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