The Converts

Easter Triduum has been concluded last night. It was a beautiful ceremony, to celebrate my Saviour resurrected and conquered death. Saturday Vigil has always been my favorite mass of all the masses held in Church. It is the time when I feel tremendously moved by the music, chants, and words that hung in echo of the Cathedral. The awesome time of the year!

Speaking of which, just today I have finished watching a soul-searching movie by the late Yasmin Ahmad, Muallaf (The Convert). I have always been an adoring fan of Yasmin's movies and ads (she did quite a lot for Petronas). There are always fresh messages in her creative works; something untangible that one has to contemplate the meaning of it all. It is always surprising at what each one can come up with.

In any case, Muallaf: I learnt many lessons from the movie alone. How my belief and others, Islam and those who do not believe in God or prophets, have so much in common. In my case, I strive to find God in some ways. Solace, peace, you name it. Being a scientist does not add to the ease of taking a great leap of faith. I constantly find Science that I believe (of course with the advent of many irrefutable evidence) at logger heads with the Faith that I embrace. Big Bang and Darwinian school of thought make more sense to me than what Genesis gives in the first 5 chapters.

A conversation in 'Life of Pi' between the mother and the son gives assurance: 'Science can teach us what's out there' (mother's hand stretch to the sky), 'but religion teaches us what's in here' (mother's hand gesturing to her chest). It is an apt conclusion.

I personally knew people who have grown cold to religions, shrugged it as ignorance, and to a certain extent criticize and mock those who'd done the unspeakable in the name of Lord/God/Allah as the representative of that religion itself. On the other end of the spectrum, I knew as many people grappling to latch onto any beliefs that make their hearts flutter. 

Ignorance is the first step of descending to hell, I believe. Be it towards other faiths or towards what we professed. Once one stepped onto this stage of hell, there it will roll downhill. Hatred snowballed, what started to be a jest becomes a cancer that doom to damn one's soul. But amidst the fog of damnation, one can reach out his/her hand for help. For I am sure, there is always an Angel hovering next to the cliff where we have fallen from.

Comment: Just as much as I would like the authority to stop playing the bigots on the "Allah" issue, I plead my brethren in faith and those I have known from other religions to exercise grace. I am quite sure we'll share the same Heaven as my Father promised us, just as Allah has promised you too. And who knew, maybe we even see the God's/Allah's prophets and messengers playing Chinese chess together?!