Pray with Indonesia, June 4, 2023

Lectionary Selection: Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Prayers for Indonesia

Lord, our God who has created the earth and everything in it, including us humans who are born, grow up, and develop from and in different realities of life. Teach us to understand well what difference means and how to make sense of that difference in and through our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and life practices.

Teach us to be able to appreciate and be grateful for all the differences between us: ethnicity, race, culture, religion, generation, gender, and social status. Make us tools that are able not only to think and hope about the realization of justice but also to practice justice from within our families, our households, our communities, and to the people. May all of us, the people of Indonesia, be able to live in sisterhood and brotherhood and respect one another in love and peace.

We also pray for all preparations for the February 2024 general election. In the midst of hope for Indonesian leaders who have integrity for justice and truth, we sincerely ask for Your help. May Your Holy Spirit always work in everyone who thinks about and tries to fight for this.

We also pray for the issues of crimes against humanity that are currently taking place in Indonesia, such as the problem of human trafficking which is increasingly becoming a humanitarian emergency. Crimes are caused by weak education, poverty, and the weakness of law enforcement.

May God always hear the prayers of the victims and their families and all those who are working and trying to overcome this problem.

Lord, hear our prayer.
In Jesus Christ who is our Unifier, now and forever.
Amen.

Mission Moment from Indonesia

The Institute for Interfaith Dialogue in Indonesia was born in 1991. It was the first interfaith institution in Indonesia that respected and involved all religions and beliefs in Indonesia, not only the six religions that are recognized by the government (Islam, Protestant Christianity, Catholic Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism).

In the current context, there are several things that are our main focus, apart from matters related to the upcoming general election. Namely: a) managing and interpreting differences; b) strengthening lobbying and advocacy networks for Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) issues; c) encouraging and strengthening the enthusiasm of leaders of religions and beliefs including women’s and youth organizations in their respective religious and belief institutions for the two issues above, as well as the issue of human trafficking and climate change.

Activities are carried out mainly through informal education: training and workshops.

1. In terms of “Managing and interpreting differences” to a) young people (activists, students, women, and men); b) High School teachers (State and Private) from all religions and all subjects as well as principals/deputy principals, women, and men); c) community-based religious and belief leaders of all faiths (including Bahai, Sikh, Jewish and local faiths, women and men); d) NGOs based on democracy, interfaith, human rights, and education

2) Outreach, lobbying, and advocacy training on issues of human trafficking (in the Zero human trafficking network) and climate change (collaboration between institutions, for example with Interfaith Schools)

3) While continuing to strengthen the Indonesian Interfaith Network. Why? Because in facing all conditions up to now, networked work is very necessary, and collaboration is very important. Work alone cannot prevent, face, overcome and recover from the situation.

Hopefully, with all the activities that we are currently doing, we can help many people with many differences be able to live together in hopeful love and compassion.

Mission Moment and Prayer written by Reverend A. Elga Joan Sarapung,
Executive Director, Interfidei (Institute for Inter-Faith Dialogue in Indonesia), Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

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