6 June 2014
Flowers From Many Gardens
Shaping Our Nation's Destiny
MALAYSIA has always prided herself as a model nation of tolerance and multi-culturalism.
Despite the trauma of 1969, Malaysians can confidently say we have made many strides towards nationhood since 1957. Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi in an essay entitled "Towards a Shared Destiny" laid down the following advances made in terms of nation building:
- The identification of race with social and economic function has been weakened.
- The vibrant economy has united our disparate racial groups.
- Sabah and Sarawak have given to pluralism a territorial dimension.
- By encouraging entrepreneurship and allowing the minority communities to provide leadership in the economic arena, twin objectives have been achieved: the economy has developed fabulously. Every community has acquired a stake in the country.
- It must also be borne in mind that some of the racial and religious discord that exists in our society is a natural process of democratic freedoms. As society opens up, pent up feelings are expressed, often in ways that are deeply hurtful to others.
With the current debate on race and religion in full public view, racial and religious polarisation has reached an all time high.
Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria in his Malaysian Journal on Human Rights (Vol 7:2013) article outlined some of the problems.
- Disputes pertaining to confirming conversions of the dead.
- Problems of divorce and inheritance between couples one of whom converts to Islam.
- Seemingly irreconcilable jurisdictional disputes between syariah and civil courts.
- Muslims sentiments over the use of the word "Allah".
- Moral policing resulting from an imposition of Islamic values on others.
Added to this list of already problematic issues is the recent raid by JAIS on the Bible Society of Malaysia and the Court of Appeal decision that the use of the word "Allah" is not essential or integral to the Christian faith. Malaysian society is indeed polarised more than ever before.
In the midst of these challenges confronting the Christian church, what can Christians do to restore the fragile fabric of society and restore moderation where all can live in peaceful co-existence?
Many believe that tension is on the rise and it is therefore incumbent upon the Christian community to respond in a manner that is tempered with both justice and mercy so that the fabric of Malaysian life will not be further torn apart.
Perhaps the more fundamental question at this juncture is to ask, what is the Lord doing with the nation and what plans has He installed for the nation?
I have no firm solutions except three "Ps" for consideration, drawn from Scripture:
The first "P" is purification. Hebrews 12:10-11 tells us that God our heavenly father disciplines us as His children so that we may share in His holiness. The purification that God brings to His church in this season is for the fruit of holiness so that we may truly shine as a holy light and speak holy truth to the nation. Scripture warns us that the discipline for the pursuit of such holiness is painful rather than pleasant, but will later yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
The Church and Christians must therefore be obedient and willing to embrace such purification and be found faithful, rather than seek to avoid it because of our fear or our unwillingness to face pain.
The second "P" is perseverance. Philippians 3:12-16 brings to us the example of the Apostle Paul who endured all things for the sake of Christ. The Apostle Paul is a great example for us in perseverance. Thus, Paul says, not that he has already obtained perfection but what he does is to forget what lies behind and to strain forward to what lies ahead, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The journey in this season will be hard and perhaps lonely for some. It is a journey fraught with uncertainties; of being misunderstood, ridiculed, saddled with false accusations and even criticism and blame.
Whatever it may be that society or critics want to throw at the church for doing the mission of God, Christians should persevere, forgetting what lies behind and pressing on towards the goal of fulfilling that which God has called the church to be, serving society and the community in truth, justice and righteousness.
The third "P" is peace in the Lord. Again, the Book of Philippians reminds us that Christians have the peace that surpasses all understanding that will guard our hearts and mind in Jesus Christ.
This peace is not just a cessation from hostility but a firm, settled conviction that all things may be put before the Lord and that we as Christians may be able to rest fully in the Lord come what may. That peace is the great assurance from our Lord and the Holy Spirit we may go forth.
As we become aware of the Lord's purifying work in the Church, we must peservere whatever the circumstances and be steadfast in our lives and all that we do. Then we will begin to experience the peace of the Lord. This then allows us to fulfil our mandate and call to bring light to the nation in peace and reconciliation amidst conflict and strife.
It is time now for Christians to shed narrow, inward interests and contribute proactively to building bridges across ethnic groups and to dismantling walls of separation and dissent; to bring about healing, reconciliation, peace and prosperity for our land.
This requires a vision and resolve for unity, not just within the Christian community but across the board with all other communities as well. It is now the opportune time for holding fast to our Christian ideals and virtues and to begin listening to one another for engagement, extending our hand across the divide to those who disagree with us to seek the welfare of the nation.
As Shad Saleem said in his essay, "If we have to go forward as a united nation, we need to go back to the spirit of moderation, accommodation and compassion that animated the body politic in 1957. We can also learn from others. In many societies including Singapore, UK and the USA, the law is being used to socially engineer a more tolerant society. There is no shame in emulating others and building our garland with flowers from many gardens". |
