17.11.2022

Justice and Peace

Bringing together ecological and social justice: Dr. Andar Parlindungan. Foto by: Lara Diederich Fotodesign

At the 4th General Conference of the German Union of Protestant Churches (UEK) in Magdeburg on November 7, Rev. Dr. Andar Parlindungan, member of the Executive Board of the UEM and Head of the Training & Empowerment Department, spoke on justice and peace in a global perspective.

The plenary conference was held in the context of the Synod of the EKD* in November 2022.

Based on the Wuppertal publication "Kairos for Creation" from 2019, Parlindungan explained that the church must turn its way, because it is involved in environmental destruction. The New Testament speaks here of "metanoia" (Luther translated: "repentance"). Such a repentance means climate justice and peace ethics in order to realize a holistic peace. Both approaches cannot be developed only from a Western perspective, but equally need ideas and experiences from the Global South, i.e. a decolonization of thinking.

Parlindungan names three ways out of the climate catastrophe:

Transformation toward a just economic system,

changes in ecological attitudes and theology, and

joint action and intensive dialogue with other religious organizations.

We need a reversal in our concepts of life and economy, away from individualism and incrementalism, toward solidarity and a careful use of resources.

Justice and peace also concern Russia's war against Ukraine and its consequences. Parlindungan condemned the war and called the parties to an immediate ceasefire. At the same time, he recalled the conflicts in Sri Lanka, the DR Congo and West Papua, which are in danger of being forgotten. In this situation, he reminded the Church Conference that there must be no racist discrimination against non-white refugees, where people are divided into a first and a second class. All people are equal, even when they are refugees.

*EKD = Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (Protestant Church in Germany, communion of churches that were former state churches)