MONEY WINS?

And just like that, the “Fight of the Century” is over, with Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. beating Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao by a 12-round unanimous decision.

I will be the first to say that as a Filipino, I’m disappointed with the result of the fight. Of course I wanted Manny to win. But as a Christian, I wanted Manny to win for another, more important reason.

You see, Manny’s fight with Mayweather Jr. came to represent something more: it was not just about two of the greatest athletes of the sport pitting their skills and wits against each other. No, it was a battle of ideologies. It was a battle of worldviews. To me, this boxing match became a physical embodiment of what the Christian battle was all about: good triumphing over evil.

Before I get lambasted for equating Mayweather Jr. with the Devil and Manny with a Saint, let me say that I’m not. Both are just human beings who are blessed with the physical prowess to excel in a very popular sport. They both have their shortcomings and failings as human beings.

What I’m talking about here is what the two fighters have come to represent.

Mayweather Jr. is not shy about what ideology he represents. He believes in personal achievement, self-exaltation, and materialism.

Manny is a born-again Christian, trying to be a hero for his people. He prays before every match, and acknowledges that it is by God’s grace that he wins his fights.

For me, things could not have been more clear-cut as what these two people represent: it was worldliness vs. spirituality, Mammon vs. Yahweh, the way of man vs. the way of God.

I wanted Manny to win because he represents what I believe in as a Christian. And the reason why his loss affects me so, is not because I lost money I that I bet on him. No, I’m devastated because I bet something even more precious: I bet my entire life’s outlook on his winning this fight.

Money wins. That’s the message that kept going through my head. And with that, came the doubt, the distress, the uncertainty.

Did I bet on the wrong side?

Was being a Christian really worth it? What if I’m wrong? What if God isn’t real? What if life is really just about the struggle and survival of the fittest, the most cunning, and the most powerful over the weak? What if Christianity is just a delusion, or as Karl Marx said, an “opiate” meant to keep the weak masses from being overwhelmed by their fate to be ruled by the powerful and elite few?

The Apostle Paul had captured this struggle in his first epistle to the Corinthian Church, which is considered to be one of the most materialistic and worldly of the all of the early churches of Christ. He says to them:

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV)

Paul knew the struggle with spiritual doubt. He knew the irresistible siren call of worldliness, calling all men to its ways and deathly embrace.

But he also knew what was needed in order to resist that call:

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58 NIV)

And so I’m reminded once again of Who I really bet for in the fight for good over evil. And He didn’t do it by knocking a person out cold in a ring. He did it by taking the most devastating knockout blow ever delivered, and rose up victorious.

The Fight of the Century may have ended in a disappointing note for me. But the Fight for Eternity has already been fought and won. Good has triumphed over Evil.

And I don’t need Manny Pacquiao to win over Mayweather Jr. to let me know that.

Soli Deo Gloria!

WHERE IS GOD?

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his? Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you. - (Job 40:6-14 NIV)

I’ve heard a few critics and skeptics accuse Christians of callousness and arrogance during times of calamity. They point to Christians who speak words like “the wrath of God” and “getting what we deserve”. And then they inevitably throw the Big Bomb:

Where is your God?

If He’s so compassionate, good and loving as you say He is then why did He allow this calamity to happen?

I know of these people because I used to be one of them.

I loved throwing the Big Bomb. It made Christians speechless. It stopped them dead in their tracks. It gave me a sense of intellectual superiority and sophistication to silence these fanatics. It boosted my ego just to get these people to just STFU.

It had nothing to do with compassion. It had nothing to do with searching for answers. It had everything to do with human pride.

Now that I’m a Christian myself, I too get silenced by the Big Bomb. But now I understand why Christians get so stumped by it. And it’s not because of ignorance or stupidity.

It’s because man is so woefully inadequate to answer for the Divine.

Think about that for a moment.

Even with all our technologies and advances in science, even with all our human institutions and mechanisms for change, even with all our resources and capital, all it took was one tropical storm to remind us of our frailty and humanity.

If there is one correct answer to the Big Bomb, it is this:

We are NOT God.

The second, and probably the most important correct answer for a Christian to give is to show compassion.

I may not be able to answer why God allows calamities to happen. But I do know that while God is the source of righteous wrath, He is also the source of compassion, mercy and love.

That knowledge shouldn’t cause us to be arrogant or condescending. Rather, it should cause us to be humble and contrite.

Because I did NOT invent compassion. On the contrary, left to my own devices, I’m a very callous, selfish and self-righteous man.

But because I can look at God and see the finished work of His Son on the Cross, I can know what true compassion is and thus ultimately help me to be truly compassionate myself.

And then I can answer with Job:

"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." - (Job 42:2-6 NIV)

 

Post Script:

Thousands of people are in need of food, water and other basic necessities in the Central Philippines.

Your donations will make a difference in their lives.

By far, the easiest way to help is to give cash donations. Some of the organizations in the Philippines directly involved in the relief efforts are the following:

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC)

Account Name: NDRRMC Donated Funds
Account Numbers: 045-021927-030 (Philippine Peso Account)
                                    0435-021927-530 (US Dollar Account)
Swift Code: DBPHPHMM Account#36002016
Bank Address: Development Bank of the Philippines, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

Account No. 3124-0055-81
Bank Address: Landbank of the Philippines, Batasan, Quezon City
Contact Person: Ms. Fe Catalina Ea, Cash Division
Contact Numbers: +6329318101 local 226, mobile +639186281897
Website: www.dswd.gov.ph

Philippine Red Cross (PRC)

Banco de Oro: 00-453-0018647 (Philippine Peso Account)
                        10-453-0039482 (US Dollar Account)
Swift Code: BNORPHMM
Metrobank of the Philippines: 151-3-041631228 (Philippine Peso Account)
                                                151-2-15100218-2 (US Dollar Account)
Swift Code: MBTCPHMM
Philippine National Bank: 3752-8350-0034 (Philippine Peso Account)
                                         3750-8350-0042 (US Dollar Account)
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM
Union Bank of the Philippines: 1015-4000-0201 (Philippine Peso Account)
                                                 1315-4000-0090 (US Dollar Account)
Swift Code: UBPHPHMM
Online donation link: http://ushare.redcross.org.ph/

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.

- (Proverbs 3:27 NIV)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

- (1 John 3:16-18 NIV)

 

Lessons from St. Augustine

Augustine of Hippo, considered to be one of the foremost philosophers of Christianity even to this day, was a hedonist prior to his conversion. In our modern day culture of excess and unbridled sensuality, we find a parallel to the world that Augustine was born in.

Despite his sensually indulgent life, Augustine found his life hollow and without meaning. After experimenting with Manichaeism, Skepticism and Neo-Platonism, Augustine converted into Christianity. In his book “Confessions”, he wrote that his conversion was prompted when he heard the singsong voice of a child saying “take” and “read”. Immediately, he took a Bible and opened it to a random page. And there he read the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans saying:

“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Romans 13:13-14 NIV)

Perhaps one of the most significant contributions of Augustine to Christian literature came as a result of the sack of Rome in 410 AD. The Eternal City, once thought to be an indomitable symbol of Western culture, fell into the hands of the Visigoth barbarians led by Alaric. As home to the largest and most prestigious Christian church in the West, many devotees questioned the significance of the fall of the Roman Capital. Augustine responded by putting together his magnum opus, “The City of God”, where he described God’s Kingdom as not being rooted in the physical or material realm, but rather in the spiritual realm where God dwells. The physical world is passing away, but the spiritual world is forever. Therefore the City or Kingdom of God is not one that is subject to the rising and falling of earthly kingdoms, but one whose glory is yet to be fully revealed.

But then, how do we know who are in the Kingdom?

“This is the door of the Lord, the righteous shall enter in,” was written on the lintel of a church in Numidia. However, “The man who enters,” Augustine wrote,

"is bound to see drunkards, misers, tricksters, gamblers, adulterers, fornicators, people wearing amulets, assiduous clients of sorcerers, astrologers. He must be warned that the same crowds that press into the churches on Christian festivals also fill the theaters on pagan holidays…Wherever the towering mass of the theatre is erected, there the foundations of Christian virtue are undermined, and while this insane expenditure gives to the sponsors a glorious result, men mock at the works of mercy….

It is only charity that distinguishes the children of God from the children of the Devil. They all make the sign of the Cross and answer “Amen” and sing alleluia, they all go to church and build up the walls of the basilicas…

Take away the barriers afforded by the laws! Men’s brazen capacity to do harm, their urge to self-indulgence would rage to the full. No king in his kingdom, no general with his troops…no husband with his wife, no father with his son, could hope to stop, by any threat or punishment, the license that would follow the sheer sweet taste of sinning….

Give me a man in love; he knows what I mean, give me one who yearns; give me one who is hungry; give me one far away in this desert, who is thirsty and sighs for the springs of the Eternal Country. Give me that sort of man; he knows what I mean. But if I speak to a cold man, he just doesn’t know what I’m talking about…

You are surprised that the world is losing its grip? That the world is grown old? Don’t hold onto the old man, the world; don’t refuse to regain your youth in Christ, who says to you: “The world is passing away; the world is losing its grip, the world is short of breath. Don’t fear, thy youth shall be renewed as an eagle.”

May God bless you all from the abundant riches of His Love and Grace this 2013.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Eternal Hero

“These were the two motives which drove the Romans to their wonderful achievements: liberty, and the passion for the praise of men…What else was there for them to love save glory? For, through glory, they desired to have a kind of life after death on the lips of those who praised them… “ – St. Augustine of Hippo

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” -  (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)

Everyone knew that it was just a matter of time. After all, nothing in this world lasts forever.

But the grip of the world is such that we cannot help but be enthralled by any form of human achievement. We all fall for the temptation to entertain thoughts that man could do the impossible by surpassing the inevitable.

But then reality comes along and enforces life’s maxim, sometimes rudely so.

It happened with the fall of Rome. It happened with the attack on the United States in 9/11. And now, it has happened with the knockout defeat of Manny Pacquiao.

To say that I was heartbroken with the loss is an understatement. The media called it stunned silence. But it is much more than that.

Manny’s loss left a gaping hole in my soul.

As a Filipino, I should be crying for revenge. I should be cursing El Dinamita for destroying a great source of national pride for my countrymen.

But I’m not.

I can only give praises to Marquez for his brilliant victory.

Some of my countrymen called it a lucky punch.

It was not.

From the first time Marquez unleashed that devastating right that literally sent Manny flying to land bewildered on his back, I knew that Marquez had put in all his soul into training for this fight.

No, it was not a lucky punch. It was a weapon that was deliberately, meticulously and religiously forged in the fires of dedication and purposefulness.

It was a weapon made to do just one thing:

To bring down a god.

For that was what Manny had become to us Filipinos. Time stands still in the Philippines when the People’s Champion fights.  The whole country comes together in unspoken unanimity to watch and pay homage to a man who has come to represent what the Philippines is all about.

Manny represented the Filipinos’ spirit and hope: that against all odds, we could overcome reality and the harshness of our circumstances and move on to greatness.

But like many of our national heroes, Manny also represented the uglier side of the Filipino.

He represented our penchant for gambling with the fates. He represented our susceptibility to idolatry and worship of personality rather than of truth and integrity.

And now we all find ourselves reaping the consequence of breaking the First and Greatest Commandment.

That there is only one True God, and that we should worship Him and Him only.

And if I have to live with the heartbreaking footage of the People’s Champion fall motionless on the canvass replaying over and over in my mind, I can only imagine the cup of shame and suffering that Manny has to drink from now on.

He is as much a victim of human hubris as we all are.

There is no doubt in my mind that God blessed Manny Pacquiao, as there is no doubt that that same God orchestrated his defeat. Contrary to what his mother is saying or thinking, it is not the fault of the pastors that her son lost.

He had lost the moment he thought of himself as being more important than God.

And I am no less guilty of the same sin.

I had once understood repentance to mean penance: to inflict self-punishment as a means of showing remorse.

I was wrong.

True repentance means to have a change of heart.

And there is only one True Hero who can instil a change of heart.

The world had dealt Him its worst knockout punch. But unlike the People’s Champion, He didn’t stay motionless on the canvass. And His return would herald the Greatest Comeback the world will ever know.

His arms remain open wide for all of us, offering forgiveness and eternal life.

Manny’s loss might have dampened our spirits this month. But this month is also the season of thanksgiving and hope. The fall of the People’s Champion has not changed the fact that this month, the True Saviour was born.

He alone is the Eternal Hero.

Soli Deo Gloria.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” - (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV)

Who Will Remember?

There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. - (Ecclesiastes 1:11 NIV)

Death has its unique way of making us remember the people whom it has drawn into its inexorable embrace. What is funny is that what we usually remember are not the great things that a person has accomplished during his/her life, but the everyday, trivial things that they do.

A quirk here, a habit there.  A manner of speaking. A preference in food or drink. Books that they read. Music that they listen to. A favorite pastime. A moment of anger. A slip of the tongue. A furtive glance. A look of sorrow. A look of happiness. A moment of joy. A careless laughter. An expression of gratitude.

None of these things of course would make for a good epitaph. We would generally rather have the great things carved on our gravestones and markers. After all, we would be remembered for the great things we have done during our brief time in this world.

But I’ve come to realize, that though the great things that we do are indeed important, it is what we do when we are NOT doing great things that people remember about us the most.

And that’s okay. It is because of these kinds of memories that we know that it is a real person that we remember and not some fictional character or legend out of a fairytale or storybook.

But above and beyond this, these memories are the better indicator of a person’s character than any great thing they would have done in their lifetimes.

What I mean is this: the great things we do are oftentimes not a result of choice, but a result of circumstance. We do not get to choose the times or the places where our great deeds are done. They are just windows of opportunity that happen to come our way.

But HOW we react and respond when those opportunities come, THAT is what is attributable to our character. And a person’s character is not formed or measured in a single event, but in a lifetime of witnessing what a person does with the time that is given him/her.

As the Messiah observes:

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” - (Luke 16:10 NIV)

It is the little things that we do that ultimately define who we are.

Okay Chris, that’s all well and good. But why should I care about my character? I look at the world around me and see that most people do not really care much about their character. Everyone seems to be intent on living for the moment. People try to grab as much happiness they can, even at the expense of others. 

In the end, it doesn’t really matter because we’ll all end up dead anyway. And the dead -- no matter how great -- eventually get forgotten. The people that do bother to remember them will also eventually die and their memories will also fade away.

No one remembers in the end.

So it is useless to care about my character. What matters is how happy I can be with my life right now.  The moment now is all that matters.

I shall eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow, we all die.

According to Scripture, this is NOT the way we should live our lives. And it also tells us that we SHOULD care about our character. A lot.

Because Scripture tells us that the Creator Himself will not be judging us on the basis of what epitaph we had written on our gravestones, or the great things we have done in our lifetimes. He will judge us according to our character: that hidden quality that truly defines who we are.

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” - (Luke 8:17 NIV)

Not even death shall keep us from revealing who we truly are, and to face judgment for it.

As the John the Evangelist saw in his vision:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.” - (Revelation 20:12-13 NIV)

There will be no respite from, and no relenting of this judgment. EVERYTHING will be revealed. The accounting is said to be so thorough and complete, that the people who are being judged will fall on their knees in horror and shame as every detail of their lives, including the detestable and shameful things which they thought they had kept secret, are recounted in the courtroom of Heaven.

Those who would have been found to have willfully lived their lives in open rebellion to the standards set by the Creator will be “cast into outer darkness” where their shame will torment them forever.

Scripture notes truly that:

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” - (Hebrews 10:31 NIV)

Now we may or may not believe in a Day of Judgment. We may or may not even believe in a God, or an afterlife, or eternity.

But one thing we cannot deny is the law of causality. For every action, there is a corresponding reaction.

Scripture puts it like this: we reap what we sow.

For contrary to what some of us may want to believe, we ARE remembered for who we truly are. The consequences of how we live our lives are imprinted on the very fabric of reality and existence. For the universe itself is our witness.

One day, the universe will be called to the stand, and it will testify to all the things we have done, even if we ourselves do not.

Such is the glory and justice of the Creator that judgment is inescapable. And He will judge us according to His standard, which is holy and perfect. For:

“You must be perfect---just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” - (Matthew 5:48 GNB)

Many have fallen in despair, or scoffed in derision at such a standard, for no human being can ever be perfect. No human being can ever live up to God’s righteous and holy standard.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” - (Romans 3:23 NIV)

But such is His love, mercy and grace that He Himself also provided us with a way to become righteous and perfect:

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” - (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)

The Messiah, who came into the world to give His life as a ransom for many, is our righteousness and perfection on the Day of Judgment.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - (John 3:16 NIV)

And even though our sins stain our past like blood, the Creator Himself will wash away our transgressions.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." - (Hebrews 8:12 NIV)

Such an amazing and wonderful God, who from the very beginning ordained that those who believe in Him shall receive His love, mercy and grace throughout eternity.

The relevant question therefore, is not who will remember us.

The question is, who will remember Him.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Protection from Abuse

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7 NIV)

Today, Philippine Republic Act 10175, aka the Cybercrime Prevention Act has gone into effect (The full text of the law can be found here.)

The law is deemed controversial by many Filipino netizens for its provisions authorizing the Philippine Government to block or censor online data and to mete out (stronger) penalties for libelous statements made online.

I remember our professor in Mass Media and Law taking several weeks explaining to us the intent, elements and nuances of the law on libel. To summarize his lectures, libel is meant as a check and balance against abuses made in the name of freedom of expression, which is a constitutionally guaranteed right in the Philippines.

What are these abuses? Pornography, defamation, and subversion are the most cited. But while their classification as abusive acts may be obvious, the layman would be hard pressed to give a legitimate reason for their classification.

For instance, not too many people will have a ready and reasonable answer as to why pornography is bad. Many accept that pornography is bad. Most modern and civilized societies classify pornography as a bad thing. But if that is so, then why is the pornography industry one of the most lucrative and fastest growing in the world?

One of the most insidious arguments I’ve ever heard in defense of pornography goes in the following fashion:

Why is it that when an artist portrays an unclad human figure in a painting or sculpture and have people pay to see it in an exhibit or purchase it, it is classified as the sale of art and not as pornography? Is it not discrimination therefore against a photographer or videographer who captures naked human bodies on film to be sold or exhibited publicly, to call his/her craft pornography?

I have heard this “Pornography is Art” argument and many other forms of it to justify the sale of sexually explicit material in movies, television shows, books, magazines, and of course, on the internet. And the industry behind it will only be too happy to change the mindset of our societies from prudishness into full acceptance of this practice.

Why? For the very simple reason that sex sells. Nothing guarantees a quicker return from a minimal amount of investment than to sell sex.

What the industry will NOT tell you however, is the social cost of commercializing sex: fornication, adultery and promiscuity resulting in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, broken and abandoned families who in turn become a burden to the state and society in general.

This is the kind of abuse that is attendant with the freedom of expression, and for which laws - such as the law on libel - is meant to address.

But the law on libel itself brings with it its own set of abuses, namely the stifling of legitimate dissent and the censorship of the truth. And it is precisely these concerns that many Filipinos are pushing for the revision of the Cybercrime Law.

I strongly believe that as Christians, we should not idly sit by and watch this issue unfold without connecting it to our own struggle against worldly materialism, skepticism, relativism and postmodernism.

I believe that God created sex. I also believe that God created the written and spoken word. And I also believe that when He created these things, He meant for them to benefit humankind in general, resulting in thanksgiving to and glory of His Name.

Unfortunately, our sinful nature has a nasty habit of twisting God’s creations for less than noble purposes.

The Apostle Paul writes:

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;

(Galatians 5:19 NIV)

And:

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

(Colossians 3:8 NIV)

Both of these passages highlight the fact that humankind has long been abusing the gifts of sex and free speech and using them for self-serving purposes that are detrimental to society in general.

Looking back on what I wrote, I realize that all the issues and problems I’ve mentioned above have one thing in common: the word “abuse”.

The Oxford dictionary defines abuse as “the improper use of something”. This is extremely relevant for a Christian since the very Doctrine of Sin is founded on the concept that humans have abused their God-given authorities.

Sin IS abuse. It is to miss the point of something, and having done so, come to a conclusion and action that is completely off the mark.

Sex is not meant as a commercial tool. Nor is freedom of expression meant to slander or defame another human being. Both of these have their proper use, namely as a sacred consummation of a marital relationship resulting in the birth of children, and the promotion and protection of the free marketplace of ideas which is so essential in the search for truth and meaning.

Both of these point to a higher order of things; a deviation from which results in real and harmful consequences for humankind.

Scripture goes straight to the point by saying that God created the natural order of things, including instituting consequences when this order is not followed.

I look at the world around me and see the pervasiveness of abuse in human societies. We abuse our technology. We abuse our planet’s resources. We abuse our rights. We abuse our authority. We abuse our laws. We abuse our religions. And we abuse each other.

Sin is everywhere I look. And from out of my very own heart, I feel sin struggling to take control. I know I must not give in to it because it will only lead to death.

I know this because I had been dead once: dead to the reality of sin. In my selfishness, I had been blind to its consequences, and would have remained blind and ignorant of my predicament had I not been rescued from it.

You see, we cannot save ourselves from sin. Sin is far too much in control of humanity that it will not allow any human to wake up to reality on his/her own. Someone needs to wake us up from the outside.

We need to be rescued.

Which is why Jesus has become such a beautiful name to me, for the Messiah’s very name means “salvation is from God”.

Not salvation is from another human. Not salvation is from a man-made law. But salvation comes from the very Creator of the Universe Himself. Which practically means that it is a done deal.

When the Messiah cried, “It is finished!” as He breathed His last on the cross, people have misunderstood that as signifying His death. What Jesus truly meant was that it was sin that is finished. Because by His death, Jesus started a chain of events that will inevitably lead to the complete eradication of sin from humankind. Scripture tells us that it is just a matter of time.

In the meantime, the Messiah continues to draw and gather people to Himself. For:

"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 NIV)

Apart from Christ, there is no guarantee from sin. Apart from Jesus, there is law, no legal mechanism, no institution that can protect humankind from abuse. Apart from the Savior, all attempts to save ourselves will fail.

Our lawmakers can continue to pass laws against every abuse under the sun, but:

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

(Psalms 127:1 NIV)

I pray that the Messiah awakens you and makes you His this day.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Post Deluge Toughts

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” - (Galatians 6:7 NIV)

When my family and I were still on assignment in Vientiane, Laos, we had been planning to stay at my wife’s home in Cainta, Rizal in the Philippines. Ever since her father died, my wife had understandably become worried for her widowed mother. Staying in Cainta would not only have allowed us to be with her, but it would have also meant the convenience of not renting a separate place of our own.

It sounded like a good plan back then. Until Tropical Storm Ondoy, the Philippine local name for Typhoon Ketsana, hit the Philippine Capital and its surrounds.

Cainta is located in a valley, and has traditionally been prone to flooding during the rainy seasons. My wife would tell me how she had become used to having their house ankle-deep in water during her younger years.

Ondoy was different however. It completely inundated Cainta with muddy and trash-laden water that was over ten feet deep in some places. My wife’s family household helper who was staying at their house at that time had to be rescued with a makeshift flotation device made out of empty water containers by the neighbors.

It took months to clean the house from the mud and debris resulting from the flood. I remember my mother-in-law telling us over the phone that it was like suffering from a house fire. Most of their belongings were destroyed or ruined.

My wife’s family was lucky. Many had lost their own lives.

As a Christian, I’m not supposed to believe in luck. Luck is contradictory to the idea of an omniscient and omnipotent Creator. Some would even say that the concept of luck is blasphemy against God.

The question foremost on a Christian mind during times of calamity like this would be:

“How can God allow such suffering to exist?”

Fast forward almost three years after Ondoy, present time.

The Philippine Capital was again hit by non-stop rains resulting in massive flooding and landslides in some areas.

Ironically, the rains were not even part of a full blown Philippine typhoon. The eye of the storm was outside the country’s jurisdiction. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, more commonly known as PAGASA, didn’t even assign a local name to it.

But that didn’t stop the rains from wreaking havoc on lives and property.

My wife’s house was again inundated with water, though fortunately, the water had only reached thigh level. Still, my mother-in-law and her helper had to evacuate to the neighbor’s second floor for three days.

Our family only spent the past Saturday helping clean up the house.

Again, others weren’t so lucky. Though the death toll was thankfully much lower than that during the aftermath of Ondoy, thousands upon thousands had to evacuate their homes to live in crowded public schools and warehouses designated as evacuation centers. Some of them will not be returning to their homes, as their houses didn’t survive the flooding.

I remember watching an interview with one such family on television. The father, a taxi-driver, was recounting how they witnessed seeing their house and all their accumulated possessions get washed away by the flood. I remember being awestruck by the fact that he was smiling as he was being interviewed. Without batting an eyelash, he concluded the interview by saying, “We are still blessed by God. I still have my taxi with which I can still earn a living. And most importantly, we are all still alive and together as a family.”

I imagined a lot more people would be cursing God, rather than being thankful to him as a result of this calamity.

But as it was, none of the people I saw being interviewed on television ever said anything against God.

Granted, it could have been coincidence. It’s entirely possible that I would have missed such an interview. Also, our media might have deliberately filtered the interviews to only reflect the positive ones.

And lastly, being a pre-dominantly Catholic Christian country, my countrymen might simply be responding as a result of hundreds of years of Roman Catholic indoctrination and cultural upbringing.

I would be the first to admit that my countrymen can be a very selfish and inconsiderate lot. One need only try to drive around the capital a few days to witness this firsthand. Almost everyone drives as if they own the roads. Even after almost twenty years of driving here (and three years of being a born-again Christian), I still find it a challenge not to lose my temper when I travel by car.

And I could list many more such un-Christian like behavior from my countrymen: acts of drunkenness, carousing, gambling, adultery, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, violence, rape, murder, even infanticide. I’ve made a resolution not to watch the news as much as possible for fear of being sent into a deep depression over my country’s state of affairs.

But whatever self-righteousness I have was silenced this past week by the images of generosity and self-sacrifice my countrymen had for the victims of the flooding.

In a matter of days, volunteers and millions of pesos worth of donations and relief goods flooded the evacuation centers and affected areas, most of which came from my countrymen. As far as I know, our Government didn’t even need to request for international assistance.

The Messiah once said that a tree will always be recognized by its fruit. A bad tree cannot produce good fruit.

If my countrymen can set aside their differences and perform acts of charity like this, then there may yet be hope for this seemingly withered branch of Abraham’s faith.

God has not forsaken the Philippines just yet.

That being said however, there is no denying the fact that a lot of the devastation from the flooding could have been averted. Deforestation, wanton dumping of garbage, poor urban planning, and blatant politics are being cited by the experts as the main culprits. These aren’t “acts of God”. These are acts of people. Which means that we can do something about it.

It is both timely and ironic that I was required to attend a weeklong seminar on Environmental Policies, Conservation and Protection, a week before the rains and flooding hit our country. Almost all of our speakers and lecturers had the same conclusion to say: it is human behavior that’s the cause of our problems.

This led me to conclude that God’s greatest dilemma is not fixing the earth. He can make a new heavens and a new earth anytime. His greatest dilemma, is fixing the human heart.

An atheist friend of mine said that humankind does not have full, unrestricted free will. He’s right. We don’t. If we did, then we wouldn’t have to reap the consequences of our choices and behavior.

But that does not change the fact that we still have the power of choice. Any human who claims otherwise is equating him/herself with the creatures of instinct: unthinking beasts that are destined to be “caught and destroyed.” – (2 Peter 2:12)

These are the people who have no regard for consequence, either for themselves or for their fellow humans.

Humankind is destined to be more than that.

As a person who is fond of science, I would argue that millions of years of evolution should not have produced consciousness in humans if we didn’t have the power of choice.

As a Christian, I say that God made us humans in His own image: spiritual beings in the flesh capable of making rational, unselfish and loving decisions. As the Psalmist has written:

"I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' - (Psalms 82:6 NIV)

I had written at the start of this year that the year 2012 would be an interesting year. God is sending His wake-up calls almost non-stop already. How much more does He need to send so that humanity will collectively realize that we are more than just mindless, unthinking beasts that will strip our planet of its resources to our destruction?

The year isn’t finished yet.