Letlal Haokip, Delhi
Dear brothers and sisters of Manipur, Christianity came to Manipur nearly a hundred years ago. Since then, the state’s Christian community has produced many missionaries who serve in various parts of India and across the world. Along with this, Christians from Manipur have made their mark as bureaucrats, theologians, scientists, entrepreneurs, bankers, sportsmen and women, professors, and officers in the army and paramilitary forces. In many ways, Christians of Manipur have been exemplary to fellow believers across the country.
However, it is painful to observe that the love and unity among Christians are gradually diminishing. Instead of building a strong legacy for future generations, we appear to be moving in the opposite direction.
In recent years, Christians have become increasingly vulnerable to division and spiritual decline. There may be many reasons for this weakening of faith, but one major reason, in my understanding, is our lack of sincerity in loving God and loving one another. Compared to our grandparents, we often live lives of hypocrisy. The followers of Christ forty or fifty years ago truly lived by Jesus’ two greatest commandments: to love God with all one’s heart, mind and soul and to love one’s neighbour as oneself. As a result, there was peace, care, concern, and unity among believers.
Over time, through the prayers and sacrifices of parents, many young people received a good education and graduated from universities. Yet, instead of thanking God and serving as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, many began to pursue money, power, and worldly pleasures. Some gradually drifted away from biblical values, loving the world more than the Lord.
This spiritual decline led some to become involved in illegal activities and divisive clan and tribal politics. Rather than holding fast to the salvation received through the Holy Spirit, many backslid and fell into temptation. Seeing others accumulate wealth through unlawful means, envy grew, making it harder to resist moral compromise. Educated individuals, who should have been instruments of peace, were sometimes used to spread hatred and disunity among Christians.
As love for material things increased, peace among Christian brothers and sisters weakened. When faith faded, division found space to grow.
Yet, it is not too late to return to Christ. The Bible clearly teaches the way back for those who have wandered. We are called to repent, seek God’s forgiveness, and live sincerely rather than hypocritically. Romans 12:9–21 reminds us that love must be genuine; we are to hate evil, cling to what is good, honour one another, remain faithful in prayer, share with those in need, live in harmony, and overcome evil with good.
The future of the Christian community in Manipur depends on our willingness to return to the true teachings of Christ. The legacy left by our forefathers was built on sincere faith, sacrificial love, unity, and obedience to God’s Word. Today, we are called to reclaim that legacy—not merely through words, but through transformed lives marked by humility, repentance, and genuine love for God and one another. If we turn away from hypocrisy, materialism, hatred, and division, and live according to the teachings of Scripture, healing and restoration are possible. Let us rise as true followers of Jesus Christ, live in harmony, and once again become a shining testimony of God’s love for generations to come.
