Literature Sunday

 Theme:                “LITERATURE THE WEAPON OF CHANGE”

Bible: “Write therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will

                                                take place later.”Revelation 1:19                               - Lt. Jenny Laltharmawii

Introduction:

The word literature is derived from the Latin word “Litera” and the same Latin word “Literature” which means writing formed with letters, although some definitions include spoken and sung texts. More restrictively ,it is writing that possesses literary merit and language that foregrounds literariness as opposed to ordinary language. A literature can be a poetry or prose ,novel, short story or drama. Literature it was first produced by some of the world’s civilizations-those of Ancient Egypt and Sumeria-early as the 4^th millennium BC; taken to include spoken and sung texts.  Very early examples of literature  include Epic of Gilgamesh, in its Sumerian version predating 2000 BC, and Egyptian book of Dead written down  in approximately 1250 BC but probably dates from about the 18^th century BC.

 Importance Of Literature

If we look today generation its only because of literature the world have reached the success in scientific field ,technology and information, education, business, etc. Literature is the weapon which is used to enlighten the mind of human which provide different  ideas , knowledge, inspiration to bring change in this world. According to W.H Hudson “Literature is a vital record what men have seen in what they have experienced it, what they have thou felt about those aspects fundamentally an express of life through the medium of language”. From this definition we can find out that literature is the expression of ones feeling and thought with each other through different form so that a new idea and thought can give birth to another new idea which help for the change of world .Literature provides both getaway and gateway for anyone to take a look into a life that is different from their own .It can be somewhat of an escape and will give the reader the chance to step out of their own lives while reading .Its only because of literature today we human being came out from early jungle era to this civilized era ,etc.  take example of Mizoram (in March 1894) through two missionary J.H. Lorrian and F.W. Savidge who came Mizoram and taught the people “a, aw,b….and help the people to move toward the development. Literature shows, gives and teach the real important of development of their life. “The pen is mightier than the sword” how often we hear it ,but how little we heed it. During the communist revolution in China, the history states that it was the printed page, pouring from red presses, which guaranteed the success of revolution.

Literature in Christian life and Ministry

For us Christian literature is  very important because it’s the only weapon which lead our spiritual life toward the way of change so in my topic also I have chosen the Bible verse (Rev 1:19) where John says to write everything which we have faced in the past ,present and which will be  the relevant for future so that  the written literature can be encouragement and vindicated when Christ return and when the God’s people enter an eternity of glory and blessedness. Christian literature has an amaz­ing place in the conquests of the Chris­tian faith from the time of its very incep­tion. As we all know that because of our first parents Adam and Eve’s sin we human were drowned inside the pit of sin. So ,to take us out from that pit God used The Ten commandment the first literature which is more powerful than God’s eternal law lived out in perfection by Jesus Christ, the Word incarnate and given to Moses and exemplified it for all generations to come and to lead our life toward salvation, redemption, liberation given in (Exodus 31:18 When the Lord finished…..the tablets of stone inscribe by the finger of God) written by God itself and put the evangel into writing that it might do its appointed.Because of the first written literature in the tablets today we have known about the real meaning of God and His importance in our life and we have got change in our life and drew near to Him.

 For Christian the biggest literature is our  “Bible”which is ofcourse a religious text but its also a work of literature infact it’s a literary masterpiece which has more power and potential than other literature (eg. Adverstising, political etc) to make impact on the mind of the reader and their life too because it’s the spring out from the very mind of God (Heb 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active……it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart)which explain  the power of God to heal, to cast out demons, to control nature but greater than all these, the power to save and transform human live. The life of Christian is read much more frequently than the Christian book and is believed more readily. Our conduct ,speech, appearance and our work are the things the world notices more quickly than anything else. Unless our life is a life of compassion, even the literature we give out will be like “a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal” (1Corinthians 13:1-3). So whenever we are about to write  what we had done and see we have to be very careful so that through our literature what others are getting knowledge or what will it be the result in future. The biggest literature ministry which we are having today is Bible Society which was introduced in 7 March 1804 inspired by  Mary Jones who walked 15km at the age of 15yrs only to buy one Bible in Welsh language. Because of Bible Society today we are able to read and understand in our own language and buy in a cheap price which is the backbone of literature for Christian ministry to preach the gospel of God and save the soul.

Benjamin Franklin once said “Give me twenty-six lead soldiers, and I will conquer the world”. He was speaking ofcourse about the 26 letters of English alphabet because he know the power of literature which can read out the heart and mind of human that can bring changes. Martin Luther who used thousand of pamphlets throughout Europe on the eve of the reformation and too Karl Marx and Lenin recognized the power of literature which really help them to for their victory. Here the present condition of Mizoram is also all because the literature which introduced the real God and today we also have to use this weapon to reach the people who are living their life in darkness.

 Salvation Army and the literature ministry

Today also the example of the power of literature is The Salvation Army in India  which had taken birth only by the inspiration of literature through Booth Tucker.  As we all are well known about its history that when Booth Tucker had a vision of capturing India’s 300 millions for Christ,  he read a religious paper of a new movement and through that he got more interest and when William Booth send him a copy of The War Cry.  When he finished reading he felt William Booth talking to his heart saying “Here are the people I have been seeking” which made him to leave his job and move for seeking the spirit through The Salvation Army. So through this we can understand that for we the Salvationist, literature is the biggest weapon for our ministry. Through the medium of literature such us our songs, newspaper, tonic solfa, articles, magazines, pamphlets etc  can be used as a weapon to reach the heart of our people and change their soul and heart and bring them  out from the darkness part of life. So before writing we have to think more that the things which I am going to write do it be effective in the life of readers.

As The Salvation Army is a worldwide mission somehow  literature is keeping us in unity i.e through different magazine we got different information about the ministry which really inspire the Salvationist to work more and more for the soul saving and to serve God by Serving people. So, we have to write all the thing which are happening so that we can bring many lost soul in Christ which let the people know how much great is our Lord who gave us such a great literature which save our soul and leading our life toward the way of heaven.

Conclusion

In Philemon 1:16 where we can find out that the biggest literature which we have today is written things which Paul share among us for the sake of Christ and us too. As we were all living in the slavery of sin which was leading our life toward hell so it’s the Bible  the weapon that has drawn us out from the slavery and teach and invite us to be the member of the body of Christ, to maintain the relation of slave owner of slave only with Christ in the light of belonging to the same Lord. If we read 2Timothy 3:16 (All the scripture is God breathed…..)which God used as a weapon to teach ,rebuke, correct and trained people in righteousness .So, today we too have to use our literature to teach, rebuke, correct and bring the life of the people in the right path which is only in the Christ and for the progress of the world too. As written in Colossian 3:23-24(Work willingly at whatever you do……serving is Christ)write all the literature willingly not for people but for the Christ so that the reward can be the saving soul.

In the end I want to share my best quotes said by Ivan Klima that “I realized the amazing power of literature and of the human imagination generally to make the dead live and to stop the living from” which means that it’s the literature which can save our life from the spiritual death and give a new life in Christ .So ,today lets all keep on writing a effective literature which can be our testimony ,articles, biography, etc and that must be spreadhead, pathfinder ,the stabilizer, the educa­tor, the defender,  the evangelizer which lay down a barrage before the battle of the Lord and prepare the soil for the sowing of the gospel seed among the people which is only the weapon of change in the world for its development and the only holy weapon which will save the soul and bring to Christ.