Wati Longchar
Economic growth and progress is the goal of all governments. We measure the success of the government in terms of economic growth only. No economic growth means the failure of the government. Many rebel groups emerged when there is no governance, no food security, and justice. Human beings always want to have more and more. We are never satisfied. We desire to live a very comfortable life and enjoy all luxuries. People look up to those people who have a lot to spend for their luxury. The worse is, many people sacrifice family and human relationships for the sake of more money. Some people go up to the extent of killing people. We have many stories of kidnapping and killing of millionaires, politicians, film and sports stars by friends, girlfriend, and boyfriend for want of more wealth. Brother and brother fighting for the ancestral property, sons killing father for sake of property, daughter killing parents for the sake of property. Many such tragic stories every day in the newspaper. We have also witnessed powerful countries like the US, England, Germany, France, Russia attacking, bombing, and killing many innocent people in small countries especially in the Middle East. The war continues even today. In the name of the “War on Terror”, they want to control the land and its resources, especially petroleum products. Today, mining companies are raping the land and its resources without respect, care, and consequences for future generations. The whole planet is dominated and threatened. This is called seeking material growth without God.
All over the world material growth without God leads to rivalry and separation. Want for more wealth can bring a lot of pains and sufferings, war, dislocation, and separation. Gen. 13: 1-18 records a story of rivalry and separation between uncle and nephew over the issue of land and its resources. A very surprising story and decision! Abram (who later became Abraham) suggested SEPARATION thinking that peace would prevail between him and Lot and among their labourers, if they were separated. They decided to SEPARATE for the sake of wealth. Can separation bring peace and harmony? Is separation a solution for peaceful co-existence? Lot’s father, Haran died early. Lot’s uncle Abram and Sarah took care of him as their son. Lot travelled with Abram and Sarah to Egypt. He obeyed them, followed them, and lived as one family in love and care. Lot also took care of his uncle’s livestock and other properties. Gradually, Lot became rich owning a significant share of livestock and other goods. Abram and Lot found that the land is not enough to feed a large number of animals. They started fighting over the land. Their labourers also started fighting for want of more space. The increase in wealth and desire to have more wealth were the main reason for them to fight, lose trust, and finally separate. We see here the desire to expand one’s wealth without God became a source of suspicion, mistrust, fighting, and jealousy. Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Vv. 8-9) Surprisingly, Abraham who is the guardian of his nephew Lot opted for separation! Lot, who is supposed to give preference to uncle as per the cultural tradition, first chose the plains of Jordan breaking the traditional norms. We see here the separation of a family – east and west directions, a direction never to meet again, just because they want to have more and more. Here is a family giving more importance to wealth than family bonds of loving relationships. They chose to sacrifice family, love, solidarity, and care, and even cultural traditions for the sake of wealth. It is called material growth without God. We need to ask serious questions ourselves – what do we choose today? Wealth or family? Wealth or love and care? Wealth or human solidarity? Wealth or integrity of creation? Wealth or cultural values? “Separation” means rejection, exclusion, and denial. It is saying `No’ to peace, love, justice, and harmonious relationships. Separation is not a solution for progress, peace, and harmony. It will create more hatred and violence. Accumulation of wealth at the cost of family and the human community is called market capitalism. The Bible denounced those who accumulated wealth by cheating others. We see a similar situation in our society. There is no unity, factional groups, unions are divided for want of more wealth. This is happening in Nagaland today.
