Aryanto Wijaya
Have you ever imagined what it would be like if God had granted you time to live for more than seven decades?
Maybe, you would have imagined leading a quiet life at home with your spouse or your beloved pets, then going off to see your children and grandchildren during school breaks for a heartwarming family reunion. Even though old age means the decreasing of some bodily functions, it is often identified with wisdom as well.
Likewise, as it is with the cycle of life of a man, an entity called a country is going through the same phase: being born, existing, and growing. Platon, the ancient Greek philosopher, stated that a country is comparable to an evolving body. A modern country was born out of the process of fighting for its independence and the consensus of the founding fathers. This August, as Indonesians, we thankfully celebrate our 77th Independence Day.
From Crisis to Crisis
The moment Indonesia was founded and gained its sovereignty did not occur during a moment of peace. Many times, this country had gone through numerous political changes, some accompanied by bloody conflicts. After a long history of kingdom rulers, the country went into a period of colonialism, which ended when Japan lost in World War II. This period of status quo was quickly besieged by our founding fathers to proclaim to the world the birth of the new republic named “Indonesia”, a country built upon the agreement to live with a principle of unity in diversity.
This would be a very long article if it were to mention each and every conflict and crisis this country had ever endured. Seven decades after our declaration of independence, we are still struggling with crisis after crisis. These last two years, especially, we faced a deadly pandemic, and the situation has been worsened by the geopolitical conflict resulting in inflation. Moreover, there have been domestic problems such as intolerance, corruption, human rights violation, and environmental issues too—all have formed an intricate, tangled web.
But, from a perspective of Christian faith, a crisis is not something we should be afraid of, because crisis is a part of life itself. Instead, our faith calls us to “Arise! Shine! . . . The glory of the LORD rises upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).
This verse was meant to be God’s calling to His people whom, at that moment, had been living in exile. They were called to arise because God had given them the vision that the future of Jerusalem would be prosperous, bright, and glorious. Life in exile had the Israelites living as if they were in shackles. They were treated as lesser citizens who did not have the right to enjoy freedom. But, God did not want His people to stay down forever. Through the prophets, God called His people to live righteously so that they could enjoy His shower of blessings.
The question for us today: Does the calling for the Israelites also apply to us today? And, how do we arise and shine?
We are now living in an era that is, of course, far different from when it was during ancient Israel. But, the God who walked with Israel is the same God who is walking with us today. Through the birth, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that the promise of salvation has been fulfilled, and that we all now have been made the citizens of God’s kingdom. But, this does not mean we are to ignore our life here on earth. Because it is to this world of suffering and hardship that we are called to bring the light (Matthew 5:16) and to live righteously and obediently as citizens of our country (Matthew 22:21; Jeremiah 29:7).
To be able to arise and shine, firstly we must realize that we can only do so through the help of God, and that we are citizens of His kingdom, called to lead a holy life and to give an impact on the world. This understanding will help us love our country, starting from the simplest thing. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we strive to live righteously and to be good examples for the world around us. We do not live righteously only in our own personal spheres, by having praying consistently and reading our Bible from day to day, but also by an effort to live out our faith in public—obeying the law, refusing to participate in corruptive behavior, caring for environmental issues, and striving to fight for those who are weak and in need.
All of these actions may seem mundane, but think of the impact if a small percentage of Christians in our country really do live righteously and obediently as citizens. Like a pinch of salt that seasons the whole pot, our lives as Christians can make an impact to the world we live in. This can be done if we take God’s calling for us to be the salt of the earth seriously.
We do not know what crises we are yet to face in the future; we also have no idea of what will become of our country in the years to come. But this is what we are sure of: we are called to be a blessing to our country.
May this sharing encourage all of us to live out our Independence Day by leading a holy and righteous life before our God and our fellow citizens.
Happy 77th Birthday, Republic of Indonesia!
RECOVER FASTER, RISE STRONGER!
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
