Rev. L Suohie Mhasi
The power of the resurrected Christ is such that through faith in him old things are gone and all things become new according to the epistle of the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is born again life transformed from old to new life is and the new life is the creation of the Holy Spirit and is the holy Spirit led life. It is a life of love and truth, so real Christians are bound to do justice in the society. The law of the spirit is above the law of the flesh.
My younger brother who had six children was accidentally killed by one of his companions while hunting. According to Naga customary law, the murderer and his family have to be exiled for seven years and their house has to be destroyed. But I was no longer an animist but I became a Christian and Christ in me made me to tell the murderer that he should seek God and our families should be in better term than ever before.
God said “The soul that sinneth it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him (Ezekial 18:20)
Criminals should be treated as criminals and innocent ones should be treated as innocent. Nagas are vindictive but the law of the spirit which is love is above the carnal law. As Christians what does Christ say to you when you are taking the excuse of the customary law?
The brutal murder of A Khoney Chang is a very sad incident and all sober men and women belonging to any community feel pain and are sharing the sorrow of the family and the people of Chang for the brutal killing. Two months ago, one Nerhema Villager was beaten to death by two young men from Chiechama village. It is not a matter of discriminating treatment in terms of advance or backward but it is an act of mindlessness. It is a matter of individuals and is not a matter of family or clan or village or tribe. It was not a matter of communalism and the situation should not be ignited as communalism.
With the march of time, the people irrespective of communities will get nearer and closer to one another and have opportunity to live together, work together, eat and drink together, travel together, play together in any town or village and anywhere any body cannot guarantee that tragic incident as such which has befallen on Late Khoney would not occur in their home town or village. It is the work of Satan and Satan does his work any where. Let us all pray that such savage practices may not be repeated again in our land and that through the strengthening of the Holy Spirit our people are changed into new lives in Christ.
