We have a lot of ambitions, plans, and dreams. This is part of being human and we normally do our best just to realize whatever dreams and ambitions we may want to achieve. To achieve them means giving shape and a sense of “class” to our very self. This is very normal as everybody are into it. It is even encouraged because the results will always define our personality.
In our existence, given all other people around us and our own situation in life, achieving our dreams can be hard or easy. Some people are supportive and are happy with our achievements in life, but there are some who really inherited impressively the negative trait called “crab mentality,” a common trait among Filipinos. They cannot just be happy and content that somebody from their community has achieved great ambitions and has become rich and famous. They will start to spread fake news about this person’s achievements even if, they were true products of that person’s sacrifices and diligence.
Judging others and spreading lies and gossips can really have a crippling effect on everyone. Sometimes we lose heart to continue the good thing that we had begun. Sometimes we will just realize that we have been left with nothing but our desperate feeling and miserable situation simply because we had allowed those demons to ruin our life and our future. It is a pity to note that these kinds of people are distributed everywhere all over the planet and many of them have a permanent address here in our forsaken country.
However, looking at these same things in a positive way, we can just take these negative traits and mentalities as challenges that we really must conquer lest we lose everything in desolation. Why submit ourselves to their crazy ideas and thoughts when we know that what we are doing is for our own good? Why do we always have to succumb to the false idea of what is accepted and famous? Most of the time, because we had been numbed by all evils in this world, those “accepted and famous” are the ones which are morally forbidden and objectively false. As the late Bishop Concordio Sarte would put it; “A positive sign of a negative vocation (to a life of holiness).”
When Christ went to His native place, He was not readily accepted by the people as a teacher in their synagogue. Rather, they considered Him to be that carpenter and a son of Mary. This was a disappointing experience for Christ, but He was undaunted by their remarks! He did not perform many miracles there, but He continued His mission, and it is continuing up until now! With all these, Christ has left us a very solid example to follow. Amidst all the negative criticisms and ideas, we must hold on to what we have started and believe to be a good thing to do, especially in our life of faith. There will be always devils all around, but if we have Christ with us, who can destroy us?
My dear friends and fellow travelers in our journey of faith, we have a mission to fulfill as Christians and this mission is an urgent need in our society today. In the advent of fake news, lies, and stupid remarks from equally stupid people, we need to be active in our mission of proclaiming the Good News of God’s love to all bounds of the earth. We cannot just let these negative things and events to simply pass us by doing nothing because it is our task as Christians and followers of the only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! And so, what do we need to do?
Christ is not asking us to do extraordinary things in defense of our faith. He is not asking us to counter the enemy head on, that is, to give them the same measure as they are treating us. We are simply asked to live our lives as a proclamation of that love that we have experienced from God. If we had been blessed with skills and talents, then, let us share them freely with other people. If we had been blessed with fortunes and riches, then, we must be generous and charitable especially to our lowly brothers and sisters. If we are simple parents to our families, then, let us be Christian parents to our children by teaching them the truth and guiding them through our witnessing to the Gospel message of love.
All these forms of evils around us had affected and ruined so many lives already. We are shouting for a STOP to all these stupidities. But, to stop them does not mean we must be stupid also because it will be self-inflicting. Our own response to the universal call to holiness and morality is the best tool to combat this problem. If bad things can lead others to do the same, then doing good things can even more inspire others to do good things too. Humans have the natural tendency towards the good and we can really effect a meaningful change by rising above the clouds of sinfulness and passivity.
Do not lose heart and do not despair because I am sure Christ will always give us the strength to go on even if going on means going against the entire world and putting ourselves directly in front of danger. Some of us may die, because in our present situation, no one among us is safe. Yes, it may mean losing our life but, doing the will of God is not losing our life in the process but gaining it for eternity. Take courage because Christ will be our strength. He only needs our decision to surrender our lives to His will.