Blue diakonia: the mission of Indonesian churches for and with the sea

Abstract

ABSTRACT How could the Indonesian churches’ ministry of diakonia contribute to overcoming the marine ecological crisis? Because the poor suffer the most from that crisis, diakonia, which considers looking after the poor as one of its concerns, can play a critical role. However, instead of focusing exclusively on human interest, this article seeks to conceptualise diakonia as a ministry that has concerns for all creatures whose lives rely on the sea, and the sea itself. I begin with integrating the marine ecological crisis into diakonia by engaging with theological discourses on diakonia to suggest that such an integration is plausible and necessary. This integration leads to a discussion on the emerging discourse of eco-diakonia to argue that the sea should be a recipient of diakonia. Then, based on the encounter between a Christian theology of diakonia and traditional maritime cultures of Indonesia navigated by a Trinitarian pneumatology of creation, I proceed further to argue that the sea should also be perceived as diakonos. These arguments constitute the concept of ‘blue diakonia’: a ministry that acknowledges and supports the sea as an active participant in the Trinitarian Spirit’s work by feeding the poor and giving life to all creatures.