By now the whole world knows of the most recent calamity that has devastated our beloved country, the Philippines, as if the Philippines doesn't have enough of its share of calamities (both natural and man-made).
Any Filipino's ordinary reaction was to inquire about the condition of our families, friends and loved ones. And I am sure (and I am included in this), each one of us must have heaved a sigh of relief when we were assured that not much damage has befallen them.
I guess now is the time that we are called to look beyond and to widen our horizons. We thank God that our loved ones are okay, and are spared, sort of. But we cannot also neglect to remember that our other co-Filipinos are in dire need of help.
Much is still left to be said about the need for the re-construction of our nation (especially its moral dimension), but in this moment of urgency, we cannot be indifferent. Our country and our people need us NOW.
Sometimes it makes me angry, esp. when happenings like this show very clearly the inability and even irresponsibility of our government leaders. Why is it that church groups and non government organizations are the ones providing the people the services that our government officials and institutions are supposed to render?
Since this is a time of emergency, we need to act NOW. People's lives are at stake. I believe that all of us are called to do our part.
As we thank God for the blessings bestowed on us, He also calls us to share these blessings. He is not asking us to do something impossible or great. In fact, in the last judgment, Jesus will tell us "in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40). Let us share our blessings to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.
We Filipinos are a very resilient people, sometimes, I think, too resilient for our own good. We will be able to hurdle this experience, but I hope that it will also become for us a moment of growth - to know what are the things that matter most in life, to be able to live responsible citizenship, to extend our natural love for our families to all our countrymen.
Wherever we may be, I know that deep in our hearts, there is a special love for our motherland. We only have one motherland and she needs us at this moment.
God bless the Philippines. God bless us all.
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