RELIGIOUS CHANGE FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
Introduction:
We often say about the need of social transformation for the betterment of social and natural life of the people in Mizoram. Indeed it is true when we look our societal life. From where we will start and how it will be? When I reflect it again and again, I found out the spot from where to start, that is religion. So in this article, the areas for the needs of religious change and its performance for social transformation are discussed.
1. Why do we need Social Transformation?
By looking today’s context, it has to be seen our society as an awkward place where countless injustices, corruptions, and other social evils are prevailing. The life of the people is very much different to each other; while rich are very rich, poor are in a bad situation without having any luxury life. The life of ordinary people is also not in a good position. There is no such righteousness, sympathy and faithfulnesses to our fellow human beings as well as to the government or other institutions where we are working. The life condition of the people is thus moving towards Sodom and Gomorrah! That is the reason why we need transformation in the society in order to bring the society to better situation.
2. Why from Religious Change?
Mizo life is associated with our religion, and our religious behaviors or exercises affect our social life. It is very appropriate to start social transformation from the religious life as we are Christian state. There was a find out that Mizo put emphasis on the grace of God and salvation history, but a little negligence is there to the reasons for living holy as a Christian. That’s why we need some changes in our religious lives and practices. Then it can be materialized that, some changes in religious life would lead automatically to the transformation in the Social life. The transformation could not be fulfilled without any change. So, as we are religious men & women, religion is a suitable area where to start changes for social transformation.
3. Areas for Religious Change:
When I say religious change here, I mean the changes of the life and practice of Christians in Mizoram. In what way and on where situations do us need changes would determine the areas for religious change. Those areas are:
· Putting into Practice.
· Extending the Meaning of Worship.
· Living Christian Life beyond the Church.
3.1. Putting into Practice: Mizo are very much emphasizing on salvation theory of Paul and his teachings, i.e. salvation by grace through faith; and it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). People are enlightened in this light. We accept ourselves as sinners and incomplete ones. From that situation, we are saved by the grace of God. But at the same time, we have little abandon side of the coin of salvation; that is ‘be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect’ (Matthew 5:49). It is known that Human Beings cannot be perfect. But the main emphasis is seemed to be living in the way of perfection in spirit and action.
Mizo Christians always put aside ‘to be perfect life’ because we are happy on our imperfectness, to our sins and on our weakness. With these our fragile areas, we live Christian life. If we analyze it critically, we will find how it will be difficult to have better society. Why? Because, the one who accept himself as sin without trying to be better would surely do many mistakes. This is exactly our today’s society. The people even the church leaders are experiencing spiritual life, but there is still big slackness in physical life. The more he/she is active in the church and its activities, the more we claim him/her as spiritual. But on the contrary, if a person is more involve and interest in physical works and deeds, he/she is automatically claimed as not spiritual. The way how we look a true Christian is based on the way how he/she participates in the church activities. This is the area where we need ‘change’! We have to put into practice of what we have learnt, read and seen to have better standard of life. As we see in Titus 3:8, those who believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works which are excellent and profitable to every one.
As we are living in a physical world, putting emphasis only on spiritual while neglecting physical would be always incomplete. As Christians we have to try to be perfect and complete by following the footsteps of Jesus Christ by doing practical works. We do not receive salvation from works, but we have to works because we are saved.
3.2. Extending the Meaning of Worship: Generally, worship means submitting, praising and adoring to the divine one or the one who is more superior. In Mizo context, we mainly mean worship as praying, singing, preaching, dancing, etc, in the church and other places. But when we look our society, is this a time for changing the way of worship. Because, we do worship God and practice it for hundreds of years, but the condition of our society is more and more depraving. Thus this provides one area for changing.
The extended meaning of worship thus would be faithfulness, loyalty, perseverance, truthfulness and authenticity to the job, which are acceptable in God’s side. In doing these, one could worship God not only in the church, but also with his/her daily works. One could worship God in the office by working on files; one could do it at the jhum by cutting grasses; one could fulfill it on the vehicle by driving; and one could perform it in the school and college by teaching students, rather than worshipping in the church only.
But in today’s situation, we put more importance to church and church’s activities (may not necessarily to Jesus) than our daily job. We dare to leave our works before time as well as to leave it for some days for church purposes. Is it really right as Christians not to faithful enough in our works? Indeed, it is clear that we should put God first. But what would be God’s will? Will He happy when we leave our responsibility to attend different church’s activities? I don’t think so!
I am not criticizing the church and church’s activities where we worship our Heavenly God. What I mean is to extend the way of worship beyond the church. Suppose, if one could fulfill his job even in a position of exempting from Wednesday’s night service, God may still be happy on him, because he is faithful to his job. That is what the extended meaning of worship. So, we would worship God through our works in our everyday life by knowing that doing good and remaining faithful to the task is worshipping God.
3.3. Living Christian Life beyond the Church: If we critically analyzed Mizo Christianity, we may say that it is church based Christianity, where Christian activities could be seen mainly in the church and its related organs. Is not there a living beyond the church? It is very true that church is the place where we worship God; it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. We should attend it with praying, dancing, preaching, teaching and singing. That is our duty and responsibility as Christians. But shall we be sufficient with this pattern? No, this is not only our task to do. We should also enlarge our living beyond the churches.
The teachings that we have in the Bible, especially the gospels and catholic letters are mostly concerning about the life beyond the church. Moreover, we are satisfied with the life of worshiping in the Church, while less attention is paid on Christian life beyond church. We preach well in the service, but the preacher do not stop hating and criticizing others even just after leaving the church. The dancers in the church’s service still continue to be arrogant. That is the reason why we could not have better social life. We do not dare to love others with all our heart; and we do not have the courage to forgive our enemies and those who persecute us. Instead of living to be blessing for others, we still choose to live for ourselves. To be a blessing for others is the way how we could show our love to others, but we feel hard to fulfill it. All these limitations are because of our negligence to live Christian life beyond the church.
4. How these Changes will Perform Social Transformation:
4.1. Putting into Practice: We see in James 2:24 that faith is incomplete without work. This is the central theme of this area. We are now saved. What would be our responsible as being saved? That is no other than ‘work’ which accompanies faith.
4.1.1. For most of the people, work is only for sustaining life in this world; that require correct and incorrect income to feed needs. But the work through faith would suggest only gaining from right things. If people always link faith with their works, there would be right and just solutions for everything, which would automatically transform social life.
4.1.2. All the moral and ethical teachings of the Bible could be concluded with ‘love for one another’. If there is mutual love to each and every one of us, there is no chance for bad results in the society. To love is to do good things for other. Doing good things never return immorality.
4.1.3. Christianity is not only heavenly religion, it is also world religion. That’s why world’s situation could not be neglected. The world where Christianity born demands changes. By caring for the life in this world, the changes could be succeeded.
4.2. Extending the Meaning of Worship: As we have said before, the meaning of worship must extend up to the living situation of our daily life. The more we worship in a diverse area, the more we have better society. How does this area perform social change?
4.2.1. If a person observes his/her job as worshipping God, there will be no rooms for laziness, corruptions and bad works. That will lead the society into virtue society.
4.2.2. Faithfulness in any job or work is one of the basic needs for social transformation. If a person realizes that faithfulness to the work is pledging allegiance to God, why shouldn’t he/she do justly, which is needed for social life.
4.2.3. While we do better in the church related works, a little laxity is there in outside works, because we claimed it as non-God activities. But loyalty to respective task is what our God’s desired and recognized. Is there any other way of worship apart from God’s recognized. If we please God by singing praise to Him, we have also to please Him by giving vigilance to our works. That will automatically change the behaviors of our society.
4.3. Living Christian Life beyond the Church: What would be the result if we are Christians only in the church? Yes, the result will be deterioration of the society as we have today! How it will transform the worsen society:
4.3.1. For Christians, life is Christ. To follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ is our way that leads to different corners of social life. In our journey to the way, we have to focus always to Jesus Christ and asking how Jesus will do this. The life of Jesus is for all kinds of people. Likewise, the life of Christians is to be open for other people. Church going is mainly for self. On the other side, living Christian life beyond the church is mainly for others. As long as we follow the teachings of the Bible for our physical life, the more fruitful will be our life. If it is so, it will not be hard to transform our society.
4.3.2. I have to try to be an example of Jesus Christ in my everyday life. If Christians are reminded always on that state, the example person will always try to obey the teachings of the Bible. As far as he/she obey, more contribution for peace and justice will occur in the society. The combination of many ‘true’ Christians will surely transform their respective societies.
4.3.3. I should still bring up my humbleness to beyond the church as I did in the church. Submissive mind to God that we have in the Church’s services should still live to the outside. Bringing human relation, cooperation and mutual care in the society is not a difficult task, if we live Christian life everywhere an every time. So that, our life will bear fruits abundantly; and our societal behavior will be transformed.
Conclusion:
For some people, social transformation is to be started from the society itself; for other it should be from each family and individual; and for others, is from politics. Our outlook is different from each other according to our interests. If our society really needs a transformation, we could achieve it from different angles as it has different dimensions and circumstances. But to me, social transformation is to be started first from our religion. Some changes in our religious practices and behaviors would lead to the transformation of our society. That is the reason why I called it, “Religious change for Social Transformation”.
No comments:
Post a Comment