Today thousands of Protestants and Catholics are flocking to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, to attend midnight holy mass to celebrate his birth. Palestinians and Israelis -- for their own economic and, probably, religious reasons -- have little choice, for a brief respite, but to work together to ensure safety at the annual religious event. More than 1 billion followers of Christ throughout the world will sing Christmas' most well-known song on Christmas Eve, "Silent Night". A merry and festive day.
This year the world is facing a gigantic financial crash. Even the most powerful financial institutions -- whose assets amount to billions of U.S. dollars -- have perished. And even the most cynical economists in this world could not have imagined the extent to which the crisis could be so devastating for the population of this planet, or that it may well take years to recover. Millions of workers on this globe have lost or will lose their jobs with no safety net in sight.
Through the uncertainty God continues to reiterate His assurances to us: Fear not! According to the Gospel, the angels told the shepherds not to be afraid because Jesus, the savior of all humankind, had already been born in Bethlehem. Jesus -- a prophet under Islamic tenets, a God under Christian ones -- through his teachings continually sends us the same strong assurance: Do not be afraid!
Still, the United States, the world's largest economy, is staring in the face of the worst economic crisis since its Great Depression of the 1930s. Meanwhile the rest of the world, including the consumer and consuming giants China and the European Union, are also contending with shrinking, even imperiled, economies. Perhaps Jesus' followers will find it very difficult to be persuaded when clergy repeat today and tomorrow their Lord's promise they have nothing to worry about because He is always with them.
Many of us, including Indonesians, are indeed afraid and feel powerless in the face of this economic catastrophe. Although our leader, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has repeatedly tried to convince us Indonesians that we should not be afraid because the fundamentals of our economy are solid, how can we not feel terrified when the threat of losing so many of our jobs looms so close?
When terrorists attacked several churches in Indonesia by bombing them on Christmas Eve in 2000, freedom of religion, which is fully guaranteed by the Constitution, was clearly in great danger. Hundreds of churches in this country -- including those with all their legal documents in order -- have been torched or forced to close in the last several years. It is a gloomy trend both for the minority and for most of the silent Muslim majority in this country.
Nowadays many churchgoers are still worried about terrorist attacks. We should be honest and acknowledge the police have always tried their best to protect people who go to church on Christmas Eve and other major Christian holidays such as Easter since the attacks of 2000. Many of us feel more secure because of the police presence. We do hope, no matter what religion we attest to or belief we have, no security disturbances will mar these annual celebrations.
Many non-Muslims in this country incessantly gripe that the government has no interest in guaranteeing freedom of religion. Our Muslim compatriots often perceive the minority, Protestants and Catholics in this context, as selfish, overly eager to dominate through economic power and even willing to stack the deck through discriminatory practices.
For many children Christmas is a joyful and cherished celebration, because they believe Santa Claus will bring them presents during the night as they sleep. Loving parents can get wrapped up in their role as Santa Claus, overemphasizing the material side that accompanies this holiday season.
While the world economy looks inescapably gloomy, with Indonesia posing no exception, Christians in Indonesia and across the globe will celebrate this holiday with hardship on their minds. Jesus was born to very poor parents. It is against His teachings if we use this commemoration to show off our wealth and do not care for the poor and the needy.
Merry Christmas, may peace and prosperity prevail in our country and the world!
