God sees all

God sees all

I refer to the happenings on Sunday Nov. 22, later known as
the Ketapang incident.

We had not yet recovered from the torching of churches in
Banyuwangi and Bondowoso one year ago, and now similar happenings
have taken place in Jakarta. The impression is even worse because
there was an intention on the part of the masses to destroy the
Jakarta Cathedral, said to be the oldest church in Indonesia.

Various assumptions have been put forward on the cause of the
burnings. But I am not going to write on that subject. I just
wonder whether the culprits are not afraid of God. Do they not
know that God sees all? If we want to qualify as religious people
we should be aware that above us there is a power that cannot be
opposed by demonstrations or arms. Nothing can be done by
Protestants and Catholics here except shake their heads
dejectedly.

We are convinced that we cannot avenge such criminal acts,
because we have been taught not to avenge crime with crime. In
other words, revenge is God's business.

I have a master's in international business law. I am
convinced that the current economic crisis is caused by the
imposition of the implementation of the globalization process.

However, as a religious person and having seen the recent
happenings in Indonesia, I am not surprised that the economic
crisis is still being felt. Additionally, there are forest fires,
the destruction of rice fields attacked by locusts and the La
Nia that will cause floods in December.

ELISA B. LUHULIMA

Jakarta