R.C. Chiten Jamir
Towards the end of the 18th century, the Christians were faced with the problem of science. The difficulty then was one of reconciling the teachings of the Bible with the scientific discoveries.
As of now the main anxiety in the realm of faith seems to be the problem of history. It is about the historical situation that the present generation is perplexed about. In this century, we are shaken to our foundations by the course of events that are happening in and around us and in the face of conflicts, factions, violence, killings, immoralities and. corruptions, we find it difficult to account for these things because these events seem to be incompatible with Biblical teachings concerning the providence of God.
The Bible has a definite and particular world view; it has a profound philosophy of history with a distinctive world view. It enables us to understand what is happening in our time and to know that everything is according to Devine plan. The Bible is concerned about the world and its destiny.
In the time of prophet Habakkuk, Israel was in a very backslidden condition. It had turned away from God and forgotten Him. It had given itself to false Gods and other unworthy pursuits. Sin, immorality and vices were rampant; lawlessness everywhere, serious religious fallings everywhere and there was a general moral and political decline.
Habakkuk was stunned by the strange and mysterious ways of God’s inaction and silence; he was completely perplexed by the historical events taking place right in front of him. To Habakkuk God seemed to be strangely silent and inactive under provocative circumstances. Why God allows certain things to be done? Why God has not answered the prayers of His faithful people? We have been fasting and praying to God for many years to heal our land and to give us lasting peace and unity of vision but still nothing seems to happen? Why does He not answer our prayers? Why God permits His Church to be what she is today?
God’s Church and the Nagas are also perplexed by the historical situations as prophet Habakkuk was. The Church’s perplexity is, How to face the problem? The Church has to understand the significance of events in the Biblical perspectives. There are very grave dangers that confront the Church today, and unless she is cautiously careful, like Israel, she may enter into political alliances and come to dissociate with the very thing Gods has ordained it for.
Let us now turn to the historical events that are taking place in Naga Country. Many people are asking: “If there is A God whose attributes are love and mercy, then why does He allow the conditions that prevail in their country today?” If He has the power to intervene in human affairs, why does He not do so, and put an end to all the evils in the land?” The answers are to be found in the first four verses of the Book of Jonah. The laws of God remain same as ever.
His justice does not change. What was justice in a Jonah’s day is justice today. The man or the people who run away from God will surely run into stormy weather!
No one will deny the fact that the NAGA SHIP is in the midst of storms in the deep sea. Naga-sentiment, emotion and mind are highly charged with the fast changing events of history. Everywhere there is a state of upheaval. Naga-world is ill at ease.
God allows the storms to rage because we have turned our back to God. All evil is utterly abhorrent to God. God and Evil are opposites. Anything unjust or cruel is far removed from God. Jonah ran away from God directly into a storm. It is always so, any one fleeing from God will surely land up in storm.
Nagaland is in troubled waters, not because there is no God, nor because He has no power to intervene, but because we are refusing to acknowledge God and not permitting Him to intervene. The question is: Are we doing according to the WILL of God? The only place where sailing is smooth and safe is in the channel of God’s Will.
The Tarshish Ship was caught up in a very strong storm because there was in that ship, a man who was running away from God, a man who had willfully disobeyed God and turned his back on God not to go to an appointed place by God for him to go. Jonah, the man who was always wrong in the side of God! Jonah, the prophet of God was the cause of the storm. God was angry with him so the storm was sent to the sea. Likewise, in the Naga ship, there must be a Jonah or some Jonahs. If there is a person in the ship against whom God is angry, then the storm is bound to rage!
Eternal issues were at stake-to live or die, to, be destroyed or to be spared, to be lost or saved, to stand for God or to stand for Satan-the eternal doom or eternal salvation of 600,000 souls was the issue.
God asked Jonah: Thou has had pity on the gourd... and should I not spare Nineveh?’” Jonah was deeply concerned about the gourd and his comfort and wall-being; he had no concern for the souls of the people of Nineveh. The temporal was important for him, eternal took second place only. Material was uppermost and spiritual was nil. Jonah was a gourd worth more than a soul. There are many Nagas who put second and self being first. Every Christian has his gourd. Every Christian has his Nineveh, God says, “Your concern is Nineveh. My concern is your gourd.” A soul is worth more than a gourd.
Nagaland is looking for security, stability, Peace and prosperity. One after another the other dead gods are exalted in the hope that one of them will hear its cry but still the storm rages all the more. Only when Jonah was thrown into the sea, the raging storm stopped. In the same manner, the Nagas must also throw all things that offend the Lord to the sea, then only the raging storm will stop.
The Christian is a steward for himself and for, others as much. We are stewards for and on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. At an appointed time He will ask us: “How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.” Luke 16: 2. Our Christian living is being questioned. Have we had a real Christian experience? Are we demonstrating the reality of our Christian experience by a reality in our Christian living? Perhaps the most widely made accusation against the Christians by others is that, we Christians are living the life of’ a hypocrite. What an impact could be made on the onlookers if the Christians would bear testimony of a real Christian life! It is one thing to have the light of the Gospel within but it is another thing to ‘let that light shine before others so that they may see good works.’ “For you were sometimes darkness, but you are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”-Eph.5:8. It is one thing to have access to the power of God, it is quite another to demonstrate that power to the world around us by a testimony of a life that is real. The world can see the light that shines, the power that acts and the faith that works. The kind of situation that we are in today is the creation of our own. If we are to get out of it, we are to change ourselves not others. Many Christians are in troubled waters and struggling against the high storms of life because they are trying to float along their own wills and not along the Will of God. Many of us are sailing a ship that is going to Tarshish and not Nineveh! Our own decisions and actions lead us to a storm. The only way where sailing is smooth and no storms can strike is the channel of God’s will. Are we sailing along the Will of God?
Is there anyone in the troubled Naga Ship, who knows the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Is there anyone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ who can stop the storms of the sea and life? Yes, there are many Christians who know the Lord Jesus Christ who only can stop the raging storms. In and through Jesus there is always a solution to every problem that confronts the humanity today. But like Jonah many Christians are fast asleep. We, like Jonah seek comfort and we would like to lie down in the green pastures and not mind the thousands drifting blindly to destruction.
“Jonah you are concerned about the gourd. You are anxious over your comforts. But you have no concern for the souls of Nineveh. You are a gourd more than a soul”. This was the complaint against Jonah by God. God is saying the same thing to the CHURCH and the Christians. “Your concern is Nineveh. My concern is your gourd. If you take responsibility for Nineveh, I will take care of your gourd to grow”...this is what God tells us. A Soul is worth more than a gourd. AMEN.
(The writer is a former Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland)
