Sharing the Blessing of Education

Last Sunday, my 4-year old son Sev graduated from Senior Nursery.  After receiving the certificate, he went up front and took a bow. Seeing my son go through the commencement exercises filled me with much joy and hope for the future. Moments like this makes the many sacrifices all worth it.  The right to education is very important and I'm happy that in our simple way of life, we were able to provide for our son. Yes, this is just the first of many years of tuition fees and project expenses, but we are grateful that we made it through the first one. Truly the Lord is faithful.

The plight of many Filipino families living in poverty tends to make education a privilege rather than a right.  Although I am happy that my son finished his initial year, it is also sad to imagine the thousands of 4 year-olds not having the same opportunity. Maybe one can start to ask the difficult questions.

What am I doing to provide the poor with the same opportunities that I have?

How has my education helped the poor?

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34

A Paradigm Shift on Holiness and Hopefulness

I came upon this heater resembling an electric fan. I just found it awkward to see an electric fan doing the opposite function of what I'm used to in the Philippines. To me, the heater fan impressed me as strange, but surely this appliance must be common to the people in China who experience winter.

When Jesus came to earth to save mankind, it must have been strange for the Jews that their expected Savior turned out to be a carpenter's son.  For generations, their paradigm has been a savior king with all his might and glory. Instead, someone from Nazareth claims to be the Son of God, their Savior.  Although Jesus showed all the signs and wonders as being the One, many still could not accept it. John confirms Jesus as the Messiah for what is written in the Old testament is being fulfilled.


The disciples of John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind.And he said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. (Luke 7:18-22)

We now come to reflect on our own paradigms.  What paradigms do we have that need to shift? Just because we feel strange about something, it doesn't mean it is not the truth. I now propose two paradigms due for shifting.

1. The paradigm that we can never be holy.  This is different from being "holier than thou." I also do not claim that I have reached holiness. I am proposing that holiness should be something we should never dismiss. Otherwise we will be using this always as an excuse to sin.  We are to strive in growing in holiness in everyday of our lives. "but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.""(1 Peter 1: 15-16). It may be strange or even impossible for us to think of achieving holiness, but we look upon the saints who like us are humans, also vulnerable to sin, but lived out a life pleasing to the Lord.

2. The paradigm that there is no hope for change.  When we look at our society, like in the Philippines, the poverty we see in the streets and structural sins of corruption can easily lead us to resign from hoping for change.  Even when we look at many 1st world countries who have fully integrated the culture of death through legalizing contraceptives, abortion, and even prostitution, it will be convenient for us to give up hope and just go with the flow of immoral societal behavior. But Paul encourages us, "Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9)." Whether reaping the harvest will happen in our lifetime or beyond it, what is important is that we contribute to the process of change towards a Christ-centered society.  After all, what is required of us is faithfulness. Success is the Lord's.

The journey towards holiness is the path to hope. For how can we change the world, if we ourselves do not?  The day to day struggle to be holy and overcoming our personal sins, in effect is our way to bring about change in society.

Let us not shrug the possibility of being a holy person. For if we do, we also have given up on change.  The paradigm shift, the strange feeling, of accepting God's will for us to grow in holiness is the mindset we now have to embrace.

Seeking What Is Right Instead of What is Easy

Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." (Luke 9:58)

What fascinated me in Beijing was that I could see so many birds nests all over the place. While travelling from one place to the next, these nests were very visible from the highway streets. It reminded me of how wonderfully God made us to be able to live and survive in this world. While in the zoo, I also took notice of the foxes that were very playful and would go in and out of their burrows. Surely the holes keep them safe and warm.

When Christ was born, he only laid on a manger. And even in his death, the tomb wasn't His. The birds and the foxes are even more comfortable than He was on occasions when truly resting was required. The Christian life is not a promise of an easy life. Its promise is a purposeful life, leading to eternal life.  When we look at the word discipline, we will see its connection to the word disciple. The cost of Discipleship is to live a disciplined life while the world presents an easy way out. Choosing to be honest instead of accepting or giving bribes, choosing to study instead of cheating in the exam, and choosing to pray and read scripture when laziness sets in.  These are some examples of discipleship amidst the comfort of worldly lures.

Secularism, relativism, consumerism, and materialism, gives in to man's resistance to discipleship.  Man refuses the discipline of Christian morality and reasons to be able to design the world according to his comfort and ease.  We can start to ask ourselves, "In what aspect of my life do I lack the discipline?".

The consequence of discipline is actually a happy life.  An easy life does not equate to a happy life. "He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward" (Hebrews 11:26).  Those who are disciplined, those who can delay gratification, will reap great rewards. Although Christ suffered on earth, he was raised to be Lord of all.  While the saints and martyrs didn't have it easy, they are now in eternal happiness with the Lord in heaven.

Lord, make me strong in my conviction as a disciple. Grant me the grace of discipline, so I may seek what is right instead of what is easy.