Rev.L. Suohie Mhasi
We Nagas are proud of our people being around 95% are professed Christians. When our people were in severe affliction, the people prayed to God for their security and protection and God was so gracious that He sent a mighty Holy Spirit Revival which swept across the land as a result; the people were rejoicing and had experienced the power of the Spirit of God in changing lives and performing miracles. We know that nothing in the World can substitute the Spirit of Christ being at work in us.
Bot now with the advancement educationally, economically and in the aspect of development our people are drifting towards materialism and revival of animistic festivals such as Sekrenyi, Moatsü, Tuluni etc. A festival is prepared, a chief guest normally a Minister is invited to grace the occasion, speech is delivered and dancing and singing were performed. The next day the highlight of the festival is published in the front page of local dailies. Religious discourse is made saying that the forefathers used to invoke blessing by observing such a festival. It is true that the forefathers did it but in what name? Is it in the name of an unknown God or a known God? There is no place in Christianity to invoke blessing through celebrating such a paganistic festival.
Culture and Religious festival are different. We have to preserve and even improve the good part of our cultures and even to modernize the primitive culture. But culture and animistic festival are not to be admixtured. The Bible said, “Whatever you do, do it in the name of Christ. Can the animistic festivals be celebrated or observed in the name of Christ? Should fellow Christians who were former Hindus observe Durga Puja or Holi or Diwali as their culture? Or should Christians who were once Muslims observe Id as their culture?
Our people used to invoke blessing be performing religious rites in different festivals. But we came to know the true God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and the old animistic religion was forsaken and became Christians. But when our people in general are drifting into the depth of liberalism under the pre text of preserving the forefather’s culture, should the servants of God remain silent spectators or encourage it by participating in it?
