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.
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