Minister Of Religion: Merry Christmas And Sharing Love With Simplicity

Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (doc. Public Relations Ministry of Religion)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas wishes all Christians in Indonesia a Merry Christmas. He did not close his eyes if the COVID-19 pandemic made all warnings of religious communities carried out with simplicity.

"Celebrate Christmas with simplicity and continue to share love with others," said Yaqut as quoted in a press release from the Ministry of Religion, Thursday, December 24.

He hopes that the joy of Christmas will accompany Christians and be able to inspire enthusiasm for a life of peace and harmony.

The Minister of Religion stated that the most important thing in the Christmas celebration is the awareness of Christians to be closer to the Almighty as the giver of life.

"The Christmas celebration is essentially a momentum for Christians to raise awareness that God has given the gift of salvation to mankind. This needs to be reflected through acts of kindness, simplicity, concern for the weak and love for others," he said.

He also hopes that religious leaders and Christians will become pioneers of unifying the nation and become partners with the government in solving various problems in order to create a better Indonesia.

"Religious leaders need to build social harmony and national unity in the form of efforts to encourage and direct all religious communities to live harmoniously within a theological frame that teaches togetherness and tolerance," he said.

The Minister of Religion also reminded citizens to comply with health protocols and government orders during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.