Easter vs McWorld

The phenomenal success of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is in itself a phenomenon within a Western pop culture that has been dubbed as McWorld. In the midst and at the height of American consumerism and secularization, this God-sent movie has re-awakened many millions of people to their own hunger for the real meaning of Easter in their own personal lives.

The original Easter means spiritual globalization through divine intervention. McWorld means economic globalization through the intervention of money and what money can buy. McWorld means mankind’s de-sacralization. Easter means the resacralization of all humanity.

"McWorld is a comprehensive world view, a way of life . . . McWorld erodes traditional ways of envisioning social relations and replaces them with its own image-driven, consumer oriented mores. Since the guardian of social order has traditionally been religion, McWorld’s expansion has a secularizing effect. McWorld handles religion the way it handles toilet paper: Religious belief, like everything else, becomes a consumer choice. ‘Freedom of religion’ is established by insuring a multiplicity of brands for religious consumers to choose from: Buddhism and Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity in their various forms. After some unpleasantness, Christianity has made its peace with McWorld . . . Christianity has learned to keep to its assigned place in the private realm of ‘personal piety’, safely out of the public square . . . and how a privatized Christianity comes to serve the corporate interests of McWorld." (National Catholic Reporter, March 26, 2004). A strong, active resistance to this comes from another institutional religion – Islam. (Ibid.)

We can humbly admit how a country like the Philippines can be predominantly Christian in name, and yet continue to tolerate a massive culture of corruption, among other things. The recent report of Transparency International says it all. Two of the ten most corrupt national leaders of the contemporary world are Catholic Filipinos! "The abuse of political power for private gain."

But through our courageous response to God’s call, we have tasted the intimations of the Eternal Easter in both EDSA 1 and EDSA 2, if only for a short time. Like John the Apostle in Sunday’s Gospel reading, we have seen, and we believe. (Jn. 20:1-9).

Through His selfless, sacrificial love, Christ saved us from our selfish, damaged humanity. From life to death, and then to life again. Literally and symbolically. Here and hereafter. In this world and beyond.

As expressed above, McWorld means economic globalization, whereas Easter means spiritual globalization. And this does not mean that all peoples and cultures are to be baptized Christian in due time. It means rather that the Spirit of Love, justice, and Peace must reach out to all of mankind, as incarnated in the person of Jesus.

If we are to be truly God’s people and God’s nation, that is the meaning of Easter that we are to commit ourselves to. Nothing more, nothing less.

Let us implant this in our hearts as we approach our local and national elections. I will never forget our 1995 elections – because of a humble, dedicated, unknown school teacher from Mabini, Batangas by the name of Felomina Atienza Tatlonghari.

At two o’clock in the morning of May 9, this woman of God was on her way to the municipal hall to deliver her ballot box, when five armed men stopped her. She knew what they wanted, so she embraced the ballot box and simply refused to surrender it to them. This provoked one of them to shoot. And Felomina died on the spot.

Felomina’s Easter moment. Did it matter what institutional religion she belonged to? You tell me.

May we all respond to our Easter moments, as Christ and Felomina did. Yes, love brings mortal death and immortal life.

A Blessed Easter to you all!