“Look at this stone. It has been in the water for a very long time, but the water has not penetrated it. The same thing has happened to men in Europe. For centuries, they have been surrounded by Christianity, but Christ has not penetrated. Christ doesn’t live within them.”
— Cardinal Lamberto (The Godfather Part III)
A few years ago, while watching Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy, I was struck by this statement from Cardinal Lamberto in the third film. Though I never read the original novel by Mario Puzo, these words made me reflect on the state of the church—not just in Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, but even here in Northeast India.
When a tree is growing, dense thickets around it can slow its growth. However, once it rises above them, it thrives, spreading its branches over the very bushes that once hindered it. The early Christian church faced intense persecution, yet instead of diminishing, it became stronger, more faithful, and more refined.
In the third century, persecution ended with the rise of Emperor Constantine. This newfound freedom allowed Christianity to spread rapidly. While this was a great blessing, by the 10th to 16th centuries, the faith had declined in quality, losing much of its original purpose and meaning.
Christianity came to us in 1910. In the beginning, believers endured hardship and persecution, yet they gladly bore it for the name of Jesus. We did not have much, but we had Christ—and that was enough.
Now, we have become wealthy. Our numbers have grown. But what about the quality of our faith? We chase after material gain, hopping from one church to another, hoping to receive more blessings. We criticize our pastors and leaders over the smallest mistakes. We neglect the church, fail to read the Bible, and have wandered far from God.
“Look at this stone. It has been in the water for a very long time, but the water has not penetrated it. The same thing has happened to men in Northeast India. For years, they have been surrounded by Christianity, but Christ has not penetrated. Christ doesn’t live within them.”
Could this be true of us today? I hope not. I pray not.
The Israelites, too, were under God’s guidance for centuries. Yet they neglected Him and were punished. Jerusalem fell, and they were taken into captivity. Jeremiah lamented:
“Your ruin is as vast as the sea; who can heal you? Your prophets have given you false and deceptive visions. They have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes but have seen oracles for you that are false and misleading.” (Lamentations 2:13-14)
Let us reflect deeply.
“Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!” (Lamentations 2:19)
– Rev. Dr. James R. Ruolngul
