Cleanliness: A Journey Towards ‘SHEKINAH’

How to handle the waste? Waste management is one of the crucial issues of the modern world. There are varieties of wastes produced by the human beings which are causing the environmental disasters. House hold wastes are foremost among them.

God is concerned about these ecological problems. He loves his creation and all its inhabitants, including mankind. No one is allowed to disturb the ecological equilibrium of the creation. However, human beings’ unbridled behavior of exploitation against the nature is causing lot of dilemmas in the world. Disobedience and aggression to the nature leads to many dangers.

The best example of God’s concern is mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy 23: 12-14. Here, the passage is talking about cleaning the camp. God commands his people that whenever you are going to deliver your excreta, keep a shovel to dig a hole and cover it. It is connected with hygiene rules of the society. If human beings do not cover their excreta, it may cause different kinds of diseases and epidemics. In order to avoid such crucial situations, God is warning his people to cover such kind of waste which would causing harm to the society. God says, I am holy therefore, you should be holy. Those who pollute and disobey his commands, God may disown them in their difficult situation, or when they confront with their enemies. The Covid 19 epidemic taught us series of lessons regarding cleanliness and to be hygienic.

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” is a wise saying that refers to the importance of cleanliness in a person’s/collective life. It was first quoted by an English reformer John Wesley in the year 1778. By saying so, he implied that as much as we devotedly pursue religion, we likewise need to opt for cleanliness also. A clean mind and body are what God desires and what society respects.
This phrase also refers to the cleanliness of body, mind, and soul.

I. Why Cleanliness is so Important?

a. It is the Will of God: – God is initiating for cleaning the nature and the habitation. Where there is dirt and impurity, God’s wrath is revealed. The Creator loves the  people who keep their home and environment neat and clean. More than that God wants to dwell among the people (Ex. 20: 8): because God commanded Moses and all Israel community to build a tabernacle in the centre of their camp. Therefore, God requires cleanliness in our camp. John Wesley has rightly recognized that cleanliness is essential for a good religious life. Christian leaders and a theological community like us should maintain a well qualified clean life in our body, mind and in our spiritual life.

b. It is the Need of the Society: – If our surroundings are clear, definitely atmosphere will be clean and healthy. By keeping our home clean and not dumping wastes outside, we are helping others to live healthy and harmoniously. Many westerners say that India is a nation which is more dirty and polluted.

c. It Reveals our Personality: – It reflects an individual’s identity about their character, nature, belief system, background, upbringing, and culture. When cleanliness is a part of our lifestyle, we automatically aim to keep ourselves clean externally and internally, thus improving our personality. People often judge others by observing their attention to hygiene and attitude regarding cleanliness. Hence, there lies a close connection between personal cleanliness and health. Cleanliness in our
dressing also speaks volumes about how we do up our self; our clothes, footwear, nails, etc.

IL. Benefits of Cleanliness: –

Some of the key benefits are

a. Cleanliness Reduces the Chances of Getting Sick and can Help us Live a Healthy Livelihood. Germs and bacteria always stay in dirty surroundings. By cleaning our surroundings, we can avoid the risk of falling sick and can stay healthy.

b. It gives us Mental Peace. When everything around us is neat and clean, we feel mentally relaxed and happy. It boosts our overall confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect. A neat and clean person maintains an optimistic mind and has an optimistic approach in every area of life. Cleanliness is good for mental health as it reduces stress and depression and gives you a feeling of
well-being.

c. Cleanliness Stimulates our Positivity. A dirty environment brings negativity moreover makes a person lethargic. Fresh and good air, clear water, healthy natural foods provides positive energy to our body and mind.

d. Cleanliness Changes People’s Opinion about us. Everybody likes to maintain hygiene and be a hygienic
person. When we live in a dirty environment or a disordered state, people don’t approach us. But when we live in a clean condition, we look more respectable, and people tend to approach us as they find us more organized and attractive.

e. Cleanliness Reduces the Cost of Maintenance. ‘When we keep things neat and clean, they last longer, and we don’t have to spend much on their maintenance and care.

£. It brings Discipline: – We are known as the disciples of Jesus. A person without discipline and an orderly life cannot be called as disciple of Jesus. A person needs to maintain cleanliness in daily life, needs to follow a strict discipline and certain principles in the life. People who become clean are generally religious and God-fearing in nature and never feel hate or jealous to others. The maintenance of cleanliness in any country depends on the education level, poverty, and population of the country. If the citizens of the country are be educated they can well maintain the cleanliness all through the country. Therefore, the strict discipline and qualitative training beget cleanliness.

III. Cleanliness is the Mark of True Development In recent times, a clean India campaign called “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” has been run by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in order to maintain the cleanliness in surroundings and make India a clean India. To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation, the Prime Minister of India had launched the Swach Bharat Mission on 2°‘ October 2014. Under the mission, all villages, Gram Panchayats, Districts, States and Union Territories in India declared themselves “Open-Defecation Free” (ODF) by 2 October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing over 100 million toilets in rural India. Certainly, it is a remarkable milestone for the sustainable development of the nation. Nevertheless, ‘we should appreciate the steps that have been taking care by the present ruling government.

Conclusion

Maintaining God’s creation and especially this earth, which belongs to God, is one of our prime duties. We are appointed as the stewards of His sovereignty. Therefore, we must be vigil and protect the earth and all its belongings with the mind of God. He does not destroy the earth but purifies/cleanses it by various natural remedies when we negate it. Awareness of this socialization must start from home and theological institutions. If individuals enlightened, surely the nation will be lightened in the right direction. Cleanliness should be the part of every individual especially in the life of God’s servants. God’s presence is visible where there is clean heart and good environment. Our heart and body are the dwelling place of the Master. Molding qualitative citizens for both the kingdom of God and this world is the responsibility of the Church today.