From death comes life

                                 From death comes life

                         By Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta

We all shocked of the death of our brother John Franklin Risakotta,  even though he seemed not shocking to die. He was sleeping beautifully. I told him before we closed his coffin that he appeared more handsome than his performance when he got married three months ago before his death. I thought he was happy to hear that.

We were all shock. He died by himself only with God. My father died in the same way. Nobody knew when he was gone.  We came to his room he already went during his sleep.

I could see his faith to God that brought him so peacefully. It was his gift for all of us. He inherited his loving and peaceful face as if he was sent back to earth to tell us about how wonderful to live in heaven. 

He had truly lived with his faith as his favorite reading from the Bible coloring his last life as we all have seen.

I am writing down Psalm 23:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

he makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters;

he restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil;

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff,

they comfort me"

After our Christian pray at home yesterday at noon, bu Tum, the wife of our RT (neighborhood organization), pak Supri, a Muslim came to ask for "ayat bacaan" (reading from scripture) that needed to be inserted in the box of thanksgiving  for my brother’s  seven days of departure. I gave his favorite Psalm to ibu Tum to put into the boxes of meals. 

Women of our neighborhood prepared the meals and  included  the "ayat bacaan"  into the box of meal before they distributed to the whole RT. She also asked whether we needed to bring all boxes firstly to our home before they were distributed. I told them to take directly from the house of bu Nardi who was the head of the cook.

I approached them after they came back from delivering the packages. It was just right time before the dinner. Before people opened the box of meal, they prayed to thank God for their birth and life which do not choose a particular people. Seeing other people death likes reflecting to our own when we have to be ready any time.

Moreover, in the Bible says that your neighbor is your family and it is true. I remember  my colleague,bu Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin from UIN, came to our gathering during the Ramadhan at our home, and shared the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad to ask people sharing their meals when the smelt of their cook spread out across the wall.

In our neighborhood, I could see what people practices the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad. In the time of suffering, what neighbor could do is to enlighten the burden of those who are in mourning. Our return to their love is to do the same things as what we are taught in our religious teaching.

Bible says you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12: 31). The Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12: 29).

Living is doing as everyone knows birth, life and death to bring people closely to each other as a family both among our own biological fam and our society where we live.