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uslims in Indonesia and around the world will mark Idul Adha, the Day of Sacrifice, on Thursday. Followers of Muhammadiyah and a few other Islamic sects may beg to differ, celebrating it on Wednesday based on their calculations of the movement of the moon. This minor difference is now a common occurrence in Indonesia that it is not really worth disputing. Accept the differences and move on.

What is important is that everyone on this day has the same purpose, to observe the spirit of sacrifice as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). As narrated in the Islamic traditions, Ibrahim agreed to slaughter his son Ismail at the behest of God. This is symbolic of the extent to which one must be willing to part with one'€™s most precious earthly possessions. In the narrative, Ismail was replaced by a ram at the last minute.

The ritual of slaughtering livestock on Idul Adha is observed each year by Muslims to this day. One must add that the tradition of sacrifice predated Islam and is also observed in most other faiths, including Christianity. They just do it differently and on different days based on different narratives.

The spiritual message of this story is compelling: Making sacrifices should be part of our daily activities, not just one day in a year, but all through the year and throughout our lives.

Looking at Indonesia today, sadly, the spirit of sacrifice, and the humility it is supposed to promote, is hardly observed. We see in its place greed, a '€œme first'€ attitude and arrogance '€” and even the use of repression and violence to justify the ends '€” as the accepted norms.

This is particularly true among the nation'€™s elite, including our political and business leaders, who should be role models in society. The media, including social media, have hardly stopped reporting about the endless power struggle between our leaders, more than a year after the nation held democratic elections to establish a new government. Corruption, including collusion between politicians and wealthy businessmen, remains as rampant as before.

The elected officials and politicians and their financial backers, are still bickering among themselves, which has left the nation almost bereft of governance.

In the absence of effective leadership, the economy suffers, with dire consequences for the lives of the people, particularly among the poor.

All this in the name of greed among the nation'€™s elite, not just for power, but also for money and wealth.

Idul Adha will probably bring respite as everyone observes the ritual of the Day of Sacrifice. They will all feel better that they have done their deeds, even if only in formality.

The bigger question is have they truly grasped the spiritual meaning of sacrificing in the name of God and for the good of mankind? A one-day respite is welcome, but a long-term commitment, say one year until the next Idul Adha, would be even better for Indonesia.

Casting aside our doubts for now, we wish everyone Eid Mubarak.