Dr Asangba Tzüdir
“And Joshua said unto the people; Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you”
The year 2015 has been a topsy-turvy ride and has witnessed the heights as surprising events after events unfolded. And looking back at the year that has been, one is made to ponder in heightened anticipation about what the New Year has in store for us. Though with full of uncertainties, the New Year has renewed our hearts and filled it with a ‘song’ that is full of dreams, aspirations, expectations, wishes and hope and a spring of belief that somehow the New Year will bring solutions to all the myriad of problems. The year has started to roll out and we are there on the rim of every new day to deal with whatever spins out. The recent turn of events in the past few days makes us only long for peace and hope that tomorrow offers a better chance to live without fear. For so long, there has been a deep longing for peace, not knowing where and how it will come from.
Drawing an insight from the Bible, the book of Joshua says, “And Joshua said unto the people; Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” and we see how as God promised, in the most wondrous fashion, the Israelites were taken from the bondage of slavery across the River Jordan led by the priests carrying the casket containing the Ten Commandments. The way God’s wonder unfolded in the River Jordan is magnanimous. The unthinkable happened at Jordan because the Israelites responded to the call to obedience and sanctity. Therein lies our hope too.
Reflecting on our society, and considering the negativities and the tangible issues and problems all around, it seems a difficult proposition to break free from the shackles wherein our lives are strangulated by various forms of corruption in every sphere of human activity, be it in social, cultural, political or religious matter; and more so the Naga political conundrum. Nagas today seem to be traversing a trajectory of life wherein we have lost all sense and sight of our existence, our life and thereby meanings. And as the New Year unfolds, it is only wise to pin our hopes on the Lord for a ‘divine intervention’ to draw us out from the present ‘Naga Condition’. But it will be wiser to first address the predicament that makes each of us a human – a moral being with the will the change from within oneself. The message for the Israelites was to sanctify themselves and bow to His will. In a similar strain Nagas too need to sincerely address the concepts like good, goodness, goodwill, truth, honesty, just, responsibility, etc. and with a sanctified heart turn it into intelligible and meaningful concepts and also in redrawing a moral perimeter for ourselves. Let it also be reminded that it was the will of the Lord for the casket containing the Ten Commandments to lead the Israelites out of river Jordan. Likewise our lives too should allow the various ‘commandments’ to be in front and with obedience, imbibe and follow it as our guiding principles and also renew our morality towards reaffirming in the hope for a change for better that we so long.
With a change in our mindset and with renewed hearts, Let us roll into the New Year 2016 with faith and hope in God’s wondrous works.
(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir is an Editor with heritage publishing house. He writes a weekly guest editorial for the Morung Express. Views and comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
