Make Over In The New Year : Oneness Is All We Aspire For

Maisnam Chanu Liklainu *

Christmas Feast and Lenkhom (Gathering) at Churachandpur on 25 December 2011 :: Pix - Jimmy Leivon

Ask a non-conformist, what's his/her resolution for the New Year. All we get is a blunt and sharp reply saying that he or she doesn't feel the need to change.

Resolutions and me? No way. "I don't feel the need to change. I am perfect the way I am. Take me or leave." This would have been the probable answer.

Do you really feel that you are perfect and you don't need to change at all? But for many of the mortals like us, another year beckons to affirm a new beginning. We look at it as the year to add a new dimension. We want to see the new year as the year of growth.

We want to reinvent ourselves and to radiate a new enthusiasm. To us the New Year is all about discovering a new dream, charting a new course, capturing a new vision, building a new life and exploring a new possibility. And the list goes on.

December is a special month because of the Christmas and the New Year. Christmas brings back memories of all those Christian friends whom we have kept in touch and whom we have parted with. We grew up with our Christian friends. We ate, sang and prayed together. They taught us new ways of praising and thanking God.

We loved reading the Bible from cover to cover. It's not easy to learn the Bible. Whatever we have absorbed from our friends have stayed with us. The Christian friends taught us so many things. Our Christian friends in the past were the Nagas from Nagaland, Mizos, Tangkhuls, Kabuis, Hmars, Malayalees and Koreans.

Before we met them we had no idea what is the way to salvation, the way to peace in anxiety, the way to be courageous in time of fear, relief in time of sickness, guidance in time of decision, rest in time of weariness, comfort in time of sorrow, strength in time of temptation, praise in time of thanksgiving and rejoicing in time of forgiveness.

They teach us all. The teachings are so profound. The list is exhaustive and educative.

We love the Christian way of loving, caring and sharing. There is a camaraderie. The bond is made. The ties are strengthened. It's all about renewing and rejoicing. You shake hands with everybody and the resolve is strengthened. Everyone greets each other.

Where will you find so much of positive energies which you find in a Christian congregation? Issues are discussed and even prayed. The esoteric is what we find in the interpretations of the Bible. We are introduced to the fascinating world of Prayer and Praise points.

There is always somebody to note down the points. We love the Christian way of saying: "We will pray for you and we will include you in our supplication". This is surely reassuring and instil us with lots of confidence.

Words are indeed powerful. Words have been refined and polished. Words can just shake and move us. The Christians use it well. Christians are the most expressive people. Even the most hardened criminal will be moved. They have the power to move. People shout it out and sing it out. There is beauty in all that they say. We love their motivating and inspiring words.

We love the way how they present themselves. How beautifully they have built words to convey the message of love, compassion, peace and hope. It's a never boring exercise. It's an endless poetry, verses and powerful words that have been manufactured. It's an exercise in creativity. They have in them immensely.

In the coming year, we would like to see all these words of God converted into action. We are sure it will be for humanity and for oneness.

Christmas is over. The joie de vivre will continue. We want to make lots of resolutions. We want to witness change for the better. We want peace to return. We want the paranoia to go away. Let's just pray for peaceful co-existence. Words of disintegrating Manipur hurt.

Together we can live and together we can stand. We can definitely make Manipur a peaceful place to live in. In the coming year, we want to see Manipur minus bandhs, blockades, blasts, extortions, killings etc. We want to see a new Manipur.

We want to see Manipur marching ahead. We want Manipur excelling in governance. We want Manipur doing exceptionally well in all areas.