Daily Reflections - June 27,2013

SOLIDLY SET ON ROCK?

 

Last year, I had one of the saddest experiences of my life. I brought a group of young priests for their quarterly ongoing formation to the twin tragedy sites of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, ravaged by typhoon Sendong. As we passed through the areas literally leveled by rampaging waters, or houses flattened by logs that acted like projectiles, washed down by the raging floods from the mountains, I was speechless and close to tears.

       The most depressing sight was that of a middle class subdivision made up of newly constructed and relatively beautiful houses, all standing as mute witnesses not only to the power and fury of nature, but also to the destructiveness of sin, particularly human greed and the wanton destruction of the forests, for love of sordid gain.

       The houses, I must say, were literally built on solid rock. They were supposed to be sturdy and sure, constructed of what we Pinoys love to refer to as materiales fuertes. But in the case of Iligan, it was not difficult to see that it was not the cascading waters that did the subdivision in, but thousands of heavy logs that acted like huge battering rams. The houses made of relatively strong materials were simply no match to the battering rams of greed, selfishness and the irresponsible ways of fellow human beings whose consciences were weak.

       Someone wrote about the “seeming incapacity of Christian faith” to counteract the seeping forces of structural evil in all aspects of our so-called civil lives. The culture of corruption has a firmly entrenched foothold in our society. All we can do now is ask ourselves if we are part or not of this culture of death and destruction.

       Most likely, we all are. We are all in it together. Now is the time for us to realize that not all those who call on Him, “Lord, Lord,” are worthy of the Kingdom. Whose house is set on rock, then? Those who believe and behave accordingly. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what ways, big or small, do you contribute to the culture of death and destruction of our society?

 

Teach me, Lord, to behave as I believe.