N. Ricky Medom
There is hostility towards the Church and Christian Missionary enterprise. It is regarded as 1) politically disruptive because it loosens the cement that binds National Culture, 2) religiously narrow-minded because it makes exclusive claims for Jesus Christ & 3) an attempt to convert people to Christ as an unpardonable interference in their private lives.
With the turn of the century there has been a drastic change in the worldview of people vis-à-vis Christianity. In the west we have a largely post-Christian, post-Constantinian society under Post-modern influence which is largely anti-Christian. To call oneself an evangelical Bible-believing Christian is passé and church attendance and participation is no longer seen as of central importance in these societies. This society no longer see the Church as of any relevance.
Somehow this perception is also being seen on the rise among our own people whether in the Capital City of Delhi or other Metros. Especially among the more established Nagas whether Executives, entrepreneurs, Academicians or Scholars. Less and less of these people are seen to be meaningfully attending Churches except for the occasional appearance for appearances sake during important events. More and more we hear criticisms, even in public forums against the Church and the so-called ‘Imperialistic Missionaries’ who brought the Gospel to our people and our land. Sadly, many of our ‘fellowships’ are on tribal lines and therefore attendance is also largely to appease the tribal feelings of maintaining tribal unity.
Even in Nagaland there seem to be a negative perception of ‘Church people’ and Missionaries. In response to my article on Mirror Platform in Eastern Mirror, somebody wrote “Please send 9999 of those cannot-get-into-another-other-profession-"missionaries" (italics mine) to our land. Nagas are the most hypocritical Christians I've ever come across. Stop burning churches.” (13 June 2011.) Another response to an interview done by Eastern Mirror for their Spotlight some years back drew a response recently. “I find what the Pastor says about Naga identity as purely regrettable. Church people are the biggest hurdle to Naga nationalism.” (15 Feb 2011)
Much of this hostility is deserved because of the institutionalization of the Church and the wooden ways in which Christian Missions & Church work is being carried out making it into a mere religious activity without any semblance of Spiritual life. Many people involved in Church & Missions are too lazy to study ground realities, reassess the claims of the Gospel to modernity and make themselves relevant to the people they serve. Many Church leaders seem to be confused about their role and calling. They seem to be abdicating on Spiritual Leadership and opting for the more visible and human (read worldly) desire for power and position.
We might then ask what is the difference between a true Christian leader and a spurious one? When a Church leader by virtue of his official position demand obedience & push through his personal agenda irrespective of the moral considerations & feeling of others, that is spurious. However, when a leader by the exercise of sound wisdom, prayer, spiritual power and with tact and sympathy is able to influence and enlighten others, to the extend of leading them to alter their life course, that is true spirituality.
What does this mean for us coming from a Christian background and society? I believe this brings up some important implications for the Church as well as individual Christians and we must look at them seriously and with concern. It does not augur well for the Church to remain silent to this trend. And as a representative of the Church it is a concern that I feel we should bring up in the public domain for the sake of the younger generation who remain largely impressionable and susceptible to negative thought during their formative years. We cannot and should not just stand by while the critiques sway our youth under its negative influence.
To start with: A Self-Criticism
For many years, the Church has seen itself as being the Big brother of society. The one that controls the direction of society and which society cannot do without. This came about starting from Emperor Constantine whose influence turned the Roman Empire into becoming a “Christian State.” In the Naga case it was the Missionaries whose influence turned the State into a “Christian State .” For many years since, the Church has played the role of a Chaplain to the State, even using rather strong-arm tactics forcing the State into Legislating certain Laws which had no hope of seeing success.
But at what cost to the Church as a witness? We now live in a highly pluralistic society with any amount of choices available whether it be in the religious or the social sphere. The church cannot but do harm to itself by using overbearing assertions to a largely reluctant society. And anyway is this what Christ would want His Church to be doing? Is this the role that the Church is mandated with or has the world influenced the Church into going the wrong direction much as it did the Roman Catholic Church in the middle ages?
What we saw then was the Church vying for political power and influence and even exerting more power and influence than the political Kings and Princes of the day. Have we fallen into the same trap? Has the Church as an institution become more political than politicians and more economic minded than the economists? Could this be the reason why a lot of people are turning away from the ‘traditional’ mainline churches and joining fringe groups or altogether rejecting church as an institution? Can the traditional church survive the post-modern, urban society? I believe it can but to do so would require a lot of change from the present big brother image to a more people friendly, Biblically-centered and worldly-wise conscious approach.
Critique against unfair Criticism!
As stated above, there are definitely much scope for the ‘Church’ to reflect, repent & return to the Truth of the Gospel instead of promoting their own agenda. But having said that, with all the negative criticism flying around against the Missionaries and Church Missions, are we not in danger of ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’? Do we not in essence bite the hands that fed us? After all it was the Christian Missionaries who put us on the path of Education, Health care as well as to be aware of our Human & Sovereign Rights which we continue to pursue. Having accused ‘Foreign’ missionaries for imposing their imperialistic ideas to us are we not also falling into the same trap with Western Post-Modern philosophies & teachings?
Higher education is an accumulation of knowledge and information which is increasing in leaps and bounds. Today a young scientist or Academician has a more accurate conception of the physical world than was ever possible for say even someone like Sir Isaac Newton. Because Science progressively accumulates knowledge, great minds like Ptolemy, Galileo, Copernicus, Newton and Einstein, each one of them build on the foundation of those who preceded him so that today we have the accumulated knowledge far greater than any of these earlier scientists. However, knowledge of God proceeds in an entirely different way. Every person’s encounter with God is a unique & individual one. That is why we say, “God has many children but He does not have any grand children.” We cannot assume that because one is highly educated therefore he knows God better than his parents or grandparents. In fact the opposite seem to be the case. The more educated the more hostile and distant from God!
The old rules by which everyone use to play is fast being changed and altogether vanishing. The very idea of Absolute Truth is considered outdated and Obsolete. Broadly speaking, Post-Modernism has injected into our lives a form of Cultural Relativism about such things as Truth, Reality, Reason, Values, etc. What was considered as Universal & Objective Foundation for Knowledge as established during Modernism is now considered as a pretense. And once, accepted norms to Universality & Reality are dissolved then everything is relative. The self becomes the source of Truth and so Post Modernism now defines Truth for itself. And through its relativisation of Truth, Post-modernism contributes to the Absolutisation of satisfying one’s own desire. Truth is no longer our guide for life; Feeling Good now overtakes Truth. What remains is only the autonomous Self and its power of Language!
This is by no means an adequate view of Post-Modernism. I have just skimmed the surface and brought out some salient features pertinent to this article. But even from this brief over-view we can see that Post-Modernism sets itself squarely on a collision Course with the Teachings of Jesus Christ and with our belief. The Western Post-Modern World has demanded from their Churches a reason for its existence. Just as some of our own scholars and Academicians are demanding from us a reason for our existence.
Conclusion
Much of this hostility may be deserved because of the institutionalization of the Church and the wooden ways in which Christian Missions is being carried out. Many people involved in Church & Missions are too lazy to study ground realities, reassess the claims of the Gospel to modernity and make themselves relevant to the people they serve.
But we are all here to learn. And learning takes Humility, Effort, Adjustment, Change and Faith. It is therefore essential that we understand the ground on which Christian Mission rests, not on old structures and institutions but on the Gospel. The challenge for the Church is to change conditions and move parameters so we can hear the voice of God and not our own voices. The challenge is to stop telling God “Lord, we are going to work here & here & here whether you like it or not! So please bless our work.” Instead we must pray, “Lord, please show me where you are working and make me worthy to join you in your work!”
Whether we are Church workers or Academicians & Scholars, we must move out of our comfort zones wherever & whatever it may be and be prepared to face new challenges. We must beware of becoming Religious because to be religious is easy: mechanically doing something over and over again. Religion resists learning & making lifestyle changes and religious people get caught up in endless arguments. Instead let us move towards Relationship because relationship is a Connection, it is Kinship and it is Camaraderie.
