Chp 105. Pics: KTP Bial Conference

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For the sake of my dear non-Mizo visitors, let me explain the concept of “Bial KTP Conference” again.

KTP stands for “Kristian Thalai Pawl” which literally means “Christian Youth Group”. Every Presbyterian Kohhran (Church) has a KTP. A Bial (circle) consists of a couple of Kohhrans headed by a designated Pastor. Hence a KTP Conference is an occasion (3 days) when all the KTP members of different Kohhrans belonging to the same Bial interact with each other by going to the same Church, having discussions, fellowship programs etc.

As mentioned in my previous post, Chaltlang Bial consists of Chaltlang Branch (1954), Laipuitlang Branch (1986), Lily Veng Branch (1988) and Chaltlang South Branch (2002). It was indeed a great experience for me, considering the fact that this was my first KTP Conference since I’m never in Mizoram during this particular time of the year.

Some of the photos I took are displayed below.


Girls will be girls. I spent most of the morning waiting for them to get ready.


L-R : Mawizuala, Terema, Thangvunga, Pianpuia, Mary, Madina, Mahlimi & Me.


Ushers of Lily Veng Branch (the host branch for this year).

[ Variety Program – Saturday Afternoon ]










L-R: Marly, Mawizuala, Hriatpuia, Engkimi, Maruata & Hriatpuia.


Laipuitlang Branch dancers!




L-R: Rintluangi, Marly, Ma-i, Mami.


Chaltlang South Branch Quartet Band.


The DOXOLOGY gospel rock band, Chaltlang Branch.


Item numbers from renowned gospel artists.


Gospel rock band SARABANDE from Laipuitlang Branch.


Our (Chaltlang South Branch) very own gospel band – The ALTARS.


Laipuitlang Branch KTP members performing a worship dance.




On our way home -> “The ALTARS” unplugged.

[ Sunday 28.01.07 ]


Sunday Afternoon Church Service, again at Lily Veng (the host Branch).




A close friend of my close friend -> Lal Hmai, Chaltlang Branch.


Laipuitlang Branch Choir.


Chaltlang South Branch Choir. The conductor is Madina.




Blessing the offerings given during the service.


Narzhoc, a regular misual.commer.


Dancing in His praise.


Sunday night service: Bial Choir in action (the best from all Branches)


A view of Lily Veng Church from the balcony.


After Church -> fellowship program. Note the time. And it just started!








Chaltlang Branch members performing a devotional worship dance.




Various gospel artists from different Branches.


On our way home, around mid-night. Streets are completely deserted.


Dawrkawn.


My cousin posing, and me in front of “Almost Unreal’s” house .

One of my friends said that “Bial Inkhawmpui” is also a perfect time for single guys and girls to keep a lookout for a probable partner! No wonder whenever I was introduced to a girl, the first thing the people who introduced us always mention was, “nula fel a ni” (She’s a good girl). Lolz.

One thing I have noticed is that, many people regard anyone who regularly participate in KTP activities to be “good”. Evangelist Zairemmawia gave a very good sermon on this topic too. We need to change our mind-set regarding this notion. Ofcourse taking part in such activities is a noble deed when it comes to devotion, but there are a few individuals who do nothing in life, don’t help out with the house chores, waste their time the whole day, and when it is time for the KTP service, they are the first ones to reach the Church! All they care about is their public image. Being a good Christian is not just about the Church service alone! That’s just the icing. Duty to family and parents are also a part of duty to God.

Ah oh, I met a couple of KTP members from different Branches who came up to me and asked me if I am Sandman! Lolz. I just grinned and cautiously asked them why first Anyway, I did get quite a number of handshakes that night, from people I’ve never met before who read my articles online. Here’s to all of you out there -> lots of love and prayers. Hoping to meet you all again on next year’s KTP Bial Conference. God bless.

Chp 104. Sunday School Topic

Date: January 28, 2007.
Sunday: 4th Sunday of the Year.
MSSU Lesson Topic: The Israelites in Egypt.
Reading: Genesis 15:12-16; 45:1-8

^{GE 15:12} As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³ Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

^{GE 45:1} Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.

^{GE 45:3} Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

^{GE 45:4} Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

^{GE 45:8} "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

This is the word of the Lord. Amen.

So, as I have said earlier, I will be conducting my own Sunday School service here on my blog, amateur as I am, translating the lessons prescribed for the Mizoram Sunday School Union (MSSU) by the Mizoram Synod Authority into English.

But “myself” wrote a good comment on my previous post, where she said Sunday School lessons are “boring boring boring”. I wouldn’t exactly use that word “boring” , but yeah, in a way, Sunday School lessons are not exactly like the usual Church sermons.

I look at some of the notes I made so far for this week’s Sunday School lesson: Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Egypt and Mesopotamia not only did business with each other but also shared the same religion, farming thrived, Canaan lie in between these two Kingdoms, the 12th King of Egypt was Amenhemet-I who was not interested in building Pyramids, etc etc.

Hehe… Republishing the SS lessons here might not be a good idea after all. It's more about history rather than thoughts and maxims. What was the name of Joseph’s father, who attacked the Canaanites, how long is the river Jordan etc..

So with this, my dream of becoming a Sunday school teacher just went up in smoke . Plus, I need to spend a lot of time going through the notes in detail, which I cannot afford to do currently. Our “KTP¹ Bial² Inkhawmpui³” is going on right now. It’s a great time to interact with other youths of adjoining Kohhrans whom we don’t usually see everyday. I will post the snaps of this grand function by tomorrow.

¹KTP – Kristian Thalai Pawl (Christian Youth Group)
²Bial – I have already explained what a “Kohhran” is in one of my earlier posts. It basically means a Church. Each locality is one Kohhran, except for those localities that are too big, which are divided into 2 or 3 (depending on the size) Kohhrans. A Bial (circle) consist of a couple of Kohhrans that are under one Pastorate. Hence an official Pastor heads a Bial, and alternatively spend a different day with each Kohhran. Our Chaltlang Pastor Bial consists of Chaltlang South, Chaltlang Vengpui, Laipuitlang and Chaltlang Lily Veng Kohhrans.
³Inkhawmpuii – Grand Church Service.

Hence “KTP Bial Inkhawmpui” basically means “The Grand Church service of the Christian Youth Group of different Kohhrans belonging to one particular Bial”. Phew!

God bless.

Chp 103. A new commitment

Last night there was a conversation in my head.

Left brain: Do you remember the good old days when there used to be more than 200 visits a day to this blog?
Right brain: Ofcourse I do. Those good old days…
Left brain: And do you also remember how some of the posts used to get more than 50 comments at one go?
Right brain: Indeed I do. Sigh* now the number of daily visits don’t even reach 50, and it would be an occasion worth celebrating if the number of comments even reach double digits now!

(At this point, my left brain gave a dramatic pause )

Left brain: I know… but… do you remember how empty it sometimes used to feel during those days?
Right brain: hmmm… empty, I’m not so sure, but yeah, sometimes something definitely felt incomplete... There were ofcourse times when it felt like Heaven, but they were all short-lived…
Left brain: Exactly, bro. So do you think it’s worth it?
Right brain: Yup indeed! Definitely. Let’s continue churning out thoughts and saws for our inexperienced little master…

I smiled.

One of the biggest thoughts in my head these days is, how do I increase traffic to my blog while writing only about Christ? I asked my good friend Xeres_79 (a Christian) for his honest opinion about me and my new blog topics. He’s one friend I know who will not beat around the bush and white-lie for the sake of being polite. He told me plainly that my topics are not what most people (read: Christians) would spend their time on, and that no one is going to read my posts and suddenly go “aaah” and change themselves for the better. Because, as he explained, most Christians “are a lazy lot”, and when they don’t even go to Church to listen to the sermons (Note: “Go to Church to listen to the sermon” is one word), they are definitely not going to read any articles on the net related to Christianity.

Touché.

Well, I’m definitely not a good Christian writer. But amateur as I am, I write what I feel like nevertheless because it fills me with a strange sensation of obedience when I play a small role in spreading the message of Christ.

When people experience Christ’s abundant love and mercy, they change; Not necessarily a complete change in their attitude/behavior/peculiarities etc but there is definitely a change to some degree.

Among us Christians too, there is a small section of people who criticize singers who had a “born again” experience for singing only Gospel songs on TV when they used to sing love songs and other non-Gospel songs before, and even absurdly mock them because they think these Gospel singers regard all other forms of songs as a sin.

My two cents on this: I’m sure Gospel singers sing Gospel songs not because they regard non-Gospel songs as a “sin” but because it’s what makes them happy. There is nothing wrong in singing non-Gospel related songs; it’s just that they are more satisfied and content singing songs that praise the Almighty Lord’s name.

That is why today I had a brainstorm: Every Sunday from now onwards, I am going to do my part of blogging about that particular Sunday’s “Sunday School” lesson, as prescribed by the Mizoram Synod Authority for the MSSU (Mizoram Sunday School Union). In a way, this will not only help me polish my writing skills on Christianity, but will also be an opportunity for many of our Mizo brothers and sisters living outside Mizoram due to studies or work to catch up with what’s happening at Home.

Hence come this Sunday, I really hope some of you will spare just a few minutes of your precious time to go through the Sunday School lesson… In case some of you may not know, the main subject/topic for this year is “Israel-te chanchin” (About Israel and the people). There are altogether 46 lessons (zirlai) this year, where the topic (thupui) span right from Genesis and Exodus all the way to the Holy Gospels.

The topic for this coming Sunday is Lesson no.3: “During their time in Egypt” and the readings are Gen. 15:12-16; 45:1-8. More on that will be discussed on Sunday . So I really am hoping to find you all on Sunday here. Until then, continue keeping the faith, and God bless.

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By the way, here is my heartfelt wishes and congratulations on the Holy Matrimonial of my two friends John (S/o Dr.Larimawia, MacDonald Hill, Aizawl) and Marina (D/o Chalthanzuala, Saron Veng, Aizawl) who tied the knot in His Holy name today. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it for the wedding due to an important prior commitment.

John (aka Tribalsuperstar) blogs at roastedpork.blogspot.com and Marina (aka Diddley) blogs at diddley.blogspot.com. Two blog friends of mine have now become one. I find that really cute. May you both live happily ever after John and Marina. Wishes and prayers.

Chp 102. Pics: Sunrise from my Room

[Claytonia Vices and Sundancer are going to love this!]

Many of my friends call me a fool for waking up so early. They ask me, what do you do when you get up at 5:30 - 6:00 am everyday?

Well, frankly speaking, I don't do much. Waking up early is a (bad?) habit of mine because I used to get up at this time everyday for nearly 13 years during my basketball days. Sometimes I browse, sometimes I do a little bit of reading and most of the time, I enjoy nature's beauty. Many of you are missing out a lot when you don't enjoy such exotic beauty. I know many people who have never seen a sunrise for the past so many years!

Well, this post is dedicated to such people like my friends. Pictures of Mizoram's natural wonders taken from my own private balcony outside my little room on Chaltlang, Aizawl Mizoram.

Below is a collage of some of the best pics I've taken. Trust me, they make an amazing PC Desktop wallpaper. Feel free to mail me @ silv_kim[at]yahoo[dot]com if you want the actual sized pics [2592x1944 pixels around 800+ KB]



Those pics are what inspired me to let my emotions run wild and compose my poem "Mizoram! My Mizoram!"



The first few rays of the pristine radiant sun-light
Simmers into my room, like a passionate penetration.
I open my sleepy eyes and smile with subdued might
For I am now back, in the Land of abysmal devotion.



I rise from bed and walk outside my tiny room,
Staring at the scenic beauty and inhaling the aura.
Such picturesque exquisiteness dispels all gloom
T’is far more exotic than Paradise or Shangri-la.



Morning birds flutter together in uniformed flocks
Chirping their way through the diaphanous mist.
Until they can find their home in a distant hillock
Only to be disturbed once again and flight persist.



As I admire the beauty that cannot be described
I realize why I am back here narrating this story.
The captivating sceneries need to be inscribed,
So that others too can bask in Mizoram’s glory.







Below are three snaps taken from the same place exactly one year ago (mid-Jan 2006). Note the differences! Global Warming?

Chp 101. Rummaging through the junk

In this age of Internet technology, corresponding with friends takes place at a lightning speed. E-mail, voice mail, video mail etc are all forms of method by which we can keep in touch with our friends and loved ones. Gone are the days of waiting for days for the postman to deliver a letter. Gone are also the days of an important letter getting lost in transit during the delivery process.

Except, on those rare occasions when your email client identifies an important mail as spam by “mistake” and moves it to the Bulk/Junk folder. How many of us actually check that particular folder, given the numerous spams and junk mails like, whether we would like to enlarge our something, whether we are interested in a gorgeous 16 year old waiting for us halfway across the Planet, whether we would like to have free passwords to an “interesting” website etc.

I do go through my Junk folder once a week or so, just to check for any important mails that might have accidentally landed there, and then I simply delete the rest. Recently, two such mails were sitting right in my Junk/Bulk folder. One was from a prolific writer Aristo with a good feedback and comment on my earlier post “Chinky: What me insult?” that even appeared as a full article on the “Midweek” magazine thanks to Mockingbird. The other was from an Associate Editor of the Christian youth magazine “True Friend”, a part of the large “Jesus Calls” Organization run by the Dhinakaran brothers, requesting my permission to publish my previous post “The Christian Life” on their magazine (Thank you Jason for tipping them off).

Two very important mails, and I could have missed them entirely had I not taken that extra effort to go through my Junk folder, scanning through sleazy, sordid, sometimes ridiculously funny, depraved emails that would make any stereotype conservative Indian housewife faint from an overdose of extreme shock and outrage.

My friend John Fanai, a missionary in China, wrote a very good comment on my previous post [Translated into English]:

“Some critics say that spending a large amount of money and resources on people is a waste because not all of them follow the path of the good Lord anyway. But I tell you this, if that amount of investment can change even one person, then it is worth it, for Heaven rejoices even if only one lost soul find it's way back Home”.

Amen to that brother John.

From a Christian perspective, most of us are junks. But remember, our Father in Heaven will never discard us just because we are junks. If our life can be compared to an email, God, who sits high above in all His Glory, will be checking his email every second, on his sanctified laptop with an unimaginable divine Internet speed connection. He will NOT filter out the junks. Infact He will always go through his Junk mail folder first, clicking on the “select all” option and moving them all to his Inbox folder. It will hurt Him a lot if He still keep receiving your mail in his Junk folder, but never the less, He will still keep trying. And the day He starts receiving your mails in His Inbox and not to His Junk folder, that is the day He smiles and all the angels sitting behind Him rejoices. That is the day you are no longer a junk.

And as a Christian, we too should take more effort to rummage through the junk that is you and I. NEVER act sanctimoniously over other Christians who have strayed from the Path. God accepts all junks, hence who are we, His mere creations, to act as if we got the authority to condemn such junks? God will judge us all on Judgment Day eventually. He will do the judging, not us. Hence, until that Day comes, you and I should rummage through every “junk” around us and within us, and try to convert that junk to something worthy of receiving God’s abundant mercy and blessings.

Remember, there is a good in every evil. You and I may be junks, but no junk is beyond redemption. We must all look through the junk within ourselves and bring out the qualities that will make us a better Christian. Even at misual.com, one of the most popular Mizo websites today, take away the M, L and C, from misual.com (which literally means “evil person”) and you actually have “ISUA OM” which means “Jesus is present”. misual.com

Love and Prayers my friends.

Chp 100. The Christian Life

Ever torn between a passion and a career?

A passion is something that you love to do out of your own volition, whereas a career is usually something that you force yourself to do, something that you usually don’t enjoy doing.

And that is what makes us love or hate a job / task that we are entrusted to do. One of the reasons why I didn’t want to take up writing as a professional career and join some illustrious school of Journalism was because, to me, writing is an avocation, and I was afraid I might lose my passion for writing if it suddenly becomes a deadline-requiring lifeline.

Ever noticed how time seems to drag by so slowwwwly when you’re doing something that you don’t enjoy? Sitting in a boring economics class, studying for an upcoming examination, shopping with your mother, waiting for the love of your life to call you up or to arrive at the airport, watching kasauti, listening to your nosy neighbor upstairs rambling to you about why the price of wheat or oil has gone up, working at a job you detest etc, while time just flies by when you’re doing something that you truly enjoy.

A good friend of mine once asked me, “I try to be a good Christian, resisting all the temptations around me every single day, but at the end of the day, I usually ask myself, is it worth it? Because I don’t think I can control myself any longer…”

Well, suppose you join a large Company and you don’t enjoy working there, what would be the most reasonable thing to do? If you can afford to shift, then you look for a new job immediately, otherwise you continue working in that same company, trying your best to love your work that you hate.

It is only after you start working with alacrity and enthusiasm that you will start loving what you do, making you more productive and indispensable to the Company. You don’t even need an HR Professional to tell you that.

Similarly, if you coerce yourself to be an ascetic, trying to lead a good Christian life by force, it will indeed be an arduous task: You will feel as if the mere effort of trying not to sin has drained the very last bit of sanity within you. But if the urge to lead the life of a good Christian genuinely comes from within, it is way much easier to resist any temptations that may come your way. Sometimes it is possible to rediscover such urges at a Spiritual Rehab camp.

Many critics of Spiritual Rehab Camps say that the entire process is very artificial and that being “born again” should come from within and not from any external camp experience. Reminds me of the story about the man who drowned at sea. As he was drowning, he cried to the good Lord to save him. Soon a boat came by but the man refused to accept their offer for help because he said God will save him. Two other boats came by and he didn’t acknowledge them either. Finally he drowned. When he met God later, he asked Him why He didn’t save him from drowning, and God calmly replied, “I sent three boats, didn’t I?”

That’s what Spiritual Rehab Camps are about. We are all drowning slowly each and every passing day, and God has sent the numerous counselors and pastors and missionaries to save us from drowning. Most of us cannot save ourselves from drowning; we need external help. Help from other people- people who work as God’s tools and who are qualified to save us from drowning.

Hence, Spiritual Rehab Camps do give you new power and energy to enjoy being a good Christian, and there is nothing artificial about it. And the moment you enjoy that life you lead, all thoughts and skepticism about how tough it is to lead such a life will automatically vanish. You will bask in the joy and glory of leading such a life the moment you wake up every morning.

Spiritual Rehabilitation (Camping) is just like any other rehabilitation. Some of you may argue that it is not so, since other rehabs like alcohol and drugs Rehab deal with addiction and is hence different. Well let me tell you this: Spiritual Rehab does indeed deal with addiction. We, as an individual, are all addicted to a materialistic world governed by immoral activities and sinful lifestyles. And that addiction can be cured at a Spiritual Rehab Camp.

Don’t force yourself to love God. Jesus never forced Himself to die for our sins; He did it willingly because he loved us. Love God volitionally and love the Life that you lead through God, and everything will be a cakewalk after that.

Wishes and Prayers…

Chp 99. Christmas in Mizoram

I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas. Love and prayers to all of you.

Mizoram is probably one of the most memorable places to be during Christmas. Preparation starts a month early, with each locality decorating their area and Churches, followed by a hectic last-week shopping frenzy and all the tailors of Mizoram toiling their ass out on stitching more than a hundred new suits a day.

I took a couple of snaps of some of the decorations on the streets (I plead guilty to being an amateur photographer!)







Christmas eve included the usual Church service and caroling. Later in the night, my sisters and I placed the Christmas gifts for our two nieces (age 4 and 9) on the “thlang-ra”, a large traditional plate used as a substitute for the westernized version of Christmas stockings meant for Santa’s gifts.

This is a pic of my two nieces (and friend) on the morn of Christmas day, as they tore open the presents from “Santa”.



Here is me infront of our Christmas tree, dressed in my brand new Christmas suit. Hehe. I didn’t notice that my tie was knotted too short in the front and I went to Church like that! Lolz. Well what can I say, I’m an old-timer. *silly grin*



The next day after Christmas, we had the grand feast. This takes place at every locality in Mizoram every year. The day starts at 6 am, where everyone gathers at the feast location to prepare for the feast. The various work is divided, like some group cut the veggies, peeled the potatoes, sliced the meat, constructed the dining area and wash basins, cooked the rice etc etc. It's entirely a voluntary group thingie: That’s what you gotta love about a close knitted society like ours. This is known as “fatu”, which literally means, preparation for the feast.


Close friends, (Dr!)Rintluanga, Valpuia and Muansanga coming for the “fatu”.


With my other closest friends, Sanga & Tluanga (the twins), Mapuia and me waiting for the rest of our gang to arrive at Matea’a place so that we could all go “fatu-ing” together.

Below are some of the snaps taken during the “fatu”.

Veggie section ::









Now comes the meat section! After all, you won’t find any other community that loves meat as much as we do. Pork is our favorite. In Mizoram, pigs are bred with the utmost care on specialized farms, fed with the best food possible, inorder to get the most scrumptious and tastiest yummy meat. Sluuurrp! [Warning: Explicit content. Not meant for the faint hearted or timorous la-di-da metropolitan. ]











In the evening, when all the food is finally ready, the feast starts. People take turns at the counters, serving the others, only to be replaced by those who finish eating. And meanwhile, groups of 16-18 years old guys roam around the locality as designated “security” because this is one occasion when nobody’s at home anywhere.

Feastings like this pull everyone closer and closer. There is no such thing as a class divide or social status difference; all are equal. Man you gotta love Mizoram for that.

And all over our locality, the KTP, Kristian Thalai Pawl, roughly translated into the “Christian Youth Wing”, has put up posters everywhere.


“Let’s spend Christmas and New Year merrily without alcohol and drugs”.


“Jesus does not want you to celebrate his birthday with alcohol and drugs”.
“Let us all spend Christmas and New Year with Jesus.”.

And last but not the least, this is what my “Santa” got me from UK. Authentic Arsenal jersey, Official 2007 Arsenal Calendar and an original Arsenal muffler. Wooohooo!!!



Once again, season’s greetings everyone! Peace.

Chp 98. Alcohol: Knowing the enemy

The Christian World is broadly divided into two camps: those who say drinking is a sin and those who say it isn’t. But both sides agree that being drunk is indeed a sin. In a way this reminds me of my friends Valerie and Nunpuii arguing over which football team is better: Holland or The Netherlands.

There are various verses from the Bible [Source] that encourage people to stay away from alcohol: Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 14:26; 29:6; Judges 13:4,7,14; 1 Samuel 1:15; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4,6; Isaiah 5:11,22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12; Micah 2:11 and Luke 1:15, while verses that prohibit Christians from getting drunk are: Ephesians 5:18; Proverbs 23:29-35; 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 2 Peter 2:19 to name a few.

Drinking alcohol in itself may or may not be a sin, but it sure does open the big glistering gate of sin, beckoning us to step inside with every additional drink that we imbibe. And before we can say hic, we’ve already done something that we regret.

Deputy-speaker (at AGAPE Gospel camp) Malsawma gave a very good sermon on the topic “Sin”. Translated to English:

Two guys were walking by the riverside when they saw something floating down the river. It looked like a blanket that somebody must have discarded from upstream. First guy jumped into the water thinking it was his lucky day. But as he swam against the rapids and grabbed the “blanket”, it turned out to be a big brown unconscious bear that fell into the river. The bear regained consciousness and shocked to find itself in that situation, grabbed back the first guy.

Second guy from the riverbank shouted to his friend in the water, “Is it a blanket?”

The first guy replied, “Hell no! It's a big fat ugly bear and it’s still alive!”

Second guy, “Then why are you still holding it? Let go of it!!!!”

First guy screamed back, “I’m not grabbing it any longer. The stupid bear is grabbing me!”

And with that, both bear and man disappeared beneath the strong current never to be seen again.

The above anecdote makes you contemplate a lot, doesn’t it? In a way that’s what you and I go through during our short life here on Earth. We grab hold of a sinful life and when we realize it is wrong and try to let go of it, it is already too late; that sinful life has already taken control of us.

Mizoram, one of the only two States in India to enforce the Liquor Total Prohibition Act (MLTP), has been criticized vehemently by the Anti-MLTP lobby, verbally expressing their heart-felt displeasure on the involvement of the Church when it comes to Politics. Some even go to the extent of saying that Jesus himself turned water into wine; so drinking is not a sin. In defense to this statement, I’ve seen Pro-Prohibition Act supporters claim that the wine mentioned in the Bible need not be fermented and that it is just grape juice. And the debate goes on and on and on.

For once, let us stop moving in an endless circle and try to accept that the wine mentioned in the Bible is indeed wine, fermented wine, the type that gives you a tingle sensation, that makes your head spin around after a couple of drinks, that stains your favorite business shirt, that gives you a terrible hangover, that makes you a dad or a mom nine months later…

So, Jesus and his disciples drank wine, alcoholic wine. Fine. In the midst of all the debates and discussions, most of us fail to discuss one very important point. Did the Bible ever mention anything like,

Jesus and his disciples drank wine, ordered a second jar of wine, got another jar free because it was happy-hours, Paul and Philip challenged each other on who could “bottoms-up” an entire jar first, Peter started stripping and dancing on the table, John started bitching about his ex-girlfriend of a fisher-woman, Simon grabbed the fiddle and started DJ’ing, while the remaining disciples roamed around the street beating up anybody that crossed their path.

I’ve read many well-written articles by intellect Mizos at various Mizo websites/forums displaying their discontent on the MLTP Act. One can literally feel the passion and anger while going through such articles. Although I admire such profound compositions, I do find most of the articles only revolving around the issue of whether drinking is a sin or not, and no discussions made on the person who is actually drunk.

Some of you may not even remember clearly how life was like before the Prohibition days (1995). I certainly do. After all, I live directly opposite one of the most popular and infamous bars in Aizawl: Sertawk Bar. Those days, there weren’t that many other concrete buildings next to ours in our locality. Hence, everyday around 10-20 strangers, most of them drunk, would knock/bang on our door asking us for money because “they wanted to drink more but suddenly realized they were out of cash and we looked rich enough to pay for their drinks”. My three sisters and I could not step out of our house after sunset because of all the drunks loitering outside our house and fighting/puking everywhere. Relatives and friends dreaded to pay us a visit. It was definitely not the childhood memory any father would want his son to have.

Prohibition changed all that. No more persistent broke drunks. No more fear of what’s lurking right outside our very own door. No more bolting of doors and rechecking of all the latches on the windows at night. We could finally sleep in peace. Ofcourse it is no secret that Sertawk Bar still “manufactures” illicit arrack after the MLTP Act came into force, but the number of drunkards making a public nuisance outside our house has tremendously reduced.

I know in this era of democracy and secularism, some might even feel that Prohibition stands in the way of development or modernism, while some may call it a talibanization of Mizoram and terming it as a gross denial of basic freedom and prerogative of the common man. I completely empathize with such sentiments, but, as someone once said, “your right to freedom ends at the beginning of your neighbor’s right”, can the Anti-MLTP lobby assure that the person who’s drunk is not going to pick up a fight with innocent bystanders, run over children with his car, beat up his wife when he reaches home, abuse anyone within his reach and end up ruining his career and family?

Face it, we Mizos are a hot blooded lot. Other people under the influence of alcohol usually misbehave too, but most of us seem to take that extra mile when it comes to drunken follies. I’m speaking purely out of experience as a heavy drinker for the past 6-7 years. Medical experts proved that drinking a glass of wine a day rejuvenates the body and assuming that drinking a bit of alcohol is not a sin, let us just try to picture a Mizoram with no Prohibition Act. Do you genuinely believe that our children and grown-ups of today are going to spend an evening at the local tavern gulping down just one glass of wine/rum/whisky?

Seriously, how many of us consume alcohol because the doctor said a glass a day can make you live till 90? Is that why we drink 5-6 glasses a day hoping we can live till 300? I used to drink a bottle of Old Monk a day during my extreme days, but I sure as hell didn’t drink it for the “health benefits”; I drank purely just to get drunk, so that I could enjoy the dizziness, the way everything became so seemingly clear and at the same time surreal, the way it made me feel like I am Casanova reincarnated and the way all the not so attractive women around me (pardon me for saying that) suddenly started looking like Victoria Secret models…

We may be the most unified tribe in the North-east, but sadly most of us like to do things in excess, be it the amount of tobacco we consume, the way we dress, the accessories we buy, the music we listen etc. It's in our blood to do that. And speaking in that wavelength, what makes anyone think that we are not going to drink in excess given the opportunity?

Even when I was on the verge of becoming an alcoholic back in Bangalore, I’ve always been in support of the Prohibition Act. That is the reason why I never showed up for the Bangalore MSA debate where I was supposed to participate [Topic: MLTP Act] because I felt it would be hypocritical of me to voice my support for the Prohibition Act while I was getting drunk every night. All my closest friends (regular drinking buddies) who know me well will vouch that I’ve never voiced my displeasure at the Prohibition Act even once (Had to add that line incase some of you might think I am saying all this because of my Camp experience). But now I don’t feel any hesitation to speak my mind openly anymore.

Among many of the online articles that I have read, one such prominent Mizo writer even boldly claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit as he spoke out against the Prohibition Act and criticized the Church’s policy, while preposterously blaming Prohibition as the sole cause of the Great American Depression! Questioning the Church is one thing and resorting to gaudy rhetoric is another, but to mock the Holy Spirit is pure blasphemy of the highest order [Mathew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come”]. Pray do tell me, if such men are leading the Anti-Prohibition movement, don’t you think you might be better off not following blindly like lambs lead to slaughter?

People say the Prohibition Act failed because of the numerous illegal breweries still existing. I boldly say Prohibition is a success. At the micro level it may look like it failed because one can still acquire illegal booze, but from a broader perspective, it certainly did not fail. Because of Prohibition, the common man now has to shell out more money to buy one decent bottle of liquor when he could have afforded 4 bottles if there was no Prohibition. Because of Prohibition, our streets are cleaner and safer now. Because of Prohibition, more families are having a peaceful and quiet dinner together. Because of Prohibition, people who drink are labeled as pariahs by the society, hence putting more pressure on them to quit drinking. And yes, because of Prohibition, many of our drinkers are atleast getting some (healthy) physical exercise because of the difficulties in obtaining alcohol

In conclusion to this article, I think the most important issue is not to haggle fruitlessly over whether drinking is a sin or not but rather focusing on your true inner self and honestly asking yourself this important question: Do you really think that if Prohibition is lifted, the condition of the lives of our youth is going to improve? That the majority of people are going to drink without getting drunk? Remember, the enemy is within all of us, regardless of whether we are thieves or pastors. And that monster within us will rear it’s ugly head out the moment we start losing control of ourselves, making it easier and smoother for us to fight / gravel / provoke / slur / gossip / cheat / break promises / flirt / indulge in casual sex or be unfaithful / break marriages / utter obscenities / envy / loathe / steal / etc. Sure you may still be able to walk straight or remember where you live, but you are no longer your usual normal self; you are now under the power of alcohol. And that my friend, is indeed a sin, indisputably.

Chp 97. Sunday School

Today is a big day for all the Presbyterians in Mizoram, the largest denomination in this almost 100% Christian State of India. For today is the MSSU examination.

MSSU stands for the Mizoram Sunday School Union. In Mizoram, every locality has a Presbyterian “Kohhran” that consists of the Church, the Church elders, pastor, Church members etc. (Some localities have split into 2-3 separate Kohhran due to its voluminous size in population but are still unified as one single locality when it comes to VC, YMA etc.)

In Mizoram, Sunday School literally means that; a School on Sunday. Each Presbyterian Kohhran is divided into 7 departments: Beginners, Primary, Junior, Intermediate, Sacrament, Senior and Puitling (adult) according to their age group in the ascending order. Only the Puitling category sits in the main Church during Sunday School while the rest go to a separate location like a recreation hall or a school. Each group is further divided into sections and is headed by a qualified Sunday School teacher appointed by the Kohhran council (unsalaried ofcourse) except on special occasions when the respective department’s leader takes over the entire proceeding.

There is even a roll-call every Sunday, where the registered Church goer with maximum attendance are awarded at the end of the year by the community. Now that the end of the year is approaching, it is also time for the annual examination.

I was up last night till around 10pm helping my two nieces revise for this exam because the rest of my family’s busy studying too. I don’t have to give the exam because I am not registered in the Church due to the fact that I stay outside Mizoram most of the time.

It’s quite funny to see people of all ages sitting in silence in different corners of the room and mugging up for this exam and going through all the lessons that they were taught this past one year. And the kind of questions each group is asked differs and is compiled according to their respective IQ level.

For example, my 10 years old niece who is in the Junior department, has questions like

• What was the name of Josiah’s father?
• What is the meaning of the name “Gideon”?
• What was the name of Naomi’s husband?
• What’s inside the Ark of the Covenant?
• Who was the first martyr?
• Who was the first missionary to reach Mizoram?
• What is the meaning of Pentecost?
• Who were the seven elders chosen by the apostles?
• What was the name of the city that banished Paul?
• At whose house did Jesus stay at the city of Jericho?

My 5 years old niece on the other hand has to prepare only for an oral examination. Beginners and Primary department exams are oral, Junior dept members can choose between oral and written, and Intermediate dept onwards it is strictly a written exam. Some of the Q&A she has to learn are:

• Who gave names to the animals and birds?
• Where did Adam and Eve live?
• What was the name of Moses’ father?
• What was the name of Jesus’ mother?
• Who tried to kill baby Jesus?
• Where did Joseph and Mary flee after Jesus was born?

The syllabus of the puitling (adult) department for this year is the entire gospel according to Luke. And trust me, the questions aren’t easy at all! I struggled through the first few questions I came across so I stopped after that. Let’s see how many you know

• What was the name of John the Baptist’s father?
• Who was the son of Levi?
• What was the name of the town where Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant?
• Explain the significance of the places Korazin and Bethsaida.
• What was the name of the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household?
• Where did Jesus heal the ten lepers?
• What was the name of the village where Jesus appeared to Simon/Cleopas after his crucifixion?
• Explain the relationship status between Herod and Pilate before/after the crucifixion.

Pssttt! Stop googling! I can see you!

Nobody can flunk this exam . But those who score first divisions and honors (distinction) are awarded (Bible, cooking vessel etc). Sunday School in Mizoram is something that I completely missed out because I’ve stayed in a boarding school outside Mizoram since 3rd standard.

The invigilators for this exam come from adjoining Kohhrans and likewise, elders from our Kohhran go to other Kohhrans to conduct this exam. The entire procedure is very systematic.

In a way, this shows that nobody is too old for school. We keep on learning as long as we live, and learning from the Bible rejuvenates the spirit within us each and every passing day.