Dear people from various nations who commented on an editorial titled "Incredible foreign help" (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 9). Stop quarreling! This chaotic disaster killed more than 800 people, and you guys are still thinking of racism, recognition of charities among other things?
This earthquake was not only for Indonesia, it was for all nations! We are being "tested" for our unity. For Malaysians, what's done is done. We can't change the past. Thank you for your sincere donations, even though it wasn't listed in the "donors" table. I've heard a speech that says, "When you are sincere in giving charities or aid, you wouldn't expect anything in return, not even a single word of thanks".
This would allow you to "feel joy in loving others". I'm Indonesian. I'm just a small individual, but have a big dream. What I dream is a peace between all nations. By loving each other and ignoring their weaknesses, we could be living peacefully. Ignore racial differences! Ignore religious differences! Wake up!
We should be awakened by this disaster! We are social beings, and we need each others' help, and therefore we should be helping each other. Can't you guys see, disasters happen all over the world. Samoa Islands, Padang, a typhoon in Japan, and I don't know what's coming next, and hopefully nothing bad will come. So please, stop arguing, for your own sake, and stop being selfish.
We are all imperfect humans, prone to mistakes. But once you know your mistakes, learn from them and don't repeat them. Here is an idea I came up with: "Differences in race, religion and ethnicity could be combined and mixed with an essence called love".
Is it hard to say sorry? Do you have to pay billions and trillions just to say a "sorry"?! Throw off your pride for the mean time, or else we won't be living in peace. Remember the seven deadly sins: pride, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, greed and sloth.
Why should we take pride ourselves, when it will just make others envy us, and create greediness and wrath? And one last thing, our time is running out. Time is something you cannot pay for.
Johannes De Britto
Jakarta
