapit dengan 2 kisah di atas. Dua-duanya untuk menekankan bahwa Yesus datang bukan hanya untuk orang Yahudi. Bandingkan juga dengan kisah Yoh 4, Yesus dan perempuan Samaria di tepi sumur, ketika Dia mendeklarasikan bahwa saatnya tiba bahwa penyembahan kepada Yesus adalah soal Roh dan kebenaran, dan bukan soal menjadi orang Yahudi.




Begitu ibu itu bertemu Yesus, segera ia berlutut, memeluk kaki Yesus dan berteriak-teriak tak henti-henti. Dalam Alkitab dikatakan bahwa dia 'krazio' - menangis tak henti-henti, terus menerus. Melolong-lolong. Mungkin satu kata bisa menggambarkan, 'kalap'.

Dia berteriak-teriak,“Anak Daud!”

Sebegitu berisiknya ibu itu sampai-sampai murid-murid Yesus berinisiatif untuk mengusir ibu itu. Tidakkah mereka terharu melihat gelora dan jeritan seorang ibu? Tidakkah mereka bersimpati akan badai emosi yang ditanggungnya?

Jika kamu memiliki seorang anak, atau seseorang yang sangat engkau kasihi, tidakkah kamu akan berbuat serupa?
Reaksi Yesus? Diam. Membisu.
“Guru, suruhlah perempuan itu pergi” ujar mereka. Ha ha ha, mereka tidak berani mengusir ibu itu, malah menyuruh Yesus untuk melakukannya. Kemungkinan mereka juga sadar mereka akan kewalahan untuk menghadap si ibu yang kalap tersebut. Atau mungkin mereka takut dan ingin memastikan bahwa mengusir ibu itu 'boleh' dilakukan.

Yesus menjawab bahwa Dia diutus hanya kepada umat Israel.

Kedengarannya kejam? Bukan hanya kejam juga aneh. Tidak konsisten.

Jika demikian bagaimana dengan kasus perempuan Samaria di tepi sumur?
Bagaimana dengan perwira Kapernaum?
Lebih aneh lagi kisah ini didahului oleh kisah bagaimana Yesus, mnegkritik tajam kemunafikan ahli Taurat dan orang Farisi dan menegaskan bahwa bukan yang di luar tetapi yang di dalam.
Lebih aneh lagi bab berikutnya Tuhan Yesus mengadakan pelayanan ke daerah di mana banyak orang Gentile bermukim di situ. Bahkan Dia memberi makan 4000 orang Gentile.

Seolah-olah ada maksud tertentu. Mungkinkah Dia hendak meninggalkan pengajaran khusus bagi murid2Nya? Sesuatu yang sangat penting, yang akan menjadi pergumulan murid2Nya kelak.

Lalu mengapa?

Ibu itu datang dengan kalap. Dengan badai emosi yang tidak terperikan. Dia tahu dia bukan orang Yahudi, dan apa yang dia tahu dan percaya bahwa dia rela melakukan apa saja agar anaknya sembuh. Dia berteriak-teriak 'Anak Daud, Anak Daud…..“ Dia menyiratkan pada Yesus dia bersedia menjadi orang Yahudi dan memeluk agama Yahudi agar dia beroleh belas kasihan dari Tuhan…..

Itulah sebabnya Tuhan mengulang pikiran ibu itu sendiri dan menyodorkan kenyataan itu padanya. Pertama-tama Dia terdiam dahulu, agar badai emosinya menenang, dan sebetulnya Tuhan memberikan petunjuk, sekiranya ibu itu memaksa untuk memperoleh belas kasihan dari Tuhan atas dasar sesuatu yang hendak dia tukarkan…. maka jalan buntu.

Bukankah kita seringkali seperti itu? Kalau kita sedang panik, takut, maka kita berusaha menawarkan sesuatu kepada Tuhan sebagai balasnya. Ketakutan kita menghalangi pandangan kita pada Tuhan dan kebaikanNya.

"Jadi bagaimana Tuhan?” Ibu itu bertanya2…. dengan putus asa dia tersungkur dan menyembah Tuhan…dan memanggil nama Tuhan …“tolonglah….”

Di sinilah Tuhan Yesus memberikan jalan keluar kepada ibu itu, sesuai dangan bahasa dan jalan pemikiran ibu itu.

“Roti ini untuk anak2 dahulu, masakan diberikan kepada anjing.”

Tidak layak anjing itu untuk menerima roti itu. Tidak layak….. tidak layak!

Teolog Bruce menjelaskan bahwa kita tidak tahu nada apa yang dipakai oleh Yesus. Karena nada dan intonasi yang dipakai oleh Yesus akan menentukan arti dari ucapanNya. Mungkin sekali Yesus mengatakan itu sambil mengedipkam mataNya pada ibu tersebut. Tuhan Yesus hendak memberitahukan pada ibu itu bahwa ia tidak bisa meminta atas dasar hukum…. atas karena sesuatu yang agamawi. Dia tidak bisa berusaha menawar atau membeli atau menukarkan atau menyogok Tuhan. Tetapi Tuhan justru memberitakan suatu loophole, suatu kesempatan bagi ibu itu untuk keluar dari keadaannya yang mustahil.

Banyak orang bingung kenapa Tuhan Yesus seolah memaki 'anjing' kepada ibu itu. Saya bayangkan, bagaimana sih rasanya ada di dalam hadirat Tuhan? Penuh damai dan kasih. Tuhan Yesus memakai bahasa justru sesuai dengan apa yang sedang digumulkan oleh ibu itu di dalam pikirannnya. Bandingkan dengan Yoh 3, pembahasaan Yesus kepada Nikodemus sang teolog yang pintar. Lalu di Yoh 4, kepada perempuan Samaria yang bergumul dalam perasaan berdosa dn ketidaklayakan.

Tuhan Yesus meng-customise pesanNya.

Ibu itu melihat kedipan mata Yesus dan luapan kasih dan damai mengaliri hatinya! Seketika hatinya melompat dan melihat petunjuk yang Yesus berikan!

'Anjing itu makan dari remahnya Tuhan!, mungkin ibu itu berteriak dengan sukacita.

Dia melihat kata kuncinya di situ 'tidak layak' atau dalam istilah buku Ps Prince 'Unmerited Favor'. Inilah iman.. Melihat dan menerima kasih karunia sebagai sesuatu yang tidak layak kita terima..

Tuhan Yesus bilang, jangan berusaha melayakkan dirimu. Terimalah sebagai unmerited favor. Ibu itu berusaha melayakkan dirimya dengan menyatakan kesediaanya untuk menjadi orang Yahudi atau untuk memeluk agama Yahudi. Yesus menjelaskan bahwa kasih karuniaNya diterima sebagai unmerited favor!

Saya bayangkan senyuman dan sukacita Yesus mendengar jawaban ibu itu.

Besar imanmu, puji Yesus. Anakmu sembuh saat ini juga….

Ibu itu pulang bukan hanya mendapatkam anaknya sembuh, dia beroleh kunci rahasia dan misteri yang telah tersimpan ribuan tahun, yang bahkan para malaikat pun ingin mengetahuinya..

Dia telah mengalami kasih Allah itu sendiri dan mengecap kasih karunia Allah.Unmerited favor.