Selalu manise

 

I like this song very much. It has a very Nusantara feel, rather than sounding like a Western Christian song translated into Indonesian. And the term “manise” is very interesting. Literally, it means “sweet” but in this song it is used metaphorically.

Kerja buat Tuhan
Selalu manise
Biar pikul salib
Selalu manise

Ayo, kerja buat Tuhan, sungguh senang-senange
Dipanggil Tuhan, selalu manise
Membuang diri ke ladang Tuhan, Saudara
Serta Tuhan, selalu manise

This song is in Ambon Malay, where manise can mean sweet, beautiful, pleasant, lovely, delightful, or enjoyable. So the song isn’t saying so much that “Working for God is always sweet” but more like “serving God is always wonderful” or “serving  God is always a joy.”

The line “Biar pikul salib, selalu manise” is particularly interesting: “even bearing the cross is a joy.” The song isn't saying that working for the Lord is always easy. Rather, it expresses the joy of belonging to and serving Jesus even when that service involves sacrifice.