Dear Cross Point Readers,

As we enter the third quarter of 2008, we proudly present to you Cross Point July 2008 edition. Please follow the following link to access our online edition: www.fica.org/crosspoint

Cross Point Publication is an effort initialized in January 2005 by FICA-CSS to provide an avenue to disseminate ideas, reflections, and researches on different aspects of Indonesia’s public sphere. Our hope is to help influence and empower the Indonesian Christians to actively engage in the culture.

In our fifteenth publication thus far since January 2005, we have continued to receive supports from numerous great writers, who have spent a considerable amount of time in research to help address hard issues faced by our fellow brothers and sisters in Indonesia every single day. For the support from our writers and constructive feedback provided by our reviewers, on behalf of FICA-CSS, I would like to extend our gratitude for your contribution.

I would also like to inform you of the new schedule of Cross Point publication. Starting next month, Cross Point will be published monthly with one to two articles emailed to our readers and archived in our website. Hopefully this way we may give you ample time to read and respond as well as discuss the contents of the articles, both in person or through mailing list.

This edition will feature two articles, one sequential perspective, and one interview. The first article entitled “Privatization and Role of Indonesian Christians” is written by Leonard Winardi. In the midst of recent sales of stakes in Indosat from Temasek to Wataniya (Kuwait) there are some debates over the low price set by Indonesian government in original sales of Indosat to Temasek. Leonard further analyzes the issues and goes as far back as the closing of IPTN back in 1997. He then outlines the positive and negative sides of privatization and what Indonesian Christians should do to actively participate in forcing greater transparency from State-Owned Enterprises and to ensure that these SOEs deliver their intended mission. The second article is written by Sadikin Djumin entitled “Incarnation Life”. Through this article, Sadikin encourages us to study the words better and rely on Him more in this life full of temptations that may drive our walk stray off of His paths. In the Perspective section, Kie-Eng Go continues his series of “Created in the Image of God” with a note on “Let’s Walk the Streets”. Kie-Eng reminds us of the importance of studying God’s word more closely in order to shun the popular theology and neglect or become less effective in bringing impacts to our culture. The last article is an interview with Reverend Albertus Patty, a pastor in Indonesia, who is actively involved in inter-religion relationship by Leo Rusli and me.

Lastly, we would like to invite our readers to submit your writings or provide suggestions to improve Cross Point Publication, by contacting us at crosspoint@fica.org. The next edition will be published around mid August 2008.

In Him,

Nathanael Sutanto
Cross Point Editor