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)