Eco-Theololgy : GETI WCC

 ECO-THEOLOGY:

A Reflection on Environmental Issues in Indonesia

Rev. T. Adama Antonius Sihite

 Bukan lautan hanya kolam susu kail dan jalan cukup menghidupimu Tiada badai tiada topan kau temui Ikan dan udang menghampiri dirimuBukan lautan hanya kolam susu kail dan jala cukup menghidupmuTiada badai tiada topan kau temui ikan dan udang menghampiri dirimuOrang bilang tanah kita tanah surga; tongkat kayu dan batu jadi tanamanOrang bilang tanah kita tanah surga; tongkat kayu dan batu jadi tanaman(Koes Plus, “Kolam Susu”)[1]

I. Introduction

            Koes Plus’ description about Indonesia nature and ecosystem is so beautiful. But in the same time people in Indonesia start to face totally different situations. Now, people have to face mass destruction of nature in the name of economy growth and development.

For last 40 years, for instance, Papua’s ecosystem has been being destroyed by huge scale copper and gold mining by Freeport, a big mining corporation from USA.[2] Or mass scale of conversion of rain forest in Kalimantan to palm oil plantations.[3] Destruction of a lot of rain forests in Indonesia cause many disasters. Many people suffer because disasters like flood and landslides when there is a rainy season and, and droughts when there is dry season.

Actually there are others environmental issues that faced by people in Indonesia. There are a possibility of forest fire when dry season, sea water intrusion which cause lack of fresh water, industrial air pollutions, industrial waste pollutions, etc. Those situations should be alert people including churches to put more their attention to protect the ecology and preserve life by having good reactions to those situations, ethically and practically.

I shall try to describe a very short understanding of eco-theology and elaborate it with an effort for churches in Indonesia dealing with ecology issue here.  Churches should take same responsibilities to preserve nature, together with government and other organizations.

II. Eco-theology

            . It is so important to deal with ecology issues now because we face a mass scale of ecology destruction. As a Christian we try to see it through eco-theology. This is different approach to read the Bible with “eco-friendly” understanding. It is important because somehow ecology problems occurred because of how people understand their tasks in this world.

            There are opinions about ecology problems: (1) Human understanding to nature was wrong. Religions support this kind of idea. Lynn White said that the root of ecological crisis came from monotheistic religions which are Judaism, Christian and Judaism, which is anthropocentrism.[4] There is an assumption that this world was created for human being. God created everything and human beings are a center of creation or even the crown of creation. Human beings are not only a center of creation but also put in the highest position among other creations. It is because human beings are made in God’s image that makes human beings have “rights” to dominate other creations. God planned all creations only for human beings’ benefits.

This anthropocentrism comes out from how people interpret Genesis 1.28 that used to legitimate human beings’ domination over other creations. (2). Human’s negative behavior that has tendency to exploit natural resources for their own interest without paying attention to preserve natural resources for the future. Human’s behavior that get influenced by idea of materialism.

            So Lynn White’s idea of the root of our ecological problems provoked eco-theology discourses among religions. It emphasizes relation between human beings and nature should be always in harmony.

Creation story. Eco-theology can be started from how we can understand creation story with different point of view. Now in creation story we have to understand that God created all things orderly and God continuously creates. The most important “event” in story of creation actually is not day 6, but day 7 when God “... rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy …”

When God makes human being in his own image, it does not mean that human being become God. Human beings are “only” image of God that makes human beings are unique. It means that human beings were commanded not to subdue other creations but to preserve and to keep life. Human beings should exercise mandate to preserve and to keep life under God’s covenant. Human beings are only part of world itself (including animals and plants). God blessed not only human beings, but also animals and plants. Human beings practice their mandate by naming all animals. Naming the animal should be seen as a mandate to keep and as prove of relationship. This action is not kingship action but more kinship between humans and other creations.

            Soil or lands. Humans should understand that God as Creator own all. Land is the place where people are called to praise God and to obey God. God gives the land to humans. And because it is a gift, humans have to be aware when using it. When humans use lands, it should not be seen as object but as gifts (see Gen. 17.8) from God. Soils and humans have a close relationship. God created Adam from Adamah, or dust / soil, so humans come from soil. Animals also come from dust / soil, that means has “relation” with humans. But also in the same time prove to humans that human beings are nothing then dust.

            Noah’s story. We can find that some interesting information. First from story of Noah, we can read about God’s covenant to Noah after the flood.[5] If we read again Genesis 9 carefully we can find that God make first covenant not only with humans but also animals (and off course plants).[6] Second is about the sign that God use for God’s covenant with humans and other creations. It said in the bible that I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Again we can see that the covenant is between God and the earth not only with human beings. NIV uses the word rainbow as God’s sign. Actually it is better to use the word bow (as a translation of Hebrew word “Qesheth”).[7] With this translation (bow) we can have understanding that God is God fully of grace. God saved Noah and his family and told Noah to save animals and put them into the ark. But God gives warning to humans not to evil in this world that God created. So bow as a sign of God’s covenant with the earth also give us strong impression not to do evil in this earth, and also to the earth. This translation and understanding is stronger and clearer than using “rainbow” as a translation from word “qesheth”. 

III. Indonesia Church and Its Challenge on Ecology

            With more than 17.000 islands, Indonesia is always a beautiful archipelago. With its riches of natural resources, Indonesia could provide more than enough people’s needs. But today, maybe like other Asian countries, Indonesia has to face ecology problems such as mining, deforestation, water pollutions, air pollutions, land, especially paddy fields, conversion to industrial areas or elite resident areas, lands conversion to become palm oil and sugar cane plantation[8]. Many of ecology problems in Indonesia are caused by multinational corporations, particularly mining and logging companies. These are challenges for churches in Indonesia and chances in the same time.

            Ecology issues should be a part of churches ministries and struggles because until now there are not many churches have enough attention to ecology issue. Usually churches in Indonesia are so busy thinking about themselves and the salvation of souls, just like Ludwig Feurbach said, “Nature, the world, has no value, no interest for Christians. The Christian thinks of himself and the salvation of his soul.”

Churches have to do something in term of ecological concern. Perhaps churches cannot do big ecological movement in their programs. For example as one little parish with less than 200 people, definitely might not do one program against big multinationals corporation like Freeport.   But it does not mean that church stop to do something solving ecology problems in Indonesia society. Churches’ concern to ecology problems can be realized through simple local church program like how to save energy in our own house by turning lamps of during day light, or ask church members to use public transportations than their own vehicles, or begin to stop using paper cup and change to ordinary tea cup made of porcelain, or start to plant trees in our yard and church yard, or start using organic vegetables and many things. Off course churches in Indonesia as a whole can do bigger and stronger ecology movements, even can make a strong pressure to government to have more concern to ecology.

Churches in Indonesia also can see ecology problems in Indonesia as a chance to have open inter-religious dialogue with other religion especially with Muslim. As a biggest Muslim country in the world, Indonesia encounters many problems regarding inter-religious relationship. Churches in Indonesia can work together with Muslim groups that have same interest trying to solve ecology problems in Indonesia. Even Churches in Indonesia have to face hardliner Muslim groups and suffer from their acts closing down many church buildings, still churches in Indonesia cannot stop to try build inter-religious dialogue with other Muslim groups and other inter-religious groups from Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Ahmadiyya etc.

Last, churches in Indonesia also need to learn from local wisdom from many indigenous groups in many places in Indonesia. Like local wisdom called Hamemayu Hayuning Bawana (from Java), Tri Hati Karana (from Bali), Alam Terkembang (from West Sumatra), Sasi (from Maluku), Awig-awig (from Nusa Tenggara),  and Nyabuk Gunung (from West Java).[9] In general, the indigenous people have almost a same understanding about the nature. They have a high respect to nature, high moral responsibility for nature, cosmic solidarity, caring for nature, no harm principles, justice, moral integrity, and have a harmonious and balance life with nature.

---

[1]“Kolam susu” is a famous song sung by Koes Plus, a famous music group in Indonesia during 70’s. This song described the rich of Indonesia ecology. It said that Indonesia’s ecosystem is so rich full with a lot of kind of fishes and animals. The land is so fertile and beautiful just like a paradise. Many plants can grow and produce good crops that can fulfill every people needs that live in that land.

[2] It said that Freeport in their operation already mined about 724.7 million tons. They opened Papua’s rain forest and made 2.4 kilometer diameter hole, or about 499 acres land with 800 meters deep. Except doing a mass scale of destruction to Papua’s rain forest and polluted many rivers they also did human rights violation to Papua’s indigenous people.

[3] Data from Indonesia Government office said that more than 2.83 million acres a year of rain forest in Indonesia lost because of deforestation and convert to palm oil plantations.

[4] Lynn White, The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis, pdf document from http://www.uvm.edu/~gflomenh/ENV-NGO-PA395/articles/Lynn-White.pdf access on October 27, 2013.

[5] NIV use “God’s covenant with Noah” for the flood story.

[6] John Olley, Mixed Blessing for Animals: The Contras of Genesis 9, in Norman C. Habel and Shirley Wurst (eds.), The Earth Story in Genesis, (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000), 130

[7] Indonesia Bible translate the word “Qesheth” with “bow”

[8] Newest ecological issue in Indonesia: government gives permit to open 500.000 acres land in Aru Island in Maluku. If this government’s plan works, it will destroy a habitat for birds like Black Cockatoo, Tree Kangaroo, and Cassowary, also will a good habitat for deer and an amazing mangrove that grows abundantly there, and a place for life for indigenous people.

[9] Rusli, Fikih Ekologi dan Kearifan Tradisional: Tinjauan terhadap Konsep Ilya al-Mawat dan Hilma, in Jurnal Hunafa vol. 5, no. 3 Desember 2008. 287-298