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“Ipagtanggol mo ang mga di makalaban, ipaglaban ang kanilang karapatan. Ipahayag mo nang malinaw ang katotohanan at ang katuwiran, at igawad ang katarungan sa api at mahirap.” (Kawikaan 31:8-9)
Tandaan natin na si Kristo ay nakaranas ng matinding mga paratang, paniniktik, pananakot, pag-aresto, pagtortyur, at pagpako sa krus hanggang kamatayan. Ngunit muling nabuhay na muli kapiling ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan tulad ng mga magsasaka, manggagawa, mga ulila, byuda, mga aping kababaihan at bata. Sa katunayan, sila ang mga pinapahalagahan ni Kristo- silang mga minamaliit at pinagtatabuyan ng emperyo. Ang mga tulad nila ang dahilan ng kanyang pagsasakatawang tao upang maisulong ang kaganapan ng buhay para sa lahat at hindi lamang sa iilan.
Carrying ones cross and to sacrifice is truly difficult. A prophet is not a fortune teller but somebody who has the courage and boldness to tell the truth in a particular context by announcing the good news and denouncing the evil that plagued that society.
The lectionary reading for this Sunday presents us the different complimentary facets of the persons of the Holy Trinity.
Sa paglapag ng Banal na Diwa sa mga alagad ni Hesus na magkakasama sa isang lugar, nagsimula nilang maranasan ang kapangyarihang bigay nito. Kabilang dito ay ang kapangyarihang makapagsalita sa iba’t ibang wika.
The story and history of our society is likened to a tree.
As I read the Gospel this Sunday, I remember a song from our theatre play production in 2014 about the struggles of the indigenous people in the defense of their ancestral domain.
By LEVI ALBANIA United Methodist Church Psalms 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Genesis 9: 8-15 First Peter 3: 18-22 Mark 1: 12-15 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild...
An immersed church is very much capable of taking the side of the poor, and those who have been wronged by the system. We need a Church that denounces the powers-that-be who have entitled themselves to an exclusive right to accumulate properties, profits, and personal benefits at the expense the poor.
The grumblings of the “firsts” maybe being popularly interpreted at present through the lenses of workers receiving and experiencing unjust wages and unfair working conditions and, thus, problematizes the employer in the parable itself. However, even in its conventional or traditional meaning, the parable is very clear about what it is saying about the republic of God.
As a Church it is essential to be in mission by following Christ with courage to stand firm and move forward in the midst of persecution and fear.
Ang mga propeta ang gumabay sa kanila sa mahabang panahon at tumulong upang marinig ang mensahe ni Yahweh sa ginta ng iba’t ibang paghihirap at pagkalimot.
The reality of the pandemic only exposes the viciousness, the corruption, and indifference of our leaders. Worst, they took advantage of the pandemic to amass more wealth, abuse their authority, show their sheer negligence and apathy to the people’s welfare and well-being, and their utmost disregard for civil liberties and human rights.
Our governments have created structures and supported systems which aggravated this separation by worshiping the god of mammon in the altar of profit. As we can see, the coronavirus pandemic has nakedly exposed and is slowly breaking down all these propped up global economic structures and systems that dehumanizes the world. We cannot breathe anymore!
As Christians, who do God’s work, we are being called to be like treasure hunters–to prioritize the Kingdom of heaven and work for the common good of all persons. God teaches us to focus on the treasures of heaven and earth and what matters most – the dignity of life.
It’s hard to be a prophet; it is difficult to tell and live by the truth, to raise our voice and denounce what is wrong. It is more comfortable to remain at the margins in silence and pretend not to see and hear what is happening, or to let the others talk. Still, if one wants a real change in our society, a community faithful to the Gospel and more docile to the spirit, if one aspires to a newness of life, prophets are needed. Like Jeremiah, may we have the courage to say what the Lord tells us, even at the risk of life.
COVID-19 has revealed the deep roots of systemic injustice and reminds us why seeking justice, pursuing peace is essential. We have seen thousands of cases of extra-judicial killings, of arrests, of the intensification of attacks and threats against community leaders, human rights defenders, and political dissenters. Living out our faith in Jesus is more than ever important when laws like the Anti-Terrorism Bill of 2020 are enacted. The current Human Security Act of 2007 which will replace it is problematic enough
As we continue to live every day under the pandemic, as followers of the God of justice, I hope that we may never give in to the temptation to be silent and be complacent as the State and the ruling class slowly reveal to us the “new normal” that would only selfishly favor their interests. If we don’t learn to speak the tongues of the people, if we don’t shout with them their calls #MassTestingNow, #AyudaNgayonNa, and #SerbisyongMedikalHindiMilitar, we fail to do our crucial role as church-people.
By Deaconess Sharon David McCart United Methodist Church We are living in difficult times. The threat comes not only from Covid-19 but also from food shortages and extrajudicial killings, of being imprisoned (justly or unjustly) in overcrowded conditions. Too many...
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