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Civis 001/2013
How Do We View the Society?
“In calling us to responsible social actions, God requires us to see Christ Himself in our fellow human being. As a response to God’s love and His commandment, Christians must act responsibly” (Johannes Leimena)
Social and state lives are closely linked. Society is a complex of various human collaborations and organizations. State is one of the form of the organizations which has special nature and interest.
Society consists the meaning of “living together”. We ask: on what foundation should the society stand, so that they can be a society in the best sense?
On Rosseau’s idea? (which considers that human nature is good, so that a state is a form of society based on an agreement of free and self content individuals), or Hobbes? (which considers human nature like wolves, so that a state is a mean giant Leviathan).
Or Marx? (which hangs all valuable things in a society—religion, morality, justice, and even state—on their natures, on the economic structure and comparison; a teaching based on theory of mass).
Essentially, those ideas are founded on the premise that human individual is the basis of all knowledge, including the way of living together and what ought to be. Marxist thinking which is based on the mass theory actually aims to free individuals from bondage too.
Or, should a society stand on this foundation: that human is a social creature, in the sense that human exists because other human exists. In other words, the basis of human manifestation is not on himself, but on the way he stands toward other human being.
This I-You relationship determines the basis of the fellowship called “society”. Therefore, all nations can show a fellowship, because in that nation there are ties that bind the individuals into one nation.
It is this I-You relationship that determines the basis of society. The relationship between individual and general public is truly a commandment, that is, the commandment of love.
In loving other people, a human being relates to others in fellowship. With love, a mass becomes a fellowship, and an individual becomes a person. In love every fellowship gets a foundation and a purpose.
In Christian view, the basis of a society is given in Matthew 22:37-40:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
We find that line of thinking in the reports from the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches (Evanston, 1954) Section III, which says:
“Christian social responsibility is grounded in the mighty acts of God, who is revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. He has established with men a living relationship of promise and commandment in which they are called to live in faithful obedience to His purpose.
The promise is the gift of abundant life as children of God for those who hear and follow the divine call. The commandment is that men should love God and their neighbours.
In the call to responsible social action, the promise and the commandment of the righteous and loving God require us to recognize that in every human being Christ Himself comes to claim our service. Responding to God’s love in Christ, and being aware of His final judgment, Christians will act responsibly.”
In this relation, Evanston reports remind us to the opinion of the Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam (1948) regarding responsible society, which says:
“Responsible society is a society where liberty is the liberty of people who acknowledge their responsibility to justice and public order, and where those holding political and economic power exercise their power for God and the people.”
On this point, Evanston reports add that:
“’Responsible society’ is not an alternative social or political system, but a criterion by which we judge all existing social orders and at the same time a standard to guide us in the specific choices we have to make.”
Responsible society is not just about sophisticated society, but also about society with bad social forms. It is about both big and small societies (family, factory, youth association, village, etc.) and the life of the society is about all dimensions, including social, economic, cultural, and political.
For Asian countries that are not yet advanced socially and economically, it means dealing with issues of poverty, social structure change, shape of village people, rural areas development, industrial development, social justice and liberty, increased population pressure, and western influence.
In Indonesia, for example, all of those efforts are focused on: how we can create a just and prosperous nation, and a society with happiness, welfare, peace, and freedom. For some people, in such a society this rule applies: “Respect for order creation and serving of justice.”
In general, “The Golden Rule” applies in the social economic area:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
If those things are the duty and rights of the Government, then the duty of citizens is to participate in these efforts and to express their opinions and demand accountability from those in power.
Therefore, citizens should share the responsibility in the way they are ruled. They are obligated to have an interest in government affairs. Public opinion is highly needed by the government to measure their policy. If there is no healthy public opinion, it actually means a step back in the life of the society.
This series originates from the lecture by Dr. Johannes Leimena (1905-1977) in Sukabumi, West Java, in 1955, entitled “Responsible Citizenship”. Being a student activist in STOVIA medical school, he joined the committee for the 1928 Youth Congress which gave birth to the monumental Oath of Youth. Then he served as minister in 18 cabinets from 1946 to 1966, from Minister of Health until Vice Prime Minister. He was entrusted as the Acting President of the Republic of Indonesia for seven times when President Soekarno was overseas. The Bandung Plan that he drew up based on his experience as Minister of Health is the origin of today’s Community Health Center system. He also helped the founding of the Indonesian Christian Student Movement and the Council of Churches in Indonesia.