Mr Purno Agitok Sangma’s sunshine friendship with the BJP suddenly ended after the Presidential Election when Mr. Sangma shouting ‘the Grapes are Sour’ talked of his move to file a Case against President Pranab Mukherjee in the Supreme Court. The Bharatya Janata Party promptly dissociated itself from him and I felt relieved Mr. Sangma is at last saved from the political Net of the anti-Christian, anti-Muslim Party. As a Hillman Tribal Christian of the North East, I felt happy: the Christians in the North East, particularly in the brethren Garo Hills, have at last escaped Apolion.
But the other morning I was surprised to find, in the local News Media, a program of the Political Affairs Committee –PAC of the Government of Nagaland, to rope in all the Churches in Nagaland for a Government purpose of pressurizing God and the Government of India for the Settlement of the long drawn Naga Political issue with India.
The reason the Government wants to rope in the Church has its own political agenda. It does not at all mean the Government has at last suddenly realized its sins, has confessed them and has taken Baptism of repentance to become the followers Jesus; it means the Government knows the political value of ‘we are legions’ in the Church is under its own comfortable wing.
The program is like the subtil Serpent in the Garden of Eden, giving advice to ambitious Eve: “Ye shall not surely die, … in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”.
The PAC’s intention for the Church is innocently troubling. Remember sometime ago, the moves of some of the Naga National Governments asking all the Church Associations of the Nagas to give one representative Cloth to them; they asked the Association Council Leaders to go to their HQ and pray for them or invite their Representatives to the Council Centre so that they could pray together with the Council Executives in the Council Centres. One recollects how rows popular Church leaders grandified the exalted platform side by side with the great Kilonsers of the Organizations.
Nagas, Elites of them, even formed a widely publicized new Church called CNC, ‘Council of Nagalim Church’ who timely, on and off, announces Prayer Fasting Day Observations in support the National Governments. These are apparently unobtrusive Prayer programs but are political Trojan Horses for Mammon to enter the citadel of the established Church in Nagaland clandestinely.
The Writer feels the greatest challenge the Church faces in Nagaland today, is to remain in a healthy distance, separate and independent of the earthly State.
It is a matter of deep concern, the Church Leaders in Nagaland do not seem to be serious of the historic struggle between Church and State for the possession of the human Soul. The Armageddon still rages on and every Church, every Christian fights the Armageddon in every Age.
The ease at which some of the top Church Leaders got highly paid, highly important and highly lucrative top Jobs in the Government with only a Theological Training; the manner in which some Reverends and Pastors accept Government financial large se and the dubious manner in which the privileged in the land enrich themselves with ease and fill the treasures of the Church to become influential Members of the Church, are not the healthy signs of Christians or of the Church. They are matters of deep concern for all Christians and all the Churches.
In countless normal social contacts with responsible, conscientious well meaning Christian friends and colleagues in Nagaland, an overwhelming majority expresses their desire for the Church to remain Separate and Independent from the State.
Many conscientious Naga layman Christian seem to be aware of this danger to the Church but tamely and traditionally or customarily go along with the crowd perhaps like nocturnal Nicodemus, the Pharisee ruler of the Jews, failing to muster courage enough to act on the truth in the day time.
The danger starts unobtrusively through the ‘Broad Gate’ of financial support from the State to the Church or to the poorly paid Pastors. As far as this Writer is aware, there are only very few and that too in the Villages only, that the Pastor does not take Pay from his Church; he maintains his austere family from his own inheritance.
Recently the News Papers carried a list of names who received Payment from the Government; it included Reverends, Pastors, senior Pastors, Churchmen and Office Bearers of Church Organizations too.
Decency in the Church would not merit any to demand resignation of the persons involved from the Church; but their Sermons from the elevated platform of the Church, would seriously suffer from lack of any spiritual Power for witnessing the Word of God. How sadly unfortunate it is! In very harsh words, Jesus said: “You strain out Gnats but swallow Camels”. It is time we talk truthfully open of the ugly things in the Church, without malice, without embellishment and without re-dressing with beautiful words, so that Church of God alone is glorified.
The endearment of the Church to the political matters of the world are done mostly through a sudden need of Prayer by the political ‘Broadband’ as Election Time approaches. Actually at such times, your Vote is coveted more than your Prayers and the request for Prayer Support is to be understood as request for your Vote Support.
Some Naga National Groups who feel un-mandated and realize the power of their Arms and Ammunitions waning, desire for Prayer Support from the Church. Incidentally today Nagaland Christians are one of the most zealous Prayer makers available in the land and as easily as Eve was convinced by the Serpent, some Church Leaders listen to the Mammon’s prayers.
A Coalition of Government, Politics and Money make great attraction to some influential Christians in the Church who argue with great oration the need of finance for good Mission Works and thus the Sea of Misfortune in the Church is fed full by such river water from Mammon!
One of the greatest weaknesses of the Nagas is Politics; without Politics, Nagas would all die of hunger: Political Parties, the Government, NGO without measure, Civil Rights Groups, Male and Female Hohos without end, Student Federations led by non-Students, tireless Senior Citizens from everywhere, and not the least, even some top Church Leaders, all fall head over heels for Politics.
The greatest confusion in the Church today in Nagaland is that Christians render Service to both God and Mammon together without any feeling of embarrassment at their Christianity designating the Naga Politics, euphemistically, ardently and zealously as ‘One Naga Journey of common Hope’!
For some foreign educated Dr. Reverends in Nagaland, it is even easier to say: ‘KUKNALIM’ than ‘GLORY BE TO GOD’.
Oh, God; help us Naga Christians
Thepfulhouvi Solo
