Books, Books, and More Books

It is done! In previous blog posts, including this one, I have talked about the many departure requirements I have to complete before I can leave. One of the big tasks to help better prepare me, was reading lots of books and writing reports on them. My final set of books were five books that focused on the history, culture, and religions of Indonesia. The books chosen were informative and interesting and helped me to learn more about the country and people where I will be serving. With this report written I have finished all the required readings - 12 books total. This picture gives you an idea of what I have been working on. My Kindle was very handy as I was able to download several of the books on it, making it easier to carry them around and giving me the ability to bring them with me to Indonesia.

One of the books I think I learned the most from was History of Modern Indonesia by Adrian Vickers.

Here are a few of things I learned:

• Indonesian independence was only declared after young people kidnapped reform leaders and forced them to declare independence shortly after the end of World War II on August 17th, 1945. For the next four years they fought for independence from the Dutch. Indonesia has only been an independent country since December 1949. 
• For the next 50 years several presidents, each with their own strengths and faults, came to power. The first direct and democratic election for president happened in 2004. I was there at the time but had very little idea of how significant the election was.  
• Islam came to Indonesia peacefully through trade from India in the 12th Century. Since that time it has been adapted and combined with Animism, Hinduism and other ethnic religions throughout different parts of Indonesia. Today Indonesia is considered the most-populated Muslim country in the world.   
• Using the name Indonesia for the 17,000 plus islands did not become popular until the 1920s. Even then it really didn't catch on until the Japanese invaded during World War II and brought with them a strong nationalistic attitude and spirit that showed Indonesians how a country of many different islands could be one.
• In 1955 Indonesia hosted the Asia-Africa Conference where the term "Third-World" came from. It originally defined countries who did not belong to the First (US dominated) or the Second (Communist) sides of the Cold War. Today, it traditionally stands for those countries that are underdeveloped. 
• The 1990s were a time of turmoil and crisis economically and socially. Religious tensions between Christians and Muslims led to the killing of many people in Ambon and Sulawesi. The East Timor vote for independence from Indonesia led to the burning and killing in several cities by the Indonesian Army. Ethnic tension in Kalimantan (area around the hospital) led to head-hunting and killing between the Dyak and Madura people. 
• Due to its location on the "Ring of Fire" Indonesia has many active volcanoes and earthquake areas. One of the most infamous was on December 26th, 2004 when an earthquake and tsunami in the Indian ocean just off the coast of Aceh led the death of about 170,000 Indonesians and left an additional 500,000 homeless. 

The other book in this group that I found fascinating and learned a lot from was not one specifically about Indonesia but about worldviews. The book Honor and Shame was written by Roland Muller. 

The book traces the three primary worldviews back to Adam and Eve's sin in Genesis 3. He describes their three responses. 

• When man broke God's law, he was in a position of guilt.
• When man broke God's relationship, he was in a position of shame
•  When man broke God's trust, he was in a position of fear.

Today's cultures and worldviews are a mixture of all three but each culture usually has a predominant characteristic. I think the part that I found most fascinating was I could see the author describing many of the characteristics of each of the different people groups I will work with in Indonesia. The local people, the Dyaks, are very much a fear/power culture. The Chinese and the Muslims are both shame/honor cultures. And I am of course from a guilt/innocence culture which can make bridging the cultures and worldviews difficult. There are so many mistakes I have made in the past! The exciting thing about the book is that the author then showed how the Bible had stories and examples from each of the worldviews to help build a bridge into that culture. Salvation is all about saving us from God's judgement, restoring our relationship with God, and putting power back in the hands of God. God offers forgiveness of sins, freedom from fear and lifting from shame.

Understanding a culture requires digging through the puzzle that makes it up. I have spent the last few weeks doing just that.  The more and more I read of the history the more I am convinced that Indonesia is just starting to make its mark on the world and that is an exciting time to be part of their future. Modern communications like cell phones and the internet now connect many parts of Indonesia are for the first time. This gives the people the opportunity to interact and impact their own country. Natural disasters throughout the country are also uniting different people groups to care for each other and reach the unreached.