People generally believe that politicians are not the right people to preach in the Church. The argument is not without basis giving the fact that these are the days of evils. We have public leaders whose wealth multiplies by several folds within five years. By what mathematical formula this exponential multiplication takes place is not difficult for any sensible person to seek. Even misuse of office, position and influence amounts to corruption. The irony is that none dares to question by what source of income the wealth of these people grow. Income tax being exempted on Nagas there’s no legal mechanism to check the income of a person, no matter how fast it grows. For them, money seems to grow on trees.
In Nagaland, it is accepted as convention that when a person gets the chance to public office he is expected to accumulate wealth. Else, he is looked down upon as a non-performer.
What a tragic reality! Where’s the question of public propriety?
With all the wealth in hands there are politicians who’d grab the first opportunity to stand on the pulpit of the church. In recent years many politicians have captured the church pulpit from back door in several ways. The most common entry point is the gateway of gift and donation. This comes in the form of donation for church building construction, church guest house construction, construction of prayer house, hosting Christmas feast, etc. Every gift or donation has become a blessed gift without any question on the sources of income of lavish-givers. The Scripture did encouraged us to be cheerful givers, but out of our sweat. Today, many churches seem to have accepted the belief that even questionable gifts and donations can be sanctified by prayer.
There are even churches that nominate a Minister’s man as Church building Committee Chairman. How about making a fellow a deacon in the church because he is related to the Minister? What hypocrisy! At present rate one should not be surprised if one day, many of our churches become monumental buildings and not holy places of worship.
The church pulpit of recent times is akin to the holy of the holy place of Moses’ era. It ought to be regarded as the most sacred place; a place to be feared. The church clergy has the responsibility to possessively guard that sacred place. Just as the elected members are in the house of assembly by public mandate, the church leaders too occupy the church pulpit by virtue of being ordained by God. Just as the floor of the house is not free for every body, the pulpit too should not be open for every body. The liberal Protestant Church’s doctrine shouldn’t be taken as an excuse for a compromise of our faith. The church is a place for spiritual nourishment and enrichment, not a platform to be misused.
God must have called that politicians lead the people not only in politics but even spiritually because the State and the church are inseparable. Even if that divine calling is not obeyed by vulnerable leaders, it must be His Will that politicians don’t misuse the Church pulpit to their advantage for political sermons.
Sadly, public leaders who don’t know the propriety of public office would seldom know the sanctity of the church pulpit either. Therefore, if somebody doesn’t know, it would be wise for the church to tell them that the church pulpit is for those who are not just formally ordained but spiritually inspired.
Dr. K. Hoshi
Phek Town
