Imna Imchen
The symbol of the cross has become synonymous with Christian faith. Our homes, cars, workplaces, churches and cemeteries are all adorned with a physical replica of the cross. It is used as an icon, a symbol or even as a sacred object. For some, it is magical, powerful, and a potent tool to exorcise evil spirits. While for others, it becomes an object of power for protection, safety and blessings. But why is the cross so revered by many Christians? What is its significance?
The Cross of the Crucified Jesus has two major components; the redemptive power and the sacrificial act. Both these components are intertwined, interlinked and are inseparable. Christ's death on the cross exhibits His love, i.e., unfathomable and immeasurable, for it was love for His "enemies" (Romans 5:10), and that matchless love transforms the forgiven soul. He ransomed his life so that we could be redeemed and be saved. Thus, Christ's sacrificial death is the highest persuasive appeal for every Christian to live a life of sacrifice and it also constitutes the main cause, motive, measure and the dynamic of Christian faith. (Galatians 1:20; Philippians 1:21).
Jesus said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mark 8:34). Here He lays down two fundamental elements in the conditions of discipleship, denying one's self and taking up his cross. The former means the renunciation of self as the center of thought, faith, hope and life; and the latter means the life of sacrifice. Thus, the Christian's sacrifice is necessary to fulfill Christ's sacrificial example. "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24).
The pages of church history are filled with testimonies and biographies of saints, disciples and lay people who have sacrificed their lives for the extension of God’s Kingdom. One of the central figures in church history that transformed the churches was Martin Luther. During the sixteenth century, Rome was at its peak. The hierarchy of the ecclesiastical power was at its crest and the papal office had taken control of the State. To maintain such lavish ecclesiastical hierarchy and its political standing, the papacy began to levy heavy and oppressive taxes. Indulgences were sold rampantly. One could purchase his or her own salvation with huge sum of money. Morality was at its lowest. It was a time of deep despair for the faithfuls. There was excessive clerical simony, nepotism and absenteeism. Parish clergies, who were minimally educated and wretchedly poor, lived frequently with concubines for which they paid fines to the bishopric for condonation. These ecclesiastical abuses led to the birth of protestant reformation. Luther, an ordained priest, felt that it was unbiblical to sell the indulgences. He also rejected the inerrancy and final authority of the pope. On 31st August 1517, Luther posted ninety-five theses outside the castle church of Wittenburg condemning the sale of indulgence. It was received with mixed responses. For the poor who toiled under the tyranny of the church and its abuses, Luther’s message came as a ray of hope. However for the clergies and the papacy, it posed a serious challenge to their authority as would result in the decline of revenue, power and control. Thus, both the papacy and the emperor declared Luther as heretic and he lived under imperial condemnation as a heretic and a rebel. Luther had to sacrifice his position as an ordained priest and lived a condemned life of a heretic in the eyes of the Roman Catholic. But his sacrifice gave birth to Protestantism and with that a new hope to those who lived under the yoke of ecclesiastical oppressions.
Our Nagas are no exception. Nagaland is one of a kind. It is a state where rampant corruption is a normal everyday affair. Extortion by public officials, law enforcers, national workers and businessmen are nothing unusual. Kidnapping, cheating, bribery and killings have become an accepted culture of the day. Collecting forceful taxes and execution of citizens by national workers under the banner ‘Nagaland for Christ’ has become a style in Nagaland. Our churches are not exempted from it either as they are vying with one another to build the most expensive church. In some churches, compulsory donation of one month’s salary, apart from regular tithe, is collected to construct the church building. Church leaders enjoy praying at the house of the rich while the poor are left to pray alone. Often times, we hear about the church leader’s concern for his pay raise and better living facilities and less about bringing change and transformations. We are a church of conformity and of status quo; and our society a society of prestige and power, and not of truth.
The Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) is perhaps experiencing one of the severest tests in hundred and forty years of Christianity among the Ao Nagas. The problem is more serious because these are caused by believers from within the established church. The latest turbulence is related with the Changki issue. In a nutshell, the Changki problem started as a clan issue and later developed into a human rights issue. One of the clans, Emrem Changki, refused to pay the senso fees in the name of their clan. As such, the Changki senso refused to acknowledge them as Changki villagers. Thereafter, a series of events have occurred which further deepened the problem. It is not the intent of this paper to make an argument in favor of one or the other. But what is of much concern is the negative consequences that it has generated. The ABAM executive secretary happens to be from the clan that refused to pay their senso fee in the name of Emrem Changki. Because of the position that he occupies in ABAM, he becomes the epitome of church-culture controversy. Should he stand with his clan and refuse to pay? Or should he pay? The problem can also be viewed in two ways. Firstly, he as an individual, who has every right not to pay under certain surname if he thinks that that is not right. But as per the Ao customary validation process, his decision should be backed by historical evidences and witnesses. On the other hand, by not paying the fees, he not only forfeits his rights as a citizen of Changki, but stands expelled along with those clan members that refuse to comply with the village. In other words, he can no longer enter his own village. If he were a lay man, the consequences would not have been so severe. But, as the executive secretary, he puts ABAM into a very awkward situation. It would paralyze any peace missions to Changki and would inversely affect ABAM’s moral authority over its own member churches.
ABAM may have the choice either to remain passive or involve itself into the problem to find a way out. However, not doing anything may not be the right option for ABAM. The reason being that the Christian theology is a living theology of praxis that calls for critical reflection and involvement in such matters to bring about transformation or change. It requires faithful followers who are guided by the teaching of Christ to take the bold and decisive step. This is the sacrificial call to discipleship which is nothing less then denying oneself, carrying the cross and following the path of Christ. (Mark 8:34). When one looks at the life of Christ, it is clear that he didn’t leave material inheritance to his disciples but he willed his followers something more precious then gold; more enduring then the vast land holdings; and more valuable then the palaces of marbles: He willed as his inheritance His Peace. Thus he said, ‘My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, I give unto you.” (John 14:27) The only question for ABAM to answer is, “what kind of ‘inheritance’ it is going to leave behind as an enduring example in the present situation? Or to put it the other way around, if Christ were under similar situation, what would have been His response? Would He have approved the present stance taken by ABAM?” In all fairness, if something good is to be achieved, it is time ABAM have a honest introspection at itself and then take some exemplary steps in order to convince the churches about the seriousness of such occurrences.
