Thepfulhouvi Solo
If POLITY means: 'an Established System of Processes of Civil Governance', then the first Ecclesia of 'the Way' people numbering 120 in about 34 AD' in Jerusalem after the death of JESUS they believed the Son of God, had no laid down Polity for the Group. There were 12 Founding Members called the Apostles who lived in concordance with the Morals and Ethics of their Leader but no formal established Rules or Regulations or Processes of governance of their ecclesia. Quite a number of the Ecclesia was from different Traditional and Cultural backgrounds, Jewish and Non-Jewish.
They did not have any secular, political or earthly Agenda of self-interest for Power or Wealth or Popularity, their only Agenda was the Service for the spread the Good News of their Leader they saw him unbelievably raise from his Death.
They developed Practices, Norms, Systems, Regulations and Ethics for themselves to follow, guided by the Spirit of their acclaimed Risen LORD.
The first Practice or Norm they developed was for ELECTION to an Office of Public Service.
The Service had no Remuneration; it carried neither Power nor Popularity; instead Abuse from the powerful established Religious Office of the State seriously searching to put them down. The Election was to a vacant Office, in place of a former member of the Apostles who betrayed their Leader to his enemies and then committed suicide in remorse.
Some Nine hundred and Sixty years before, King David the Jew's most popular Monarch had prophesized in Psalms (Pslm109:8): "let another take his office".
And one of the Apostles; Peter said: 'it is necessary to replace Iscariot Judas' because it is advised in the Scripture.' And the Leaders of the first Christian Ecclesia devised criterion (Acts 1:21) a person must have for the Post of the Church Service: I. The Person must be one of the Believers. II. He must have been with them for the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among the Apostles from John's Baptism to the time Jesus was taken up from us. III. He must become a witness of his resurrection. IV. They adopted a just and fair method of selection of one of their two Colleagues.
The Leaders of this small ancient group of humble origin, uneducated but committed, earnest and honest, full of Spirit of God deciding to elect one of two of their colleagues by casting lots instead of by back-door Appointment or by dictatorial Power in those ancient days, has become the Cap Stone of modern Election System by Secret Ballot the civilized World of Mankind today accepted.
The Ten Commandment of the Bible is the foundation on which the house of Democracy of civilized World stands today. The Credit goes to the humble, committed and honest Apostles.
Sadly, the Leaders Nagaland, among other Christian dominated Hill States of North East India, have become one of the most notorious persons that subvert the most essential Criteria for Democracy –Honesty and high Moral Ethics- in the election Processes of a Candidate to the high Office of State Assembly.
Many Candidates have low Moral Ethics, very little Honesty, of weak Character Fiber, often falsified Educational qualifications, have every Selfish Interests, Past-Masters in Deceptions, Machinations, capable of devising every Evil Means if victory could only be snatched by hook or by crook, with the main aim for Money Service and false Public Service.
Today in Nagaland, if a person hopes for success in the Election, then: I. The Candidate must have a streak of 'Goons' character tucked away inside his person, off Public notice, to be doled out to his supporters for use whenever needed during the Election and his future Public life. II. He or she must have Educational Qualifications and Degrees from the Institute of his own Pen. III. He may have dubious character and may even be an unashamed liar but that does not matter, he has the attributes of Midas for which his Friends, Agents and supporters are well pleased, the Village Council and Tribesman support right or wrong. In this billowing transient dispensation of this generation, the Church is expected to be an Island of Peace, a bold Anchor of Rock of Trust, of Every Good Virtue -Humility, Humbleness, Lowliness, Warmth, Peace, Goodwill, Love, Equality, Equity, Just, Graciousness, Forgiveness and Truth; a never ending welling of water of an unceasing Fountain. The flock of the Church in Nagaland is neither worst nor better than others. It is an obedient flock of Sheep following the lead of their Shepherd. It is happy, blissfully satisfied, friendly, Zealous, Warmth and Gracious and fearfully tithes. But a Church is known not much for its layman flock but for its Leaders. The Leaders of the Church in Nagaland, most of them, appear no less or more than the Leaders of the Temple and the Synagogue in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Jesus never said anything unfavorable of the Temple nor of the Synagogue of his time, but the Gospel books are full of Jesus' Rebuke, Criticism and even Condemnation of the Leaders of the Church in the harshest severest of language. The book of Revelation mentions the word "Church" but it is the Leaders of the Church, not of the spiritual Body a where Christ is the Head, Body and Soul. Many of the Leaders of the Church are not very different from the political Leaders of the State. They ask for more and more in the Budget just like the Chief Minister of the State every now and then beg the Prime Minister at Delhi for more and more Fund unashamedly. They are quite often important Bureaucrats in the State and also Deacons of the Church, influential in the Village Council. More often than not they flock together with the ruling Party of the State Mammon. The Leaders of Church are commonly good, full of Worldly Goodness, Wisdom, Friendliness, and Intelligence, in good book of the Powerful, the Rich and people in the upper reaches of the Society. The Church is ordained to: "preach to the Poor". It is anointed for courage to: "Proclaim freedom to the Prisoner, "Release, to the Oppressed", "Provide sight to the Blind", and proclaim: "the Kingdom Come" to all. In Nagaland, the time has perhaps come to talk in very direct language of Paul to Peter in public, even in harsh and severe language of Jesus Christ about Vipers, about white-washed Graves, about Hypocrites, Blind leaders, False Pretenders and 'Christians for Show', Beautiful Sermons but no Deeds! Should we, like the Psalmist plead? "May their Prayers turn into Sin", Not yet perhaps, but the Axe is already laid down at the base of the Tree.
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