Crowns of thorns or gold?

Rains have prevented continuing rescue efforts in several parts of Negros. How many more villages have been affected by the earthquake and how many residents are still buried, dead or alive, awaiting rescue or discovery?

The 3/11 killer earthquake in Japan came with just as deadly tsunami that swept whole communities and structures and viewed globally. In the case of many mountain barangays of Negros, however, no eyes could see, no video could document what happened to them during the earthquake. Very few, too, knew about their existence or bothered about them even before the earthquake. Sadly, with the earthquake, no one may get to see the residents who used to live up in those distant mountain barangays.

The villagers there have long carried the crown of thorns, the crown of suffering, the crown of poverty. It is very ironic that a disaster would finally get them to be noticed and to have attention focused on their plight. Perhaps that was the very essence of their existence - to serve as conscience for the nation?

 Hopefully, more will still survive and live to tell their tales. Hopefully, their crowns of thorns will be lifted from them and their burden lightened, their yoke finally removed from them and a better life awaiting them.

Earthquakes and typhoons have their way of exposing vulnerabilities and uncovering weaknesses. In the case of Mindanao, the greed of those who abused the mines, mountains, and trees led to heavy flooding and, sadly, death and destruction to people and communities.

Can the same thing have happened in Negros? Did you all notice the footage of certain mountains hit by the deadly earthquake? Did you not wonder why there were so little trees and green up in the mountains where people and villages were reported to have been buried alive?

Were the mountain barangay residents in Negros as well the victims of illegal logging? Were the mountains also exposed to heavy mining that loosened the soil and caused village residents to be buried by the earthquakes and now the landslides coming with the rains as well?

May the crowns of thorns worn by our paisanos in Negros be remembered by the rest of our kababayans. More importantly, may their crowns of thorns be investigated and removed from those who will live beyond the disaster. May the truth, the reason why they have crowns of thorns and the reason, beyond the earthquake, why the soil beneath their feet collapsed and brought them to their death come to light soon. May those who perished with their crowns of thorns now find peace and be crowned with God’s eternal peace.

The present Corona impeachment trial points to another type of crown – that which glitters, that which bears so much power, so much wealth - a crown that is being questioned if acquired as provided by law and or not a crown of gold that is being questioned if acquired and declared honestly by one whose position requires the highest level of honesty and integrity. Does Corona deserve the crown of power intended for a chief justice who will serve God and people first and foremost?.

So much coverage and attention to those who wear crowns of gold. In contrast, so little attention to those who wear the crown of thorns, the crown of suffering.

Surely, even humans are capable of restoring the genuine crown of truth and justice to the truly deserving? So much more to pray, pray, pray for as a people, as a nation, to Mama Mary of Lourdes whose feast day is today, February 11 and to God who sent His Son who, while deserving a crown of gold, bore instead a crown of thorns that all of us may be saved.

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