Baptism 2004

The baptism of John at the Jordan was a baptism of water. It simply prepared the way for the baptism of Christ, which was the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire (Today’s Gospel event, Lk. 3. 15-16, 21-22). The first was a baptism of repentance. The second was a baptism of conversion. From contrition to action. This is what we need as a nation, as we enter the new year 2004.

We are called a Christian nation, since most of us have been baptized with water. But as a people, we have not yet fully surrendered ourselves to a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, as Christ did. He showed us the way, and the Father patiently continues to give us the opportunities to do likewise as a nation, for us to become truly God’s people. We did respond, as in Edsa 1 and Edsa 2, but we keep complacently going back to our old selves.

What does it really take to be God’s people? What was Christ’s way, which was humanly universal, whatever one’s institutional religion may be? As a well-known biography of Christ puts it, what was the man Jesus really like "before he became enshrined in doctrine, dogma, and ritual, a man deeply involved with the real problems of his time – which are the real problems of our times as well… the man as he was before he became the object of Christian faith." (A. Nolan, Jesus Before Christianity). This God-sent man could indeed be the object of all faiths, all religions, as the unifying force of all mankind.

Following Nolan’s biography (praised by many spiritual writers and scholars), the most striking quality of Jesus was his unconditional compassion for all mankind. His prophetic message in word and deed was simply a conversion of heart toward a way of life, a spirituality of compassion, social justice and morality. This was what he taught, lived, and died for.

In the concrete, his compassion, especially for the poor and the oppressed, was simply outstanding, even though he himself belonged to the so-called middle-class of his time. This is a core responsibility that we have to answer for before God. We of the educated and privileged sector of Philippine society. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is compassionless, unjust, and most unchristian. This was the political-social issue that the compassionate Christ condemned in no uncertain terms.

In our coming May elections, we owe it to God and our people to choose leaders – both on the local and national levels – whose hearts are for the poor, those who will offer their very lives for love of the poor and the oppressed. We must know as much objective information about our elective candidates, particularly those for the presidency. Our Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (based at Loyola House of Studies) will be helping in this regard.

Let us fully support courageous agents of moral change like the brave columnist Ramon Tulfo. What he has written about Sen. Panfilo Lacson based on objective data, plus his open letter to Lacson, are God-inspired indeed. A concerned friend has alluded to Tulfo as a "dead man walking," but Tulfo continues to be a fearless agent of change.

From both within the Church and in the secular world, we need more and more people who will choose to be baptized, not only with water, but with the HOLY SPIRIT and FIRE!