BEYOND EDINBURGH AND AMSTERDAM: An Indonesian perspective
By Josef Purnama Widyatmadja
In 2010, the community of ecumenical churches will celebrate centennial celebration of Mission conference in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. In addition, in 2010, the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (CCI/PGI) will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the establishing of the National Council of Indonesia. To celebrate the anniversary is a moment to reflect and review the past.
History is a story of winner not the victim. History seems totally different to her story or people’ story. History is being used to legitimize the power and to create liar story. In this context to celebrate the anniversary of historical event should be a moment to tell the truth of story from the perspective of victim and losers not from the paradigm of the oppressor. What is the motive behind the Edinburgh conference 1910? What is behind the centennial celebration? Who hold the power during the conference? What does the meaning of Edinburgh conference to us today?
Looking at history from the perspective of the poor
The ongoing activities celebrate the centennial of Edinburgh has given reaction and critique from the people in the Third World. It is similar to the celebration of five hundreds years the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1992. Is it true that Columbus had discovered America five hundred years ago? Or the local people discovered Columbus when they shored the new lands? Is it true Columbus the first man had landed in Western hemisphere? What was impact after the landing of Columbus? Gavin Menzies ( 2002) , former English submarine captain, the author of book on “ 1421 China Discovered the World “ wrote that the expedition of admiral Chenghe from Ming Dynasty ( China ) had landed Latin America more than fifty years earlier before Columbus voyage reached America. The expedition of Admiral Cheng He is far bigger than Columbus. Cheng He expedition consisted of 27.000 sailors whereas Columbus had only 300 people. In addition, in his book on “ 1434 The year a magnificent Chinese fleet sailed to Italy and ignited the renaissance,” Gavin Menzies ( 2008) argued that in sailing to the West hemisphere Columbus had used the map that originally came from China (Menzies 2008: 128). Furthermore Menzies says: “How do you discover a place where you already have a map?”
How do churches see the landing of Columbus in Western hemisphere? Pope Alexander VI mentioned Columbus as following: “our beloved son because he had opened the door to the evangelization of millions who then were deprived of the Light of World”. John Harden S.J (2003) in his writing on “Five hundreds years since Columbus: Lesson of the Church history” wrote as following: “How are we privileged? We are able to learn from the past half millennium that God has special designs for us to Catholics in our day. What are these designs? They are nothing less than the purpose that God had in sending Columbus to pagan America... It was to bring Christ and His teaching, to bring the Church and her sacraments to the polytheists who had never even heard the names of Jesus and Mary.”
Christian crusade to pagans is the beginning of suffering and pain of Native American after the voyage of Columbus. The applaud to the voyage of Columbus in Western hemisphere is in contradiction with the aspiration of the victims among Native American. It is the beginning of conquest, massacre, occupation of lands on behalf of Gospel, evangelization and promising lands to God’s people.
Edinburgh Mission Conference 2010
The first mission conference was held in Edinburgh in 1910. This mission conference was conducted with the opening address by President of USA and the Queen of England. There were 17 delegates from Asia and Africa, out of the 400 hundreds delegate from mission agencies. The conference ignored the issue of suffering people in Asia Africa and the Pacific. In addition, they did not discuss the issue of colonialism, racial discrimination and the right to be free. In this regards A.A. Azaria from India spoke up to demand justice from the conference and gave the critique to the behavior and policy of mission agencies (Potter 1980: 49). The mission agencies treated the younger churches as their infant babies who must obey their parents. The language of Edinburgh conference is full of militaristic spirit such as mentioning Christian missionary in the colonized countries as Christian soldiers and forces. This crusade policy had created antagonism to inter- religious relation. The discussion on Edinburgh focused on the cooperation among mission enterprises in the colonized countries.
Nationalism and ecumenism in Indonesia
The history of ecumenical movement in Indonesia is side by side with the growing of nationalism movement. In 1948, for the first time, the Christian leaders from Indonesia participated in the establishment of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam. During that time, Indonesians were still under the liberation war against the Dutch colonialists. The status of Indonesian delegates in Amsterdam 1948 was questioned by the delegates from the Dutch churches. The position of Indonesian delegates in Amsterdam defended the right of Indonesian people to free themselves from colonialism. During the liberation war from 1945 – 1949, many Christians in Indonesia took side with the people in their struggle for independence. Being ecumenical and Christian does not mean following their colonial masters. Being ecumenical and Christian means to take side with the oppressed for justice. The commitment of Christian leaders from Indonesia throughout the history was to take side with the aspiration of suffering people in their country. In this spirit, the National Council of Churches was founded in 1950. The atmosphere of Cold War brought Indonesian churches to unite to reject both capitalism and communism. Throughout the history, Indonesian churches tried following their own way based on liberating Gospel and Pancasila, The Five Principle (The one God, Humanity, Nationalism, People’s Sovereignty. Social Justice for all). Nationalism and ecumenism is two side of one coin in the life of churches in Indonesia. Nationalism does not mean isolation to international and global community.
In the 21st century, the geo politic and geo ecumenism have changed. The majority of Christians are no longer in the North, but in the South. The raising of Asia and economic power led by China and India should have given the momentum for churches in Asia to become the subject of history in their own country. Moreover churches in Asia should become also the subject of mission in a globalize world. In history, mission came from Asian soil to proclaim the rejection of empire of Cesar of Pax Romana through baptism and Eucharist. Being baptized means to reject the empire of Cesar and obey Jesus the Lord of lords who was crucified in the periphery. Taking part in Eucharist means to reject the greedy market economy and to promote sharing economy. In Eucharist, every one gets the same and equal bread and wine without looking at their economic and caste status. The agenda of centennial celebration of Edinburgh conference should go beyond the agenda of mission conference in 1910. It is time for Asian churches and Asian ambassadors of Christ to and the Empire of empire market will collapse. It is time for Asia to trumpet that crucified people have risen indeed and Thy reign of God has come. It is time to proclaim a just community instead of a greedy market.
Reverend Josef Purnama Widyamadja is the director of the Center for Development and Culture in Surakarta, Indonesia.
He can be reached via email, jwidyamadja@gmail.com
