A Local Pastor’s Reflection on the Conflict in Manipur

Boboy Nameirakpam Singh

Although it is no longer “breaking news,” I am sure many are aware of the situation in my state, Manipur. Things have remained unstable for much too long, many lives have been lost,  and a lot of people have become homeless. For the past many Sundays, many churches in the conflict-affected areas haven’t been able to conduct the Lord’s Day Worship in their church buildings (our church included), and we cannot say how long this will go on. As expected, the common man and daily-wage workers are the most affected group by the ongoing conflict. All of the suffering is real and heartbreaking to witness, yet what breaks my heart the most is that the glorious name of Christ is being defamed by the various ungodly deeds of so many who call themselves “Christian.” I firmly believe that if those who confess to know and believe the gospel would act like Christ and live out their confession of faith, the problem wouldn’t be so dire. Even as I am writing this article, the situation in my state is still very uncertain! In this article, I outline the cause and the cost of the conflict, offer what I believe to be the cure, and end with a call to action.

THE CAUSE
There are various opinions on what has caused the present conflict. All of the opinions fall under either socio-political or geographical categories. Even though there may be truth in some of the opinions, I do not believe the root cause is primarily from the above-mentioned categories. Rather, I believe that the root cause of the conflict is what the Bible calls “sin.” Sin has blinded, bounded, and built its kingdom of selfish ambitions and jealousy in the hearts of many. In one sense, there is nothing that should surprise Christians with what has happened because this is what sin always does. For sin is subtle, sudden, and deadly. It corrupts and corrodes the hearts of man. And the result is separation – from God and the people He has placed around us, and eventual destruction. James, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told believers the cause of quarrels and fights among them: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1).

The same can be said about the present conflict in my state. The blindness that sin causes has diminished the value and beauty of fellow men who are created in the image of God. This diminished honour has enabled many to raise their heavy hands to eliminate and destroy their fellow men. Very sadly, the same is true for many who professed to be a “Christian.” Sin of the “here and now” has blinded their eyes that they now cannot see the glory of God that is at stake, and could not count the cost of a lost soul who’d succumb to death without Christ. To them, heaven and the promised eternal joy and glory to those who love God seem so dull in comparison with the present temporal earthly gains. Claiming to be wise, they became fools (Rom. 1:22).