The Christmas spirit<\/p>\n
As Christians throughout Indonesia prepare to celebrate
\nChristmas under circumstances that could at best be described as
\nless than ideal, millions of Indonesians, regardless of race or
\ncreed, no doubt share their hope that the event may bring back
\nthe spirit of peace and well-being, those two universal human
\nideals that are at the heart of every Christmas celebration
\nthroughout the world.<\/p>\n
Though it is not for the first time that Indonesia's
\nChristians must celebrate the Nativity in difficult conditions --
\nsadly, Indonesians are no strangers to social and political
\nupheavals -- Christmas this year will, in many respects, be
\ndifferent from any other they have known before.<\/p>\n
When things started to go wrong at around the middle of 1997,
\nwhen the economic crisis first began to make itself felt in this
\nregion, few of us could have imagined the grave implications that
\nthe economic meltdown would have on this country and nation. As
\nthe following months proved, the economic and monetary disaster
\nbecame merely the trigger that set off more upheavals, both
\neconomic and political, the consequences of which no one could
\nhave foreseen.<\/p>\n
Today, as a result of those events, Indonesians, whatever
\ntheir persuasion, find themselves engulfed in poverty and
\nhardship. Even the well-to-do are feeling the sting of a
\nmultidimensional crisis whose end is still nowhere in sight. An
\nuntold number of people have lost their jobs and millions are
\nstruggling to survive.<\/p>\n
To add to the difficulties, rifts that have become visible in
\nwhat began as a seemingly concerted drive toward renewal are
\naggravating existing social frictions that have heretofore been
\nburied under a cover of pseudo-prosperity. Social and religious
\ndivisions, accepted in normal times as natural in this pluralist
\nnation, have become accentuated.<\/p>\n
Such an environment of discord and want are bound more or less
\nto impose an unfavorable quality on this year's Christmas
\ncelebrations. Want may temper the spirit of festivity among many
\nIndonesian Christian families. In some places there may be
\napprehensions about whether the cherished, traditional Christmas
\nservices can be held undisturbed and in the spirit of peace and
\ngoodwill that are befitting to the event.<\/p>\n
Yet, it is precisely these circumstances of trial and hardship
\nthat could lend a special relevance to this year's Christmas
\ncelebrations by serving to emphasize the outstanding example set
\nby Christ when he set out to spread the word of God among
\nmankind, regardless of the challenges and hostilities he faced.<\/p>\n
Debatable as it may seem to cynics, there can hardly be a more
\neffective way to summon the strength that is necessary to bear
\nthe burdens that life presents than by exercising the patience
\nand a forbearance that can only spring from such an unshakable
\nbelief.<\/p>\n
On a wider scope, by faithfully following in Christ's
\nfootsteps as they commemorate his birth tomorrow, Indonesia's
\nChristians can make not only their lives easier to bear, they
\ncould contribute substantially to rekindling the old spirit of
\ngoodwill and tolerance for which Indonesia has long been praised
\nand envied.<\/p>\n
Bringing about a climate of goodwill and well-being, of
\ncourse, is not a matter than concerns Indonesia's Christians
\nalone. Indonesian society as a whole, too, has a cardinal
\ninterest in ensuring that peace and accord are restored as
\nrapidly as is possible so that efforts to rebuild the nation can
\nbe made in earnest. Millions of Indonesians are waiting for
\nbetter times to dawn. May this year's Christmas bring the dawn of
\nsuch a new era.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-christmas-spirit-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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