The secure solution

ARE we going the right way, are we going the wrong way? What lies at the end of the road? Will our country attain the security we long for? What is the right solution to our economic problem?  Do we have to keep emulating those other nations or learn a lesson from their failures? 

    As questions like these lurk and challenge our personal and collective security, we can say that ‘if others could, we could do too’.  But discipline is needed.  Only I wish to state that the Gospel truth has proposed an infallible economic solution.

    First, that our Heavenly Father takes care of us.  Yet He expects us to seek and work for His Kingdom.  [Read Mt. 6:24-34].  Secondly, He expects us to live a life of dedicated service.  “Judge not and ye shall not be judged; forgive and ye shall be forgiven; give and it shall be given unto you; according to the measure you give, they shall pour back to you the same measure, overflowing” (Lk. 6:36-38).  If you take care and develop the little that you have (time, talents, treasure) you will be given more and you shall abound; but if you neglect to develop what little you have, you will even lose that.  [Read Mt. 25:21-29; Lk. 16:10; Lk. 19:17-20].

A mighty trust

‘THERE are no tyrants where there are no slaves’, said Gat Jose Rizal.  The Lord says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, but blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord” (Jer. 17:5).  “It is better to trust in the Lord than in the great men of the earth” (Ps. 118:8).

    The biggest mistake of our people is when they place government and trust in government above trust in God.  That is tantamount to making an idol.  “Thou shalt not make strange gods before me, for I shall punish the people who do such.  But I shall reward my faithful ones even to the thousandth generation” (Ex. 20).  We keep on complaining, we keep on trusting in corrupted people, and because we forget to pray to the true God, the solution is nowhere.

    “Life is a warfare” (Job 7:1) and we are fighting against the forces of evil, against the devil who is constantly going around to recruit people and drag them to hell (1 Pet. 5:8). But for God’s faithful ones who fearlessly trust in Him, there is ever existing His provident hand.

Victory in fair-play

All we want is fair play, for the sake of harmony.  No one enjoys a game where everybody or many do cheat.  The past elections were meant to reflect the people’s will and freedom, to prove that there is still some degree of freedom within the nation, in such wise that they could still place whom they will in power.  If not possible, then we are no free nation anymore, as far as democratic elections are concerned. 

When I heard some oppositionists using foul revengeful language, I felt so sad.  It will then be impossible for them to win.  You can only win over evil by doing good.  But if you go down to the level of the beasts, you eliminate the possibility for victory.  If we use evil ways how can we conquer evil?  If we desire revenge how different are we from the others?  We can only conquer evil with good (Rom. 12:21).  You cannot right a wrong with another wrong.

Let there be fair-play, not hatred.  Sure we all know that there is such a thing as greed for power.  Yet if we play our cards right in the manner of God’s law, we will surely have the chance to win.  “If only my people would keep my law, quickly my hand shall subdue all their foes” (Ps. 81:14)

Waking up to justice

What is real or perfect justice?  I can still recall the answer from the title of the 2007 CBCP planner and Biblical guide that goes: “The Norm of Justice and Right Living is the Word of God.”  Hence the truest justice should be in accord with the unerring mind of God.  Indeed doing what is right or what one has to be and do entails overcoming deep-seated values that may conflict with the divine teachings.  The child must grow up and learn the mature, christian ways of living and connecting with fellow-beings in the pilgrim-journey to eternity.  Christ promises a blessing of full consolation or satisfaction to those who ‘hunger and thirst for justice’ (cf. Mt. 5:6). 

St. John Paul II once said that “Justice is the minimum of love and love is the maximum of justice”(Assissi dialogue of all religions).  St. Paul describes love as “humble, patient and forgiving” (1 Cor. 13) and Jesus tells us that the tax collector ‘went down to his house, set right with God, but not the Pharisee, for whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised’ (Lk. 18:14). Being your true self and doing the best of what you are supposed to do and to be equals perfect justice, perfect love, like facets of one reality, one as conforming to the law, the other as the total gift of the heart.

One must be persistent and pray continually in seeking justice, like the widow in the gospel who demanded the right to be defended against her opponent.  At first the evil judge refused but later he gave in because the widow kept bothering him.  Jesus concluded the gospel text by saying, “Will God not do justice for his chosen ones who cry to him day and night even if he delays in answering them?  I tell you, he will speedily do them justice” (Lk. 18:7-8).  Let us not lose heart but stay “awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead that the light of Christ may shine on you!” (Eph. 5:14).