Author: tristin

July 2024 marks the month where my daily Bible reading arrives in Elijah’s story. It’s the same month I finally decided to seek deeper information about his magical life. I mean, not everyone gets the chance to die without his life being taken away, though. Let alone the way he challenged 450 fake prophets to worship Baal, and he casually asked his Greatest Backup Guy a.k.a. God, to bring him fire that literally took down (yeah, burned) all those 450 people. Yep, it was liiit! 🔥

I guess I fangirl too much here, because if I get to retell every magical things he’d done, maybe I’m gonna tell you wholeheartedly. So, cut to the chase, I did a little research and discovered that one of my favorite writers apparently wrote an entire novel based on Elijah’s life.

I ran to the nearest bookstore and picked up the book, which apparently had only two copies left in stock. It’s The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho. The first release was in 1996 and the newest print in Indonesia was in 2013. Sí, that’s a decade ago.

‘The Fifth Mountain’s Storyline

Borrowing a period of Elijah’s youth, Coelho played with his creative interpretation as an ‘unborn’ prophet in his 20s. But instead of living so religiously, the ‘Elijah’ here went through sheez like the people in their 20s often have. Using tragedies as his ammo, Coelho dives into the story of young Elijah on the city of Zarephath, or what they called as “Akbar”.

In Akbar, there are some gods these people bow down for. Those gods live on the mountain, they said. And there, in The Fifth Mountain, Elijah met someone who (kinda) restored his faith.

As a kid, Elijah had to hide his ability to talk with his Guardian Angel, because his parents are afraid that something bad will happen if people know this kid was born and chosen to be a prophet. He did that. Parents are happy. All those abilities when he was a child, then came to be merely a remote memory.

Elijah then continue his life by working in a carpentry shop. The thought about God talking to him felt more like a fantasy of his childhood, and the voices eventually ceased completely. By then, young Elijah lost his confidence (and faith), that God wanna talk to him.

In one afternoon, everything around him grew dark and thousand tiny lights began twinkling around him. One of the light grew bright and stroke him, as if it’s coming from everywhere. God literally talked to him and asked to send this message to King Ahab. Here’s how it was written in 1 Kings book,

“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
– 1 Kings 17:1

And when everything around him returned to normal; the carpentry shop, the afternoon light, and the children’s voices playing around in the street, the story began…

We’re All Elijah

He was 23 years old, according to Coelho. A young spirit bravely faced the defected king Ahab, saying that rain won’t fall down until God says so. Not even considering the impact, he went home with relief, thinking that he’d done his task.

After that, Jezebel saw prophets as threats (and it rhymes!) and ordered to hunt them. Elijah almost got killed (and he was like 100% ready), until God sent signal that says his time hasn’t through. From then on, he lives on the run for all he’s known. Just like many of us, we run so much that we forget what it’s like to lay our heads down and actually rest.

Living on the run and got assisted by a raven, Elijah was tasked to go to a city called Zarephath or “Akbar”. There, he met a widow and her young child.

This is what I always love from Paulo Coelho’s writings, he can bring such reality to make you think that you’re living in it. He’d explain it so relate and humane, you wouldn’t know if it’s biblically correct or not. And on this context, it doesn’t matter anyway.

This widow had a young kid and Elijah kinda finds his true love in her. It was selfless, platonic, a bit romantic, and everything in between. It’s like God sent her to give him not just food and shelter, but also comfort. And in return, his protective instinct was built as their family-like relationship grew deeper.

They slowly nurtured themselves with shared habits, she cooks for him, they eat on the same table, talk about political dynamics in Akbar, and agree to disagree with their different beliefs in convos.

One afternoon, she said to him, “My life has begun to have meaning again, ever since you came here.” It caught Elijah off guard and shifted the topic. He suggested her to make time as an ally, instead of something she needed to kill. “Learn the writing of Byblos. It’ll be useful if one day you have to travel,” he said.

Those things left Elijah thinking about the potential future he can have with her. He doesn’t feel good about it, because he knows he can’t be with her, that’s not his calling. His feelings now seemed more like his own responsibility to take over.

He had noticed that she had Jezebel’s green eyes, but with a different glow, as if they could reflect the cedar trees, the ocean of which he had often dreamed but never known, and—how could it be?—her very soul.

“I should so like to tell her that,” he thought. “But I don’t know how. It’s easier to speak of the love of God.”

… as I quoted from the book. Elijah was afraid his feeling isn’t reciprocated. He thought the widow’s love died with her heroic husband. So, there was a moment he prayed to return to his city, fearing he might lose himself over love. Poor kid.

We’re All The Widow

The instruction was clear for Elijah, in 1 Kings 17:9, “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.“

The widow doesn’t pray to the God that Elijah believes in, nor communicate with Him. But she listens and obeys. She had just enough faith in her conscience to allow God to work His miracles through her. I love how God can use literally anyone, to show His greatness and work wonders that leave us in awe.

When Elijah arrived at her house, she gave her last flour and oil stock to feed the three of them. Guess what? Another work wonder! He said to her in 1 Kings 17:14, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.“

This guy’s presence allowed the widow to feel something different, like a dynamic wave slowly rippling through her mundane, quiet life. Quoting from the book, there’s this one afternoon when Elijah came home and she’s doing nothing in the doorway. He said,

“Then learn something. At this moment, many people have stopped living. They do not become angry, nor cry out; they merely wait for time to pass. They did not accept the challenges of life, so life no longer challenges them. You are running that same risk; react, face life, but do not stop living.”

He then gave her the idea to learn the writing of Byblos. Feeling supported, she did what he told her to. As Coelho wrote, she once again felt free and alive.

She was aware that her dream to be with him is impossible. This guy can just go and face Jezebel and never return to tell her all the story. Even so, she would go on loving him, even he never know. She doesn’t need any permission to miss him, to wait for him every night for the dinner, to set aside people’s thoughts swirling around them. It’s all on her.

All that she feels might sound like a responsibility at first. But, to feel what your heart desire and not caring about other’s opinion, wouldn’t that sound like a freedom? She’s been fighting by herself all this time and now the presence of this stranger brings such safety. There’s no need to fight against herself anymore, anyway.

The widow is probably in her 30s by then, but she doesn’t stop learning new things, feeling something again, and living fully. I hope it’ll be like the rest of us. I hope we’ll always keep our hearts wide open, letting life bring a sparkle of lit, so we’ll keep ourselves on fire before the lights go out. I hope we love ourselves enough to set us free from the chains of fear, doubt, and anything that dims our light.

“She was free, for love liberates.”

Paulo Coelho, The Fifth Mountain (1996)

We’re All Akbar

Yes, Akbar is the city where most of the story from this book happened. And yes, I’m saying we’re all Akbar, the city. Not gonna spoil (too much), but there’s this one time when Akbar got raided by an enemy and resulted in destruction. It’s a turning point of young Elijah’s character (so, I’m gonna try to not spoil anything, I promise).

Akbar is another name of Zarephath. I imagined it as a small city with people who always try to protect their peace so hard, they don’t easily let strangers to stay and live there. But, they let Elijah stay, because his head could be a valuable thing when it comes to dealing with Jezebel. As the story goes by, his life eventually intertwined with the people.

Reflecting from Akbar, we’re all actually just vulnerable entities that went through so much, from war, destruction, to heartbreak. It gets torn apart, but somehow finds a way to rebuild and start over. Even when everything seems lost, the people of Akbar show that there’s always hope.

Meanwhile, almost all the time—as some of us know from the Bible—Elijah was someone who always wanted to die. Not without reason, he was a survivor of rejection ever since he was a kid. He’s got the same guts like us and had his cowardly moments in life too. That’s how I can relate.

All he wanted is a stability, a life that he can control and get a grip of. He just wanted peace. But unfortunately, that’s not a “just”. As a Roman general, Vegetius, once wrote, “Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war.)” I learned that we can’t really hope for peace without chaos, you just can’t separate those two. Like eating cereals without milk, nah.

“Si vis pacem, para bellum”

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus

And so it happens. The destruction, the invasion, the cry of women and children that after all symbolize the fragility of human’s life, but also the power that lies within us. An impact that forced Elijah to adapt and confront his destiny and divine purpose in his life. He finally stops running for a while, because he walks his life through Akbar.

This city reminds us of our own lives. Sometimes, things fall apart, and we feel like there’s nothing left. But the good news is, we can rise again. It’s about finding the courage to keep going, even when it’s hard, and believing that better days are still ahead.

In many ways, Akbar isn’t just a city. It’s a reflection of us—our struggles, our strength, and our ability to keep moving forward no matter what comes our way.

And Just Like Them…

We’re all navigating our own struggles, trying to find balance, purpose, and the strength to get back up again.

The young Elijah in The Fifth Mountain is ‘unborn’ as the prophet we know from the Bible. But, little did he know, he’s growing. Maybe, just maybe, when you feel like you’re not ready for anything, when you feel like a failure, when you feel like you’re in a constant run to nowhere, you’re actually growing. You’re not running to nowhere, you’re on track. You’re not running too slow, you’re walking, and by just being move, you live.

As for the widow, her life doesn’t stop the minute her husband died. The longing isn’t forever anyway. She found her life again when she lets it (in this case “him”) in. And just like her, promise me you would never let numbers and rules hold you back from being free to take new chances, share more love, and learn new things. Just don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?

Akbar, on the other hand, carried a journey of resilience, rebirth, and revolution. It reminds me that no matter how strong your foundations or how tall you stand—whether it’s your pride or achievements—you’re always in a state of constant growth. Life will never stop pushing you forward, shaping you, and sometimes tearing you down, just to rebuild you stronger. It’s inevitable, as long as you’re still breathing, because to live is to evolve.

Elijah left this place eventually, but the work wonders just started. Coelho’s vision brings us closer to Elijah’s life, gave us more lessons from his experience. I love how Coelho often sees the humane aspect out of something that often went unnoticed. His writing is like the result when we stop time and capture a moment, taking a look around to see what’s been going on, to read and understand the patterns, so that we can get a better perspective of our surroundings.

In the end, The Fifth Mountain isn’t a story tied to any specific religion. To me, it’s more about the journey of life—Elijah’s journey, the widow’s journey, Akbar’s journey, my journey, and yours. Adios por ahora.

p.s.: Gosh, a million words of my review will never enough to explain (and to feel) the depth this book offers. But if you love TL;DR more than reading the book, then there you go. But please, go read the book or ask to borrow mine if you can!

[Originally written in 2021]

Namanya adalah Santiago, seorang anak yang kisah kehidupannya membuat saya meninggalkan tanda centang pada daftar resolusi yang tidak pernah saya buat karena rasa pesimis; membaca buku. Mengingat daftar resolusinya pun tak pernah dibuat, cerita Santiago menjadi sesuatu yang terlihat sia-sia untuk dilakukan. Tapi, toh tak ada hal yang sia-sia di dunia ini, ‘kan?

Berawal dari ajakan meet up sehari sebelum Hari Raya Idul Fitri 2021, saya secara spontan (uhuy) mengajak teman-teman lain untuk mengunjungi Gramedia di salah satu mal di Jakarta. Entah berapa lama saya sudah tak pernah mengunjungi toko yang wajib dikunjungi setiap saya pergi ke mal ini, rasanya seperti cucu yang nongkrong di cafe dekat rumah nenek tapi tidak mengunjungi rumah nenek.

Saat itu saya hanya ingin mencari alat kreasi untuk membuat DIY sampul buku catatan. Namun, hati saya berkata lain. Ketika melihat deretan buku Paulo Coelho yang dipajang di pojok rak buku, saya segera melirik buku yang entah berapa tahun lalu ingin saya miliki namun belum pernah kesampaian.

Akhirnya, tanpa berpikir panjang, saya mengambil barisan paling depan “The Alchemist” atau “Sang Alkemis”. Saya benar-benar tak peduli jika buku ini disajikan dalam bahasa terjemahan; Indonesia. Lagipula, mungkin saya akan pusing sendiri jika harus membaca versi bahasa aslinya, yakni Spanyol.

Sejak dulu, saya terbiasa membaca buku fiksi dengan tema yang lebih melenceng dari drama romansa—kisah yang sering dibaca oleh anak remaja seusia saya kala itu. Tak sedikit dari rentetan buku yang saya baca berkisah tentang detektif, cerita kriminal, atau kisah yang lebih kompleks ketimbang cerita di sekolah. Tapi, toh tak ada salahnya membiasakan diri menjadi “pendengar” cerita yang baik sejak dini, ‘kan?

Mengikuti Kata Hati

Oh, hanya segini harganya, pikir saya yang telah terbiasa menghabiskan lebih banyak biaya untuk hal lain (yang mungkin lebih tidak penting) ketimbang buku. Tanpa memedulikan bahan untuk DIY nanti, saya bergegas mengantre di kasir untuk segera meresmikan kepemilikan buku setebal 216 halaman ini.

Saya sudah membuat rencana sendiri untuk mengisi sisa 4 hari libur terpanjang di 2021 ini, menonton film yang hingga saat ini belum kesampaian untuk ditonton, entah sehari 2 film, 3 film, atau 5 film, terserah. Mulai dari film tua seperti “12 Angry Men (1957)” hingga film yang baru saja memenangkan Best Picture di Oscar 2021, “Nomadland (2020)” saya masukkan ke dalam list.

Tapi, malam itu, setelah menuliskan tanggal pembelian di halaman terdepan buku, saya berpikir untuk menghabiskan Sang Alkemis sebelum jatah liburan 5 hari ini berakhir, challenge yang lahir dari entah akibat impulsivitas atau antusias. Kemudian, hati kecil saya berbisik, “Damn, this is SO random… but this feels good.”

Meski biasanya saya selalu menyampul novel sebelum dibaca, beda dengan The Alchemist. Entah karena sudah lama tak pernah membeli novel (terakhir di tahun 2018), atau saya memang tak peduli. Di hari ketiga liburan, 14 Mei 2021, sekitar pukul setengah 3 sore, akhirnya saya mulai membaca buku, bergantian dengan menonton film Tenet (2020), yang selesai setelah 6 jam diselingi istirahat. Maklum, bila tanpa istirahat, mungkin kepulan asap sudah mengebul di atas kepala saya.

Aturannya, saya akan membaca hingga merasa bosan atau mengantuk, lalu menonton hingga saya merasa perlu break sebentar, kemudian melanjutkan bacaan, lalu melanjutkan tontonan setelah merasa cukup, dan beristirahat lagi, tidak ada aturan tetap yang saya ikuti, hanya belajar mengikuti apa yang hati saya inginkan sembari having fun, alias antusias secara impulsif!

Plot Tanpa Spoiler ‘The Alchemist’

Mari kembali ke pengalaman saya membaca The Alchemist atau Sang Alkemis karya Paulo Coelho yang terbit pada 1988 ini. Kisah ini dimulai dari Santiago, yang selanjutnya disebut “Si Anak Lelaki”, seorang anak asal Andalusia, Spanyol, yang memutuskan untuk menjadi penggembala domba karena dia ingin berkelana ke seluruh dunia.

Orang tuanya berharap Santiago menjadi pastor, maka dia belajar beberapa bahasa selain Spanyol, serta teologia. Namun, keinginannya untuk berkelana mengalahkan semuanya itu, dia lebih memilih untuk menggembala domba dan menunggu tiap tahun hingga dapat bertemu dengan anak saudagar penjual wol yang disukainya.

Setelah mendapat mimpi yang sama tentang menemukan harta karun di “Piramida-Piramida Mesir”, si anak lelaki memulai petualangannya. Dia mencari jawaban tentang arti mimpi tersebut, yang ternyata mimpi tersebut memiliki arti harfiah. Tapi, rasa penasaran inilah yang menuntun si anak lelaki mencapai tujuannya dan (secara tak langsung) impian orang tuanya.

Si anak lelaki bertemu dengan cenayang Gipsi dan seorang yang mengaku dirinya sebagai raja, lalu melepaskan domba-dombanya untuk mengejar mimpinya. Dia menghadapi berbagai rintangan yang mungkin akan membuatnya menyerah jika dia tidak mendengarkan kata hatinya. Tapi, toh, dia tetap taat.

Otak cerdasnya membawa si anak lelaki pada kesuksesan berbisnis, meskipun saat itu bukan bisnis miliknya yang dia kelola. Dia membantu seorang pemilik toko kristal yang hampir saja bangkrut, tapi malah semakin sukses dengan ide bisnis cemerlangnya, yakni menjual teh yang disajikan di gelas kristal yang dia jual sehingga menarik hati pembeli yang tadinya hanya ingin menikmati teh.

Beranjak dari toko kristal, dia berpikir bahwa jika dia kembali, dia akan sama seperti dulu dan tidak dapat menemukan harta karunnya. Kemudian si anak memutuskan untuk melanjutkan impiannya untuk ke Piramida-Piramida Mesir demi mencari harta karun di mimpinya itu.

Dari sinilah pembaca dituntun oleh perjalanan si anak lelaki untuk menemukan diri sendiri, percaya pada kata hati dan belajar untuk berdamai dengan hati. Tapi selain itu, saya juga cukup terkejut karena ada beberapa kutipan dari Alkitab yang disebutkan bahkan hingga akhir cerita dan beberapa tokoh yang mencerminkan seorang Muslim beriman.

Saya melihat bagaimana kedua agama ini saling berdamai dan melengkapi pemahaman Si Anak Lelaki dalam pencarian harta karunnya bersama The Alchemist yang ditemuinya dalam perjalanan. Setidaknya, meski hanya sebentar, saya dapat merasakan kedamaian yang lumayan jarang saya temui di negeri ini.

Jika membaca lebih lanjut, pembaca (atau setidaknya yang saya alami) akan sampai pada renungan-renungan yang lebih mendalam tentang bagaimana Tuhan bekerja dalam diri kita melalui semesta, bahwa cinta sejati tidak menghalangi orang mengejar takdir dan impiannya, serta bagaimana kita dapat menemukan “harta karun” yang tak terlihat karena manusia terlalu pengecut untuk menuruti mimpi mereka.

‘The Alchemist’ juga mengajari saya untuk tetap fokus dalam setiap hal yang kita lakukan. Saya belajar dari wacana orang-orang gurun yang tidak mempermasalahkan masa lalu atau mencemaskan masa depan, mereka hidup seperti hari ini adalah hari terakhir mereka. Entah lebih cepat atau lambat, kita semua akan mati pada waktunya.

Kemudian, saya juga belajar bahwa setiap orang memiliki harta karun yang menanti mereka, sama seperti Firman yang selama ini saya pahami, bahwa setiap manusia yang hidup memiliki tugas dan deadline-nya adalah ketika kita “dipanggil pulang”. Pernyataan ini juga diamini oleh ucapan bijak yang mengatakan bahwa manusia memiliki 3 tanggal penting dalam hidupnya; hari kelahirannya, hari kematian, dan hari ketika mereka menyadari apa tujuan hidup mereka di bumi.

Ada dua paragraf yang saya suka dan saya kutip langsung dari ‘The Alchemist’ terjemahan bahasa Indonesia, ini adalah ungkapan hati Si Anak Lelaki:

“Setiap orang di bumi memiliki harta karun yang menanti-nantinya. Kami, hati manusia, jarang banyak bersuara mengenai harta itu, sebab orang-orang tidak lagi hendak mencarinya. Hanya kepada anak-anak kami bicara. Sesudahnya kami biarkan hidup mengambil jalannya sendiri, mengikuti jalurnya sendiri, menuju nasibnya sendiri…”

“…Kami tak pernah berhenti bicara, tapi kami mulai berharap perkataan kami tidak terdengar: kami tak ingin orang-orang menderita karena mereka tidak mengikuti suara hati mereka.”

Saya merasa bersyukur, karena di tengah bulan-bulan depresif yang menggerayangi saya karena tak bisa bepergian akibat dampak keterbatasan aturan pemerintah, sekali lagi saya mampu mendengarkan hati untuk duduk diam, membaca renungan not-so-religious yang akhirnya mengingatkan saya, bahwa di tengah hiruk pikuknya percakapan tak henti yang terjadi di otak saya, ada hati yang ingin didengarkan.

Hati yang ingin bercerita bahwa dirinya sedang sakit, hati yang bercerita bahwa dirinya mampu mengobati tapi merasa diabaikan karena saya terlalu sibuk memikirkan hal-hal sesimpel “target”, hati yang mulai tak terdengar karena saya lebih mementingkan ide yang diproduksi otak yang mulai lelah, dan hati yang mendorong keluarnya air mata ketika saya menulis paragraf ini.

Simpulan

Akhirnya, Paulo Coelho mengakhiri kisah ‘The Alchemist’ dengan amat cantik dan manis, selembut angin yang mengantarkan pesan rindu dari perempuan yang dikasihi Si Anak Lelaki. Tanpa memberikan spoiler lebih banyak, saya ingin mengatakan bahwa Coelho berhasil mengikatkan pita cantik di akhir perjalanan spiritual Santiago.

Dan untuk hati saya, dari otak, ini adalah kutipan terakhir karakter Robert Pattinson di film Tenet tadi, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” — semoga saja kali ini saya bisa mulai berdamai dengan hati dan menuruti nasihat Sang Alkemis,

“Kalau kau mengenal hatimu dengan baik, dia tak akan pernah mengkhianatimu. Sebab kau tahu pasti mimpi-mimpi dan keinginan-keinginannya, dan kau akan tahu juga cara menyikapinya. Kau takkan pernah bisa lari dari hatimu. Jadi, sebaiknya dengarkanlah suaranya.”

The Alchemist

Jika kamu sudah membaca sampai sini, saya harap kamu juga ingin menyicipi bagaimana rasanya mendengarkan hati yang mungkin saat ini sedang mengatakan hal yang penting buatmu. Terima kasih telah meluangkan waktu, kini biarkan saya kembali merenung dan mengambil waktu untuk mulai mendengarkan hati saya. Adios por ahora.