I share the message, not the messenger

Because of the scarcity in integrity and intellect among those engaged in the political word war in the Philippines, I noticed how people almost shout “Hallelujah!” when a person stands out or stands up for what is right or needs to be done.

The older folks even declare there is still hope or how we should rally behind such individuals, institutions and true NGOs that serve the Filipino and the country.

Today’s column would be a reminder that each and every one of us can be used by God to be his messenger, a motivator or one of the few who can step on the mound and pitch a good message or a well-timed speech without grandstanding.

I don’t engage in the local political narratives as much as I could, and I don’t “follow” the activities or work of politicians, particularly those in the upper and lower houses of Congress.

Yes, I have a handful of friends in politics, but the majority are professional acquaintances. As the joke goes: “It’s on a need to know basis,” they know me when they need me and vice versa. That is the other definition of the term “user friendly.”

But to be fair, every now and then there is that brave soul or eloquent speaker who finds the courage to stand his ground on what he or she believes.

Whenever I see, hear or read examples of such “good things” or motivating material, I “share the message, not the messenger.” This, in fact, is the message from the book of Philippians chapter 4 verse 8:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”

Further down in Ephesians 4:29, St. Paul reminds or warns us to “let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

In Thessalonians 5:11 it says: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact as you are doing.” At this point, I share the message or speech of Cong. Alfredo “Pido” Garbin that showed up on Facebook recently.

I assume that it is OK to write part of his privilege speech without permission since the speech has gone public, and I can only wish it goes “viral” as well.

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“Mr. Speaker, the Peso weakens but our political egos grow stronger. The price of rice climbs but so does the volume of our partisan shouting. Electricity rates surge but the brightest lights in this country remain pointed at political scandals rather than the solutions.

“Our economy shows signs of stagflation, that dangerous illness where prices rise while growth stalls, and yet the diagnosis our leaders seemed most concerned with is who shall fall next, not how our people shall rise.

“I ask this august chamber, with all the respect and sincerity I can summon: when did we forget that hunger does not check party affiliation? When did we forget that unemployment does not ask whether you are administration or opposition?

“When did we forget that the mother boiling water with salt to quiet her children’s hunger does not care which faction wins tomorrow’s news cycle? She only cares whether tomorrow, there will be food.

“Mr. Speaker, the Filipino is not asking us to agree on everything. The Filipino is simply asking us to agree on them. To agree that their suffering is real. To agree that their patience is not infinite. To agree that their dignity is non-negotiable.

“To agree that beneath every political color we wear, there beats the same brown heart, under the same sun, under the same archipelago, bearing the same name – FILIPINO.

“And so today I make an appeal, not to a party, not to a block, not to a personality, but to every Filipino in this hall and beyond it. Let us put down our political weapons long enough to pick up our economic tools.

“Let us redirect this nation’s enormous energy toward something that actually feeds a family, employs a worker, educates a child and heals a sick mother.”

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When Jesus Christ was asked to judge the woman caught in adultery, our Lord replied, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” In the context of Congress, CongTractors, etc., I would make a somewhat similar statement to all concerned.

“He who is without sin,” please lead the way in calling attention and calling Congress to action. What’s done is done, but right now, in the whirlpool of catastrophes caused by global and local politics and calamities, NOTHING gets done or worse, nothing is being done.

People indeed are starving, more and more are becoming jobless,  businesses are closing and even the well-off business people I have been talking with are beginning to express their disgust and real fear that things could go worse than most people expected.

Unlike countries like Japan and Singapore, we have no safety nets. We only have each other. Ultimately the desperate poor will drag down the indifferent rich, if we do not make sacrifices – “for God and Country.”

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