Indonesia
This is election year in Indonesia, the world’s third largest democracy. The election results could have worldwide significance for the relations between Muslims and Christians. It has been over ten years since the “people power” revolution. Since then, Indonesia has made slow but substantial progress toward recovery of political, economic, and social stability.
Three major factors hamper Indonesia’s recovery: an ecological crisis linked to natural disasters, chronic corruption, and rapid growth of Islamic fundamentalism. In all previous elections “harsh” Islamic political parties have done poorly. However, their influence has grown dramatically, and this year’s elections will demonstrate just how much political influence they wield. Indonesia has more than 20 million Christians, most of whom are Presbyterian. Mission co-worker Bernard Adeney-Risakotta writes about how the church in Indonesia is responding to these challenges.
“With help from the PC(USA), the Indonesian church provides aid to the survivors of natural disasters in many parts of the country. A recent book edited by PC(USA) co-worker FarsijanaAdeney-Risakotta, titled Women and Disaster, was written by women who survived the Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006. Muslim and Christian women worked together creatively to love mercy in ways not duplicated by international aid organizations or the government.
“Indonesians are grateful for almost daily news of powerful figures brought to trial for corruption. Christians are involved in the struggle, not just against governmental corruption, but also against corruption within the churches. Recently, the theology faculty at Duta Wacana Christian University (DWCU) in Yogyakarta heard about a sister seminary on a poor island, where the theology faculty members had not received their meager salaries for several months.
The DWCU faculty voted to have their own modest salaries reduced for a few months in order to do justice and help out their colleagues who were in crisis.”
PC(USA) People in Mission
Duta Wacana University: Dr. Bernard Adeney-Risakotta, professor of ethics,
Dr. FarsijanaAdeney-Risakotta, senior researcher
Rev. Dr. Rebecca Young, instructor of systematic theology, Jakarta Theological Seminary/Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Angela Gowdy, GAMC
Helena Grabowski, GAMC
Dear Lord, thank you for the diversity of Indonesia. Please give Indonesians courage to oppose the destruction of their rich environment, wisdom to change structures that encourage corruption, and Christians and Muslims hope to live peacefully with their neighbors. Amen.
Ps. 98, 146 Ps. 66, 116
Dan. 2:1–16
1 John 2:1–11; John 17:12–19
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