Navigating the Church through the Storm
"Navigating the Storm" depicts a ship trying to navigate to safety through a rough storm that is threatening the lives of its occupants.
This illustration aptly sums up the feeling and sentiments of Christians in Malaysia as they weather the stormy state of affairs in the nation. We need God's help to navigate us through the perils and the often subtle 'dangers' that come our way.
But to know how to navigate through the storm, we must first know what the perils are. It is with this in mind that NECF Malaysia recently held a half-day seminar based on the theme "Navigating the Storm".
The seminar provided participants an understanding on how events in the country are shaping and impacting the Christian community and the nation.
The speakers were Dr Patricia Martinez (University Malaya Associate Professor), human rights lawyers Malik Imtiaz and Haris Ibrahim (also a civil liberties activitist), Pr Jerry Dusing (SIB Sabah President) and lawyer Baru Bian from Sarawak who is actively involved in customary land rights cases.
Patricia kicked off the first session by giving glimpses into the contextual realities facing Malaysians with regards to the ascen-dancy of political Islam and how this phenomenon is already impacting Malaysian society and communities.
Next, Malik spoke about the need to zealously guard our fundamental liberties and rights which are being encroached upon by political Islam. He highlighted the several so called 'apostasy' cases to make his point.
Haris concluded the session by urging Christians to stand up and be counted to act on behalf of those who are victims to and oppressed by political Islam.
At the next session, Pr Jerry shared the problems faced by Sabahans with regards to the ongoing Islamisation process that began in Sabah during the time when Tun Mustapha was the Chief Minister.
Baru Bian then gave the Sarawak side of the problems, which are not unlike those in Sabah although there are some marked differences.
At the end of the session, the obvious and notable plea by the two East Malaysian brothers was: the Church in Semenanjung, blessed with rich resources, need to extend a helping hand to the struggling East Malaysian churches.
If the Christian voice is to be heard throughout the land, the East Malaysian churches must be nurtured to grow and expand. Kairos Research Director Dr Ng Kam Weng in his summary reminded participants that the Church is not the kingdom of God but merely a witness to the kingdom of God - the reign of God manifested in the 'already' but 'not yet' complete rule of Christ on this earth.
To witness effectively on this term and through the storm, an urgent sense of the times need to be inculcated in the Church. There must also be a change of current mindset to look externally beyond our own concerns to the plight of wider society.
Efforts should also be made to reach out to the needy in East Malaysia. In this respect, more co-ordination should be made together with a greater understanding and appreciation for church relations between the churches in West and East Malaysia.
In the end, the seminar left participants with the hope that the Spirit-empowered Church is able to wrought transformation in wider society. However, she must be willing to count the cost and invest her efforts in community ministries. Given this scenario, the congregation heartily sang the song,
Ya Allahku, nyatakan kemuliaanMu,
Ya Allahku, nyatakan curahan kuasaMu
Di tanah tercinta, negara Malaysia...
Malaysia bagi kemuliaanMu!
God bless Malaysia! |
