Nagaland is supposed to be a Christian state as most of its citizens are Christians. Theoretically, this means that the kingdom of God must be reigning in Nagaland. But if we look at the religious, political, and social realities of Nagaland, Nagaland is far from resembling a Christian state where the kingdom values of God are in operation in our day today lives.
At the religious level, most of us still go to church but for most church goers the practice seems to be more out of a social obligation then religious commitment and joy. Also with the exception of a very few sermons-say once in a year or none at all- most of the sermons are not addressing day today religious, political and social evils but heavenly bliss in the afterlife. As for the political and social levels of our lives, our Christianity and all that we have learned from the church about God’s moral laws seems to have no relevance or applications in our day today social interactions and living. In other words our Christianity is not connected to our politics or professions or our business. As a result, murders, rapes, thefts, corruptions, extortions and sky rocketing prices of even essential commodities has become a way of life in Nagaland. Yes we are continuing to talk about heaven but here in Nagaland, we are literally tasting hell on earth. In the midst of all these hypocrisy and selfishness, life may still be a paradise for the filthy rich but for the ordinary citizen, life has become a suffocating struggle for bare survival.
Now in such a miserable situation, if we talk about the kingdom of God coming to Nagaland, most of our church goers would think such a thought is none of their business. After all, they had been baptized and had been attending church and paying their tithes all their lives. They might say: Surely the kingdom of God coming to Nagaland should be preached to the wine drinkers, smokers and chewers in Nagaland. They must be converted and made to come to church. On the other hand, some Pastors and Deacons and Evangelists might say: The kingdom of God will come to Nagaland when there is a great revival in the land and supernatural events like miracles, healing and tongue speaking sweeps the land.
But what did Jesus say when he was asked about the coming of the kingdom of God? In Lk. 17: 20,21 when the Pharisees asked Jesus as to when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied that the Kingdom will not come by external displays where people can say “There it is “ or “Here it is,” but that the kingdom of God was already in their midst. This obviously means that the kingdom of God was already in their midst because they already had the word of God and knew what they were supposed to do with it. In another instance, when the disciples of Jesus asked him to teach them how to pray, one of the things he taught them to pray was:”Thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”(Lk. 11:1,2)
This means that when we talk about the kingdom of heaven coming to earth we are not supposed to think in terms of a visible other worldly institution to which we should all become members. On the contrary, that kingdom is already in our midst. However, though it is already in our midst, it will become a reality only when we start practicing the kingdom’s principles and moral laws. As for these moral laws, we have been hearing them since our Sunday school days as well as the many times when we went to church or read the Bible in our own homes. For example they are commandments like loving our God with all our hearts and soul and mind and our neighbors as ourselves. They are principles like doing unto others as we would like others to do unto us. The tragedy is- like the Pharisees of yesterday- though all these wills of God clearly expressed in his word, the Bible, has been in our midst for all our lives, we have not practiced them. But if we start practicing them, then the kingdom of God will start to manifest itself in our midst. In other words, this kingdom of God will find visible expression in Nagalnd when Nagas start doing things like the following examples:
1. Political leaders and government servants of Nagaland acting according to the moral laws of God and dispensing God’s just laws and justice as servants of both God and men (Nagas).
2. Contractors acting according to God’s moral laws and doing a proper job of their contract works of building public buildings, roads, water supply, electricity supply and anything else that has to do with public utility. This means doing just works with just means without resorting to bribes or corruption or doing substandard works with public money.
3. Doctors and businessmen charging the right fees and selling their goods and wares at right and reasonable rates so that even the poor can afford to utilize all these facilities and provisions.
4. Employers of private business establishments and companies paying the right salaries and wages to their staff and employees so that their employees can also have a reasonable standard of living and be able to send their own children to schools where their employer’s children also go.
5. Teachers, Lecturers and Professors attending their classes and imparting sound education to students so that we can also be at par with any other nations on earth in any subject under heaven.
6. Coming to family levels-of husbands loving their wives; wives respecting their husbands; children obeying their parents etc. The list of applying the kingdom of God principles into day today life is endless and the list can go on and on. It is in fact a full time, all time, job for anyone who bears the name of a disciple of Jesus and calls himself a Christian.
In conclusion and in short, when we Naga Christians start doing these things, then the kingdom of God will have come to Nagaland. When that happens, instead of living in a hell like environment, Nagas will have a foretaste of heaven while still on earth in Nagaland. God’s name too will be lifted up and glorified in Nagaland.
At the religious level, most of us still go to church but for most church goers the practice seems to be more out of a social obligation then religious commitment and joy. Also with the exception of a very few sermons-say once in a year or none at all- most of the sermons are not addressing day today religious, political and social evils but heavenly bliss in the afterlife. As for the political and social levels of our lives, our Christianity and all that we have learned from the church about God’s moral laws seems to have no relevance or applications in our day today social interactions and living. In other words our Christianity is not connected to our politics or professions or our business. As a result, murders, rapes, thefts, corruptions, extortions and sky rocketing prices of even essential commodities has become a way of life in Nagaland. Yes we are continuing to talk about heaven but here in Nagaland, we are literally tasting hell on earth. In the midst of all these hypocrisy and selfishness, life may still be a paradise for the filthy rich but for the ordinary citizen, life has become a suffocating struggle for bare survival.
Now in such a miserable situation, if we talk about the kingdom of God coming to Nagaland, most of our church goers would think such a thought is none of their business. After all, they had been baptized and had been attending church and paying their tithes all their lives. They might say: Surely the kingdom of God coming to Nagaland should be preached to the wine drinkers, smokers and chewers in Nagaland. They must be converted and made to come to church. On the other hand, some Pastors and Deacons and Evangelists might say: The kingdom of God will come to Nagaland when there is a great revival in the land and supernatural events like miracles, healing and tongue speaking sweeps the land.
But what did Jesus say when he was asked about the coming of the kingdom of God? In Lk. 17: 20,21 when the Pharisees asked Jesus as to when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied that the Kingdom will not come by external displays where people can say “There it is “ or “Here it is,” but that the kingdom of God was already in their midst. This obviously means that the kingdom of God was already in their midst because they already had the word of God and knew what they were supposed to do with it. In another instance, when the disciples of Jesus asked him to teach them how to pray, one of the things he taught them to pray was:”Thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”(Lk. 11:1,2)
This means that when we talk about the kingdom of heaven coming to earth we are not supposed to think in terms of a visible other worldly institution to which we should all become members. On the contrary, that kingdom is already in our midst. However, though it is already in our midst, it will become a reality only when we start practicing the kingdom’s principles and moral laws. As for these moral laws, we have been hearing them since our Sunday school days as well as the many times when we went to church or read the Bible in our own homes. For example they are commandments like loving our God with all our hearts and soul and mind and our neighbors as ourselves. They are principles like doing unto others as we would like others to do unto us. The tragedy is- like the Pharisees of yesterday- though all these wills of God clearly expressed in his word, the Bible, has been in our midst for all our lives, we have not practiced them. But if we start practicing them, then the kingdom of God will start to manifest itself in our midst. In other words, this kingdom of God will find visible expression in Nagalnd when Nagas start doing things like the following examples:
1. Political leaders and government servants of Nagaland acting according to the moral laws of God and dispensing God’s just laws and justice as servants of both God and men (Nagas).
2. Contractors acting according to God’s moral laws and doing a proper job of their contract works of building public buildings, roads, water supply, electricity supply and anything else that has to do with public utility. This means doing just works with just means without resorting to bribes or corruption or doing substandard works with public money.
3. Doctors and businessmen charging the right fees and selling their goods and wares at right and reasonable rates so that even the poor can afford to utilize all these facilities and provisions.
4. Employers of private business establishments and companies paying the right salaries and wages to their staff and employees so that their employees can also have a reasonable standard of living and be able to send their own children to schools where their employer’s children also go.
5. Teachers, Lecturers and Professors attending their classes and imparting sound education to students so that we can also be at par with any other nations on earth in any subject under heaven.
6. Coming to family levels-of husbands loving their wives; wives respecting their husbands; children obeying their parents etc. The list of applying the kingdom of God principles into day today life is endless and the list can go on and on. It is in fact a full time, all time, job for anyone who bears the name of a disciple of Jesus and calls himself a Christian.
In conclusion and in short, when we Naga Christians start doing these things, then the kingdom of God will have come to Nagaland. When that happens, instead of living in a hell like environment, Nagas will have a foretaste of heaven while still on earth in Nagaland. God’s name too will be lifted up and glorified in Nagaland.
