New Year : Envisaging a new scenario

Rev L Simon Raomai
 “One year year has passed and another year has just dawned. It reminds us afresh that time does not stand still and that we are all creatures of time subject to the  natural and universal law of life, namely change and motion. As we stand at the threshold of the new year, we should think about the burntout remains and unfinished tasks of the past that cannot return and look forward with hope to the new year with all its challenges and opportunities.
As God has blessed us another new year, he has also given us 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days and 24 hours a day equally as the new year gift. The dawn of a new year is a time of hope and ambition of dreams for the future and thoughts of a better life and a prosperous society. All new things attract our attention. So also the New Year. There is hardly any one who is not fascinated by something that is new. We often associate newness with the latest fashion, dress and jewellery, the new model of mobile phones, the recent models of cars and gadgets in the market, the current hits in music and films and the new discoveries of science and technology. But knowledge that the so called new fashion, new models and new styles have but a brief sway over us because they are susceptible to change and decay, and lose their fascination as soon as something else emerges, as new and fashionable, rendering the former things old and outmoded and as such stale and staid.
In contrast to these things which are new today and will grow old  tomorrow or the day after, the Bible speaks of new things of a different nature and quality. In fact ‘the new’ is one of the dominant themes in the Bible. Pages of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament are replete with the reference to ‘new heart,’ ‘new covenant’, ‘a new city’, ‘a new Jerusalem’, ‘a new commandment’, ‘a new man,’ ‘a new Adam,’ ‘a new birth,’ ‘a new  earth,’ ‘a new heaven’ etc. There is also the promise in the book of Revelation : “Behold, I make all things new ! These are different from the things of passing novelty because their newness is the product of of God’s eternal and ceaseless creative and redemptive activity in and among men. They remain always new because they are subject to the transforming and renewing power of the living God, Immanuel, who is with us and is working among us.
In the context of our Christian faith, we have to understand newness as a process through which God renews our hearts and minds and reforms and reconstructs human social order when it becomes corrupt and inhuman. Thus newness according to our Christian faith is primarily concerned with us and our society. It is is to be seen in our personal lives and social relationships. God wants us to be new man bearing the stamp of his transforming and renewing power. In order to become new men and women, we surrender ourselves to God.
When we do so, realising our mistakes and confessing our sins He will take away the old heart hardened by sin and in its place will give us a new heart filled with love, forgiveness, peace and joy. He will banish from our minds all fear which drives us to seek security in false values,old traditions and outmoded social structures; He will give us courage to take the risk of a new life-style which conforms not to worldly standard but to the will of God and law of justice, peace and righteous- ness.
The world,especially our State Manipur is in need of God fearing leaders, men and women with a new version committed to a new value system and a new life-style who are willing to be instruments of God to change the contemporary archaic world order which tends to sacrifice the well-being and future of humanity at the altar of the security of the old sovereign Nation State.
The obsession of our world leaders today with the security of the sovereign Nation State is responsible for the new clear arms race which poses a serious threat to the survival of of man. Further, the irresponsible and indiscriminate exploitation of the earth’s resources and destruction of forest and fertile soil due to jungle burning and poppy plantation also threatens the survival of the human race, flora and fauna.
These, together with the natural instinct of man to possess and consume without any care and concern for his brother’s needs may soon our Mother Earth uninhabitable to mankind. In the context of such an impending human crisis, we have to think of the hopes and fears,possibilities and potentialities of the new year 2025.
The new year should direct us to move closer to God and be with Him in His unending work of creation and renewal. It should inspire us to initiate new relationships and forge new movements which will lead us to take the risk of making new humanizing adaptations which are urgently needed in order to create a new human order at the State level, National and international levels. The essence of these new humanizing adaptations depends on the willingness of men to discard the old ethics of commission and cut-throat competition which is rooted in the selfish and acquisitive nature of man.
Instead, we ought to follow the divine law of mutual concern and care, cooperation and goodwill. In other words, a new humanity and a new world order requires man and his welfare and future to be the centre of all human endeavour rather than the security of the sovereign Nation State which has proved to be the cause of conflict, war, violence destruction. And higher level of intellectual and spiritual evolution of man that will convert him from a parochial man into a global man with an utter loyalty and commitment and its survival.
The years 2023 and 2024 have passed with chaotic crisis of the communal conflict in the small and yet beautiful State of Manipur accompanied by bandhs, blockades, strikes and gheraos. The sad thing is that just concluded Christmas was greeted with gun fights despite appeals and prayers for peace and tranquility made by various organisations. The people are “gripped with fear psychosis under the dark shadow of the draconian law AFSPA. Added to this are the sky-rocketing prices keeping the basic necessities of life beyond the reach of the common people. We also see a few rich people and politicians exploiting the less privileged for fulfilling their selfish desires amassing wealth and power.
At the same time corruption and monetary demands by various organisations are rampant and yet nobody dare to raise prophetic voice against them. Because the law and order has collapsed and failed miserably in many ways. As a result of this situation, there is widespread frustration and disillusionment all over.
The people of Manipur are left like sheep without a shepherd.In such a a gloomy environment and atmosphere will  the wish of a Happy New Year relevant is a big question ?
The New Year calls for taking new initiatives and new ventures towards communal harmony and peace. The Churches as well as its members should act in this crisis with a sense of urgency and carry out their ministry of reconciliation. Christians should realise their own share of responsibility in the prevailing crisis in the State and involve actively in the struggles for the restoration of peace and normalcy. Shedding their traditional political apathy they should join hands with all the honest men and replace the unscrupulous with leaders dedicated to the cause of the poor and oppressed.
At a time when most political leaders seem to be indulging in naked power practice the Church should train and send out leaders who are committed to the Gandhian tradition of politics of service and sacrifice. The question that each one of us will have to ask as we begin with the New Year is will it be different from the previous year ?
Will it make a new birth with a new perspective for us as  communities, individuals and Church as the body of Christ ? If the response is positive then the New Year that has just begun will be different from the past years. If not we are not sure that this New Year will be a better and a peaceful year. The “really new” happened when Christ was born in Bethlehem about two thousand years ago. If we believe in the light of Bethlehem, we also become new.
When this happens, this new will not be a repetition of the last year or another one in the endless cyclical succession of years, but it will hold out the hope of a new birth in Christ and new beginning from our old life. We shall receive the power to banish the demonic forces of hatred, selfish, greed, malice and jealousy from our lives as well as from our communities and begin a new life based on selfless love, forgiveness and sacrifice. As the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 ‘if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come!’ The writer is the Pastor of Mao-Poumai Baptist Church, Langol, Imphal