Pujitlah Tuhan Sang Pencipta: Membaca Mazmur 104

Pendahuluan

Salah satu rangkaian kegiatan perayaan HUT ke-85 Gereja Kristen Pasundan adalah penanaman pohon bakau di hutan bakau di sekitar Cirebon. Program ini dimaksudkan untuk melindungi pantai dari erosi dan abrasi air laut, juga untuk melindungi pemukiman penduduk di tepi pantai dari terpaan badai dan angin laut. Manfaat lain dari keberadaan hutan bakau adalah mencegah intrusi (perembesan) air laut, sebagai tempat hidup satwa liar seperti ikan, udang, kepiting, burung dan monyet, sekaligus dapat menjadi tempat edukasi ekologi, serta dapat berfungsi sebagai pencegah proses perubahan iklim yang drastis dengan penyerapan CO2 dari udara.

Tentu saja, program yang dilakukan oleh Gereja Kristen Pasundan ini adalah bagian dari perhatiannya terhadap persoalan-persoalan lingkungan hidup yang ada di sekitarnya. Juga sebagai bagian dari upaya GKP menjadi Gereja bagi sesama dan upaya GKP memenuhi rencana pencapaian yang tertera dalam Rencana Kerja Dasarnya. Harapannya, perhatian GKP terhadap masalah lingkungan hidup tidak berhenti di program penanaman pohon bakau kali ini saja, tetapi juga terus dilakukan dalam berbagai bentuk program lainnya. Bahkan, melaluinya terjadi perubahan perilaku yang semakin ramah terhadap lingkungan.

Mengenal Mazmur 104

Kata “mazmur”[3] atau dalam bahasa Inggris “psalm” dan “psalter” (bahasa Latin “psalmi” dan “psalterium”), bahasa Yunaninya adalah “psalmoi” dan “psalterion”. Rupanya terjemahan-terjemahan ini adalah penerjemahan kata asli yang berbahasa Ibrani yaitu “mizmor”, artinya “lagu atau nyanyian atau kidung rohani yang dimainkan dengan alat musik.”[4] Dalam Alkitab kanon Ibrani, judul dari Mazmur adalah “seper tehilim” atau “buku nyanyian atau pujian” meskipun tidak seluruh mazmur berisi puji-pujian atau nyanyian. Istilah ini adalah nama yang baku, sebab secara umum, Mazmur memiliki tema pujian dan ucapan syukur kepada Tuhan yang muncul berulang-ulang.[5] Alkitab kanon Ibrani sendiri terbagi atas tiga bagian besar, yaitu Hukum (the Law), Para Nabi dan Tulisan-tulisan (the Prophets and the Writings), dan Buku Pujian.[6]

Menurut seorang ahli berkebangsaan Jerman, H. Gunkel, ada lima tipe mazmur, yaitu himne (bahasa Ibrani: tehilla; Mazmur 8, 19a, 29, 33, 46-48, 65, 66a, 76, 84, 87, 93, 95-100, 103-104, 113-114, 117, 122, 134-136 dan 145-150), mazmur ratapan komunal (Mazmur 60, 80, 126), mazmur kerajaan (Mazmur 2, 18, 20, 45, 110), mazmur ratapan pribadi (Mazmur 3-7, 22, 25-28, 51, 54-57, 139-143) dan mazmur ucapan syukur pribadi (Mazmur 30, 32, 34, 41, 116, 138)[7]. Gunkel menambahkan beberapa tipe mazmur lain di luar lima tipe utama di atas, yaitu mazmur yang berbentuk pengucapan syukur komunal (Mazmur 124), mazmur hikmat (Mazmur 1, 112), mazmur penziarahan (Mazmur 37, 49) dan berbentuk liturgi (Mazmur 75, 85).[8] Selain pembagian yang dilakukan Gunkel tersebut, Kitab Mazmur dapat dibagi ke dalam lima bagian yaitu pasal 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106 dan 107-150[9], dan setiap bagian telah meliputi adanya doksologi, dan formulasi liturgis untuk memuji Tuhan (pasal 41:13, 72:18-19, 89:52, 106:48 dan pasal 150).[10]

Sementara itu, Witte melakukan pengelompokan Mazmur berdasarkan dua kelompok besar yaitu kelompok tematik dan kelompok topikal. Kelompok tematik dibagi menjadi mazmur keluhan dan permohonan (Mazmur 3-6, 9-14, 22, 25-28), mazmur syukur dan pujian (Mazmur 135-136, 138, 144-150) dan mazmur YHWH sebagai Raja (Mazmur 29, 47, 92-99). Sedangkan mazmur topikal dibagi menjadi mazmur penitensi atau penyesalan dosa (Mazmur 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143), mazmur pembuangan (Mazmur 44, 74, 79, 126, 137), mazmur historis (Mazmur 77-78, 105-106, 114), mazmur Kerajaan (Mazmur 2, 18, 20-21, 45, 68, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144), mazmur balas dendam (Mazmur 69, 109, 137), mazmur penciptaan (Mazmur 8, 29, 104), mazmur Taurat (Mazmur 1, 19, 119), mazmur hikmat (Mazmur 37, 49, 73), mazmur Sion (Mazmur 46, 48, 76, 84, 87) dan mazmur Haleluya (Mazmur 113-118, 135-136, 146-150).[11]

Lima Belas Tahun Penyertaan-Nya

Minggu 23 Maret 2014, beberapa menit sebelum hari berakhir.

Lima belas tahun yang lalu peristiwa penting itu terjadi. Setelah satu tahun setengah masa vikariat di jemaat GKP Cikembar, kebaktian penahbisanku ke dalam jabatan pelayanan sebagai pendeta di Gereja Kristen Pasundan dilaksanakan. Hari ini, Senin 23 Maret 1999 jam 3 sore kebaktian penahbisan pun dimulai. Pdt. Krisna L. Suryadi, selaku ketua Majelis Sinode GKP, melayani kebaktian penahbisan yang juga dihadiri oleh kurang lebih 30 orang pendeta Gereja Kristen Pasundan dan pendeta dari gereja mitra jemaat di sekitar kota Sukabumi.

Penumpangan tangan para pendeta atasku yang berlutut bersimpuh menjadi sebuah simbol, Allah Bapa sendiri menumpangkan tangan atasku yang menyambut panggilan-Nya yang suci untuk menjadi pendeta di Gereja Kristen Pasundan. Masih teringat kata-kata Pdt. Krisna melafalkan rumusan penahbisan itu, "untuk jabatan yang suci ini, tidak ada seorangpun yang layak..." Hatiku bergetar, "Betul Tuhan, aku tidak layak untuk ini tapi Engkau memanggilku untuk melayani-Mu. Tapiku percaya, bila Engkau memanggil, Engkau jugalah yang menyertai memampukan dan memperlengkapi." Karena itu pulalah dengan yakin aku menyambut, "Ya, saya bersedia dan berjanji".

Kim-Cragg, HyeRan. Story and Song : A Postcolonial Interplay Between Christian Education And Worship, New York : Peter Lang, 2012., Chapter 1 and 5

Chapter 1

Christian Formation through the Story

Undoubtely one of the means to shape our Christian faith is through reading The Scripture as foundation in Christian formation. The Scripture is a story and look likes a talking book. Through The Scripture we can see God’s people’s experiences living in faith to God, a story of knowing God’s actions in their life, a story of how they obey God’s will, a story of how they found their source of hope through their trouble and pain. The Scripture is more than a book of knowledge but a book that share experience being with God in life.

Unfortunately we are still influenced by white western theology and hermeneutics to read The Scripture as a cognitive book. As Asian, we have to understand The Scripture as “a telling and hearing” of story from God’s people who has experience with God. So we have to liberate our self from that influences (as a postcolonial bible approach). We do such our own new hermeneutic and connect it with our daily experience in our context (marginalized, life with people with different faith, more inclusive than exclusive). Because as Asian, we also have a some tradition with The Scripture, oral tradition – a telling and hearing story. So we can make connection between our stories with stories in The Scripture, and find how God did acted in our life. It is also important to have a vernacular hermeneutics as one of the postcolonial biblical interpretation.

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.

Smokey Mountain

REPORT AND REFLECTION

On Smokey Mountain II visit

Smokey Mountain dumpsite is located in Tondo, Manila nead the north harbor. It was the poorest area in urban Manila. Before Smokey Mountain II there was Smokey Mountain I which was a place for 30.000 dwellers lived. On 1995 the Philippine government became concerned about the bad international image because of Smokey Mountain I and closed it. Once, the slum dwellers were relocated in temporary shelters.  But on 1998, Smokey Mountain II was opened as a dumpsite for metropolitan Manila.

Population in Smokey Mountain II estimated about 1.700 families  and each one has average four children. They are informal settlers from the provinces with little or no education at all. They came from many other places in Philippine, traveled to Manila by boat and landed at the North Harbor. They came without any money. They live in small shanties, too small for core and extended families staying together under one roof.

Their livelihood is scavenging or collecting junk items such as glass and plastic, bottles, scrap metal, wood, plastic bags, rubber items, tires, computer parts, iron, and also making charcoal.  They can earn money about 100-300 PHP / day (or about 2-7 USD). It was reported that not only adult people who working as a scavenger, but also many children from 5 years old doing the same things. There are no public schools and hospitals nearby the dumpsite. They live with limited supply of electricity and clean water. Environment is hot, humid and dusty during dry session, but cold and muddy when it rains. Shanties are easily damaged by tyhoons. Crime rate is high.

Hinduism and Judaism : Ecological Concerns

David Kinsley, Hinduism, Ecology and Religion, (Prentice Hall, 1995), 54-67.

Eric Katz, “Judaism and Ecological Crisis”, in Worldview and Ecology, Philosophy and the Enviromented.by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John A. Grim ed. (Orbis Books, 1994), 55-70

Christopher Key Chaplle, “Hindu Environmentalism: Traditional and Contemporary Resources”, in Worldview and Ecology: Religion, Philosophy, and the Environment ed.by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John A. Grim, 113-123.

A.  What does Judaism say about ecology and environment?

We have to recognize that starting point of Judaism’s point of view about nature, ecology and environment is their acknowledgment that this universe is God’s creation, as a result of God’s creative power. Human should have obedience, as part of humanity, as the servant of God’s creation, and not only to conserve the world of nature, but to enhance it as copartner with God. In Judaism, their worldview about ecology and environment, will be found in a spesific areas of Jewish’s law and practice that concrete in their daily activity, rather than philoshically inside their rules and priciples. Nature is a realms in which humans interact with God, as one of spheres in which God meets humans personally and called them to take responsibility of nature itself.

       Usually we misunderstand the message of Genesis 1:28, esspecially with God’s commands humanity to subdue the earth. Usually human misunderstanding that command as a permission to do exploitation to the nature. The truth, Torah thus limits the human’s right to “subdue” and use nature. This command is not about to unbridled dominon. Humans have permit to do all their a ctivities in earth such as building, agriculture, mining etc but still humans have their limitation. Dominion does not mean unresticted domination. Humans are the steward of the natural world, not its owner. Stewardship’s roles are to take care and maintance the natural world. Humans’ roles are to do conservation to the world and wisely use all natural resources, not for doing domination-destruction or preservation to the nature. Humans can not dominate over all the natural world resources because humans do not have this world. This world and its natural resources belongs to God only. This is a general  theocentric world view that will be expressed in many ways throughout Jewish rituals and practices. Like in sabbatical (both sabbatical year and ordinary weekly sabbatical) and the Jubilee traditions. Traditions that is strongly emphasize the idea of stewarship. Those imposes a strict limit on human activity and achievment. Humanity is no way posesses dominion over that nonhuman world since it does not even possess dominion over its own activities. So stewardship strongly implies notion  of responsibility, for the steward is responsible for the condition of the entities in his care.

Eco-Dialogue

ECO-DIALOGUE:[1]

An Alternative and Transformative Interreligious Dialogue

Between Christianity and Muslim in Indonesia Context

By Rev. T. Adama Antonius[2]

Introduction

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. Indonesia has 17.000 islands located in equator reaching over than 9.800.000 sq.km (four-fifths of Indonesia is water. The land area covers only 1.900.000 sq.km.) From 17.000 islands only 6.000 of the islands have been named and about 931 of them are inhabited.[3] Located in equator makes Indonesia becomes tropical country with two main seasons, dry season and rainy season.

Demographically Indonesia has a lot of diversity related to ethnicity, tradition, ethic languages and also religions. Indonesia has 1.128 ethics groups with 546 ethnic languages spread from Aceh in the West to Papua in the East. With regard to the religious life, Indonesia has all major world religions along with indigenous religions. Indonesia is well known as the biggest Islam population country in the world, from almost 250 million populations, Islam embodies approximately 87% of population. Other religions: Christian is about 9.8% of population (approximately 23 million people), Hindus is about 1,6% of population (about 4 million people), Buddhism is about 0.71% of population (about 1.7 million people) and Confucian is about 0.04% of population (approximately 117.091 people). [4]

Regarding the riches of biodiversity Indonesia has a variety of plants and animals and some of them are endemic. It means some of those animals and plans only exist in Indonesia soil. For instance in animals world, Indonesia has big lizard Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), Babi Rusa (Babyrousa babyrousa), Anoa (Babalus depressicornis), and Maleo bird (Macrocephalon maleo). We can recognize these endemic animals and plans through Wallace line and Webber line that divide Indonesia in three different parts imaginatively. In plant world, Indonesia has Amorphophallus gigas (Giant Bangkai Flower in Sumatra or Sumatra Giant Amorphophallus), Coelogyne pandurata (black orchid in Kalimantan), Gigantochloa manggong (a variety of Bamboo called manggong in Java); etc. All those animals and plants are in the biggest tropical forest in the world with more than 40 million hectares wide in total.

How are about marines life? Indonesia is located between two large oceans, The Pacific Ocean and The India Ocean. Indonesia has the biggest marine areas with 90.000 kilometers shoreline. And deep in Indonesia marine areas there are a lot of kind fishes and marine biotas. It is so rich even fishermen from other countries like Japan comes to Indonesia, legal or illegally to catch a lot fishes.

Beside that Indonesia has a lot of natural resources like crude oil, natural gas, coal, gold, nickels, tin, coppers, and even uranium. Papua, one of the biggest five islands in Indonesia, has the biggest gold and uranium mining with high quality of gold. Kalimantan has one of the biggest coal mining in the world. In Natuna nearby Kalimantan, Indonesia has the biggest gas mining with more than 200 trillion gas reserves.

Listening to Creation Groaning: Reflection and Notes on Creation Theology

Joint World Alliance of Reformed Churches and World Council Of Churches Consultation, Listening to Creation Groaning: Reflection and Notes on Creation Theology, Geneva: John Knox International Reformed Centre, 2004 in Melisande Lorke and Dietrich Werner (eds.), Ecumenical Visions for the 21st Century: A Reader for Theological Education, Geneva: WCC Publication, 2013, 251-259

Creation in the Old and New Testament

Bible describes God as continuously creating (creation continua). God calls creation into life and renew it day by day. So creation is ongoing process. Old Testament does not offer a theory on the origin of the world but invited Israel to respond in faith to the creating power of God. Human beings are unique among other God’s creations. They have mandate to fulfill in creation but in the same time should be recognized as part of the whole creations. Human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. It makes human being as representative of divinity on earth. They became God’s vicarii and should exercise it responsibly. It is interesting to know that human beings were created in the same day with animals, so both share same living space and form a community. Human beings are the responsible stewards or locum tenentess of God on earth. In Genesis 1 there is an ideal picture. Human beings are vegetarians, but after flood story a new order is established. Human beings are allowed to eat meat though God at the same time established covenant with the whole earth. So we can understand that the mandate given to human beings must be exercised under this covenant.

Land is the place where the people are called to give praise to God and to obey God with an undivided heart. Land is a gift from God only because human’s obedience to God. Through disobedience it can and will be lost. When people of Israel pursued God’s pattern, the land would flourish. According the Isaiah there is a direct causal relationship between human environmental exclusion and ecological degradation. Sabbath had implication for the relationship of human being to the rest of creation. Celebrating Sabbath is part of cosmic order. Sabbath and Jubilee both have a deep concern for the restoration of justice among the people and also of the maintenance of the fertility of the soil.

Faith in God the Creator is affirmed in the New Testament. Liberation begins with God’s identification with the world. The offer of salvation is not exclusively addressed to the human beings soul but to the entire being, with soul and body. Through Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection, God overcomes death and people are restored to the true image of God which appeared in Jesus. All creation will be liberated. But now it groans in travail expecting eagerly God’s ultimate intervention. Through Jesus, God gives promise that there will be a new creation. Communion with Christ makes us become new creation as well. This makes us live in hope of final creation of all things. This hope makes us try hard in ecological restoration and struggle against injustice.

Mixed Blessing for Animals: The Contras of Genesis 9

Reading from: Olley, John. Mixed Blessing for Animals: The Contras of Genesis 9, in  Norman C. Habel and Shirley Wurst (eds.), The Earth Story in Genesis, England : Sheffield Academic Press, 2000, p. 130-139

Introduction

When we read flood story, we read about animals in their richness of their variety are included in the occupant of the ark. We can say that this plentiful diversity of animals is seen as good and is to be maintained. It was emphasized by the repeated “kol or all” in Genesis 8:17, 19 (seven times).Yet the first reference to animal in Genesis 9 is to “the fear and dread” of Noah and his descendants (9:2). So we can see there is difference between Genesis 8 and Genesis 9. In Genesis 8 we can see there is comprehensiveness between humans and animals, while in Genesis 9 the sole beneficiary is humankind. The question is does animals only simply become as human food supply and ruthlessly treated by humans? And also a question about does animals and humans seem to have accountability?

When we read Genesis 9 we get surprising information. The first covenant involves not only Noah but also every living creature. (9:10. 12, 15, 16, 17). It simply described as between God and “the earth” (Gen. 9:13). Next question is how can we understand this chapter - this juxtaposition between humankind and every living creature? Meanwhile, in the other hand, people still hard to except that animals can be recognized as “covenant partners with Yahwe”.

Genesis 9

Reading from: Olley, John. Mixed Blessing for Animals: The Contras of Genesis 9, in  Norman C. Habel and Shirley Wurst (eds.), The Earth Story in Genesis, England : Sheffield Academic Press, 2000, p. 130-139

Introduction

When we read flood story, we read about animals in their richness of their variety are included in the occupant of the ark. We can say that this plentiful diversity of animals is seen as good and is to be maintained. It was emphasized by the repeated “kol or all” in Genesis 8:17, 19 (seven times).Yet the first reference to animal in Genesis 9 is to “the fear and dread” of Noah and his descendants (9:2). So we can see there is difference between Genesis 8 and Genesis 9. In Genesis 8 we can see there is comprehensiveness between humans and animals, while in Genesis 9 the sole beneficiary is humankind. The question is does animals only simply become as human food supply and ruthlessly treated by humans? And also a question about does animals and humans seem to have accountability?

When we read Genesis 9 we get surprising information. The first covenant involves not only Noah but also every living creature. (9:10. 12, 15, 16, 17). It simply described as between God and “the earth” (Gen. 9:13). Next question is how can we understand this chapter - this juxtaposition between humankind and every living creature? Meanwhile, in the other hand, people still hard to except that animals can be recognized as “covenant partners with Yahwe”.

Animals – A Contrast to Near Eastern Parallels

The author explain that we can get helpful information and context provided by other ancient Near Eastern material, especially that known as flood narrative. (1) Atrahasis said that both domestic and wild creatures are explicitly included in flood narrative; (2) Epic of Gilgamesh has a reference that is in the command, “Aboard that ship take thou wild creature of the field … I made go aboard” (instead of only sent out birds); (3) Eridu Genesis: inside Eridu Genesis, Ziusdra is made “preserver, as king, of the name of the small animals and the seed of humankind.” So it means that the amount of attention given to animals after the flood is intentional, not only because animals were in the ark.

Psalm 104

Praising God as Creator with Psalm 104:

Reading Psalm 104 for Church Ecological Ministry [1]

Rev. T. Adama A. Sihite[2]

Introduction

The word ‘psalm’ and ‘psalter’ are from the Latin ‘psalmi’ and ‘psalterium’ which are derived from the Greek psalmoi and psaltẽrion. Apparently this translation translates the Hebrew word ‘mizmor’ which is usually taken to mean “a religious song accompanied by stringed instrument(s)’[3] In the Hebrew Bible the title of the Book of Psalms is sẽper t^ehilίm or the book of praise although not all psalms are praises. This term is a fitting name for the Psalter as whole because the theme of praise and thanksgiving recurs again and again.[4] The Hebrew Bible is divided into three parts: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. The Book of Psalms belongs to the Writing.[5]

According to German scholar, H. Gunkel, there are five types of psalms: hymns (Heb. t^ehillά. Psalm 8, 19a, 29, 33, 46-48, 65, 66a, 76, 84, 87, 93, 95-100, 103-104, 11, 113-114, 117, 122, 134-136 and 145-150), communal laments (Psalms 60, 80, 126), royal psalms (Psalms 2, 18, 20, 45, 110, 110), individual laments (Psalms 3-7, 22, 25-28, 51, 54-57, 139-143) and individual thanksgiving (Psalms 30, 32, 34, 41, 116 and 138).[6]  And in addition to these five major types, Gunkel also recognized the existence of a number of other types. These include the communal thanksgiving (Psalm 124), the wisdom psalms (Psalms 1, 112), the pilgrimage psalms (Psalms 37, 49), and liturgies (Psalms 75, 85).[7]

We can divide all the psalms into five books (Psalm 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150) and each of those books concludes with a doxology, a liturgical formula of praise to God (Psalm 41:13, 72:18-19, 89:52, 106:48, and 150).[8]

Form / Structure / Setting

One of the types of psalm is hymns or the psalm of praise. Actually almost all the hymns are in the last third of the Psalter. They are post-exilic (but not Psalm 104), while many of other psalms (though not all) in the first two-thirds of the Psalter are pre-exilic.[9] These psalms are called as hymns or psalms of praise because they relate to Yahweh’s greatness and goodness as manifested on two main ideas: God’s creation of the universe and God’s gracious acts in the history of Israel.[10] Some of those psalms centre on the theme of creation or Yahweh’s lordship over nature. We can find this in Psalm 19a, 29 and 104.

Although not all of them have the same structure, some of them have the following threefold form:

1.      Introduced call a praise

2.      The main part of the psalm: motivation for the praise (often introduced by kί or ‘for’)

3.      Final repetition of the call to praise

The shorter psalm in the Psalter, Psalm 117, illustrates this simple structure in the briefest possible way:[11]

1          Praise the Lord, all nations!

            Extol him, all peoples!

2a-b     For great is his steadfast love toward us;

            and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.

2c        Praise the Lord!

Elizabeth G. Ferris. Women as Peacemaker in Women, Violence and Nonviolent Change. Aruna Gnanadason, Musimbi R., A. Kanyoro and Lucia Ann McSpadden (eds.). Geneva : WCC, 2005

New words or concepts 

Words   :           war-mongering men (p 6), reprisal (p 9),  inextricably (p 9), endeavours (p 14)

Concepts :         men tend to have “ethic of justice” and women tend to have “ethic of care”.

It said that women tend to be more “peace-loving” than men. It is because women always

consider having a maternal thinking, and being seen as a peace maker. These ideas came from the facts that women are giving birth, nursing babies, as care-givers responsible for children and family, as life giver, feeding their family, doing kin works, teaching the very young, tending the frail elderly, nuturing, building relationships, resolving conflicts within families, and reconsiling differences within families. So it is said that women are prone to be non-violence person. However, although it said that it is not institutionalized, there have always been violent women but it seems very rare cases. As a peace-makers, women that acknowledged from their maternal thinking can organize movements on issues of peace such as on issues of economic survival, nationalist or racial/etnics issues, humanistic and nurturing and women’s rights.

Discussions and concerns to domestic violence (particularly when violence took place against women) are as important as to violence against women during war time.

Women can be as peacemaker and can make significant changes within their social context. Although usually in general, women’s role in community group such as churches being recognized as volunteers or charitable actions, women can do more. Women’s works for peace can be recognized in doing some actions concerning human life issues (especially for children, for themselves and other women), in using nonviolent techniques, acts and strategies to make and maintaining peaceful life, also for their rights. Women can do more like organizing nonviolent movement to get their rights, or in political struggle in their nation, struggle in environmental issues, etc.

T.T Hobbs, “Old Testament Warfare and New Testament Insight.” In item: A Time For War : A Study of Warfare in the Old Testament (Wilmington, Delaware : Michael Glazier, 1989), 208-233

T.T Hobbs, “Old Testament Warfare and New Testament Insight.”  In item: A Time For War : A Study of  Warfare in the Old Testament (Wilmington, Delaware : Michael Glazier, 1989), 208-233

Introduction

            The author start with a sketch of basic problem of warfare in OT from a Christian perspective and try to see it in propoer historical perspective. It is necessary because when people read the bible,  they already have pre-suppositions and prejudies. People ignore or even avoid the historical dimension of warfare, and read it in another concept. People try to spiritualise the words used in term of warfare like victory, deliverance and salvation which already war-words.

Anachronism

This is a common approach called History of Ideas. Facts about the past are not sought out and examined in their own context, but used to illustrate ideas which have come about in quite different circumstances and for very different reasons. They are forced to answer questions which are imposed on, and often alien to the literature itself, or it is a drawn into a historical scheme which is more propagandistic than historical. Also it can make bible reader being misguided when reading the OT’s texts.

The commandment “do not kill” which is used in dicussion of two topics : capital punishment and in connection with warfare. In the first case, since the bible prohibits killing of another, then capital punishment is wrong since killing of another is prohibitted. The pinalty for breaking that law must be exacted, though not all cases in the bible has a death pinalty as a punishment.  For the opponents of capital punishment, to use the text in this way is a misuse of the text. In this context, this text does not refer to offically imposed penalties, and in the same collection of law, the death penalty is invoked frequently.  When we examine the law on murder in OT, the issue become more complicated. The law is changed, on occasion, to accomodate different social circumstances. What T. T Hobbs wanted to say is the issue is extremely complicated, and to use the text simply as prop for one’s own disposition and attitude, is an abuse of the text.

Understanding obout modern warfare. The Hebrew word used in ten commandement  is ratsach. One of Hebrew words that applied to the murder of a fellow Israelite. The law applies to internal relationship between Israelites  as a closely bonded community, at a time when there was no war. So when there was a war, different law would be executed. When there was a war, it seems killing was accepted and even encouraged. People will treat others specially enemies less than human.  

About the ideas of peace in OT. There was no such modern understanding about peace can be found in OT. There was no term pacisifm can be found in OT. The propethic criticism of the monarchy is understood as a criticism of warfare. The prophets see warfare simply  as a tool of judgment on Israel and Judah, also on the enemies of Israel and Judah in the oracles against the foreign nations. What the prophets object wWarfare as a tool of imperial expansion but as a misuse of power. often said as a Yahweh’s war that interpreted as wars fougth miraculously by Yahweh. 

Theological Discussion on Religious Violence in Indonesia

“No peace among the nations without peace the religions; No peace among religions without dialog between the religions; No dialogue between religions without investigating the foundation of the religions”

(Hans Kung)

1.       Our Story

“On March 21, 2013 in Bekasi, a city near Capital City Jakarta, local government used excavator to demolish church building owned by Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP). The reason that used by local authority was because HKBP Setu did not have official permission letter from authority and permission from their neighbor to build their church building. One of militant and fundamentalist Muslim organization, FUI or Forum Umat Islam, strongly resisted church’s plan to build church building. While excavator demolishing church building many people gathered and they were shouting the verses from Holy Quran. They were shouting “Allahhu Akbar, Allahu Akbar” (means God is the Greatest)”

Indonesia is the biggest Muslim population country in the world with more than 85% of 300 million people. From the beginning there was a peaceful inter-religious and inter-faith relationship. But it happened perhaps because our past government used strongly power to oppress people and their freedom to express them self in term of national stability, and also in term of our unity above our diversity. After we have more so called democracy after 1998, almost at the same time, there was a rising of some fundamental Muslim groups. 

Since Yudhoyono became The President (since December 2004), there are significant assaults against minority in Indonesia (Ahmadiyah, Christian, Syiah and others). There are significant rising violence against religion minorities in Indonesia. There is a valid data said there are 430 churches being attacked, burned, closed down or demolished. And until now, Yudhoyono and his administration do not do anything significant to this condition. Even Yudhoyono just kept silent.

2.       Theological Discussion

Generally it said that the theological roots of religious conflict started from religion itself. It started from how believers understood their Holy Scripture as the Only One Truth and the only source of righteousness.  Also from how believers specified several factors: (1) Their Holy Scripture consistently contained The Only Truth without any error at all; (2) Their Holy Scripture and also their religion / belief as final tenet and did not need any truth from other religions / beliefs. (3) They convinced that their religion is the only way to salvation, enlightenment or deliverance. (4) They believed that the whole truth originally came from God without any human effort and intervention.

Still I feel that within believers in every religion in Indonesia, especially Christian and Muslim talk about who is better and who is belong to heaven in negative expression. Using  verse from Holy Scripture (The Bible and The Quran), people attack each other with the idea about who belong s to heave and who belongs to hell, or to legitimate their violence actions against other believers. 

Of course this situation is not an ideal situation for building a sustainable peace and harmony in every society levels. Fact this situation becomes threat to our not only stability but threat to our unity as a nation which build from diverse ethnic s and religions background.

But there is a good tendency within people. There is awareness about how important to preserve peace and unity as a nation. Now days, there are many inter-religion and inter-faith forum and movements which have an incredible efforts about building peace.  There are many ecumenical forums movements within the churches as a body of Christ who being called to be neighbor for every people. 

Summary on Reading of “Niebuhr and Christian Pacifism (Yoder)

Niebuhr’s theology is about questioning to whom we bring our peace witness and how to bring down the “impracticable” teaching of Jesus. His theology is anthropology with interest in man and man’s predicament.  Man’s goodness and his sin can be seen positive and negative values of his entanglement in the natural and historical world. Niebuhr’s starting point is a modern analysis of human nature and predicament, and seeing God as personification of the good and of the possibilities of pardon and transcendence.

Human is finite, ignorant, subject to external causes and understandable as an interplay of given factor. Human also is transcendence in being self-conscious and aware to own limits. This tension becomes problem of ethics. Christian doctrine tries to adequate justice to both poles. Sin can be seen and understood as human’s effort to relax its tension.  

Pacifism contention in the political area is a state should renounce the use of war as an instrument of national policy. Christian pacifism said that when a nation makes war, Christian should refuse to participate in the killing. Niebuhr does not grasp this idea. For Christian, the distinction between pacifism and a political policy is and ethical principle. Niebuhr accepts fully the belief in NT. Jesus reveals the absolute normative law of love of the Kingdom of God as final and authoritative revelation for ethic. For Niebuhr, love is like in the Sermon on the Mount, or as a self-giving, non-retaliating, non-calculating gracious love of God to sinner.  He does not agree with people who justify violence on the basis of the Gospel. Love of the Gospel’s ethic is not proposed as an effective social policy. We are sinner and have a tension to do or practice such kind of love. We have tension between simple possibility and the impossible possibility. For Christian our norm is the absolute love of Christ, but never be a simple possibility. Love is the law of life. Love is a principle of indiscriminate criticism that revealing human’s selfishness and rendering a great service to ethics, by making self-righteousness.

Power and Violence against Women” and “Conclusion: The Call to Reconciliation” in The Cry of Tamar: Violence against Women and the Church’s Response

Pamela Cooper-White, ch1 “Power and Violence against Women” and “Conclusion: The Call to Reconciliation” in The Cry of Tamar: Violence against Women and the Church’s Response

There are word and concept new for me :  a word “Poignant” (p.18)  and a concept of “Rape is power, not sex” (p.18)

The author talks about violence against women, and points that the roots of violence happened within women are caused by annihilation of connectivity of human relationship. It happens when in their relationship people want to take control of others and when there is no more relationship between people. People see other people only as an object of them (I-it relationship) and not see others as subject who share same humanity (I-thou relationship). Also point that power (to do and to be) in human is being as cause of violence against women.  It happens when people misuses their power to do and to be to oppress others, especially women. So they use their power to do and to be as a power-over others. It should be used as a power-within and power-with, when people share their humanity in I-Thou-We relationship.

I agree with the author when  she used Buber’s I-Thou dialectical philosophy about relationship to explain how important for us to re-image our relationship with one another, and also re-image our God. It is important because how we re-image God has everything to do with how we image our relationship with each other. It is better to reconstruct God’s image not only as God of love and justice, but also God’s image as mother, midwife, or one who enfolds humanity under a warm wing or as a compassionate God.

It is interesting that the text include discussion about power when it talks about violence against women.  The text helps us to understand that power to do and to be affects how we interact with one another. When the power is being misused (power-over), violence against woman (and also humanity) occur.

Ruth 1:1-22

Sometimes in my place, when we read from Ruth, we put our reading into simple hermeneutic about love. We use the book of Ruth, specially chapter 1:16-18. But now there is a big question about it. Is it correct or not in context to put reading from Ruth on wedding sermon.

The book of Ruth for me can be divided four sections. And for chapter 1, I divide it into several sub section : (1) bethlehemie tragedy in Moab (1:1-5); (2) returning to Judah (1:6-19a); and (3) the arrival in Betlehem (1:19b-22).

This book was named from one of three women’s name who apprear – specially in chapter 1. These women are Naomi, Ruth and Orpah. And only Naomi and Orpah continued apprear in the all narrative of the book. Even for this point, we can say that the book of Ruth itself is a good example of the art of telling a story.
This book opens with an information about famine in the land of Judah, and interesting, closed with the first barley harvest after the famine. And in between, the narrator has worked on the theme of emptiness – fullness, like : Mahlon and Kilion – Kilion and Mahlon (1:2,5 and 4:9); husband and boys – boys husband (1:3 and 1:5); goes and return – return and goes (1:8a and 1:12); kiss and cry – cry and kiss (1:9 and 1:14); Shadday and YHWH – YHWH and Shadday (1:20-21a and 1:21b); These things also show us that the book of Ruth has a rhythmic prose; only in 1:16-17 we can see a poetic form of Ruth.

Isaiah 44:9-20

Reading Report Form : Soares-Probhu, George M. “Laughing at Idols: The Dark Side of Biblical Monotheism (an Indian Reading of Isaiah 44:9-20),” in eds. By Fernando F. Segovia and Mary Ann Tolbert, Reading from this Place: Social Location and Biblical Interpretation in Global Perspective, vol. 2. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995, 109-131

Isaiah 44:9-20 can not be separated from chapter 43:22-44:23. This part of second Isaiah is composed of Yahweh speeches. It’s form like a dialogue between Yahweh and narator. The dialogue is about idol-makers and closed with final hymnic call to praise. This dialogue also contains  accusastions that Israel has directly worship others god rather than worship Yahweh.God recounts his service to Israel, including forgiveness of Israel’s sins (v.25). The purpose of the speech is to prepare the way for the offer of grace that is to follow.[1]  Isaiah 44:9-20 is considered an imitation of legal setting, called a taunting song even a satire against the idols. Like a piece of drama, is provides a kind of comic interlude as two character ridicule those who make and worship idols. The idolators are ridiculed. Not the idol but the worshipers are the object of laughter. They are emptiness, who see nothing and know nothing. They are shamed, less than human (v. 11), a mind decieved.[2] In second Isaiah we can read that If Yahweh is the only God, then the idols of the nations must profit nothing. Idols are nothing because Yahweh is the only God. It reveals second Isaiah’s exclusive monotheism : Yahweh is a truly God, the only God beside whom there is no other.

Psalm 79

Preface

Today in Indonesia, church closing incidents recently are increasing. Those incidents happen parallelly with the increasing number of moslem fundamental and radical movements in Indonesia, specially for this last decade. The number of crime hates also increasing. Some people just can except any differences any more and forget about diversities that Indonesia has as a nation. Specially with this moslem fundamental and radical groups, they just can except Christian as a part of this nation. They just do not like Christian, even they just do not like other moslem groups which have differences ideologies with them.

One of the church closing incidents happened in our church at Dayeuhkolot, about 30 minutes from Bandung, the capitol city for West Java province and at Cisewu – Garut, about 3 hour from Bandung. In short they just came to our church and questioning about permit letter for having worship activities in church building. They did not want to hear any explaination that we gave specially about the permit letter according to one on Indonesia’s law (number 8 and 9 year 2006 which regulate the permission to build any religious building; but moslem fundamental groups only intrepret that law to any religions except moslem).

The moslem fundamental movement in Bandung (called AGAP / BAP) not only forbid all worship activities held in the church, they also seal the church after they ruin and ravage church’s furnitures (in the other congregation of GKP or Pasundan Christian Church, the moslem fundamental group also burnt church’s building with everything inside it, like bibles, furnitures, pulpit, hymn books etc).

When all these incidents happened and took a place among our church members’ life, they felt very afraid, frustrated, felt hopeless and in the same time, angry. They had a question about why this incident happened. Was God angry with them? Did they do anything wrong so God just let all the incidents happened in their life? They had a traumatic experiences after saw how the moslem fundamental group ruin and ravage their church building brutally and also threatened their life.

Eco-Theology - Reflection on GETI class

 ECO-THEOLOGY:

A Reflection on Environmental Issues in Indonesia

Bukan lautan hanya kolam susu kail dan jalan cukup menghidupimu

Tiada badai tiada topan kau temui Ikan dan udang menghampiri dirimu

Bukan lautan hanya kolam susu kail dan jala cukup menghidupmu

Tiada badai tiada topan kau temui ikan dan udang menghampiri dirimu

Orang bilang tanah kita tanah surga; tongkat kayu dan batu jadi tanaman

Orang 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.