HOME. SICKNESS. (Part 6)

I WANT AND I'LL SHARE LIFE-GIVING GIFTS

By Joel E. Ferraris

Now comes another season of gift-giving. As shops and big malls are being pumped-in by companies with goods that are expected to catapult profits into another all-time high, the buying public are preparing their strategic shopping moves.

People work hard for months as they look forward to the 13th-month pay and other year-end bonuses. But as these incentives trigger wishful fantasies the imminent storm of possible pocket holes, empty bank accounts and increasing credit card debts after Christmas make people anxious and cautious.

As an experience, especially when one works abroad, going home every Christmas season is not only going through the hassle of rushing to buy plane tickets months ahead of schedule but also going through a lot of preparations to buy gifts depending on how long the list of friends and relatives is. Some even try not to go home to spend Christmas with their love ones with the thought of going through this nightmare especially when working abroad means to pay a big debt incurred during the job application stage.

Reunions with family, relatives and friends plus other social gatherings also compel people to once again meet those they hate or despise. But as fast as money is gone in the aftermath of this short-lived celebration, those temporary signs of reconciliation vanish and everything's back to normal. This is clearly seen in those well-publicized temporary cessation of hostilities between, say, the government troops and rebel groups in the Philippines. After Christmas, war resumes and the short-lived peace vanishes as fast as the smoke from the New Year’s Eve firecrackers.

In the University of the Philippines, for example, the sick culture of frat violence continues as fraternities that are locked in bitter and bloody rivalry do not even recognize the relevance of Christmas. In one instance that I know of, one frat attacked a rival frat during the early part of December in early 2004 while the country was still recovering from one of the worst calamity that claimed many lives in Quezon province.

Those students not only turned a blind eye on the well-publicized sufferings of their countrymen but, worst, also ignored the gift of salvation through Lord Jesus Christ. They abused the privilege to have an education despite the fact that they tower above the rest of the poor, out-of-school youths in the slum areas all over the country. These acts, combined with the reality that the country is in a lot of mess, aggravated the fact that this prime university fared low in the recent survey of the authoritative Times Higher Education Supplement. Out of the 500 leading universities in the world, the University of the Philippines is ranked 398th. This virus that our country is inflicted with becomes more apparent with the recent death of another student in UP.

Just recently, a failed coup attempt also ignored that the whole country is busy preparing for Christmas. What a timely date to call and entice especially the religious “to act as their moral obligation” to revolt against a corrupt government when from the very beginning the methods and tactics that these disgruntled people were using are questionable. Besides, the religious leaders should have done more to spread the Gospels of Lord Jesus Christ to the corrupt instead of fighting with other Christian groups to win more flocks. Are they really there to save souls or fight over a steady in-flow of tithes? They should examine themselves where they fall short of teaching people, rich or poor, not to be corrupt.

I cannot remember any passage in the Holy Bible, particularly in the New Testament, about Lord Jesus Christ teaching that the message of His ultimate sacrifice includes temporary peace in celebration of His birthday. I do not remember either our Master saying that one has to preoccupy Himself with buying and giving lots of gifts to people to show their love to others specifically on Christmas. I cannot also remember that He called for people to arms to oust a corrupt government to satisfy the struggles of the Zealots to revolt against Rome.

All I know is that the love He taught His disciples is a lifetime commitment instead of a brief expression to remember Him during the holidays. All I know is that He gave us this passage as a guide when giving to others:” but when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” (Matthew 6:3). And all I know is that His sword is the Word of our Almighty God and Father by teaching people His statutes and not killing them or flirting with violence especially through coup d’etats as a way fo changing a corrupt system.

I'm not sure about the origins of gift-giving among people but what I'm sure of is the story about how our Almighty God the Father was pleased with and accepted the offerings of Abel. It is because He looks at the purity of the hearts of men and not at the outward visible offerings and looks. This is true when He commanded Samuel to go and anoint the shepherd boy David to be king. This is true when He rebuked people who offer lavish tangible gifts to the altar instead of forgiving their enemies and correcting wrongs.

The gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh of the Three Wise Men for the infant Jesus also loudly ring a bell especially because of their profound significance. Again that was another act of man offering gifts to our Almighty God the Father as these men from the East recognized that Infant Jesus, as the Messiah, was from God the Father Almighty. Also, there are many instances in the Holy Bible about gift-giving between people starting as early as the Genesis period.

In some cultures, dowries are a must. These compulsory practices are often abused by people and even during Christmas season this is also exploited by those who have vested interests. This is very true now in the world where materialism and consumerism dictates global trends. It is funny how one survey revealed that a certain percentage of respondents admitted that they "recycle gifts."

The glaring and overwhelming allure, in strong colors, of commercialism during Christmas thickly clouds the real essence of this celebration. This prompted one Chinese writer to point out that there is "MAS" without Christ because of materialism, apostasy and secularism. Another writer, Pastor D. A. Waite wrote, "THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY MY LORD WITH GIFT-GIVING. Depending upon the financial resources available in the families involved, gift-giving is stressed, pushed, and exalted beyond all possible measure. The ones that push the hardest for such gift-giving are the stores who have a vested interest in the profits which accrue most certainly in such booming sales."

Gifts are defined as "something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present."

Mankind was created by Almighty God the Father as special beings. We are supposedly superior to other creations because of our ability to have a higher spiritual enlightenment, a chance for Salvation and the privilege to enter the heavenly kingdom despite the fact that a 5-year-old chimp beats college kids in computer game. But we seem not to evolve spiritually enough especially when we mimic the insect world. A study showed that by manipulating the nuptial gifts that female insects receive during copulation, female preferences can be exploited by males who are "cheating" on their reproductive investment by presenting easily obtainable token gifts.

People who focus on what they will receive, especially from the well-heeled friends and relatives or what they will give even if their economic status do not permit doing so miss the whole meaning of the coming of the Son of God and His foretold second coming. They miss the chance to avail of the gifts that our Almighty God the Father has prepared for them through Lord Jesus Christ. And a lot of them even refuse and completely avoid these gifts when they fail to study the Holy Bible to examine the kind of faith they need to have and to learn about the manner of true worship that they need to do that is pleasing to our Almighty God and Father.

Tradition has proven to be big obstacle in allowing people to accept spiritual enlightenment. As they become so complacent and too stubborn to discard wrong practices, they continue to carry this unnecessary burden called wrong tradition.

Wrong tradition has blurred the purpose why we, as children, had Godfathers and Godmothers whom we, perhaps, only see during holidays to give us material gifts instead of giving us spiritual guidance. Now I am questioning why we call them Godfather or Godmother.

9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

http://kingjbible.com/matthew/23.htm

The best gifts therefore that we could offer to and receive from our friends, relatives and family members are not those that are wrapped in glossy paper and tied with brightly-colored ribbons but those that are unseen but felt. The Words of our Almighty God the Father, the message about freedom from captivity to sin and salvation through Lord Jesus Christ, the free gifts of the Holy Spirit and the real way of worshipping Him to please Him. All these are lifetime gifts waiting for us and for them. These were all prepared as promised by our Redeemer direct from His Almighty God and Father.

The purpose of the birth and ultimate sacrifice of Lord Jesus Christ and the preparations for His second coming must not be relegated to a mere recollection at the end of the year. They are supposed to be given emphasis as a way of life in this world in order to attain Eternal Life.

What a lifetime gift that you or me give or receive each day of our lives when we all trust each other by being truthful, honest and sincere as real children of an Almighty God the Father.

What a lifetime gift we could offer to others when we share the good news of salvation through Lord Jesus Christ.

Lastly, what is there to celebrate at the end of the year when the whole year we forget about the real essence of what it means to be a disciple of Lord Jesus Christ?

HOME. SICKNESS. (Part 5)

Misleading Heroes And Dangerous Toys

By Joel E. Ferraris

In spite of the fact that there was almost a bloodbath that ensued after the recent attempt by an opposition group to grab power, some business-minded people have come up with novel ideas to make money. They used the Magdalo soldiers as theme for their new products - toys.

Will these toys be nice Christmas gift for children in the season when we celebrate the birth of our Savior? Will parents be able to stop their kids, Ninongs and Ninangs from buying them?

Well, these are good propaganda for the next power grab attempt huh!?...molding the minds of unsuspecting and gullible children who will make heroes out of the likes of Magdalo and Trillanes or the Marlboro man. And if the coup succeeded and bloodbath ensued, how many lives would have been lost and how many Christmas celebrations and parties be soured by tears, sobs and mourning?

The coup plotters' methods of renewing our system are tainted by the fact that they are military men. Military men are identified with war, killings and violence. And war is a business that cause death just like cigarette smoking. Besides, untold psychological effects on people witnessing carnage and seeing people die or killing people might not have been well publicized or told religiously to warn others of this malady.

"Thou shalt not steal". The money stolen by public officials is just money. If they repent sincerely they will be forgiven and maybe ill-gotten wealth could be recovered. Besides, to those who are not servants of money they know to whom they serve and that is to our Almighty God and Father. But the lives that will be lost, especially because of a distorted cause and methods as a result of spiritual blindness is far worst than losing money!!!

"Thou shalt not kill". We cannot replace life. And most especially if our loved ones have not yet been spiritually enlightened to have sure entry to heaven. We cannot even guarantee to save souls despite many and long repeated prayers like the rosary if we fail to spiritually enlighten our love ones and strengthen their faith before they died for souls have no guarantee of entering heaven if the one who died did not repent, did not accept Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation through Him and worst if the one who died do not recognize our Almighty God and Father and do not love Him. We cannot even guarantee our own salvation if we are so spiritually ignorant and blind and belong to the hordes of confused individuals what with the sea of conflicting and confusing doctrines and beliefs nowadays.

Thanks to our Almighty God the Father that it is by His grace that we are saved.

These acts of vendors remind me of a report in the past that a businessman in China set-up a themed restaurant using the war in Iraq to attract customers. These kinds of people are the ones gullible to be manipulated by people with charisma (but with distorted and anti-Christian mindsets) to do wrong just for the sake of business without thinking about the moral and spiritual aspect of what they're doing.

The corruption in the government is a problem. But isn't it a bigger problem if our children will be influenced by anti-Christian ideas and we later find them becoming one of those corrupt leaders in our country especially when we failed to teach them now what real Christianity is?

Here's some insights from Howie Severino regarding the use of Magdalo by a group of soldiers:

"Magdalo was one of the quarreling factions in Cavite that Andres Bonifacio tried to reconcile. But in leaving his bailiwick in the hills around Montalban, the Katipunan's Supremo eventually lost his life. Some history buffs believe that enticing Bonifacio to unfamiliar territory was a Caviteno plot to grab power."

Read Why use the Magdalo name?

One thing more...I am always disgusted whenever I go home to the Philippines every Christmas and New Year. Why can't people stop selling or buying toy guns? Those airsoft pellet guns are sold in shops and they look very real. I even scolded two groups of boys in Laguna when they played war games using these dangerous toys. The pellets even hit me and my old mother-in-law when they were having war games in the street. It was really a bad Christmas when you find yourself scolding children.

Why can't people stop firing their guns during New Year's eve? I really feel bad about people firing their guns! My own brother was almost hit by a stray bullet that pierced and went through our roof many years ago. It missed him a few feet away while he was sitting on a bed next to me while we were having a chat!

Trigger-happy people who are either drunk or high on drugs do not understand the foolishness of their actions. These acts, including being so intoxicated with alcohol or high on drugs as an escapists' way of forgetting problems, cannot eradicate those problems. Besides, wrong beliefs and traditions must be discarded for no amount of noise and explosions during new year's time can scare our deep-seated problems away. It will always be there to remain after the new year smoke have dissipated not unless we accept the sound teachings of Lord Jesus Christ on how to deal with them by following and obeying the will of His Father, our Almighty God the Father.

It is time that we should start educating our families and relatives and friends simply because not all means are good just to solve the problem of material poverty. We have to be attuned to the statutes of our Almighty God and Father through the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. Once we established that proper link and right connection to our Almighty God and Father He will answer our prayers and send His blessings and graces to us in His own perfect time while we sit and wait contented and with peace of mind.

HOME. SICKNESS. (Part 4)

The way, the truth and the life.

By Joel E. Ferraris

6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6

In the recent event at the Manila Peninsula Hotel as an attempt to grab power or oust GMA what comes to mind are three things:

1. The way of the coup plotters in changing the government,

2. The truth behind all that had happened and

3. The threat to life should violence have erupted or the kind of life we will have after the coup's victory.

The way that the coup plotters, and those who are behind them, to remove GMA from power and to install a caretaker government is questionable not only morally but also spiritually. Their motives are likewise questionable because violence, when they flirted with it, is unacceptable.

The truth about this whole thing, especially with the aid of the press, are either inaccurate or half truths or worst, lies. No one could tell who is behind the plot to conspire to remove a corrupt leader. No one even knows the truth behind their own real intentions or if they could deliver and guarantee a fool-proof governance free from corruption and immorality.

In that failed coup lives are at stake and could have been put in danger's way should cool heads have not prevailed. But to waste one's life for a questionable cause without the benefit of real and true Christian spiritual enlightenment is the worst thing that could happen to a person. It is worst than suffering poverty in the slums. It is spiritual blindness that the rich and the powerful cannot even bribe or buy their way out.

The materially poor, who knows Lord Jesus Christ and follows His teachings to obey God the Father Almighty in heaven, enjoys a kind of contentment that the filthy rich and powerful unbeliever do not or cannot have.

HOME. SICKNESS. (Part 3)

WHAT WOULD LORD JESUS CHRIST DO TODAY?

By Joel E. Ferraris

In this article...

'What would Jesus do today? He wouldn't take up residence in the Vatican',

...there is evident disagreement among the men of religion on how deal with the moral, economic, social and political problems in our country.

Lord Jesus Christ came here more than 2,000 years ago not to topple governments or oust political leaders but to set the captives to sinfulness free. That's why He lambasted those men of religion because they are supposed to take care of people's spirituality whether they are in politics or tax collectors like Matthew or mere masa like Peter, etc.

Again I tell you, whether you oust GMA or whoever is in power when the individual Filipino's own spirituality is weak and not complete evil will simply win again and again!

But for those who listen and follow the Master Lord Jesus Christ as He teaches us how to love and obey God the Father Almighty above all this political, economic and moral illness will not win over them for they will become the salt of the earth of whom people will emulate and they will be well provided and at the same time they will be contented of the blessings given to them.

To love one's neighbor, especially the poor, is not merely giving them dole outs and trumpeting around for the whole world to see the charitable donations we give them to glorify us, Worst, it's not exhorting them to rise up and topple governments while their ignorance of our Almighty God the Father's will remains in them like an incurable disease.

BTW, when we give to others, do we give it secretly that only God the Father Almighty knows? And when the recipients of our good deeds thank us, do we say to them "thank our Almighty God the Father instead for He made me an instrument of His blessings to you".

Do we do charitable things for His glory or for our own glory to boast to others? Are our hearts pure and intentions good in giving help or do we expect something in return?

When the glory is only for us and when people do not understand that this glory and gratitude should have been meant for our Almighty God and Father, they will be easily manipulated, especially during election time, when we ourselves fall into the temptations of using them for our own agenda.

That's why dirty politicians can make people dance to their tune. They help other people for their own glory and not for the glory of our Almighty God the Father. And this practice invites corruption and immorality.

To love one's neighbor, the rich and the poor alike, is to give them knowledge about God the Father Almighty's will for knowing this will nourish their souls because man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the Almighty God and Father. That's what Lord Jesus Christ meant when he said to His disciples, "Love one another as I have loved you."

He did not merely gave them dole-outs or inspired them to become rich in material wealth so that they will enjoy life. They do not even enjoy what we have now, complete with our high end appliances, computers and trips abroad and all those perks. He showed them that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He nourished His disciples with His teachings about what pleases our Almighty God and Father.

But then again, the question is, who are His sheep who meekly follow Him and who are the goats that are against His teachings. There will be goats and sheep among the rich and the poor alike for as long as they don't follow the will of the Almighty God and Father even if the political system in our country will change or the few rich that controls our economy are removed from power.

There is wisdom in being poor, as like what Job had undergone when he was tested, and there is danger in being rich for they could be serving another master, which is material wealth, instead of God the Father Almighty.

With this in mind, instead of shouting slogans to oust the corrupt leaders of our country who enjoy wealth from their corruption, we who are spiritually mature should instead be worried about them for they will burn in hell should they fail to repent and reform. But those who noisily protest against them are questionable because they could just be doing these acts not really as an act of loving their neighbors the way Lord Jesus Christ did but because they want to grab that piece of that big pie from those who have stolen it.

Now there are Jobs in our midst...people whose faith are tested. The thing is, Job succeeded in showing the steadfastness of his faith even if he became so poor and sick. But the poor of today or even the discontented rich are different. The poor, when they experience extreme poverty, will forget Him and rob and kill the rich. Or when they become rich they might forget Him again as the rich now are addicted to all sorts of worldliness and the aim to acquire more wealth.

Lord Jesus Christ Himself was poor and born in a manger and have no home to stay when He started His minitry.

The job of the priests and bishops and other men of religion is to instill in people's minds that come what may they will love our Almighty God and Father above all!

They have to fight the evil within and among themselves too! They have to rid themselves and the church of idolatry which is the cause of the people's sufferings when God the Father Almighty's anger befall them due to continued use of these abhorrent objects that mislead the flock.

The social eyesore that is the gap between the rich and the poor is clearly evident in the kind of hand-graven religious images the rich and the poor could afford to buy and posses.

This is why Lord Jesus Christ came here more than 2,000 years ago. He will say the same thing to the people of today. And if you are the temple of the Holy Spirit you will have the gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide you in order to survive, not only in the Philippines but in this messy world going more secular and worldly, and continue to preach the good news of salvation.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:16-21)

It is therefore our duty as believers in God the Father Almighty and disciples of Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim the good news of salvation to the spiritually blind people so that they will not be condemned.

No matter how we fight for social and economic justice, for freedom and human rights and against oppression of all sorts if we do not accept the Son of God the Father Al;mighty and believe in His teachings we will continue to suffer materially, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually as condemned people!

HOME. SICKNESS. (Part 2)

ANOTHER WRONG SACRIFICE

By Joel E. Ferraris

The recent failed coup attempt is likened to a pre-Christmas surrealism if I were to paint it. Add to that the recent NPC mural controversy and the picture becomes a lot chaotic while people are busy preparing to buy gifts in yet another year-end shopping spree.

The true essence of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ seem to be forgotten again, covered by the mountains of material gifts in stock at the malls.

I suggest that we should pray for all of these people, especially Trillanes, the running priest and the bishop. This military man's mindset, probably molded and inspired by those religious personalities around him, produced this distorted statement here.

To me this is dangerous as it could inspire people, the spiritually blind, to make drastic actions without understanding what it is all about and without reflecting deeply on its adverse effects. It could spark violence given the fact that the leader is a military man representing Magdalo. And to make matters worse is the cloud of suspicion hovering over this group's name.

If this is his understanding of the "moral obligation of the religious to do what is right", then he better review the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ a lot instead on depending on the bullets and the votes that he has.

People have probably voted for him because they were fed-up with the system... but he added to the rottenness of that system by using force when in fact it is a collective guilt of the whole nation that caused this system to be rotten and no wonder that UP itself cannot solve the culture of violence in its own campuses.

One only needs to dig deeper and read what's happening in our country before resorting to abrupt change that has less wisdom, no moral as well as strong spiritual foundations to make it strong to resist more future attacks from the evil one..

Who has no speck blocking his eyes? Even cigarette smoking is a clear and present danger! Even the womanizing of those who cannot take care of their families produces more problems that cannot be solved by money!

The "defensive" frats, using violence against the aggressions of their rivals and the acts of coup plotters flirting with violence are just the same recipe produced by a mindset devoid of the real understanding of true Christianity.

Theirs is another wrong sacrifice.

Could you imagine Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples mouthing slogans against a corrupt Roman Empire and crying to oust the Roman Emperor just to install a care-taker government?

Instead He lambasted those blind religious leaders who misled the people by their wrong doctrines. Similarly, a current problem is seen as the cause of moral decay in our country.

Instead He empowered the people by the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that they will not be corrupted by those who are in power.

Instead He proclaimed that the Kingdom of His God and Father in Heaven is coming and will be within the people.

Will Trillanes' "moral crusade" ensure that the Kingdom of God the Father Almighty will be within us once they succeed in their designs? Will he eradicate all evil completely?

God the Father Almighty looks at the hearts of men whom He anoints as leaders. He is not mesmerized by good looks and strong build of men. or whether they are the darling of the press.

Too bad that people now vote for their leaders instead of them waiting for God the Almighty Father to anoint and send one to them.

I remember that in the past I wrote that GMA is the one anointed by God the Father Almighty to be the leader of our country. This was a divine message revealed to my spiritual sister. Even some might have noticed and deeply thought about it. That's why any and all attempts to grab power from her have failed.

Can Pedro grab the blessing meant for Juan? Can anybody fight the will of God the Father Almighty especially if He grants blessings to someone He sees fit and in His own perfect time?

Only those afflicted by the cancer called crab mentality are the ones squirming with envy for they cannot accept what is divinely granted to others.

I'll just pray for GMA, rather than protest in the streets ...that she will be guided by our Almighty God and Father...that He will correct her if she has done wrong and she will be protected from those who are just manipulating her. I hope that she will go to her room and pray privately to our Almighty God and Father in Spirit and in Truth in the name of Lord Jesus Christ and ask for guidance.

I hope that any other leader will do this too.

Isn't it very lonely up there? I was once a leader too but to a very much lesser degree and I know how hard it is to be up there.

If she is persecuting us we should pray for her because Lord Jesus Christ said so.

Not even a tyrant leader caused my fear in 2003 here in Hong Kong when I have my own share of difficulties. I cannot stage a street protest or a coup d'etat against SARS plus the possible cancerous lump on my wife's breast.

But I just prayed to our Almighty God and Father and His answer was a clear miracle:

This should have been the remedy for that young girl's problem instead of her committing suicide due to hopelessness. Wasn't it that Lord Jesus Christ promised that the faithful will be protected and provided for?

Where were the spiritual guides of that girl. Where were her Ninongs and Ninangs? Were they just there to give gifts during Christmas time?

Why wrestle for a small piece of pie when there's one whole piece meant especially for you?

Love is not happy with evil but then again evil cannot be defeated by another evil. It's in the Holy Bible. So why can't the coup plotters understand that when in fact we are living in a society where the freedom to exercise one's religion and to read the Holy Bible is allowed?

"Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

To battle the ills of our society we need to fight the evil within ourselves first but we have to wear the Armor of God the Almighty Father.

It is a lose-lose situation to fight a wrong war in a wrong battlefield using the wrong weapons and armor. In this foolish predicament the real enemy, the unseen evil spirit influencing men to be evil, always run away laughing, finding another host to manipulate.

If Trillanes' time to lead will come it will come in God the Father Almighty's own perfect time if he will be His anointed leader for the nation. Now, he better prepare himself and work hard to please Him who is up there, a king-maker, who is all-knowing and all-seeing, before he could please people looking up to him as a role model of change he is preacing to them.

If he fails to do this, then it will be another wrong sacrifice for a leader and his followers.

HOME. SICKNESS. (Part 1)

GRAVER CONCERNS

By Joel E. Ferraris

I cannot help but pour out my sentiments on the recent events in my country, the Philippines.

Another failed attempt to oust the president took place at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati at a time when pre-Cristmas fever preoccupies people's minds as they prepare for the festivities. There were lots of reactions from people regarding this one in a series of attempts to oust a leader and her administration perceived to be so corrupt.

But despite two almost heroic attempts of a failed coup plotter-turned-senator, who is still serving a jail sentence, to bring abrupt change people seem not to bite the bait anymore by not joining in his cause. His recent caper started a ripple of reactions from people. I am one of them.

I have my own reactions too as a homesick, concerned citizen and Christian who see the ills in my predominantly Catholic country and is concerned about its welfare. It's sickness has got the attention of people who wanted to apply their own brand of medicines but despite repeated doses of antibiotics called "ouster of presidents after Marcos" the virus called moral vacuum and corruption persistently digs its roots on people's being.

Biblically this social and moral sickness is explainable but how the people will accept the explanation is another big question.

One man, in the last moments of his life, wrote (as translated here in English) in his blog how disgusted he was with what happened. This prompted one columnist to write:

"It's all very well not to be impatient because the process is slow. But what if the process is completely blocked? What if patience becomes indistinguishable from inaction and becomes the very ground upon which injustice thrives?

"What if the Rule of Law is the Rule of the Few?"

Read in full: (Grave Concerns by Conrado de Quiros)

I myself have these questions for my countrymen to reflect on:

So whose to be blamed here? Is it the frats who have, in its memberships, law students and lawyers who are locked in the cycle of violence when in fact they are supposedly the guardians of the rule of law? (Watch video here, here and here and read more articles in the links provided here)

Or the churchmen who are divided and have different approaches on how to solve the moral crisis in our country... (Read some of the articles here, here and here)

...when in fact the church has its own conflicts to face:

"Catholics in the Philippines have been too complacent.
We have to reach out to the unchurched, who are very
gullible and are attracted to fundamentalist,
fire-and-brimstone Protestant preachers on television
and radio. The church must counter that with their own
preaching, because these nominal Catholics are not
hearing any alternative. Protestant churches have made
big inroads in the Philippines. Now we have to fight
back." (Read the article here)

And the laity are also divided to either help the poor or not through GK.

My question is, would it be a lot better to oust GMA first so that we could concentrate in our spirituality or we take care of our souls first so that she and the corrupt people surrounding her will not be able to tempt us to be corrupt ourselves?

Another question I have is this: Is our Almighty God and Father deaf to the prayers of millions of Filipinos clamoring for change?

Does He not see the evils that the corrupt leaders are doing that He allows the "religious to do what is morally right" by attempting to have another violent coup d'etat that might have influenced the spiritually blind and spiritually ignorant to use force and violence to change rotten system of our society?

There must be something wrong with the connection between the multitude of believers and Him above who is the Owner of the floodgates of heaven.

Are we really ready not to take any slice of that tempting pie that could lead us into temptation of being corrupted ourselves once we are included in the caretaker government which was so envisioned by those who are so eager to grab power?

AND WHO ARE THEY? That human rights advocate and lawyer and that military man-turned senator did not name names!

Isn't it that the present administration a product of the victory of the united opposition that ousted Marcos? So, why is it that after years of having the chance to rectify the ills of society after getting rid of that dictator ...why are we left in a state of disarray?

Will the alliance of the faithful believer in God the Father Almighty through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers who don't give a damn about the Gospels produce good fruits? Whose decision will prevail?

If bishops, priests, pastors, evangelicals and all those religious leaders, in the midst of their squabbles who is best to shepherd people and save souls despite the claims to have the fullness of the truth by some, failed to correct the spiritual ignorance of people to make them spiritually enlightened in order to do what is good, what is moral and what is pleasing to the eyes of our Almighty God and Father, how could we, the people, expect a president, a secular leader, to correct a deeply-rooted problem she inherited.

We cannot even solve a perennial problem that is frat violence in a small community like UP.

We have to think, act and have strong faith in God the Father Almighty not to be corrupted ourselves.

Maybe let's try thinking like a president and we'll see what concrete moves are we gonna do...in simple things for example:

1. To eradicate the problem of traffic congestion Juan will reduce the number of buses in Metro Manila and replace all existing buses with double-decker buses so that there will be free-flowing traffic.

2. As a Christian leader, Juan will not allow miniskirts and spaghetti straps in the churches so that men will not be tempted by the vulgarity of women's dresses and destroy homes and families because of their infidelity.

3. While the color-coding is still being imposed, Juan will not allow people to have more than one car.

4. Juan will ban all cigarette smoking and the tobacco businesses in the Philippines because smoking causes cancer and is a problem of both the rich and the poor.

5. Juan will ban all frats in all universities because frat violence destroys the young and fratmen in power create a powerful political machinery that might breed corruption and therefore are inimical to the existence of a better society.

6. Juan will close all bars and ban the alcohol business in the Philippines because alcoholism is bad not only to one's health but causes family problems and domestic violence. Besides, it will be a waste of money to pay more police officers to see to it that this law is imposed.

7. Juan will regulate and censor all movies and videos and ban sexy films, whether it's art for art's sake, because morally it is unacceptable.

8. Juan will imprison all men or women with illicit affairs or have kabits and kulukadidangs because these acts destroy the family and the moral growth of children. Divorce will not be allowed by Juan.

9. Juan will limit the salary of professionals to just a few thousands of pesos, not so high, and raise the wages of the poor manggagawa so that the gap between the rich and the poor will be narrowed.

These are just a few and the idea sounds funny to others but not funny at all. Imagine the battery of lawyers and activists to argue the freedom of expression and the rights in a democratic society (to practice their own brand of freedoms which are against the teachings of the Holy Bible as echoed by religious leaders) being crushed by such initial moves to restore morality as listed above.

Therefore it all depends on the individual and how he/she is being guided by his/her spiritual leader and if and only if she will accept, absorb and live by such sound teachings or not. Lord Jesus Christ did not come to topple governments but to free us individuals from captivity to sin whether we are rich or poor.

That includes those who criticize the leader and those who are possible candidates of that caretaker government or else...HISTORY WILL JUST REPEAT ITSELF WHERE ALLIES WILL JUST BECOME ENEMIES AGAIN!

JOB VACANCY

(for other artpieces of this series kindly visit FREE FLOW)

(for other artpieces and thoughts kindly visit HEART, ART & SOUL)

By Joel E. Ferraris

Painted on top of layers of newspaper daily headlines and stories that I directly transferred from old newspaper to the canvas surface are bits and pieces of images that represent the Christian religion. These antique-looking remnants symbolize the gradual weakening and continued decline of religion and spirituality as they float in the midst of fleeting stories of social, political, economic and even religious turmoil. These juxtapositions of strong currents of life's pressure are real threats that could even shake the strongly faithful at times.

As drug addiction, among other abuses and tools of decadence, threatens not only the youth but even professionals in my country and elsewhere, with divorce taking its toll on family values and morality and where terrorism tops the list of all human excesses there seem to be no end to these sources of fear, frustration, despair and anxiety. The uncertain future now looks grim to the spiritually blind even more especially when global warming comes into the picture and makes these concerns more heated. And, in the course of people's struggle for survival, they tend to bring that feeling of hatred against their fellowmen into their graves as fear about the renewed nuclear arms race are fueled by distrust among powerful countries.

But humanity in general and individuals in particular are not without any hope and bright future. Created by Almighty God the Father and equipped with a manual on how to live in righteousness, people have a chance to walk a straight path. Deprived of genuine peace from a world under the control of the evil one, the faithful is guaranteed with the real peace that Lord Jesus Christ has promised. The question that confronts us, however, how do we achieve that and who will teach us?

History is not without a list of men gone mad even though they claim to believe in God. Many people still do that nowadays, either blinded by false teachings or themselves twisting religion for their selfish agenda. And in their secret brotherhood's codes of conducts the word God is sometimes reduced to a mere decoration to give their group a good image.

There are lots of work to be done to help enlighten people spiritually. With the news of dwindling number of priests to take this responsibility, the laity is given the task to take up their crosses and see to it that the young will be molded to become good and responsible adults. This will only be possible in the right environment that will start in the family as a basic unit of society founded on strong spiritual foundation.

There is really a need for spiritual renewal and, for people to effect such changes, there is a need to re-study and re-examine deeply one's religion and to correct the mistakes of the past. Moreover, the Christianity that the faithful need to strive for must be the kind that is not shallow. They need to dig deeper into its real essence, examine and understand the meaning of the unleavened bread and remember God the Father Almighty's standard in selecting His chosen people, as in the case of how he selected King David for example.

In my case I was humbled by Gandhi's non-violence, by the Amish forgiveness that shamed the whole world and the Philippines' Gawad Kalinga that is now being embraced by our Muslim brothers in Mindanao. To me these role models are examples of "walking the talk", of living the Lord Jesus Christ's Gospels that has been preached for so many centuries. But above all these I am focusing my mind to the real role model of them all - Lord Jesus Christ.

It is widely accepted, and most of all biblically supported, that He is the model of obedience to His Father, our God Almighty. He has set an example for us to emulate so that we, too, could enter the kingdom of heaven. And as Christians, while we are still here on earth awaiting for the life eternal, we need to strive hard and endure till the end as true Christians and obedient followers of God the Father Almighty.

Through the years in my life as an artist I had witnessed a lot of things that made me question the ways of this world. I witnessed friends suffer because of their own stupidity and stubbornness. Lucky I am that I prayed one night and asked God Almighty to help me out of my personal quagmire. And, miraculously, in less than a month's time I found His healing hand. I was cured spiritually after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1988 in Pasig in the Philippines, turned away completely from my dark life and was able to forgive my enemies. It seems that everything was put in place when I realized that the future of my marriage and the molding of our children are being guided by the Words of God the Father Almighty in the Holy Bible.

As religious practices among peoples of this world vary, others believe in saints as their role models of faithfulness and obedience to God the Father Almighty. But all these saints have one role model of total obedience and love for God the Father Almighty and that is Lord Jesus Christ. Mother Theresa, the Amish, and the movement called Gawad Kalinga believe in Him and even Gandhi and the Muslims recognized Him.

So to me, especially nowadays in my country, people need to emulate the real role model and listen to His Gospels and obey His Commandments rather than pray or devote themselves to saints represented by lifeless statues. They should instead pray to God the Father Almighty in the name of His Son Lord Jesus Christ and strive to become holy people themselves and manifest the miracle of love, kindness, mercy and forgiveness from God the Father Almighty to their neighbors. They need to follow the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ about love and must focus their devotion to God the Father Almighty, like what Lord Jesus Christ did, instead of going through a lot of religious practices, that are oftentimes blended with superstition and quackery, that serve as distractions that mislead their direction away from real personal holiness and away from focusing their hearts and minds to God the Father Almighty, the One that we need to adore, obey and love above the rest.

I have arrived at this perception and conclusion because in my country there are lots of saints and even Our Ladies (of this and that), co-mingling with superstition, where people's devotion seems to reveal their "deep" religiosity. But the fact that the rising crime and the perpetuation of corruption and violence plus the increasing immorality and decades of poverty seem to reveal the lack of true and deeper Christian spirituality in people.

Even the need for groups like Couples For Christ and all those Christian Life Programs expose the truth that people's usual practice of attending Sunday masses cannot guarantee that the Words of God the Father Almighty had firmly found their place in people's hearts and minds because the sermons of priests are ignored and where men are smoking outside churches during homilies. And to aggravate the situation more, the ongoing conflicts among Christian sects on who has the truth and the fullness of the truth, while increasingly threatened by secularism, has proven to be a big obstacle for people to practice real and true Christianity where the Two Commandments of Lord Jesus Christ are the main foundation.

That's precisely the reason why I painted these images in the manner that they appear to be mere silhouettes and empty images of people. I want to let people think why these saint-like figures are void and, with this accompanying written explanation, to let them understand that it is time for them to act and live according to the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ as written in the Holy Bible.

These artpieces are not meant to be worshipped or even venerated but are purposely made to serve as a mirror for people as they look not towards the artpiece but rather deep inside themselves whether they have a certain level of holiness or not. And if they are holy, whether they have to kneel down in front of lifeless, cold statues of saints made by sinful hands. And to those who have awakened and are spiritually enlightened it is therefore their duty to let others understand that these images are abhorrent in the eyes of God the Father Almighty and that they should instead love their neighbors as an expression of their love for God the Father Almighty by educating them about Him.

People also need to look back during the time of King Hezekias where the brazen serpent made by Moses was finally destroyed. It was because of man's nature of being weak. That instead of looking deeply why that symbol was designed, they venerated it. That instead of having strong faith and obedience in our Creator, they will have the tendency to stumble along the way and fall short of being true believers by their recurring sinful acts and continued spiritual ignorance amid a lot of complaining as a result of impatience in waiting for God the Father's blessing to come in His own perfect time.

They also need to look back at that time when Moses angrily rebuked the Israelites for using that golden calf when in fact they made that to represent and worship God the Father Almighty. They need to understand why handgraven images made from matter are abhorrent to the eyes of an unseen and infinite God the Father Almighty.

And people also need to understand too that it is still the fruits of the Holy Spirit, if they are really temples of the Holy Spirit, that will prove their holiness by the way they act, think, speak and being not happy with evil. It is how they tolerate all sorts of sinfulness that will become a yardstick to reveal the lack of holiness in their lives and how spiritually ignorant they are.

Nothing is impossible to God the Father Almighty. If He could create from nothing surely He could provide for our needs especially in this growing age of anxiety and uncertainty. In this world surrounded by man's wickedness and all iniquities the only thing of do is to seek the connection between God the Father Almighty and man and to fill up these job vacancies as servants of our Almighty God and Father and work for His glory and for our neighbors well-being. (Joel E. Ferraris)