Ugly face of war and hate

Love begets love. Kindness begets kindness. 

However, hate begets hate. The world witnessed this during the last moments and last plea of Libya’s Gaddafi. “Do not kill me, my sons,” but his voice fell flat on those who have long cried out to him for help for decades but whom he did not hear or respond to when he was in power.

 The sight of the people’s wrath vs. the Libyan dictator brought back the memories of the angry Filipinos who stormed Malacañang in 1986. With so much hate and cry for revenge and justice in their hearts, what would the angry Filipinos have done with the dictator then had he been in Malacañang? 

 Fast forward to October 2011.

 The painful sight of 16 coffins reminds us that the ugly face of war and hate is in our midst. Retribution, revenge, justice, although distinct in meanings, have been sounded loud and strong like a battle cry especially from those in Luzon.

  Newspaper headlines bannered counter attacks launched in several Mindanao communities. How far and how long must we have to witness the ugly face of war and hate in our midst?

 There are the innocent, including the children, caught in the crossfire of war and hate. There are the widowed and the orphans too. How many more lives have to be sacrificed for war and hate?

 The ugly face of greed, especially for power, also wants to join war and hate. Rumors of coup and military discontent are now rife, with those wanting to seize power behind this possible destabilization.

  And who are behind possible destabilization? There are those who do not wish to take the “tuwid na daan” because they do not wish their abusive practices in the past to be revealed or to be prosecuted. There are those who have once tasted power and all its perks who would love to regain power at any cost. There are those who think they alone can lead this country and our people. They will try to seize all opportunities and moments to gain enough military support to grab power, through force, not democratic means.

 The road to peace and security, the road to change as well is not a straight, simple nor easy path. These goals cannot be attained overnight, nor can these be achieved by one person, one party, one faction alone. The road to peace, security, and change entails sacrifices, responsibility sharing, patience, hard collective effort, and time.

 When emotions run high, when aggrieved parties see their dead, when comrades see fellow comrades killed and massacred, the first instinct is to retaliate, to kill those who killed their friends, their comrades, their loved ones.

 An unforgettable sharing comes to mind. A relative, described by all as a gentle, very patient and kind fellow who couldn’t hurt even a fly, decided to join the military. His first assignment was to some place in war-torn Mindanao. Initially assigned some clerical job initially, he was disturbed to see each day his comrades wounded or killed. Each day in the midst of war, his gentle, kind, peaceful disposition changed to anger. Each day saw his wish to take revenge for his fallen comrades growing stronger. When he finally had his day out in the killing fields, he said he had no hesitation whatsoever in firing his gun and hitting their enemies because he was doing this favor, this tribute even, for his fallen comrades, especially his close friends among the wounded and the dead. 

  What are the best moves to take now in the midst of so much killing, in the midst of so much hate and greed? How can war, hate, and greed be stopped? When will we ever learn never to allow war, hate, and greed to extend their control of our world?

 Time to include in our prayers and in our hearts the intention for peace, not war, for love, not hate, and for selflessness, not greed, to take over.

 Dawn Rosary tomorrow at Asilo, Almacen, and Alaska, Mambaling and more prayer time too Novembers 1 and 2.

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