Old Tune

(Lumang tugtugin)

False theories or teachings, like old tunes, do pass away, but since they are connected to human feelings and weaknesses, tend to reappear once in a while. Let’s not repeat the past violent confrontations we have had in the Philippines . The false prophets try to incite and wake up those feelings of anger and hatred for some earthly purpose and the end result are victims of conflicts. And what can you pay for the value of life, yes, even of one life?

This is what happens when people keep on judging the neighbor, for various reasons, as if they were holier than the rest. What happens is the somehow division of groups between rightists and leftists, although it’s not so defined what can make a person belong to this or that group. The best probable example would be the biblical portrayal at the last judgment when people would be divided into two groups, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats (sheep at the right, goats at the left). There must be a deeper reason why Jesus chose this comparison ( see Mt. 25:21-46). It seems the goats make lots of noise, specially in their moment of crisis, while sheep are more quiet and trusting.

That, in my humble opinion, ought to be the way we face reality, with faith in God, hope and calmness, not with lots of noise and judgment of the neighbor, as goats do during time of slaughter. The representation paints the sheep as more positive and the goats, as negative in attitude, that is, the people who keep grumbling, judging the neighbor, and making a disordered, violent society. Here I remember the deep insight of St. Teresa of Avila , in her popular expression: “Much wrongdoing would be avoided if we realized our business is to be on guard, not against men but against displeasing the Lord.” This only shows her great devotion to the ways of God, who always wants us to live a life loving one another, including our enemies. We ought to correct evils in society, not in an adversarial manner but rather producing fruits of harmony and love. After all, we are only passing guests to life’s drama. What is important is that in everything we do, we give glory and thanksgiving to God in the spirit of love and humility. Let’s not resurrect the past forms of class struggle in the Philippines or elsewhere in the world that caused so much loss of lives, vocations, and harmony. They were surely based on a shallow perception of the truth and false ideas because a lie is a half truth.

St. Paul reminds us to walk according to the Spirit: “You can easily recognize what comes from the flesh: immorality, impurity and shamelessness, idol worship and magic, hatred, jealousy and violence, anger, ambition, division, factions, discord and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I again say to you what I have already said: those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God . But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy and peace, patience, understanding of others, kindness and fidelity, gentleness and self-control. For such things there is no Law or punishment. Yet those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its vices and desires.” (Gal. 5:19-24).