Valson Thampu
Everything that exists in time stands in need of renewal and revival. To renew is to become new or fresh again. It is to relocate something, or oneself, on the original foundation in its authenticity. The newness results when this authenticity, lost over time, is regained. To renew is not the same as to run after the new, with which it is confounded. Revival involves regaining the lost vitality or aliveness. The Laodicean church is a case in point. It had lost its aliveness. It was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. It was lukewarm towards its spiritual foundation. It was hot or cold towards everything else.
Aliveness is a sign of spiritual vitality. It points to life in all its abundance. (Jn. 10: 10) The state in which this aliveness is lost is described in the Gospels as ‘living in darkness’. Mtt. 4:12-17.
The significance of God’s engagement with a people is described as people, who are in a state of darkness, seeing a great light.
Now, what does it mean to be live in darkness? At the root of the good news is the spiritual insight that God creates everyone with a special purpose. We are a special creation because of this. It is the unique purpose underlying the birth of a person or a church that makes it special. In a state of darkness nothing is special, nothing is unique. Everything is like everything else. One person is as good asanother; or just as bad. Indeed good and evil do not exist. Everything is acceptable; anything will do. Only convenience and comfort matter. Neither God nor man does.
As long as one is living in darkness, for example, it does not matter (as in the case of Judas Iscariot) who is sold or bought. What matters is that a smart deal is struck.
It does not matter if the salt has lost its saltiness. (Mtt. 5: 13) After all, nothing is done or nothing happens in this darkness. Saltiness is irrelevant to this state. So, the fire of spirituality can be easily replaced with some nice sentiments and feelings. Noise will do, sense is superfluous.
It does not matter if there is no oil in the lamp; for nothing is required to burn (Mtt. 25: 1-14). So, the wise and the foolish all look alike. When one is not keen to know the truth, lamp is only an ornament, not an instrument. Oil is superfluous in an ornament. This is how true spirituality begins to appear like a liability to us. It is fashionable to be cynical about oil when the lamp is purely ornamental.
So, there is no duty to be the ‘light of the world’ (Mtt. 5: 14) In fact, it is foolish to be the light; for it disturbs the darkness one prefers for oneself. That was why Jesus was not accepted into the Laodicean church (Rev. 3:20). What churches in India –including the NE- need is regaining their authenticity. The pity is that a great deal is done. Much money and effort are expended. But nothing makes any difference. And things are going from bad to worse. This brings the faith into discredit. The world thinks that the biblical faith is a myth. The awe and wonder that the world used to feel about this spiritual tradition is now completely lost. Christians evoke derision and resentment, as a people who make tall claims but have nothing to show for themselves.
We are trying to shine as the darkness of the world! Or, we are trying to dispel the darkness of the world by being greater embodiments of darkness.
We are fooling ourselves. Bearing false witness to Jesus. Cheating our neighbours. There is no truth in us. I write this from Kerala. The largest collection of Christians in India is here. But the church has become utterly irrelevant. Mountainous religious activities are happening. The soil of Kerala is wet with the Word of God, but God is not in the land.
There is money. There is noise. There are huge church buildings. But people need to experience God. It does not happen through churches.
The light of the biblical faith is not seen in Kerala. People are living in darkness.
The Kerala society –Christian and non-Christian alike- is dying. There is an urgent need for a great light to dawn on the land. So also in the North East. Jesus began his ministry by urging people to repent. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Mtt. 4; 17). To repent is to turn from darkness to light. It is to do the works of light. It is to be the light of the world.
Nothing has any value in the eyes of God, if done in a state of darkness.
Such efforts can bear witness only to darkness.
Jesus’ word for this is hypocrisy: darkness bearing witness to light!
As of now, it is Mammon, not Jesus, who is our Master. Our religiosity is nothing but the hypocritical mask we wear to hide this truth from God Himself! As though God is an idol, which has eyes but see not! See, the world has overcome us.
The NE is succumbing to Hindutva! It cannot but happen. Hindutva is better than our hypocrisy. The Christian task is not to align itself to a party; any party. It is to be the light of the world. We must be in politics, but as Christians. There is something called Christian politics. It is politics as love, truth, justice and compassion. It is politics as good news to the poor. It is politics as the clamour for fullness of life for all. That was what ‘politics’ meant to citizens in Athens in good old days! Politics was the art of maximizing the welfare of the citizens.
The children of God must be a blessing on the land (Gen. 12: 1-2). Not parasites or whited sepulchers.
They must renounce Mammon and announce the Kingdom of God. The way we are currently traveling is the broad way that leads to everlasting death, not eternal life.
Time it is, high time indeed, that we returned to the way of life.
