Christmas is the season to celebrate love and kindness towards the loved ones, a season to be jolly and happy despite whatever situation that happens. More than that, this year’s Christmas is the right moment to remind us that we need to learn how to share our love to each other, and how to embrace diversities that we possess within the country.

Indonesia is a diverse archipelago, not only in terms of cultures and people but also in religions. The government acknowledges at least 6 religions within the society. This has shaped and groomed the identity of Indonesia, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). The variation of people, cultures, and religions has given unique perspective on how the world seizes Indonesia, and vice versa. On the other hand, if this diversity is not managed carefully, it could be a boomerang towards Indonesia’s national stability and security. Sadly, what happens until recently still shows that diversities amongst us have not yet brought harmony.

Dispute over GKI Yasmin, for example, still move nowhere forward. GKI Yasmin is a church under PGI (Persekutuan Gereja Indonesia) which located in Bogor, West Java. The dispute happened more than a year ago whereas the member of the church could not have their weekly sermon in the church building, based on the reason that the mayor revoked its permit to stand there. There have been debates over respective parties and stakeholders within the year, and it seemed like it goes nowhere. From the writer’s perspective, it is not only a dispute over permission to have a church stand on the ground, it is more than that. It shows how Indonesian people in particular, still find it hard to embrace the difference and diversities of what Indonesia is made from.

The latest decision from the Supreme Court was that the church is legit to stand on the ground. What is sad, the government seems to wish the church to be relocated. This shows public how the government finds it difficult to favor Supreme Court’s decision (which is higher than a major’s permit pass) just because they are in favor of majority concern. It is more than just injustice and violation of Humans Rights in this issue. They could not even hold their Christmas sermon peacefully. People who claimed themselves to defend particular faith, yelled and disturb the church congregations this Sunday.

This is just another proof that as a nation who boasts on its identity as a melting pots of cultures, Indonesia still lacks on respecting, and embracing, any differences appeared. The problems never because the church produces noise that disturbs neighborhood, never because they held something against the law, the problem is that the government wants them to relocate the church, period. It is hard to understand, why a church with no problems at the first place, need to be relocate? What is wrong by just standing there, anyway? It is for the government to answer.

Nevertheless, this case is only one amongst many cases that is involving various religions and cultures in Indonesia. The writer tries to stress that we do have problems on embracing our differences. This problem could hamper the growth of this country if the government could not appear with effective solution. Cross religions and cross cultures dialogues are necessary to avoid this nation flunks into a deeper conflict which then could cause instability within society. The cross-religions and cross-cultures issues have been grooming slowly but sure across this country. As sad as the write found these facts, the faster something is done to avoid the issues groom, the better it will be.

Sometimes the society are just forget, the basic foundation to form a good country is with a good relations within its people. To have good relationship, beside good communications, ones have to respect and trust each other. To gain respect and trust, people need to open their mind towards love. It is as simple as that, and Indonesia by far, lacking on sharing these simple yet important value. The writer believes, if this value implemented thoroughly inside the country, we will find less intercultural and inter-religions disputes over Indonesia.

Ironically, the concept of love sharing is now hampered by cynical views of the society, as the result of miss-management of conflicts done by the government. We need to build great defense to protect our country from falling into pieces caused by this issues. We all know that to build a great structure, a strong foundation is importantly needed. It should be the job mainly for the government to educate the society on how important these norms and values are. Nevertheless, it is not only their responsibility but ours too as the society to implement the norms and values into our everyday life.

In conclusion, the writer likes to give perspective on how disputes are feasible to solve by implementing simple thing, such as love. From the bottom of the heart, she wishes that GKI Yasmin dispute could find its solution soon and they could held their sermons again in the right place where they suppose to belong, and that Indonesia could really find harmony within diversity and grow better every time. Happy Holiday!

by: Vimal Dholakia

It’s Christmas time in Sorowako,
We don’t have snow, but we have Matano,

It’s time to eat, time to drink and time to play,
Cika will make the dessert and the entrée,

We’ll drink anker and play drinking games,
And dance around the tree in conga trains,

Grandpa Amello will give out gifts,
To the rest of us misfits,

Then Anchal will sing I’m a ho ho ho,
Because what happens, stays in Sorowako-o-o-ohhhh!
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this is such a funny notes that only us who usually hang out together understands. Vimal and his word plays. still made my day. perhaps this holiday wouldn’t be bad at all :)

still oppose the ‘Granpa’ role. I’m not bald.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Michael Buble

This is how I miss my home badly, now. or I could just blame the song since it’s dragging me this mellow first thing in the morning. well, I won’t be home for Christmas, but it wouldn’t be that bad, I hope.

I’ll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

Christmas eve will find you
Where the love light gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

I’ll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have some snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams

Not.

I will spend my Christmas and New Year’s eve here in Soroako instead going home. This will be my first time spending this holiday season away from my family. I don’t really think about it much, though, until this morning. The thought was triggered by a tune that suddenly popped into my head, yeap from the song of “I’ll be Home for Christmas”

I kinda miss my family. We’re not really a family that expressively showing our emotion and love towards each other, although many of our members are emotionally sensitive. But we love each other, despite the lackness of good characters here and there, lol.

My dad and his temper, my mom and her over-sensitive feeling. My sister, Jess with her brand-whore addiction (o well, with shopping generally), my other sis, Amanda who likely inherit both my dad’s temper and my mom’s sensitivity, and my lil’ bro Jonathan, who still in his journey of Love-finding.

It’s not common for me to bluntly write about my family in my blog, it’ll be rarely if it’s not the first time. I love my family, nevertheless.

I read a book that open my eyes recently, which changes my perception about how you see your relationship with family. Do you realize that it is easier for you to forgive a friend that hurt you, but it’s not that easy if your family does the same thing to you? at least I do.

well, here’s the example. for me, when a friend called me a fat bitch-whore wholeheartedly, the worst thing I could feel is hurt. that would be another case if my Dad who says that not-so-nice words to me. I would feel more than hurt. i’d feel worthless. my dad’s words would be a more than just a penalty, it shapes the way i think about myself. why could I (or we) have different response on accepting the words? because our friend is not our family. we bound to our family, tied by blood. most of all, we likely to give higher standards for our family, and think that they suppose to be ‘more’ than the rest of our friends. so if they become another heart-less human, it’ll be harder for us to accept their flaws, because they suppose to be a better person than our friends are! they are our family, anyways.

We usually forgot that our family members are also the same mere human like our friends are. They do hurt us unintentionally many times, but so do us to them. another example; when a friend step on your feet and hurt it much, when they say sorry usually your response would be like ‘aww..! yeah it’s hurt, but it’s okay’ or you can add any sentence that politely shows you’re fine, and please-don’t-feel-too-guilty because it’s not that we’d die. but IF our sibling does the same thing, most likely the words that will spread out from us would be like ‘AW! don’t you have eyes? it’s hurting, you know??’ something like that. see the difference?

It’s because we expect them to understand our flaws, and vice versa. yet we still need to remember it’s not a kinda healthy relationship to build between your family members. at least it’s not the kind i like to have.

Christmas, more than just the snow, trees, and carols, are the best reminder for us to show and practice our love capability. it’s the season to reconnect the broken links, the season to forgive and be forgiven, the time to be jolly.

I wish I could experience a white Christmas sometimes (well, it’s about the classic ambiance I can’t feel around here in tropical country), and Hopefully I would have a Merry Christmas day in Soroako.

xoxo