A Christmas during crisis

By Aleksius Jemadu and Venny D. Jemadu

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): As Indonesians desperately seek a quick economic recovery from the current crisis, Christmas could become a source of spiritual strength.

The birth of Jesus Christ almost 2000 years ago radically changed the course of human history. In the book of Romans 3:23- 24, Paul wrote "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus".

The fact that Jesus experienced the suffering and joys of life the way all humans do has given us hope to be reconciled to God and to gain eternal life.

Human reason is too limited to understand the mystery of God's incarnation. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not really understand what was happening. She could only surrender to the will of God.

Therefore, the simplicity of Christmas and Jesus' life should teach Indonesians a very important lesson in dealing with the current economic crisis. The gospel of Luke gave a detailed account of the birth of Jesus in Betlehem. It was reported that the baby Jesus was placed in a manger because there was no room for the family in the inn. Jesus was purposefully born into the poverty of humankind in order to show people how much God loves and cares.

In this time of economic hardship, it would be wise for Indonesians to acknowledge their humble human weaknesses and past mistakes so that they can move forward with a renewed spirit. It would be in contradiction to the simplicity of Christmas if it was celebrated in a spirit of consumerism.

It is believed that the economic crisis which has paralyzed the economies of Indonesia and other countries in this region has been, to a certain extent, due to ill-designed economic policies.

Richard Lacayo, for instance, was quoted by Time magazine in its Dec. 8 edition as arguing that "East Asia's troubles rest in large part on the region's intricately developed system of crony capitalism, in which personal connections trump the rule of law or markets almost every time".

It is a saddening fact that the development of capitalism in East Asia has been dominated by the coexistence of an uncontrolled accumulation of capital by a privileged few and the deterioration of public accountability. The liquidation of dozens of banks and other financial institutions in Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea clearly indicates that the use of public funds has not been accompanied by a strong commitment to protect public interest. It should come as no surprise that the first target of the International Monetary Fund's cure was a radical reform in financial systems.

By now, it should be realized that a democratic political system with a clear mechanism of public accountability should become a necessary condition for the development of capitalism with a human face. Capitalism without a democratic political system could lead to a fragile and unjust prosperity. The willingness of Jesus Christ to be born amid very inconvenient circumstances indicates that human life cannot be reduced into a mere pursuit of material wellbeing.

It should be noted, however, that Jesus himself has a very positive view on human desire to pursue material wealth. Indeed, Jesus once told his disciples that he came to this world so that his people might have life and live it to the full (John 10:10).

In fact, according to the book of Genesis, God's curse upon Adam and Eve following their fall into sin had both spiritual and physical dimensions. Not only did they fall short of the glory of God but they were forced to work hard and cultivate the ground to survive. Through his death on the cross, Jesus took this curse of physical suffering upon himself in order to save his people. Thus, Jesus' coming to this world had a double mission: to liberate humankind from both spiritual and physical deprivation.

Taking into account the relevance of Jesus' teachings to the current situation, it would be no exaggeration to say that Christmas could become a source of strength and encouragement to Indonesians who must work hard to gain a quick economic recovery.

Indonesians need to put aside their primordial differences and unite to improve the performance of the national economy. Every able citizen should feel obliged to do something positive for the nation.

It is, however, important to reemphasize the central role of the government. There is growing concern that social unrest could happen at any time due to an increasing number of people without jobs, high inflation and a dramatic decrease of people's living standards.

The political system needs to facilitate an equal distribution of development resources. Without effective public control over the implementation of political power, economic growth would benefit only those in power.

The spirit of servanthood is known to be the dominant characteristic of Jesus' mission while he was still on earth. Government employees are public servants. Thus, to govern is actually to serve, for sovereignty belongs to the people.

Unfortunately, in many cases, it is the people who are pressured to serve government officials by giving a financial reward for quick service. The people would have more respect for the government if it served without demanding extra rewards.

With the joy of Christmas, it is not necessary to worry about the nation's future. Indonesians should face tomorrow with courage and tenacity. The history of great nations, like Germany and the United States, shows that they had to surmount huge obstacles before they could reach their present condition.

Christmas has given us hope for a spiritual and material restoration.

The writers are a couple living in Bandung, West Java.