The sun rises and sets; a generation comes and goes and a kingdom rises and falls, but the word of God stays. Nothing stays, everything is transitional to the final goal. As old things give way to all new things so the year 2016 has gone giving room to the year 2017.However, 2017 without Christ will never be a new year. Every day, every month and every year with Christ is a new day, a new month and a new year. Similarly, old laws, old cultures, old systems and old traditions must give room to the new ones in order to stay in tune with the revolutionary world. Anything that does not go along with the law of revolution will decay and perish.
We believe in the fundamental principle that we come from the Lord for a divine mission and we will go back to the Lord, the ultimate goal. And that the Nagas are Christ-oriented. Everything of them – their land, their Churches, their villages, their organizations, their nation and most of all, their life. The movement of the Nagas is inspired and guided by principle of ‘Nagalim for Christ.’ Our spirit of continuous resistance against the aggressors, our spirit of tireless service to the nation and our spirit of self-sacrifice for the cause comes from it. If it were not a Christ-oriented movement our sacrifices, our labor, our life-time investment would have been a wastage of time and energy. We are not going to build a materialist state or that of the idol worshippers. We are going to build a future-oriented state. Definitely we are for the kind of country that promotes harmonious physical, mental and spiritual growth of the people.
Our survival lies in clinging to our principle, not in coalition forces of groups of people outside the line. Our victory lies in our faith force and unwavering stand for the right. Our strength lies in unity in the principle through mutual forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ. Our solution lies in mutual understanding and agreement to disagreement between the two contending parties, not in confrontation. Our prosperity lies in interdependent relationship with other people and nations, not in isolation from them. Our future lies in our issue, not in the east or west.
As we enter the New Year 2017, let us shrug off and exhale the past differences. No enemies can defeat and destroy the Nagas so long as they are on the Lord’s side. Nagas will be pulled down only by their own mistakes and sins. A nation cannot be built upon the foundation of hatred and communalism. We have already declared a statement appealing to all brothers and sisters in different camps to forgive our past mistakes as we have forgiven them and unite in the political line of the people. If God wills 2017 will be a remarkable and historic year. I believe that it will be a year of rejoicing and jubilation for the long suppressed and oppressed Nagas. Let us welcome the new-year with humble prayer and open heart for God’s abundant blessing. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, 2017!
