Hendrikus Maku, Graduate School Student of UIN Jakarta, Exploring Islamology, Concentration in History, and Islamic Civilization

Ali ibn Abi Talib once said that human beings, however diverse, are divided into two: brothers and sisters and/or brothers in humanity (al-nāsu ṣinfān: immā akhun laka fī al-dīn, aw naẓīrun laka fī al-khalq). That simple message seems to be echoing again recently, just when the three holy festivals, Chinese New Year, Ash Wednesday, and the holy month of Ramadan appear almost simultaneously.

It is as if the sky invites us to meditate for a moment. Three traditions of different spiritual paths reflect the same light: hope, repentance, and solidarity. Perhaps it is time for Indonesia to ask itself again, have we really understood that diversity is not a matter of differentiating ourselves, but about how we choose to be present to each other as brothers in faith or fellow in human dignity?

Chinese New Year and the light of hope that invites people to gather

Chinese New Year is back as a warm moment that embraces the family. The red lantern that fills the public space is not just an ornament, but a prayer that is raised as high as possible for the sake of light, space, and blessings. This year, Chinese New Year enters the Year of the Fire Horse (TKA), a symbol of advancing energy, the courage to make decisions, and the ability to break through impasses.

Interestingly, this week the light of Chinese New Year intersects with two other sacred events, Ash Wednesday for Catholics and the beginning of Ramadan for Muslims. Three traditions born from different faith journeys actually meet in one span of time, as if giving the same message, Indonesia can only stand tall if the sacred spaces of each ummah are protected, not treated as an arena to show domination over each other.

Therefore, the call of the Banten Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) on Thursday (12/2/2026), which asked for the Chinese New Year celebration to be carried out with full sensitivity, deserves to be welcomed as a reminder, not a restriction. The joy of Confucianism is perfectly valid to celebrate, but it becomes more meaningful when it does not disturb the brothers who are entering the early days of fasting. Tolerance, in its simplest sense, is not just about accepting differences, but managing public spaces with the awareness that we do not live alone.

Ash Wednesday, bowing his head, sharpening his ears

In the Message of Lent 2026, Pope Leo XIV reminded that Lent is the Church's invitation for the faithful to refocus their lives on God, the source of shade in the midst of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Pope Leo summarized the meaning of Lent in three axes: learning to listen, training ourselves through fasting, and stepping together as a community of faith.

First, listen. Learning to listen means opening our hearts as wide as possible to the Word so that we can learn to catch the voices that are often swallowed up by the noise of the world, the voices of those who are poor, oppressed, and marginalized. By listening to the Word, we are taught to listen to the world as God listens, with tenderness and concern.

Second, fasting. Fasting is an exercise to return to a simple lifestyle, filtering desires, purifying motives, and arousing a hunger for justice. Fasting does not stop at the body, but touches the way we speak, invites us to refrain from resentment, abandon prejudice, and exchange hurtful words with words that bring peace.

Third, together. Repentance is not a solitary step. The people are called to walk together as a community that listens to each other, supports each other, and dares to be challenged by reality. True repentance grows when relationships are renewed, dialogue deepened, and lifestyles chosen for the common good.

Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to open their ears to God and to the most vulnerable, to let fasting touch the tongue so that words become blessings, and to make community a space where cries are heard and love finds its way. That is the foundation of a civilization of love, a life that is more humane, more hospitable, and more faithful to the call of the Gospel.

In the pluralistic Indonesian context, the message from Pope Leo presents a broader meaning that listening also means opening up space for the experience of others' faith, fasting also means holding back attitudes that hurt the beliefs of others, and walking together means nurturing harmony in God-given diversity.

Ramadan and fasting are a bridge of empathy

For Muslims, fasting during Ramadan is a mandatory worship that aims to purify oneself. Quoting Surah Al-Baqarah [2] Verse 183: "O you who believe, it is obligatory on you to fast as it was obligatory on those before you so that you may be pious".

In the Islamic tradition, the meaning of Ramadan fasting is not limited to the effort to abstain (al-imsak) from eating, drinking, and marital relations from dawn to sunset, but mainly as an exercise in complete purification, both physically and mentally. The Indonesian Ulema Council emphasized that the essence of fasting includes refraining from all prohibited words and deeds, including ghibah (gossip), namimah (sheep fighting), slander, and words that hurt others.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and interpretive institutions affirm that fasting is an outward as well as an inner worship, fasting restricts physical restraint (shiyām), but also guides the heart, mind, and mouth to remain clean (shaum).

Therefore, fasting is understood as moral and social education. Fasting aims to hone empathy for those in need, foster solidarity, and strengthen softer and responsible morals. Fasting is also a means to free oneself from the dominance of orgasm and to build a deeper spiritual awareness, a clearer relationship with God, others, and nature.

Ramadan fasting is a comprehensive exercise of self-control (kāffah), which shapes humans to be more pious, more empathetic, and more moral. Fasting during this holy month is not just an annual ritual, but an inner journey to purify one's intentions (takhlīṣu al-niyyah), refine one's speech (tahdhību al-kalām), and strengthen social concern (ta'zīzu al-ri'āyah al-ijtimā'iyyah).

An Indonesia that grows from togetherness

If Chinese New Year, Ash Wednesday, and Ramadan fasting are read through the lens of acculturation, then  the output is the social ethics that Indonesia really needs today. Listen before judging. Refrain from minor conflicts. Purifying words, fasting of the tongue from hate speech, slander, and hoaxes. Respect the worship of others. Maintaining social order.

Chinese New Year offers hope, Ash Wednesday gives direction for repentance, and Ramadan brings solidarity to life. If these three lights are put together, this nation actually has a strong moral foundation to maintain harmony. Pope Leo XIV's message and the call of FKUB Banten, although born from different contexts, are mutually beneficial. Both of them invite active, not passive togetherness.

This week, when the three lights of faith are lit at the same time, we are reminded that caring for Indonesia is not just a matter of prayer, but also an ethical responsibility in our daily lives. Listen carefully, speak organically, and act with empathy. This land does not need uniformity to uphold, but the courage to maintain the diversity that has been His will since the beginning.

The divine message often quoted from the holy book "We have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another" is not just a spiritual quotation, but a public ethical guideline. It is there that the foundation of diversity is laid: not to be exhibited, but to be lived. When that message is carried out with awareness, differences are no longer a source of suspicion, but a bridge that strengthens this house of nationality. Wallāahu a'lamu biṣ-ṣawab.

This article has been published in Kompas Opinion, Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10.00 WIB: https://www.kompas.id/artikel/tiga-lentera-dalam-satu-pekan