The year was 4 BC. In a world turned upside down by one among a long line of Caesars, a Child was born in Bethlehem. He was born in a manger. Angels apprised shepherds of the event. To the latter the former sang, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will.”
In deeply religious Philippines, many, particularly among our political shepherds would benefit a lot if they heeded the word of the angels and served their constituents purely out of good will instead of striving, vainly, after glory.
(That is if one can rightly call glory the use of one’s office merely to take revenge on political opponents, aggrandize oneself and prepare for the next elections as if the three years between polls were a break between rounds of a boxing match.)
We do not wish this Christmas to call for a cheap peace in secular realms, for such can spring only from unprincipled wheeling and dealing.
But we ask those who govern us to lead us by example in being persons of good will, that is, persons who abort the search for self-glorification, who are humble enough to return the spotlight to the less fortunate whose lot all sectors need to work together to improve.
In the Cebuano context, surely officials do not take the separation of Church and State to mean that the Church should take charge in quiet outreach to the poor while the halls of power become the showcase for civil rancor.
Following the suspension of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia by the Office of the President, the spotlight has been wrested from our suffering brothers and sisters in the manger of today: Typhoon Pablo-ravaged Mindanao.
It does not help that officials from Cebu City’s Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan led by South Dist. Rep. Tomas Osmeña have been gloating on television about the suspended governor’s situation.
It does not help that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Vice President Jejomar Binay and ousted president Joseph Estrada came to the Capitol in a bid to mask the issue of usurpation for which the governor was suspended with the script of a supposed contest of wills between the Capitol occupant and the Malacañang resident.
It does not help that the governor is apparently getting counsel to stay the course instead of letting the courts settle the issue.
A few blocks from the Capitol, at the Our Mother of Perpetual Help parish church run by the Redemptorist order and near the Fuente Osmeña Circle, people are quietly continuing the work of gathering relief for Pablo’s survivors and stockpiling bundles of joy or Christmas presents for the poor.
The parishioners have raised over P1 million for the survivors and donated hundreds of boxes of relief goods during the Misa de Gallo offertory.
Christmas is a time of justice, reconciliation and sharing, a season that most people wish would last all year. Our government officials can take steps towards the fulfillment of this wish if they can remove from political life the vestiges of Caesaresque power tripping for the sake of the Bethlehems of today
Leave glory to the One whom we call Almighty God in our Charter’s Preamble. Bring good will and genuine disinterested service back to public life. Merry Christmas!