COMMENT Christmas is here.

What is its implication beyond what the angels declared more than 2,000 years ago: “A Saviour is born to you"?

If we peel away the religious tag and remove inherent prejudices, we may find Jesus a friend and not a foe.

He is the same "yesterday, today and tomorrow", and his words are still relevant in a world lost in materialism, injustice, violence and self-indulgence.

The World Bank recently declared, “In the developing world, corruption is public enemy number one."  

I can hear Malaysians resound with shouts of "we already know!"

Their more important concern is what the developed countries will do about it when it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.

                      

Who gave the world the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08 and an Italian recently told me his country is also corruption-infested and what of Greece that suffered a fiscal collapse?

Who paid the bribes in the Scorpene scandal and which developed country's company bribed Malaysian officials to print their currency notes?

In a place where many Muslims are disturbed by what they see as sinful activities - corruption, crime, prostitution, drug addiction, murder, lying and other social ills, they will find solidarity in Christians who believe that 'righteousness exalts a nation.'

In the pursuit of a more upright society, Christians and Muslims alike, and all conscientious Malaysians of diverse beliefs are in the same boat.

In their temporal world they sink or swim together or they will have to leave the planet. They must cooperate to triumph over evil and subdue the common enemy and not be deceived and instigated in turning on one another.   

They, and even atheists, want integrity in their country's government and country. They share a desire for a moral country and decent governance. They need to find common ground and values for action.

Enter Jesus.

The gift of Christmas

Religions may stumble over one another but the words of Jesus are like salve to a festering sore because they are the panacea to universal strife.  

When people practise what Jesus taught - to 'love your neighbour as yourself' and to forgive those who have sinned against you - peace and goodwill will follow and justice will flow like a river.    

We know it works because we have seen it in the life of Nelson Mandela. We know it works because we have seen Mahatma Gandhi, inspired by Jesus' teaching on non-violence, deliver his country from the yoke of colonialism.   

We have seen how hatred fails and destroys. We have yet to see what the love Jesus taught and demonstrated - 'agape' love which is selfless - can do for Malaysia. “Perfect love casts out fear,” should be emblazoned over our hearts.

Whatever we think of Jesus, we cannot deny the impact of his life on the world that even Muslims claim him as one of their prophets.

But to Christians, Jesus will always be Lord and Saviour whom God gave to the world to save the people from their ignorance and sins.   

But what good is it to call someone Lord but not do what he says? What good is it to say someone is a prophet but neglect his words? Even God must be tired of hearing the prayers of the wicked, but he will answer those whose hearts are pure.

Christians believe God is not only one of compassion but love. And if we love God whom we can’t see but hate our neighbours, God will condemn us as hypocrites. Jesus called the religious leaders ‘white-washed tombs’ and ‘brood of vipers’ so they plotted to have him executed for sedition because they had no other means of seeking his death.  

The gift of Christmas, the gift of love speaks a timely message to a corrupt and torn world. There will be no national unity without the different races reaching outside of their ethnic circles to one another in genuine concern.

The blind and bigoted need deliverance from their bondage to selfishness, greed and arrogance. It was why Sodom and sister city, Gomorrah, were destroyed. They were corrupt and self-indulgent and despised the needs of others, especially the poor.  

Empty slogans and broken promises

The government cannot be an Ebenezer Scrooge or run a cartel of robbing hoods and cause an abrupt tsunami of price and tax hikes to weigh down Malaysian households and battlers. Not when you see the government entourages live it up at their expense.        

Leaders cannot lead by empty slogans and broken promises. A government must not create a false sense of siege and make bogeymen of sorts to deflect scrutiny and criticism of their shortcomings.     

What is happening in Malaysia is not a war between religions or races or between the rakyat and royalty, so I cannot fathom the need for proposed new laws to protect Islam or the royalty.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Umno veteran and former government minister, is right when he says to a supremacist group that “the fault is within not without” .

The enemy of Islam is not outside the gates but within. Those who profess faith but do not exercise it in good deeds and do evil are its worst enemies. Judas hides in every religion. The human heart is deceptive and desperately sick.

If there are to be new laws they should be ones to protect the rakyat, their rights and freedom. After all, are they not most vulnerable to the government's abuse of power and victimisation?

If a government will not protect its citizens then who will? Only laws against the abuse of power offer the rakyat the much-needed safeguards.  

And if there is to be a new law should it not also be to protect the media from selective suspension? The Heat publication is an evident victim of intimidation and unfair victimisation and there is no safeguard against media harassment, as Malaysiakini writers and readers know.

Action to effect change

The late Beatle John Lennon sang 'Happy Christmas - War is Over' many years ago but wars are still raging in many places. Wishful thinking is not the answer because you can't imagine yourself out of life's reality and problems.

But you can take decisive action to effect change. God did and intervened in human history and acted by sending Jesus to do what no one else could - redeem the human race and defeat the devil.  

If we love Malaysia, we will take our stand against our real common enemy - those who promote evil and unwittingly do the will of the Evil One who is the enemy of God and what is good or what some prefer, "the devil we know."

God has given us the freedom to choose to go to Heaven or to Hell before we die. He gives us the same freedom to choose good or bad leaders who can make life on earth ‘Heaven’ or ‘Hell’ for us.

Christmas beyond its spiritual meaning to Christians is also a reminder to all of us that we can overcome evil because God sent Jesus among us 2,000 years ago for that singular purpose - to rout evil and deliver us from its pernicious grip.

We find courage in Jesus’ words to his disciples, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.” We overcome not with evil but love.

 

May good triumph over evil and may God lead Malaysia out of the dark valley of corruption into a lit place of hope where all may live in peace and goodwill and prosper under the leadership of decent and capable men and women.

It is a worthwhile New Year resolution to effect the change needed to defeat evil, and slay the python of corruption.

STEVE OH is author and composer of the novel and musical ‘Tiger King of the Golden Jungle’.