Nagas take pride in our rich cultural heritage and festivals. There are scores of festivals celebrated by each communities round the year. For that reason, the tag “Land of festivals” has come into play. There are differing opinions as to whether all these old practices of festivities should be inculcated and popularised in this post-modern Church era. I’m not here to argue on any camps’ view but to propose a simple yet unappealing spiritual term “Land of Prayer and Mission” to the Christianised land.
The “Land of Festivals” as it were, has an attractive feeling of onenessand unity among the people of Nagaland. But what have we witnessed for all these past decades? The root of tribalism, group-ism and all other evil –isms seems to have overridden every sphere of departments in Nagaland. The land of festivals with the worst roadways, no proper water connections and the lists could go on. I’m wondering if the Nagas have really missed out the whole point of pledging allegiance to Christ. All things have not become new, there are still some old habits and practices that are holding us back from turning into new leaf.Seeking to preserve and protect the olden practices maybe a legit argument. But it’s sober doubtful whether God approves of our misguided interpretations of culture and Christianity. The Christianizing of the Hindu festivals will be vehemently opposed by many professing believers but for our local animistic agricultural festivals, they’re relativelytolerable, but on what ground? Only the pro-festival camp can answer that.
This tag “Festival of Festivals,” as of now, is not bringing any positive outcome to the people of this land. It is only creating walls of division among many small tribes in our land. All the unity and progress talks in almost every festival have gone into thin air without any effect. We have become a laughingstock and a byword for the other pagan states watching our dominated Christian society with recurring rampant daylight corruptions and frauds. The root of the issue lies in our duplicitous relation with Christ in not departing from the old ways of life.
Nonetheless, the state of affair can be recovered if the Nagas are willing to return to the new path of spirituality in totally forsaking the olden practices of our forefathers. The return to the topic of “Prayer and Mission” will radically affect our society to the route of integrity and integration among the various tribes in our land. The “Land of Festivals” is the old path of our belief system but now, “Land of Prayer and Mission” should be flung open high and wide for the world to see this small nation, Nagaland as a land completely transformed by the message of the Gospel of Christ. To this end, I propose to the people of Nagaland to start proclaiming and prophesying to ourselves as a “Land of Prayer and Mission.” God bless my Nagaland.
Vebu Khamo Kohima Bible College.
