People of all faiths can and should find value and hope in Christmas. (Photo courtesy of AFP Photo)

Honoring the True Spirit of Christmas in Indonesia

For Christian believers, for whom the holiday is a focal point of the faith, Christmas is a time of reflection. We urge people of all faiths to consider the meaning of the day in light of the moral voice of God.

In the Biblical story of creation, as told in the Book of Genesis, a perfect world was shattered by sin. However, after Adam and Eve fell into sin, God entered with love and gentleness into the Garden of Eden, calling out, “Where are you?” as He sought the first man and first woman. Adam and Eve were terrified of what they had done and they tried to hide from their creator. But it was not the voice of God that was frightening, it was the fact that man had sinned. That act made the sound of God’s voice particularly worrisome.

Can the created man really hide from God? Is it foolish to think that one can run away from an almighty, all-knowing, omnipotent God? Yet that is what much of mankind has been doing throughout our long history. In one form or another, people constantly fool themselves into thinking that they can evade, trick, explain away or otherwise escape the reality of God. In so doing, we suffer from the consequences of a sinful life without God, and hence without eternal purpose.

God came to Adam asking, “Where are you?” This Christmas the same question is asked of all of us: “Where are you?”

While Christmas is, of course, a Holy Day for Christian believers celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the question is relevant to people of all faiths, because we share a belief in a divine being who guides us toward a better world informed by moral principles. All great religions seek a higher morality and purpose for human existence. And we know too well the results of immorality and the failure to heed the call to a higher purpose. We live in a world torn apart by war, in which people suffer hunger, despair and, in many cases, hopelessness. Millions of innocent people suffer needlessly, children perish and the world suffers untold misery due to the actions of men.

The message of Christmas to Christians is a message of the love of God coming to earth through the birth of His Son. It is a message of God’s initiative and effort to look for His people and bring them the message of hope and salvation. This is a blessing that all people of faith can understand and endorse.

May all Indonesians respond to this Christmas message with thankfulness, joy and repentance. The message of Christmas may be for Christians but it is relevant to all Indonesians of faith. We can all rejoice in the blessings conferred by the Almighty and pray as one nation for a better future.

Blessed Christmas to all believers. Merry Christmas to all Indonesians.

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