JIMMY AWAGL
An entry in the Rivers Prize for
Writing on Peace & Harmony
PAPUA New Guineans might be well-known for their Christian religion but most people between the ages of 10 and 45 are managing to avoid attending their local churches.
Church is meant for humanity to enjoy God’s providence, yet the benches are increasingly vacant as large numbers of the congregation spontaneously avoid church.
People use Saturdays and Sundays for social activities namely; Sports, barbeque, drinking and leisure activities are evenly done on those days. It becomes a common trend for peers to accustom to this practice of abandoning churches.
Church promotes the divine word of God as the ultimate foundation for human blessings in terms of peace and harmony. Humanity departing church is an indication of people moving into a world of hatred and aggression. It is also an indication of a missing moral obligation.
It is especially sad when antisocial activities on worship days result in arguments, commotions and violence. In a complex society like PNG such issues can escalate into tribal fight and warfare. This chases away unity and peace from the community and society.
Having a harmonious life is a basic truth in the scriptures and manifested through local churches. People should see church as an environment which promotes peace and unity.
Common social activities on worship days, evident in both urban and rural areas, are drinking alcohol and card gambling. Most income earners gamble and drink to show heroism and egocentrism.
Such behaviour is disgusting and other people do not easily tolerate it and it creates differences and disrespect among peers.
To address these antisocial activities and to promote peace and harmony, everyone should accept the church as the moral institution which boosts human unity and mutual respect. Churches do not discriminate and classify people but are open for anyone to enter and develop a communal relationship with God.
Humanity escapes from churches to walk into a world of antisocial behaviour which does not see social peace and harmony as the primary objectives of human development and progress.