Thursday, May 8, 2014

MONEY! MONEY! TANGKA! TANGKA!

By Stephan C. Hmar

Last year during December, under the foggy morning of Agartala, I went to my regular paan dukan for my daily dose of paan. I ordered for the paan. I need not detail what ingredients I needed, the dukanwalla knew them all too well. But, unlike other days, he did not give me prompt service. He was indulging, with enormous participation, in his own spiritual business.  
I, then observed keenly, trying to register all his acts. He was holding two fuming agarbatis and waved the smokes about his items for sale---box of babul gums, assortments of sweets, candies, etc. He then took his debit and credit registers, hummed a few mantras, waved the smoke over and below them. He depicted all these acts with seamless, routine act. Only after the completion of this routine spiritual business, he took up the task of preparing my paan.
I asked him, “Which of the gods, you give devotion to?”
He said, “ Lakshmi, the god of wealth, prosperity, fortune and the embodiment of beauty.”
I said, “You are a selfish lot, asking that god only for your prosperities.”
He said, “We need to pray…no? for our own prosperities. In this life what is the most important? Chawal aur sabzi…he nah?”
I said, “For us, we don’t do like that. We are not selfish like you,” fully knowing that I lied.
He smiled and said, “Beta (for I still look like a handsome 18, Buongi mita chuh!), tum samasta nai he! Lakshmi is also protecting us from all kinds of misery and money related sorrows. She blessed us with prosperities, but she also teaches us not to be selfish, dishonest or annoyingly greedy.”
On my way back home, the conversation we had lingered in my head. I felt, I found the “Lakshmi thing” philosophy quite true. Asking god for money and wealth and also asking to help, refrain ourselves from misery and money related sorrows!
I opened the Bible: 1 Timothy 6:10:  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Countless advice by my father during my childhood re-surfaced back in my head. Every time he would say, “Don’t love money. It is sin. It will lead you astray.” And then, countless sermons I had heard, I had been made to grow-up with, showers like thick rain drops. “We should not try to be rich, it is sin.” “We should be satisfied with what we have, it’s God’s way.” Then countless songs that pop-up here and there amongst us due to poverty, rung like a continuous bell in my head.

Is the love of money evil? How are we to survive if we don’t love and search for money? Are we just contradicting our real needs with our sermons, songs, etc.?
Is it not because of the need for this money that we send our sons and daughters to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, where-where and where not? Is it not for the love of money that some of us even reached Dubai, America, England, Brazil and more? And here, for me, I reached Tripura.  Although my father used to give me that advice, what he did at the top of his capabilities was to educate me by expending his money, so that I can earn money in future, after he is gone.  Whatever we do, we seemed to be just about this MONEY, MONEY. Is it not for the importance of money in our life that we could have fellowship even on the western flank of India, in Mumbai?

Even today, the main topic of the discussion with friends is 7th Pay Commission, merging of Basic with DA, Tax deductions, etc. When I meet older people, their first question used to be “What is your job? How much do you earn?” If the love of money is evil, then we---right from the layman to the most spiritual---are doomed.  Each one of our congregations is crazy about money, although none will like to accept this openly. But the underlying truth is this: Mission worker who can collect more tithe received more adoration from his boss. And we are, every now and then, pampered to cast our fishing net in deeper waters, to contribute more money. “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Luke 5:1-22,” is the hottest Bible verse for every fund raising speech.  Member who can contribute more for church’s contingent expenditures received more applause and praise.
It is a really confusing ideology!

Longer thought on this topic draws me closer to the conversions I had with that paanwallah. He needed money, and thus he prayed for it openly. For us, we need the money, we look for it in any available ways---fair or unfair. Yet we cover ourselves with semi-transparent veils that say, “Money is evil.”
Why are we ashamed to admit ourselves that we are crazy after money? Let us look back at the above Bible verse. The love of money might be the root of all evils for some people who wandered away from faith, who are burdened up by money-related sorrows. Not for all. Have we wandered away from the faith because of money? Have we used money for separating people? Have we used churches for personal gains? Have we created chaos because of money? Have we used fellowships just to cover up the selfish whims?
If not, then why not pray like the paanwallah directly for prosperity, for wealth. If we have the faith, loving and working for any fair money is Godly enough not to make any ridiculous move.

Then we will be trustworthy even in our own eyes.

MANDATES OF HMAR CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (HMAR CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP MUMBAI 7TH FOUNDING DAY)


By Samuel L Songate

Hmar Christian Fellowship (HCF) hi India khawpui hmun hran hrana chêng le khawsa abîkin Hmar ṭawng hmang haiin pawl bîk umloa Pathien ei biek (worship) tlângna a nih a. Pathien zâr chauhin HCF hi khawpui dang dang hieng – Delhi, Guwahati, Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Silchar, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Kohima, Dimapur le Pailapool  a hai  a ngir tah a, sienkhawm hieng khawpui dang danga HCF hai indin an hung ni dan ei sui chet chet chun HCF hi pawl (denomination) anga sukdar le inzau pei nuomna lungril anthawka suok a ni nawh a, chu nek hman chun hnam dang kâra cheng le khawsa Hmar ṭawng hmang hai in tu pawl kha pawl ti bik umlo a mani ṭawng ngeia Pathien chawibiek (worship) an thlâkhla leia suok chu a ni tak a nih!

Ei khuo le veng tienga pawl (denomination) hran hrana inlawi hlak, veng dang le khaw dang danga um, annawleh khaw hmunkhat le veng hmunkhat nisi, iengtik khawtika Pathien la chawibiek tlàng ngailo hai khawpuiah Lalpa’n a mi ṭhuoi thlâk a, ei tum lei reng khawm niloa hmunkhata Pathien ei hang biek tlàng el hi ei ngaituo chet chet chun Lalpa’n thiltum a nei a nih ti naw ruol an nawh. Ei hriet ding pakhat chu HCF hi pawl (denomination) a ni nawh a, Kohran (Church) ruok chu a nih.  A san chu ei Bible in chieng takin kohran chu Krista taksa (body of Christ) tiin a mi hril pek a. Chuleiin Krista taksa (Krista hringna neitu taphawt) chu Fellowship, ICI, EFCI, EAC, RPC, Methodist etc. ah inkhawm sien khawm kohran indiktak a nih. Hi baka hin Kohran chu Krista mo (bride of Christ) ti damin ei Bible chun a mi ziek pek bawk. Chuleiin HCF-a inkhawm hai hi kohran an ni nawh ei ti chun Krista taksa / Krista mo khawm an ni nawh ei tina ang tluk ning a ta, chu chu Bible leh an kal tawp a nih.


Ei hriet chieng dinga pawimaw pakhat chu HCF, ICI, EFCI etc. hai hi kohran hai Pathien biek tlangna hming chauh an nih a, kohran tak tak chu Krista’n a thisena an chawk tah, Isu Lal le Sandamtu a pawma, a hringna inṭawmpuituhai hi ei ni lem. Khawpuia HCF hming puta inkhawm hai khawm hi mi piengthar indik tak ei ni phawt chun kohran indiktak ei ni ve a nih. Chuleiin Bible in kohran mawphurna le kohran thaw dinga a tihai chu ei mawphurna le ei thaw ding khawm a ni ve vawng a nih.  Khawpuia HCF umhaiin ei phursuok ngei ngei ding ei Pathien thu anthawka ei hmu thei a pawimaw zuol bik pali chauh hei tarlang ei tih.

Worship – Pathienin mihriem a siemna san laia pawimaw tak pakhat chu Ama chawibiek (worship) hi a nih. Worship ti hin Pathien inpâka hlasak le ṭawngtai chauh a kawk nawh a, Pathien hi a mi siemtu, a min tlantu, ei Pa le ei hringna neitu, ei hringnun le ei lungrila lal tak le thuneitu tak, a mi hmangaitu tak le ei hmangai tak ding, ei iengkima ei iengkim, ei thilneihai po po pumin Ama ta ei nih ti hi thu le hla le nungchang le changzie po poa puongsuok le tarlang a ni tawp el a nih.

Worship hi Pathienin a ngaipawimaw em leiin Israel hai kuoma Dan sawm a pek a khawm khan a hmasatakah “…Kei naw chu Pathien dang nei naw rawh” ti a nih a, chun a dawtah “Milim bie naw rawh”  tiin a zui nawk a nih! Ei Pathien hin thil dang po po neka an lâu tak chu Ama ei worship naw hi a nih!

Chuleiin khawpuia ringnawtu le milim bie mipui a nuoi têl nitina inzi nuoi nuoihai kâra chêng eini Chanchinṭha in a zawng suok Hmar nauhai hin ei ngaipawimaw tak ding chu Pathien worship hi a ni tawp el ding a nih. Dik char chun ringnawtuhai laia Chanchinṭha ei va hrila rawng ei va bawl nasan khawm ieng dang niloin Pathien hring, Pathien indiktak chu an hrieta an worship ve theina ding a ni lem a nih.

FellowshipFellowship ti thumal hi Greek ṭawng ‘koinonia’  anthawka inlet a na, a um zie tak chu ‘sharing in common’, ’communion’   tina a nih. Thuthlung Thar kohran hai kha nitin an in fellowship  tuo hlak ti Bible-ah ei hmuh. Pathien thu le thlarau thil chauh an in-share tuo nawh a, fak-le-dawn le sum-le-pai chenin a nei le neinawhai lungruol takin an in-share tlàng hlak a nih. Bible ei en chun fellowship hi Kohran ‘characteristic’ laia pawimaw tak pakhat a nih. Chuleiin Kohran le fellowship hi ṭhe thei an nawh. Fellowship a um nawna kohran chu kohran hrisel a ni thei nawh. Chuleiin Hmar Christian Fellowship hai hin fellowship ti thumal hi hming ringawta put loin a taka phursuok ngei dingin ṭhang la thar nawk seng ei tiu!

Discipleship -  Isu’n vâna a lawn tawm khan a ṭhuoihruoihai kuomah, “Hnuoi le vana thuneina po po ka kuomah pek an tah. Chuongchun fe unla hnam tina mi ṭhuoihruoihai (disciples) siem unla…” tiin thucha a mâksan pek a. Ama Isu a damlaia a rawngbawlna khawm kha ei hang sui lêt chun a hun tam lem deu thaw kha a ṭhuoihruoihai inchuktirna (discipleship training) in a hmang a nih. Chuleiin discipleship hi ei ngaitha ding an nawh.

Khawpuia hung hai hi a ṭhen sin neiin an um sawng a, a ṭhen inchuk zoin ei ram tieng an kîr nawk a, ṭhenkhat India ram puo tieng dam an suok mek bawk a. Chuleiin hieng member hai hi an um sung ngeia disciple ni dinga lo buotsai chu Hmar Christian Fellowship mawphurna a nih. An inchukna zoa ei ram tienga an kîr annawleh sin dang zawm dinga hmun danga ringnawtuhai kâra an va umna hmuna khawm  kohran ban pawimaw tak nia Krista hnungzuitu  ringumtak an ni pei theina dinga thlaraua lo keihruoi kha ei mission pawimaw tak pakhat a nih!

Missions & Evangelism – Ringtuhai hi ei Bible chun  hnuoi machi (salt) annawleh khawvel var (light of the world) a mi ti a nih. Ei nuom le ei pei thu niloin hnuoi suk al tu ding le khawvel inthim el var tu dinga Lalpa’n a mi ti a nih. Ni naw sien chu a sandamna ei chang char khan suol le thina le natna hai tawk buoi phak lo dingin  a kuom tieng mi ṭhuoi dai tang a tih. Chuleiin ringtu indiktak ei nih a, taksa hrisel taka ei la um a ni chun Lalpa’n khawvela hin a san um in (mission neiin) a mi la sie a nih ti hi pawm tawp el ding a nih.

Chuleiin ei umna hmun seng le ei sinthawna hmun a hai Krista Chanchinṭha nunpui tu ding le puong suok tu ding ei nih. Govt. office, banking sector, private company, BPO, retail, spa le showroom le a dang danga sinthawhai le business thawhai khawmin mani sin sengah ringumna, indikna le taimakna hai hmangin ṭawng suok kher lo khawmin nitinin Chanchinṭha ei hril zing thei. Chuong ang bawkin nitina ei kawl le vela thlarau bohmang chatuon hrem hmuna fe dinghai le khawvel thila inhnêmna ding neilo riengvai le suol saltanghai kuoma va fe suoka Chanchinṭha hril dinga ko khawm ei ni bawk. Mani ngei va pên suokin ei va hril thei naw a ni khawma ei aia hriltu ding missionary annawleh evangelist bêk tir suok annawleh sum-le-paia ṭhangpui chu ei mawphurna lieu lieu a nih.

Thutlângkawmna: Hmar Diaspora - Judahai history-a thilmak deu pakhat chu BC 596-586 lai vela Babylon sala ṭhuoia an um khan Pathienin zawlnei Jeremia fethlengin Babylon sala intanghai kuoma khan hieng hin thu a hril a - For I know the plans I have for you,”  “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). Pathienin an sal intangna hmuna khawm khan an ta dinga thil ha thil tum (plan and purpose) a lo la nei zing a, chuleiin in (house) dâm bawla inbêngbel ding le, lo le huonhai neia an lo hmasuokhai fa-a dawn ding le, nuhmei pasalhai inneia nau le tehai khawm neia inthlapung dingin a hril a nih.  Pathien thu tiem ang ngeiin Babylon salah kum 70 an intâng hnungin Jerusalem-ah ṭhuoi kîrin an um nawka Jerusalem kul indin thar nawktu le hluo nawktu an la hung ni a nih.
Chuong ang bawkin khawvel map-a Israel ram a hung chuong nawkna dinga thawhlawk tak hai chu Europe le khawvel hmun tin ram tina indar hnam dang kara khawsa Jewish Diaspora hai kha an nih. An ṭawnghai chen inhmang hielin khawvel pumpuiah indar suok vawng hai sien khawm an umbûmna hmun phawtah synagogue an indin peia chu chu an Pathien YWEH (Jehovah) an worship na, an identity, an tradition, an culture le an literature (thu le hlahai) humhimtu le vawnghringtu, hnam anga an dam khawsuokna bulpui tak a nih.
Eini Hmar ṭawng hmang khawpui hmun dang danga ei thu le hla niloa um dar Hmar Diaspora hai ta ding chun Hmar Christian Fellowship hi ei ‘synagogue’ a nih. Taksa ram taka ei hnam keikhawmtu le ei ṭawng sukhring zing tu, ei thu le hlahai vawnghimtu - Culture and Religious Centre a ni tawp el a nih. Chuleiin ei umbûmna hmun phawtah tu pawl kha pawl tiloa inthuruol taka hnama mi siemtu ei Pathien hi lunginruol taka ei worship tlânga, identity thar mi petu Gospel Chanchinṭha hi ei chel phawt chun ei Pathien chawimawiin um a ta, ei ram le ei hnam khawm indintharin la um ngei a tih!

 (Pune, March 29, 2014)

BAT PAHNIHAI (HMAR CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP MUMBAI 7TH FOUNDING DAY)

By: Lalrothang Tusing

Ahmasa takin kum sari chen tlung thei dinga mi ṭhuoitu ei Lalpa hmingin chibai. Kum 2008 laia ei hnam hming ngei chawia inkhawmna ei hang ṭan tir lai ngaituo chun hma ei sawn ve ṭhet ṭhetin an langa hmatieng peia khawm Pathienin ami la ṭhuoi zawm pei ei beisei bawk anih. 1st Anniversary ei hmang ṭum khan HCFM hung inṭan dan kimchang takin ka zieka, tu ṭum hin chun a kip-a-kawia hung thursuok ka tum ta nawa. Pathien zara hun ṭha ei la hmu nawk pei ani chun, kum sawm am sawmhni am, chu huna chun kimchang nawk zuola ziek dingin ka lo insingsa lem anih. Chu bâka Secretary a’nthawk khawma report a hung pek tho ding ani leiin tuta ṭum chu ei hung inṭan danhai iengkhawm hung thursuok ka tum hran naw anih.
Awleh, ei thupui hang lut inla, mihriem hi khawvel var ei hung hmu charin bat ieng amani tak ei nei nghala. Tlâkna leilung le seilienna dungzuin ei bathai chu an chennaw rup ei thei. Amiruokchu bat anthawka fihlim tukhawm ei um bîk nawh. Ei bathai hi sil-le-puon le tangka khawm anlo ni kher kher naw thei. Bat ngaisak mi ei ni le ninaw chu mani nekin ei batna haiin an mi hriet chieng lem hlak. Bat rul hi mawphurna le phurrika ei ngai am ti chu mani chunga innghat a nih. A la un deu le zelthel deu khawm um bawk ei tih. Bat ngaisak le ngaisaknaw hi mihriem mizie le nunphung inkhina ani rawp hlak. Mi, ieng anga insukngup le titak mut khawm, bat ngaisaklo mi chu hnung tienga nui- êu hlawna chauh a nih.
Fâk zawngna le insung harsatna leia kawrawnghai sukbit tumin khuol rama awinawtuhai laia khawsa dingin “Liendo Thlang det a “ ti angin ei thlangtla peia. India Hmar-sak rawt a’nthawkin tlâk tieng panin Arabian tuipui hrula ei zun sungbum phar a.A ram mihai le hang enkhi chun vaak hawnlaia tuiva-arngo ang hiel deu thawa thlir hrang awlsamin ei um a. Piengken le sakruong a hlak chu ruol banlo hang ti em chi chu an naw de khawmin a hnung thuol pawl ti thei chu ei nih. A ram mihai le chu sakhuona inanglo, hnam nunphung khawm inang bawklo, fâk-le du zawng dangdai bawk, châng dan le hawiher chena khawm zierâng inhnaina neilo hrim hrim ei ni sih. Sienkhawm insung khawsakna tlawma eilo sawk zangkhai tak duoi rawi mawh tia chuongang danglamna popo khawm chu haiderin ei sepui raw do fan fan hlaka. Pathien hring neitu ei nina zarin le ei harsatna hrezingin chuong harsatna tlâmpuihai chu ka sawl ka kham khawm ti thei loin ei tuor ṭawk ṭawk pei bawka. Hiengang harsatna ngawpui le thlipui nuoivelna paltlang dingin hin ei hringnun a thar a thara Pathien anthawkin incher thar pei ei pawimaw zing anih. Chuong niloa ei harsatna le retheina hai ei inchalrempui el chun ei hmelma lientak satan suklawm hle pal ei ti inlau a uma, chu ruol ruol chun ei hnam nunphunghai chen vuoi ripna thei anih.

Mani in lum makasana kawr le vaihai laia ei khawsakna a hin ei ringtu nina ei inphat hlek ding an nawa. Chu nek hman hmanin cheldet sau sau lem a ei hnam nunphung vawnghimna kawnga khawm ei theina zawn senga hmangruo pawimaw ni ei tum pei bawk ding a nih. Nu-le-pa, sung-le-kuo le khuo-le veng hai hmu phaknawna rama ramṭang ni inla khawm a pawimaw tak lai pakhat chu ei puonri hai intawm meua ei fe nasan a hin chieng taka intuk nghet ding ei nih. Mani nuom zawnga inlap rak raka a thli fena tienga tienga inlên el ding chu ei ni nawh. Iengkim ei thawna taphawta ei ringtu nina mihai hmu le thiem-thei dinga suklang ding ei ni bawk. “ Be a Roman when you are in a Rome” ti hi a ṭhat lai zingin a zo-a-zai chun a ṭha vawng kher nawa, ringnawtu hai thlêk dan anga ei nun ei khalve pei chun boralna lampui ei hraw mek alo ni zing ding anih. “ Joshua 1:8 “ Hi dan bu hin I bau chu suoksan hlek naw sienla, chu thuziekhai po po chu I zawm tlat thiena dingin sun le zan in I ngaituo ding a nih, chuongchun I lampui chu suktluon pei I ta I hung hlawtling pei ding anih”, a ei hmu ang in khawlai hmuna khawm ei ringtu nina cheldeta ei lampuihai suktluontu dingin Pathien ei ko zing a pawimawi a nih. Ringtu inti seng seng khawm kawr le vai le saphai le chu Pathien ei inpâk nuom dan a lo indanga. Eini hai chun Independent hla nguoi ruoia khuong le hang sakhai hi inhawi ei tia ei thlarau khawm a chawm deu niin ei hriet bawk.  Hienglai zing hin ei hnam aidentiti khawm vawng zinga Pathien-in ṭawng le hnam neia a mi’n duong ani ang hrimin, chu humhimna le ringum taka a hnung zui hi Lalpa ei bat ani meu sia.

Khawlai hmuna um inla khawm siemtu Pathien-in hnam pakhat ni ve dinga a mi’n dinna hi hre zinga ei ṭawng ngeia ama ei chawibîkna hi ei bat lien tak ani ti hi a nawn a nawna in hril hriet pei ei ṭul a nih. Hmar Christian Fellowship, Mumbai hi Pathien thlarau-in umpui zing ding ditsakna ka hung inhlan cheu.

                                                                                            (chris2ktusing@yahoo.co.in a contact thei anih.)