Book Review: Words from Heaven

Several decades after Nommensen preached the Gospel in Batak Land, Sitor Situmorang wrote the short story "Mother Goes to Heaven“. In it, we meet a Christian Batak family, but they have different views on religion: a son who is reluctant to touch religion; a mother who regularly goes to church and participates in religious activities; and a father who seems not to have moved away from the practice of Parmalim, even though he has been baptized as a Christian.

If Sitor Situmorang clearly describes the child and mother's attitude towards religion, he actually illustrates the father's beliefs vaguely, or not too clearly. In the minds of the Batak (Toba) people, especially those who have affiliated with religions outside of Parmalim, (followers of) the Parmalim religion are often depicted with superstition, mantras, and betel-eating. And Sitor Situmorang describes the father exactly like that:

"He (read: father) still said spells when there was a special incident with himself or his family... He sat alone in the corner of a large inner room, pounding his betel in a small mortar made of silver."

Sitor Situmorang's short story at least shows that the arrival of Christianity in Batak Land did not completely crush Parmalim. Even though churches stood tall and prayers were said every Sunday, there were still people who did not leave Parmalim. In fact, even though they had been baptized as Christians, there were people who continued to practice Parmalim, like the father in Sitor Situmorang's short story. "In church, the father was also given a special place near the pastor, on a large chair facing the congregation, because he was a king, even before the missionaries and the company arrived..." added Sitor Situmorang.

Nurturing Faith

Sitor Situmorang is certainly not alone. In 2016, Irwansyah Harahap published the results of his research in Hutatinggi Laguboti Village, Toba Samosir Regency, North Sumatra, in a book entitled "This is a debate". In this book, the graduate of the University of Wellington, Seattle, United States, reviews the long history of Parmalim and its importance. gong (drums) as a medium of spiritual expressiveness for adherents of the religion. Scholars do not agree on the formation of the Parmalim religion. However, in general there are two different views that imply the origin of the 'original' religion of the Batak people. On the one hand, the Parmalim teachings were initiated by Guru Somalaing Pardede in the late 1800s. The Parmalim teachings were formed by one that—people who have magical abilities—after traveling and absorbing Catholic and Islamic views. On the other hand, Parmalim was initiated by Sisingamangaraja XII (pp. 19-25). In the midst of the non-single explanation, Irwansyah Harahap stated that “… the emergence of this teaching is rooted in the desire to re-establish the local Batak Toba socio-spiritual system and at the same time resistance to the new values of the Christian mission (in this case the institution Rheinische Mission-Gessellschaft (RMG) Germany) and Dutch colonialists in Batak land” (p. 26).

From a long series of history, since the arrival of colonialism to the entry of German Christians towards the end of the 19th century, then the establishment of independence in this country, the fate of Parmalim adherents has not changed for the better. Under the New Order, Parmalim was only put into the 'belief sect' box. Ironically, a group of social scientists actually confirmed the country's political interests. Although the requirements to become a 'religion' proposed by the state can be met by adherents of 'belief sects', the state still considers it not a 'religion' (pp. 75-76).

The state's rejection did not stop there. In state of mind state administrators, followers of religious teachings are even required to choose one of the mainstream religions. The logical consequence is that the position of religious beliefs is placed much lower than that of religions. mainstream. The situation becomes even more complicated when the parties Batak Protestant Christian Church (HKBP) assumes that Parmalim is a 'pre-Christian' practice. The implication is that Parmalim is considered a false or misleading teaching (pp. 86-87). From this explanation, it is safe to say that the historical trail of Parmalim is a history full of wounds. Just because of their beliefs, they were suppressed 'from above' by the state and 'from the left and right' by community groups.

As an illustration, they have difficulty obtaining personal identity cards and formal legality of marriage and marriage. The domino effect is that access to other social life, such as going to school, finding work, and so on, is hampered (p. 85). "Even if we want to beat the drum, we need permission..." said a Parmalim resident (p. 86). It seems that from that wound, their faith does not become cheap, which is not easily obtained, which is maintained with full struggle.

"Saint"

Parmalim is a "group of Toba Batak people who practice and carry out the teachings of the evil one". Here, wise means "holy", and hamlimonhas the meaning of "purity". Not infrequently, Parmalim is also called by the term Par-Ugamo: “the people who run ugamo/'sublime teaching'”—”something related to the spiritual-divine realm (partondian)” (p.136).

In the teachings of Parmalim, there are some basic principles of social ethics, and they must be displayed in cleanliness and sincerity of heart towards what is eaten, seen, said, and appreciated “stand” (from being polite to elders to ethics when walking). These principles must also reflect ritual and social behavior in mardebata (believe in God), customs (custom-based relationship), marpatik (have rules), maruhum(based on legal basis), and marharajaon (has a territorial basis of kingdom/government) (pp. 136-137).

Another thing that can be identified from the Parmalim religion is the existence of a number of abstractions of divine figures, and one of them is Mulajani Na Bolon. Mulajani Na Bolon is the Creator who “has no beginning and no end” (p. 93). Before the Parmalim worship begins, keep going (prayer of praise) to Mulajani Na Bolon is first said. The translation of the prayer of praise in Indonesian is as follows:

"Say to our God Debata Mulajani Na Bolon who has created everything that exists. We convey our praises to Him through the intermediary of the soul of His son whom we respect, namely our father, King Nasiak Bagi, King Tubu (Born King), King Sioloan (The Followed) in this world... (p. 95).

Prayer of praise (keep going) said Irwansyah Harahap (p. 95), it was sung together with musical instruments. gong. At this point, gong is a “symbolic representation” of the expression of prayer. Prayer and gong in the end are two things that are interrelated. If prayer is a form of verbal-textual praise, gong is a manifestation of symbolic praise of sound (p. 161). This explanation is what then distinguishes the Toba Batak people in general from the Parmalim adherents. If the Toba Batak people simply use gong At traditional events or rituals, Parmalim adherents are even more focused, namely spiritual or religious activities.

Epilogue

From the book “This is a debate“, we can find the important meaning gong for the followers of the Parmalim religion. However, Irwansyah Harahap has not seen any other possibilities. Although not the main scope of his research, the Christian Toba Batak people often play gong, and utter words related to Mulajani Na Bolon in traditional activities. To some extent, they resemble the father in Sitor Situmorang's short story. How do we read a phenomenon like this? Is it just an accessory in a traditional event? Or, maybe it has more meaning than that?

Apart from that question, if we use the explanation of Hikmat Budiman (2010) in "Minorities, Multicultural(ism), Democracy: Some Observations" to view Christianity, it can be said that Christians, both in terms of numbers and significance, are the majority in the world, but a minority in Indonesia. In Tanah Batak (Toba), Christians are the majority, and Parmalim is the minority. From the pile of stories of majority-minority relations anywhere, we easily find that the majority often feels most correct, easily suspects, easily kills, and then puffs up their chests over all these actions. Because, they feel they are the most legitimate group of guardians of the "word from heaven".

From another perspective, the world shows that the historical traces of religions are so savage and fierce. However, Parmalim is an exception. We tend to find it impossible to find those two things in the historical trajectory of Parmalim. What is in the body of the Parmalim religion is actually wounds. "Maybe Parmalim is good with its small number. If it grows bigger, maybe its behavior will be the same as the big religions," said a Parmalim Hutatinggi Youth (p. 19). Hundreds of years after Nommensen retired from this life, we not only find Parmalim as a religion in the Batak Land, but also as an inspiration. From Parmalim, slightly modifying Irwansyah Harahap's expression, we can at least understand "words from heaven."