Sermon on the 2nd Floor (Part 1: The Beatitudes)

In the book of Mathew, chapter 5, there’s a very famous and powerful exposition that Jesus ever preach. It called “Sermon on the mount” (Kothbah di Bukit). This “Sermon On the Mount” starts with “The Beatitude” (Ucapan/Sabda Bahagia). There are 8 beatitudes that every believer should live in their daily life, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven“, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted“, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” and so on. But, anyway, I’m not gonna teach about this “Sermon on the mount”.

I have my own Sermon. This is probably the most and powerful academic sermon I’ve ever preached in my career history as an IT lecturer. Since my room at 2nd floor of B* P* Building, I call it “Sermon on the 2nd Floor“.

Let’s start with the first series, called “The Beatitudes” (Sabda Bahagia).

1. And seeing the multitudes reading this blog, I went up to my office: and when I was set, I start to type.
2. Blessed are the pure in heart during the work, for they shall obtain promotion.
3. Blessed are the Professors and Ph. D/DR, for they shall appreciated with high salary.
4. Blessed are those who hold JAFA (Jabatan Fungsional Akademik/Functional Acknowledgment as a lecturer from the Department of National Education), for they shall teach in peace.
5. Blessed are those which do hunger and thirst after the truth, for they shall receive block grant through their research.
6. Blessed are those hold Structural position (Jabatan Struktural), for they shall find many problems and challanges.
7. Blessed are the workaholics and productive lecturers, for they shall be praised.
8. Blessed are the diligent, merciful, cheerful and joyful, for they shall become popular and nominated as Lecturer of the year.
9. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for they shall quit and find another good University.
10. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for you shall receive help from many friends.

So, colleagues, if you want to quote this verse, you may say, “According to Sermon on the 2nd Floor by Windra, Posting #155, verse 3, it said that Blessed are the …”

Hehe2… and someday this “Sermon on the 2nd Floor” will become popular around the world and be preached from university to university. This sermon will be a standard for lecturer attitude. It starts from this small university.

Seed of Greatness

I’ve just finished watching “August Rush” movie couple minutes ago. It really indeed a good movie, one of the best movie I’ve ever watched. (Thanks to Ivonne Sabrina who put this movie in her favourite movies list). If you DO love music, I strongly recommend you to watch the movie. I guarantee that it’ll inspire you more… Even for me, a guy with no (or very little) music talent, it’s still sooo inspiring.

I’m not going to review the movie actually (you’d better watch by yourself). But, after watching this movie, I can’t stop thinking that all of us has a seed of greatness in certain area. Either area of leadership, entertainment, science, linguistic, music, writing or whatever human being have been developing since the starting of mankind’s civllitation. All of us has it! God never creates junk! Whether you realize it or not, as long as you’re breathing in the same earth, living in the same sun, sleeping under the same moon, each of us has and living with the seed of greatness inside us. It always starts with a seed, no more and no less.

Some of us realize their greatness in a very young age, some in their youth, some in their adult, and many never realize at all for the rest of their live. So sad… But once we realize our seed of greatness, we have our own choice to either grow it up or just ignore that seed. In the final analysis, it’s always about choice.

I’ve decided to grow it up. This is probably a bit shocking… But, recently I realized the seed of greatness inside me trough my name. Ya, through my name, Windra Swastika. I never know how and why did my dad give me that name. I don’t even know what’s the meaning. There were time, that I was a bit shame when introduce or saying my name to new people, simply because it’s a uncommon name. But, recently… I sense the greatness of “Windra Swastika” name. I’ve seen through my eyes of faith, that someday, some years from now, that name will be known as a person that give positive impact to the world, either it’s in education, IT, or as a best selling book author. What I’m doing now, is making that seed grows well, fruitful and multiply in its season.

I don’t know about you… But, lately I’ve found very importance lesson in live. Whatever we think, whatever ever we say, whatever we do, each time we breath, it’s either we grow the seed or we abandon that seed. If you already know that you have seed of greatness, and then you wasting your time by playing around, busy gosipping and talk nonsense to others, never force yourself to exercise or learn, then it will always remains as a seed, no more and no less. And finally, you die with that little small unfruitful seed inside you.

Trust me, every minute counts.

Hmmm… I just realize that the story (and history) of mankind is always about growing the greatness inside them, right?