Z. K. Pahrii Pou
BTC, Pfutsero
Introduction: We are living in a world of increasing violence where life seems to have little or no value at all. Those who destroy life ought to be condemned but they appear most often and most gloriously in the history books. Though we (Nagas) do not have written record, our traditional folksong and folklore has a great deal of praise for warriors -who had killed a great number of people- for their act of skillfulness and bravery. Many of our traditional dance and games were also invented in accordance to the tactics of headhunting. We may also think of War Cemetery such as the one we have in Kohima and in Imphal. The carefully composed words inscribed in epitaphs and stone-slabs deceived us to think that all people who died in wars were great people who sacrificed their life for the good of society. Is it this not an act of glorification of killing? It is unfortunate that ours is a society where the blood of killers (men) shed at war/conflict is sanctified and glorified, whereas the blood of life (women) shed for reproduction is looked upon as a thing of shame, impure and even polluting.
We Christians professed ourselves to be the followers of God who gives life. In fact one of the greatest contribution of the Christian missionaries in Naga inhabited areas was the abolition of headhunting apart from introducing new religion (Christianity). The Gospel, in those days, seemed to be very simple in its presentation: Jesus is coming soon. If you believe Him, you will go to heaven (a place of joy), if not, you will go to Hell (a place of torment). This simple message pacified the fiercest headhunter tribes (Nagas) and became the guiding force for many years until their history took a new turn i.e. struggle for political freedom. Now the intra-inter fighters unite themselves and fought against the newfound enemies – the British and Indians. The message of Heaven and Hell gave way to political message: God as the Political Liberator.
The story of Exodus was taken as a valid paradigm for and by the Nagas to assert their right to political freedom. Many preachers and prophecies speak of Nagas as the “Second Israel”, “Chosen People”, “Holy Nation”, “Called out from darkness” and so on. Rainbow- the covenantal symbol between God and the creation- was chosen as the emblem of Naga National flag. The Naga National Council commented that “the Rainbow flag of Nagaland is great manifestation of God choosing the Nagas by Himself and leading the Nation” Today in the land of God’s Chosen, there are 30 theological Colleges, 2606 churches and 700,000 baptized members. 90 per cent of its population is Christian and it has a commitment of sending and supporting 10,000 missionaries. The Naga Christians have proclaimed Nagaland For Christ probably to seek God’s help to liberate them politically.
In this Christian country (Nagalim), there is an incessant bloodshed and killings even among our own brethren. Those who perpetrate violence, continuously justified by using biblical texts- dragging God and Her name unmindfully to suit their action. Our newspapers are filled with statements and counter-statements from our underground groups. Our churches are unable to rein in the militants. And many of our people thought that whatever is done is done on behalf of the people and would ultimately lead to freedom. Sadly, it does not work out like that. The militants invariably become totally insensitive to human suffering. The way they exercised power was though terrorizing the people. We have freedom to open our mouths only to eat and not to speak. Indeed many of the so-called freedom fighters supposedly our protectors becomes our own oppressors. The Naga churches are not free from this malaise. Many Christians are quick in condemning Jihad but finds no reason to condemn when Christian wage war with other nations as in Crusade. The unabated violence taking in our place, I feel, has a great deal with christian’s understanding of biblical God as the One who permits Her followers to use violence to achieve their goal. If that hypothesis is correct, then we need to challenge it, because God is the God of life and not destruction. And that is the purpose of this paper.
Syndromes
Let us see some of the biblical passages and ideology frequently used by many Christians and underground groups to justify killings. I called those ideologies and passages as syndrome to say that they are spoiling our society today.
I. Chosen Race Syndrome: This syndrome believes that Yahweh support particularism of Israel. She was identified as the God of the tribe – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She fought for Israel and entered into a marriage covenant with Israel on Mount Sinai. According to John Hagee (Founder and Pastor of the Cornertsone Church in Texas, USA):
“God watches over Israel as a protective parent hovers over an only child….The nation of Israel was created by sovereign act of God….Prosperity or punishment depends on how we treat Israel, because the Jews, as descendants of Abraham, enjoy heavenly favour”
Hagee also believed that Christians must defend, by every possible means, the Jews and Israel, and wage war against the armies of those who are opposed to God’s Chosen Race. Only then can they be saved. This half-mad statement of Pastor Hagee is bound to receive criticism as it allows killing and bloodshed.
Thus Yoginder Sikand said:
Christian Zionism is a recipe for global war and Christian imperialism. Moreover, it reflects a total lack of genuine spirituality, seeking to reduce the notion of god into a petty whimsical and racist dictator who willingly urges the slaughter of innocents in order to protect the expansionist designs of his supposedly “Chosen People”.
The idea of the Chosen Race was first replaced by Israel and later by the Church. The Church remains pro-Zionist. The syndrome of Chosen Race continues to entertain the idea that God will not hesitate to use strong-arm to help God’s chosen people. And there lies the problem.
II. Exodus Paradigm Syndrome: The Nagas, with majority of them as Christians, have chosen the story of exodus and conquest of Canaan as a valid paradigm for their liberation movement. This syndrome also believed God as the One who authorized the use of violence. This endorsement is derived from the instance where God strikes down the first-born of all Egyptians and Egyptian livestock. Later, regular wars were fought with God leading the battles. Dhyanchand Carr said that Exodus model was a disaster and is theologically very defective for its Zionist moorings and it supposedly endorsed the use of violence, albeit legitimate violence of the oppressed, against the oppressors.
III. Sarah Syndrome: Sarah took her Egyptian maid-Hagar and gave her to Abraham as a wife so that they can have children. But when she saw that Hagar was pregnant, she was deeply distressed. Problem arises between her and Hagar. Sarah blamed Abraham and invokes God judgment:
May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked at me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.
As far the narration is concerned, there is no reason to blame Abraham and Hagar for they did only what Sarah told them do. But when Hagar conceived Sarah feel insecure. Sarah had committed a mistake. But instead of repenting she charged her husband and invoke God’s judgment- expecting that God will be on her side. This syndrome reflects of appropriating God and using anytime at one’s own disposal. Whether we are right or wrong we want God to be our side. For instance, during the Naga-Kuki ethnic conflict (1991-1992) in Manipur, I was told that many Poumai Naga women were crying and praying to God to strengthen the forces of the Nagas and their weapons, so that they can shoot straight at the Kukis without a bullet went missing the target. The question to be posed is: Is God whose God? Only of Sarah or also of Hagar? Only of particular factional group? Or tribe? or nation? Is it right to invoke God’s name to serve our own interest? Can we expect peace and reconciliation when the wrong doers use God’s name to pronounce judgment on the innocents?
IV. Achan Syndrome: The people of Israel were able to defeat and capture Jericho. But when they attack Ai, they were defeated with 36 of their men killed. The defeat was contributed to the disobedience (sin) of Achan.
And Joshua and all the Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and all the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “why did you brings trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him to death with stones; they burned with with fire, and stoned them with stones.(emphasis mine).
After killing Achan and all his family members (wife included?) and all their properties destroyed Israel captured the city of Ai. What a great relief!!! The lesson is clear: it is better for a bad wo/man or a few bad people so to say die rather than the whole society suffers because of them. This is happening in our society today. For instance, a tape recorder cassette called “My Blood For the Nation” produced by one Naga underground group, repeatedly justifies factional killings on the basis of Achan’s sin- whose sin blocked Israel to achieve their goal. We can also think of USA (Bush group)- coming to Afghanistan to kill Talibans and to Iraq to kill Saddam Hussein because they are bad people. The US seems to have a great concern (over-concern???) for the well being of the Afghans and the Iraqis.
Friends, let us go back to Achan story again and ask: What is the actual sin of Achan that cost him his life, his children and all his properties? Achan’s sin is very clear as he himself had confessed: it is the sin of accumulation of wealth: the silver, the mantle and the bar of gold. And this is against the will God, as one cannot serve both God and mammon. Materialism is a great threat not only to our spiritual life but also to the world peace and security. When Noam Chomsky was asked: Why do you think the US went to war against Iraq? He replied:
Iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the world, it is right in the midst of the major energy reserves in the world. Its been a primary goal of US policy since World War II to control what the State Department called “stupendous source of strategic power” and one of the greatest material prizes in history.
We have the temptation to support to whatever Christian countries and our leaders did without any reasoning. We are being fooled many times by believing that whatever the Christian countries/leaders are doing is good. Friends, stop for a while and think, for many Achans are at work in our society today.Who are then Achans in our society today? Is Achan the devilish-look Saddam Hussein or the self-professed born-again President Bush? Is Achan our political leaders who live a luxury life at the expense of the public? Is Achan our underground leaders who have amassed wealth in the name of bringing freedom? Is Achan the corrupted contractors, government officials who enjoyed their lives by sucking funds meant for the poor? If Achan was stoned to death because of his sin and if his sin is the accumulation of wealth and if accumulation of wealth displeases God then we need to challenge the top order of our society today. Today Achans are prospering and killing and murdering the innocents and not vice-versa.
V. Revenge Syndrome.
“Your eye shall not pity, it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
This notion has often been denigrated as the law of revenge or retaliation. This is unfortunate. The main purpose of this law is to protect the weak in society because obviously the strong do not need protection from the weak. In the absence of such a restraining law, antagonists would fight to the death, in a never-ending spiral of killing and destruction. Many of our people fail to see the importance of life. This law shows that life is very precious and must be protected at any cost. It is a stern warning sent out to those who are trying to harm or destroy life. Jesus was against destroying life when he said: All who draw the sword will die by the sword. This law cannot, therefore, be used by any militant group to justify killing.
VI. A quest for God of life. As worshippers of the Prince of Peace we need to find out ways to stop bloodshed and killing because our God is not a God of destruction and death but of life. We may need to dismantle and re-read some of the syndromes that were used to justify killing.
a. We need to make clear that the God of Abraham is not the God of Abraham’s progeny – the nation of Israel tribes. Rather, God is God of all those people who are willing give up their oppressive ways of life. God call Abraham to uproot himself from a comfortable life in the city Ur and asked him to become a nomad. His faith is to be seen in that renunciation of oppressive and exploitative ways of urban life and in the choosing of a less oppressive nomadic style of life. And through his faith, Abraham will become a blessing for all nations. Thus the God of Abraham is a universal God and not a God of particular tribe or nation.
b. The story of Exodus need to be re-reads in our churches today. The fleeing Hapiru (Hebrews) have been replaced by the idea of the Chosen People: first of the Israel and later by the Church. The idea that the people of Israel should be regarded as a model community of the oppressed is long forgotten. Many scholars were of the opinion that Israel was born from the fusion of various groups into a tribal covenant with Yahweh. These groups of “Hebrews” included escaped slaves from Egypt as well as exploited peasants in Canaan itself who rose in rebellion against oppressive Canaanite city-states. The twelve tribes are not bound together by ethnic ties of kinship and blood. The various ethnic tribes came from different ethnic origins. They are united into a tribal league – which then uses kinship ideology – by the covenant with Yahweh. They made a conscious attempt to form an alternative society, without king and court and capital and standing army, a decentralized federation of tribes. God helped them in their fight against injustices and liberated them from the oppressive power of the Canaanite Kings. Thus the story of conquest should not be misused by any militant group to inflict injury or to kill others as in the present context.
c. Rainbow is a Symbol of Life. The flood story tells us that human sin escalates to a point of no return. The possibility of repentance and forgiveness of sin became remote. God feels regret and become frustrated with Her own creation. This frustration led to the destruction of life by flood. Immediately after the flood, She seems to realize that evil is part of human nature. This realization made Her to make a covenant of life:
I will never again curse the ground because of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.
When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remembers the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
Noah story describes the possibility of a thin thread of continuity, the continuity between life and death. Flood brought death. But the rainbow brings life. Although God has made a covenant through Rainbow that She will never destroy life again, we are using this symbol in our flag and killing others. Is it not an insult to God?
God created humans with intelligence and free will and enlisted them as Her partners in caring for one another and tending creation. However, this freedom has been misused and wantonly abused many times over. In spite of that, God seeks to have fellowship with humankind, to be in constant companion, to inspire and empower them to live in accordance with principles of justice and love so that life flows towards it fullness. As followers of Jesus Christ we should be a part of preserving and sustaining life rather than killing each other. Jesus said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Conclusion: In conclusion I would like to hark back that the God of Abraham is the God of the whole universe who looks upon Her entire creation impartially. The people of Israel (chosen race or the Church) need to understand that they are a model community of the oppressed- through whom God the Liberator works. Exodus story need to be re-read in the light of the oppressed groups of people coming together and fight for justice and freedom. Achan’s sin must be exposed fully because many people have misused this. Revenge syndrome need to be challenged so that life is protected.
Today, more than ever before, our churches must be careful in presenting the message of God to the congregations. We must give up presenting God as the One who work only for particular nation/tribe. We must present God as the one who loves everyone without favouritism and particularism. If our understanding and presentation of God as King, Lord, Almighty, Ruler or Patriarch who rules the whole world with power from above- is leading to an increasing violence and domination, then we may try to understand and present God as Mother, Friend and Lover as suggested by theologian Sally McFague- that brings God nearer and more intimate in our daily lives. This may atleast help our people to feel God in our daily lives and love one another. Or if our people will not obey to the still small voice of God and be good, we may at least listen to the Wisdom of Serpent, which helped Adam and Eve to know what is good and evil because without any sense of good and evil, humans will continue to destroy life.
Readers may kindly share suggestions with the writer at: email: zkpahr@yahoo.co.in
