Rev. K. Luruo
Nagaland is popularly known for having 90% Christian population. However when it comes to daily practical living of a Christian, we the Nagas have miserably failed to make any impact upon the society. The fact is that we are increasingly compromising with the system and values of the world.
For instance, even the Lord’s Day has turned out to be a day filled with business activities particularly during the festive seasons like Christmas. For whatever circumstances or excuses made by the people to open shops: on Sundays, there cannot be ¬any compromise with what the Bible says. The record of Creation (Gen 1: 1-2:3) closes with an account of God’s hallowing of the seventh day, because on it he rested from his creative labors. We read, “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (2:3). The early Christians, most of whom were Jews, kept the seventh day as a Sabbath, but since the resurrection or their lord was the most blessed day in their lives, they began very early also to meet for worship on the first day of the week (Acts 2: 1) and designated as the Lord’s Day.
It is unfortunate to note some vested interest who are trying to defile the Lord’s Day on the pretext of serving the interests and needs of the public. Keeping oneself free from business activity once in a week is also not only a command of God but it helps to regain physical energy to be more active and vibrant in the following week. If at all there is non stop business activity without rest, men can be likened to animal which does not have sense.
Even though the non-Christian business community are all out of respecting the religious sentiments of the majority Naga Christians in the state by closing shops, at least on Sundays, it is surprising to observe some so called Naga business proprietors who choose not only to defile the Lord’s day meant for worship but to willfully exploit the people out of their greed for money. This is one of the biggest compromises on Christian values by one who claims to be a Christian.
Besides other small traders who make hay on Sundays, one cannot fail to notice some shops like Bakeries particularly in Dimapur and Kohima. The Christian public would like to know who is the authority for sanctioning such unprecedented openings of shops on Sundays for those bakeries. Even when the pharmacies and clinics remain closed on Sundays, why the popular bakeries are kept open on Sundays. Is it because the Nagas cannot survive without popular bakeries.
It is our prayer that the Naga Christians will come to sense and repent at the earliest. Because this willful and unrepentant attitude of few Nagas would surely invite the wrath of God upon the Nagas in general.
(The writer is the Executive Secretary of CBCC)
