Fasting of Champions
This year’s fasting month of Ramadhan has arrived and brought back a forgotten memory. That of the hopes of victory at the ground zero of Indonesia’s independence.
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A pastor and a number of Catholic churchgoers greet Muslim adherents as they pass by the Paulus Miki Catholic Church on June 25, 2017. The Muslims had just come from attending the Idul Fitri prayer service, which coincided with the church’s weekly Eucharist Mass, at the office of the Military Resort Command 073/Makutarama next to the church in Salatiga, Central Java. The two events were conducted peacefully and solemnly.
This year’s fasting month of Ramadhan has arrived and brought back a forgotten memory. That of the hopes of victory at the ground zero of Indonesia’s independence. Our independence was proclaimed during the fasting month. At the intersection, two moments of triumph are celebrated at once: a triumph of faith and a triumph for the nation.
Fasting signifies victory. In various religious traditions, fasting is practiced as a spiritual exercise to help the noble soul gain victory over base animalistic greed. At the end of Ramadhan, Muslims pray, “May Allah make all of us and all of you individuals who return [to the path of righteousness] as winners.”