God created interdependent world. According to the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development there are at least 196 states in the world that operate like different parts of one unit. Nowadays, most countries are interdependent because they rely on other countries for importing their local demands and for exporting their local products.
Natural resources are found in the earth to make everything we use from immediate goods to finished products. Forests are important natural resource because they produce timber, for shelter and for other types of construction work. Besides, woodland provides us with oxygen, removes harmful carbon dioxide and regulates temperatures and thus balances the ecosystem.
Countries that are more efficient in certain things begin to specialise. They focus on making specific goods or offering certain services. Thus international trade grows. Specialisation brings down production cost and also the price of the finished product in the market. But global interdependence also has some disadvantages; say, when importing country depends on exporting country for oil, and its exporting leader decides to stop selling to the dependent importing country, it causes difficulties.
In the Bible we see God has connected everything in His world through interdependence. On the first day of creation, the earth was formless and empty. There was nothing but darkness. So, God joined darkness and light that take turns every day respecting each other’s space which is nothing but interdependence between darkness and light. God ‘took one of man’s ribs’ and created a woman. This is the creation of interdependence in people. We should be like darkness and light; night and day, politely taking care of our interdependence. But when there is a deadlock between two people and they do not talk to each other, ‘somebody has to take the first step by being brave, humble and hopeful enough to get up and cross that frightening border of silence’; because God created interdependent; so, we have to respect the other person’s space. Because every person is emotionally dependent on others ‘to be loved, to be valued, to be considered special, to be liked, to be accepted for money, fame, fortune and not to feel alone, to make the loneliness pain go away’.
No one is freed from ego. King-size ego is an arrogant self causes some difficulties. It is hungry for attention and wants to rule over others. Therefore, we pray: “Saibinn ghorantli bhair sortanam: Hea ghorantli bhair sorche adim amkam Jezu di ani Zakariasa bhaxen ami konnach lagim monim koxim bhovtanv zalear amchi jib suttoxi kor, ani amchea xezaream lagim uloi-xim kor.”
Every individual has certain inbuilt, inborn differences. Society can only be peaceful if each member accepts that these differences are necessary for interdependence. This would not happen if human beings understand peoples’ difference and cooperate with each other. If this is accepted it would help to encourage peace in society.
No country can live isolated; each country depends on other countries for various matters. Similarly, no man is an island; we all are emotionally dependent.
