Tragedy and sinfulness

As our hearts melt in sympathy with our brother Boholanos whose sufferings are being highlighted on TV footages, a whisp of thought must have formed in our minds: Are the descendants of  Dagohoy being punished for some sins? Are they guilty of some wrongdoing? Of course, not, I should say.

I know the Boholanos because for three decades I worked closely with them, especially with teachers and school officials, and I found them among the most good-natured, courteous and respectful ethnic groups in the country. Their deference to authority figures is so high that they were usually the first to comply with policy decisions. There were a few though who showed recalcitrance and even resorted to filing complaints against their officials or coworkers. But compared to other groups these were very minimal. A typical Boholano seems to be gifted with good nature and peace of mind, qualities which endear him to other people. Even in moments when someone questions a Boholano's opinion or action, the latter seldom loses his cool and when things settle down he is usually the first to extend a friendly hand.

No, the Boholanos are not being punished by God. God is the very source of all goodness and the good life. He could never be a source of sufferings. Psalm 121 contains these comforting lines, "The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade. The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord will guard you from evil: he will protect your life…"

Suffering is a fact of life. It could result from an act of man or an act of nature. That one that hit Bohol was of course a natural phenomenon. Who's to blame for it? God without doubt knew about it. But knowing is different from causing. It was never his handiwork.

 Jesus teaches the value of sufferings. In one of his discourses, he said something about pruning a vine so that it would bear more fruits. He also talked of uprooting a fig tree that did not bear any fruit. And he himself suffered the most painful torture and death a man could undergo, if only to make humanity deserving of the Father's forgiveness.

The suffering now experienced by some Boholanos (and a few Cebuanos) could possibly produce some positive results in the future. Aware of this, they have gracefully accepted what befell them. That's why their faith has remained steadfast and strong. Their churches may have been ruined but their love of God stands stalwart and intact.

To go back to the question of whether Boholanos were more guilty than other people, here's a quote from Luke (13): "It was about this time that more people arrived and told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he (Jesus) said to them, 'Do you suppose those Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did"

From this we can say that those who lost their lives in that October 15 earthquake, and those whose normal way of life was shattered, were certainly not "greater sinners" than any other Boholanos or Cebuanos. But - and this is a big "but" - if the latter (meaning all of us) don't repent, will we perish as those victims did? Perhaps, Jesus wants us to know that tragic events and sinfulness go together, and that to be safe one should try to avoid offending God.