Light from the West, Light from the East

At the peak of the seventh heaven, the Gods gazed upon the earth. They saw two lights shining at the far ends of the world.

In the west, the light came from the stone halls of Oxford, where seekers of knowledge sat cross-legged, their pens like arrows piercing the darkness of ignorance.
In the east, the light shimmered from the Majapahit harbor, where ships sailed like giant Garudas, carrying the mandate of unity to distant islands.

Bathara Guru whispered to the ancestors:
“Behold, two paths to glory. One ignites the torch of thought, the other ignites the flame of unity. Both will be remembered in the book of history, though they shall never meet.”

In the land of the Nusantara, Mahapatih Gajah Mada stood facing the ocean.
The sea breeze carried a mystical voice, as if the ocean itself chanted the name of God.
Across the distant seas, an Oxford student closed his book and bowed his head in prayer.

The sky united them both.
Prayers in Latin and prayers in Old Javanese drifted toward the same Throne.
The angels inscribed them in golden ink: “Two worlds, one era, both serving the Creator.”

We often forget that history is not only about who rules the earth, but about who guards the light of His trust.

By: Ngurah Sigit
The author is a Sociologist, Cultural Observer, and Media Commentator.