Rev Dr Phuveyi Dozo
Naga United Village, Dimapur
People dream, speculate and wish for a new Nagaland. New Nagaland simply means to be ‘beautiful’. This cherished wish will come when people are in good term with God and with each other. It is not by a miracle or a magical procedure. The Nagas must make it.
Implication of ‘New’
The opposing words for ‘New’ are words like old and past, rotting and decaying, deteriorating, outdated, retrograde and rearward. The words for ‘New’ can be terms such as fresh, reviving, renewing, renovating, innovating, overhauling and transformation. That means the ‘old’ can become ‘new’. The transition is not an automatic process. We need to realize that we have gone wrong and that we must change and reform. But we must know who can change and how it can happen.
Why New Nagaland?
When we talk about ‘New’, it means we are tired with the old ways of life. New must come or old must be made new. It is true that unsharpened axe cannot be effective. We are tired and unsatisfied with ourselves, people around, and people above us. Ways of people and operating systems are characterized by wickedness, dishonesty, manipulation, greediness, and mentality of ‘somebody will do, they do so I do, and they corrupt so I corrupt’. And we have tendency of accusing and blaming others. We expect better things but we never change ourselves.
What a New Nagaland Can be?
It is not a new appearance of mountains and hills but people who live in them and control them. It is not a physical developmental structure without future and peace. The Teacher reminds us that a little is better than wealth with turmoil (Prov 15:16), a little of righteousness is better than much gain with injustice (Prov 16:8), and peace is better than a house of feasting with strife (Prov 17:1). It is the way if we can Nagaland a unique land.
A New Nagaland can be reflected when the citizens live the same quality inside the church buildings and outside the church as well, applying and practicing biblical faith in action and living since faith is a totality and not a dichotomy. The uniqueness of New Nagaland can be recognized when its citizens, who are Christians, can practice what the Lord Jesus taught us in the Book of our faith.
Who Can Bring Change?
While wishing for a New Nagaland, everyone can play a special role in the direction of change. The easiest thing is talking, shouting and even praying but the hardest thing is involvement in the change process. Talking, we brush off and shift the responsibility to others thinking ‘others will do’. Nagaland suffers famine of righteousness and truth. Dishonesty is a psychological, physical and spiritual bondage and slavery. But Truth can liberate us. And truth can recreate and bring rebirth of Nagaland. In this battle of transformation, everyone has a moral role at home, school, workplace, business transaction, and government and public offices.
Characteristics of New Nagaland
The Bible tells us how a nation can be beautiful. It is by righteousness that exalts a nation (Prov 14:34), when the righteous rules (Prov 29:2), and when God is worshipped as their Lord (Psalms 33:12; 144:15). Our land can be different when there is total healing, forgiveness, reconciliation with God and each other, and when people are happy in God, and when honesty and loyalty can be our yardstick. Someone said, “We cannot practice honesty in these present days”. But the question is, “What do you say when the Bibles tells us to be honest”?
New Nagaland is Possible
It is high time for Nagaland to strive for spiritual health with God, social mutuality with each other, economic prosperity with honesty, national vision with solidarity, and raising youth and upcoming generation on the foundation of truth in their belief system and education process.
If the inhabitants of Nagaland are willing to make ‘New Nagaland’ practical, we can make it by paying the price. How much will it cost? It will cost ‘NO’ to old practice and habits and ‘YES’ to change. It means REPENTANCE that can bring healing to Nagaland (2Chron 7:14). God is interested in new creation and with Him old things can go with new things in (2Corinthians 5:17).
It is change of our attitude. Change is overdue. And your willingness to change is the basis of a New Nagaland!
Thank you and God bless you!
