Y. Thunglanbemo Ezung
M. Th. Missilogy, Longsa Village
The Land of Festival and Nagaland for Christ sounds so enchanting, therefore the need of the hour is a leader’s and mass movement who are being born again in the power of the holy gost and willing to sacrifice for the cause of lost soul and for the upliftment of the poor.
The Churches today are too much confined within the Church system and her development. A time has come for all of us to respond to the great commission of our risen Lord Jesus Christ has given an obligation and to liberate the captive.
In the era of scientific and technology, knowledge and wealth become the upper handed in the Society.
Someone aptly said “Education and beauty becomes gold and silver chain in the Society”. In the light of this realm, the Churches has also reduce her essence and being compromise in various perspective.
In secular world, we Nagas are proud to testified Nagaland as land of festivals, that is the beauty of God’s specially creative design diversity of our people. Moreover, the most fascinating and uniqueness of our people in the accordance of our living Bible, we proclaim and our slogan is “Nagaland for Christ.”
Just a glimpse of our present paradigm, is this cognitive or pragmatic ? Whether we hold on this principle in our set up like, organizations, government functionaries, Churches and Society at large.
I was impressed when our present government organize sacrifice of thanks giving service, and may I quote our honourable Chief Minister’s statement, “We have to uphold Christian values and lead the people by utilizing our talents or else we will be rejected by God and people”.
This a clarion call for all Christian to be more faithful in whatever station or status that God has entrusted us to make this world to overcome all kinds of evils and a better place to lived in. The living Bible warns and urges “As you sows so shall you reap”.
Nothing in this world is immortal nor permanent as Shakespear says “the world is just like stage, and both men and women are just like actors and actress”. We all will play our role at the given time then anyone will replace. This is what Bible says “out of dust you made, dust you return” the great man like Alexander’s wanted to conquer the whole world, but when his life end, he goes with empty handed, that’s the reality of life.
It is therefore a striking moment to always ponder and retrospect ourself of what our minds longs forth ? Everything began in our thinking and the source of our thinking is the mind. Our father of nation Mahatma Gandhiji aptly state, “Man is the product of his thinking”.
Take for instance, Asoka the great, history tells how the ruler change his attitude and mindset just after the fierce battle of Kalinga. He personally became a moral teachers and advocate peace, loving and meekness to all creation of God.
It is a challenge for the people, specially who are in the power to emulate such kind of personalities and personify to be an ambassador to our generation.
Sooner or latter we are confronted and grapple with complex problems, it is imperative that lasting solutions should be found to these problems without undue delay. Otherwise there is a danger of the situation getting out of hand. As stated above there is a solutions in every problems, the law makers should not be lenient to the law breakers irrespective of who they are ? and should not save the culprits and victimize the innocents nor that the ruler should not accumulate wealth at the expense of the poor of the poorest.
Look even in the mainland India, the slams have T.V., toilet, indoor games so on and so forth but what about our people in the remote places, they were living much below and painful nor not even avail any facilities, where so call slams are enjoying. Do our leaders need to think and act ?
Man as a whole including his body, soul and spirit is created in the image of God. It is important to preserve and to comfort the human life in all these three main elements. It is sadden to see the economy disparity among our people, our forefathers were unknown about class system. Everyone has the same right and opportunities. That’s the beauty and honour of Nagas. But to our surprise whom we clinch to Christianity, we classified among ourself by the power of money. Great and small depend how you possessed money, and leadership.
It must be remember that the vast majority of Nagas are extremely poor and it is only a small minority that live in relative comfort and have the benefit of modern facilities. It is when we look at the Naga scene in such a perspective that, Christian leaders, Christian politicians, Christian Businessmen / women, Christian bureaucrats, Tribal leaders and peace loving people will together begin to put forth a tremendous effort to fight poverty and to eradicate the power of money and banish any forms of corruption. Let us response the call of Rahul Gandhi, the mass movement “The power will not only in Kohima nor Delhi but from every single person, villages to come to the system of governing the State and Country.”
Words of wisdom by Mother Teresa, “Don’t think that love, in order to be genuine has to be extra ordinary what we need is to love without getting tired.”
This then is what we have heard in Churches and throughout the Bible, love is the supreme. The word love implies for many Naga Christians is to love our self not to love others fellow being.
We have measure our success in terms of what we have possessed like luxurious cars, bungalow, bank balance etc. Even in our Christian view, those who have more materials, assets were counted as more blessed. This kind of notion has to be erase in our assumption.
In our boarder view success can be measure in our total being and how we contribute for healthy society as well as how we mould our personalities worthwhile. John F. Kenndy said, “don’t think what your Country can do for you, but think what you can do for your Country.”
Another aspect of interpretation of God’s blessing is not existentialism, it is rather the peace of God comes to our inner being and soul. Jesus said, “I gave peace not as the World gave.” The greatest solace and treasure that Christian possessed is the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and anticipate his second coming.
Unfortunately at this point of time the fabulous word land of festival and Nagaland for Christ has quite opposite in our daily activities, in the land of festivals our government properties has become orphan, this has to be blame to all Nagas, because we have lost the civic sense. Thereby we can’t compare to the land of Bihu i.e. Assam, that is specially the road condition and other things.
Another phenomena of Nagaland for Christ, springs up corruption, nepotism, favourtism, extortion, killing and kidnapping, this makes Nagaland for Christ State ranked top six corruption State in hindu dominated Country. Then who were take the responsibilities and be blame for these act of filthy.
May I again quote our honour Chief Minister statement, “Leaders reflected the moral of the Society” in compare and contrast with the statement of Jawaharlal Nehru, “We have hard work ahead, there is no resting for anyone of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great Country on the verge of bold advances, and we have to live up to that high standard.”
Now having said that, can we think globally and act locally to make our State more prosperous and catch up with the changing and advancing world. Let us return unto the Almighty and repent, let massive and radical changes take place in our land and most importantly our precious Nagas souls should ponder once again and let us be the agent and witness of being born again in the land of festivals and Nagaland for Christ.
“God bless my Nagaland!”
