By Aristotle Lyngdoh
As a Christian, I am proud to be a Khasi even though I do not prefer to be classed as a schedule tribe but I am also extremely happy to be part and parcel of this great motherland India, and to be called Indian to the outside world. The development within our motherland that has attempted to divide this nation into various fragments and in particular the recent one within our homeland (Hima Mylliem) has prompted me to share a few thoughts. Toki Blah had shared his concerns through social network and I feel I should do my part as well.
The resentment against Christianity by non-Christian friends and those from the indigenous faith reflect their feelings of insecurity and the fear of being marginalized. The fear is that one day their rituals and traditions will disappear because of Christianity. This is true of other religions around the world as well, to the extent that Christians are persecuted especially in Muslim and Hindu dominated regions and elsewhere. This happens because of the misconception that Christians and Christianity will uproot their culture and identity as a community and tribe. This has made them resort to various kinds of violence and oppression including seeking political patronage and assistance to thwart and retaliate against the peaceful crusade of unarmed and harmless people. It sad and ironic to see these things happening when civilization is progressing rapidly and humans are now becoming more sophisticated, so much so, that the development of artificial intelligence is soon becoming a possible dream. Interestingly in the other aspects of humanity, we tend to depict a behaviour which is savage and beastlike thereby breeding intolerance and hatred against fellow human beings. Even animals in the jungle have some sense of tolerance among themselves once their belly is full.
In the context of tolerance, if those who profess to be Christians or followers of Christ had at any point of time exhibited some form of intolerance, then they have offended their own master and Lord Jesus Christ. If there is any intolerance that the Bible as the Word of God has strictly emphasized and the Church too as the body of Christ on earth should also strictly follow, it is only against sin and sinful activities which is an abomination to God. On the contrary, things are getting complicated because people are hiding their misdeeds and trespasses by taking shelter under their religious garbs and association. They are taking advantage of the greatness of the grace of God that surpasses any intolerable situation. Further, it is also a fact when the Bible speaks about different nations, tribes and tongues worshipping God in their own style and tradition (Revelation 7:9). So where is the question of ‘Deculturalization’ and acculturation of people’s practice and tradition? Because of this reason God the Son Jesus Christ said ‘I have come that you might have peace and therefore you should love one another for this is the Will of God’. At the simplest stroke of His mighty hand, He could have destroyed the entire humanity that He has created and formed but His grace and tolerance is immeasurable. Therefore, by His death on the cross He elevated humanity to a level at par with His own deity and His own life and blood for the purpose of redemption and not by animal blood. And this is the greatest tolerance ever.
Today the realm of religion is dominated by emotional mediocrity where valuable philosophical thoughts and expressions are disappearing and the path of religious discourse is dominated by disillusioned fanatics who are driven by greed and power having no substantial truth except blind adherence to illogical ideologies. Those who think that Christianity will dilute their traditions and culture should carefully understand the mindset of Jesus Christ Himself and not react to the actions and behaviour of the devotees. Jesus Christ did not create or invent any religion but offered reconciliation with God Almighty. But yes in the course of time and history people have tried to institutionalize their rituals, practices and systems that have made the situation today very complicated. In my opinion, worshiping God and Jesus Christ in the temple or mosque or anywhere is not an offence or transgression to my God because the Bible tells us that true worshippers shall worship the Father not on this mountain or in Jerusalem (or a particular place) but in spirit and in truth for God seeks such people to worship Him (John 4:21-23). Further, Jesus Christ said “I have come not to destroy any law” or practice but in one law i.e. ‘Love’ hangs every type of law.
It is here that Christianity is different from religion. It is a kind of relationship with no strings attached. It is a dual type of relationship, first as a personal relationship with God and Jesus Christ and the second part in relation to fellow human beings. To Him (God) the eternal soul of human being is more important part than the mortal body. He is not bothered by what process we dispose of this mortal body because any process finally turns to dust. But He is more concerned that the eternal soul should not be embodied by sinful nature of greed and hunger for power. I pity those who resort to the path of defaming and tarnishing one another’s credibility be they from any community – Christian or non-Christian. Let us not forget that a healthy society and civilization can flourish only when there is a healthy discourse of various religious philosophies and values.
Societies and the world at large need a transformation – in social and political aspects. A transformation that upgrade its values and principles where there is a shift in collective consciousness irrespective of different faiths and beliefs. The essence of a progressive civilization is to sustain itself throughout the ages. Leonard Joy, a veteran of international economics and social development work, in his book “How does societal transformation happen” acknowledges that there is a repeated collapse in every aspect of the society which includes economic, financial, governance, political, social, etc. His study aims directly at the kind of societal transformation required to stop this slide into catastrophe and begin to advance the growth of security and well-being for human communities and the whole commonwealth of life. To rebuild the whole system require collective effort and collective wisdom. This integrated task requires moving into the next phase of human values and development where the world is seen not as “a problem with which I must cope” but as a “creative project in which I want to participate.” Religious values and philosophy needs to be shared where individuals can evaluate and ponder and take a decision. And this is exclusively a personal and private domain.