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The first time I ever tried to use the term "God's preferential option for the poor" I was unaware that it had become so over-used in religious circles, it may now be considered trite, hackneyed and passe. It also demonstrated how little I knew about current theological affairs. To be honest, I was not even sure at the time that I had used it in its proper context.
It is often said that there is nothing quite as strong as an idea whose time has come. When the phrase started to be bandied around in the 1970s by some Latin American bishops, it must have been viewed with suspicion and considered too radical and subversive for mainstream Christians (the very same attitude of the religious leaders in Jesus' time about his utterings which are now known as nothing but the Gospel-truth). Of course, it did not help any that the so-called "liberation theology" grew out of the grinding poverty of Central and South America. Now it seems one must be heard mouthing the phrase for a parish project to get off the ground and for a Christian leader to be considered pro-active and pro-poor.
Nowadays, mostly since I have had nothing better to do but to hobnob and make "tagay" with jeepney drivers, friendly two-bit mechanics, "Easy2" aficionados and squatters (or, informal settlers, if you will) in the neighborhood, I have begun to appreciate more and more why the poor, according to Jesus Christ himself, have an "EZ pass" to heaven. It seems to be the central theme of Christ's message. The good news was meant for the poor. Or, to put it another way, the news was good only for the poor. For the rich and powerful, the idea was crazy, silly, if not downright subversive. God through the Son of Man was telling the poor in person, "Good news, don't worry, I am right here. I care for you. I came for you and because of you. You have me as your ally. God loves you, unconditionally."
If one really believes that Jesus is the Son of God, why did he have to come under the poorest of circumstances possible? Who ever heard of being born in a stable? Even "Free Wards" these days are equipped with cribs and incubators. Why did he not come like some mighty conquering Roman Emperor as Caesar Augustus in his time? And why did he choose to live with the poor, bother with and about children, women, orphans, widows, the sick, the lame and the lepers, prostitutes and wine-bibbers; in short, the oppressed, the exploited, the abandoned and the marginalized? These were his neighbors. That's who he meant when he told his followers: love your neighbor.
Mang Alex is my friendly neighborhood mechanic. He runs an auto repair shop that looks more like a junkyard. He is so friendly and his place looks so humble that it seems everyone just feels free to come and go there anytime as one pleases and just do his own thing. Since everybody and his uncle simply feel completely at home there, there are people coming and staying, and going all the time, as if they own the place and live there. You don't have a place to stay? Well, live in one of those old jeepneys stuck in his garage. In fact, just a few months ago, we had a guy literally die there after living there for a good number of years. Lunch is for everybody, me included. Take a bath, play some "tong-its," do your own repairs, hear the latest gossips, hang out, watch your favorite TV show, do KARAOKE, and make "TAGAY" with Emperador - on the house. In Mang Alex's place, "feel at home" has taken on a whole new meaning. It's everybody's living room, den, recreation area. Why, only recently it also served as a funeral parlor and casino.
One day, I felt I had to meddle after watching Mang Alex deal with a customer. After the usual repair work, a customer would ask, how much, magkano. His usual reply was "KAYO NA PO ANG BAHALA." Almost in exasperation I told Mang Alex, bakit hindi mo singilin ng nararapat? "Ok lang po. Baka magalit lang po kung masingil ko ng sobra." There's the poor, the meek, the oppressed, the exploited, for you. Their company policy is "KAYO NA PO ANG BAHALA." Their daily prayer is "KAYO NA PO ANG BAHALA." Doesn't that sound a bit like "Thy Will be Done?" Bakit hindi nyo dinala sa ospital? Bakit hindi nyo dinemanda? Bakit hindi isumbong kay Mayor? "Wala na po kaming pera. Wala po kaming kakilala. IPAPASADIYOS NA LANG PO. BAHALA NA PO ANG DIYOS." O men of little faith!
The poor it seems have little else to rely on except faith. The poor cannot afford high fences, they cannot afford to isolate themselves, they must rely on their neighbors, on each other, and failing that, on God. They have to keep God close at hand and on their side. They are God's favorite customer. Small wonder then that God treats them as one would a "valued client." There you go, is that how those Latin American bishops staring poverty in the face, were able to coin the now popular term"opcion preferential por los pobres?"
On the other hand, take the case of the rich, the proud, the powerful and the mighty. They have no need of God. Or their neighbor's help. Or so they think. They have everything they need and more. They can afford the best doctors, lawyers, mechanics, the best and most expensive cars, medicines, soothsayers. There will hardly be anytime when they will ever feel the need to cry out to God in desperation. Their butler or nurse is just a buzz away. The result? "GAWA LIMOT." Absence makes the heart go wander.
So, what have I learned. Tama yata si Bro. Jules. We need the poor. God uses the poor to teach us a lesson, to save us. "Blessed are the poor." Mt. 5:3. "Blessed are the meek." Mt. 5:5 "Without me you can do nothing." Jn. 15:5. Learn from the poor. They have no choice except to develop a great virtue - faith in God. Complete dependence, total surrender to Divine Providence. But that's crazy, I can't do that, I will starve, my children will starve. "O men of little faith ... look at the lilies of the field..." Mt.16:8. The poor it seems have no choice except to depend on God. They have little else. They got limited options. But then again, they may have the best option of all: God. Hence, the title of this piece: "The Poor's Preferential Option for God." Faith is God's gift to the poor. And, since it's a gift, it's free!
Tama si Bro. Jess, "Blessed are the poor..." Mt. id., supra. - BRO. JAMES LANSANG
It is often said that there is nothing quite as strong as an idea whose time has come. When the phrase started to be bandied around in the 1970s by some Latin American bishops, it must have been viewed with suspicion and considered too radical and subversive for mainstream Christians (the very same attitude of the religious leaders in Jesus' time about his utterings which are now known as nothing but the Gospel-truth). Of course, it did not help any that the so-called "liberation theology" grew out of the grinding poverty of Central and South America. Now it seems one must be heard mouthing the phrase for a parish project to get off the ground and for a Christian leader to be considered pro-active and pro-poor.
Nowadays, mostly since I have had nothing better to do but to hobnob and make "tagay" with jeepney drivers, friendly two-bit mechanics, "Easy2" aficionados and squatters (or, informal settlers, if you will) in the neighborhood, I have begun to appreciate more and more why the poor, according to Jesus Christ himself, have an "EZ pass" to heaven. It seems to be the central theme of Christ's message. The good news was meant for the poor. Or, to put it another way, the news was good only for the poor. For the rich and powerful, the idea was crazy, silly, if not downright subversive. God through the Son of Man was telling the poor in person, "Good news, don't worry, I am right here. I care for you. I came for you and because of you. You have me as your ally. God loves you, unconditionally."
If one really believes that Jesus is the Son of God, why did he have to come under the poorest of circumstances possible? Who ever heard of being born in a stable? Even "Free Wards" these days are equipped with cribs and incubators. Why did he not come like some mighty conquering Roman Emperor as Caesar Augustus in his time? And why did he choose to live with the poor, bother with and about children, women, orphans, widows, the sick, the lame and the lepers, prostitutes and wine-bibbers; in short, the oppressed, the exploited, the abandoned and the marginalized? These were his neighbors. That's who he meant when he told his followers: love your neighbor.
Mang Alex is my friendly neighborhood mechanic. He runs an auto repair shop that looks more like a junkyard. He is so friendly and his place looks so humble that it seems everyone just feels free to come and go there anytime as one pleases and just do his own thing. Since everybody and his uncle simply feel completely at home there, there are people coming and staying, and going all the time, as if they own the place and live there. You don't have a place to stay? Well, live in one of those old jeepneys stuck in his garage. In fact, just a few months ago, we had a guy literally die there after living there for a good number of years. Lunch is for everybody, me included. Take a bath, play some "tong-its," do your own repairs, hear the latest gossips, hang out, watch your favorite TV show, do KARAOKE, and make "TAGAY" with Emperador - on the house. In Mang Alex's place, "feel at home" has taken on a whole new meaning. It's everybody's living room, den, recreation area. Why, only recently it also served as a funeral parlor and casino.
One day, I felt I had to meddle after watching Mang Alex deal with a customer. After the usual repair work, a customer would ask, how much, magkano. His usual reply was "KAYO NA PO ANG BAHALA." Almost in exasperation I told Mang Alex, bakit hindi mo singilin ng nararapat? "Ok lang po. Baka magalit lang po kung masingil ko ng sobra." There's the poor, the meek, the oppressed, the exploited, for you. Their company policy is "KAYO NA PO ANG BAHALA." Their daily prayer is "KAYO NA PO ANG BAHALA." Doesn't that sound a bit like "Thy Will be Done?" Bakit hindi nyo dinala sa ospital? Bakit hindi nyo dinemanda? Bakit hindi isumbong kay Mayor? "Wala na po kaming pera. Wala po kaming kakilala. IPAPASADIYOS NA LANG PO. BAHALA NA PO ANG DIYOS." O men of little faith!
The poor it seems have little else to rely on except faith. The poor cannot afford high fences, they cannot afford to isolate themselves, they must rely on their neighbors, on each other, and failing that, on God. They have to keep God close at hand and on their side. They are God's favorite customer. Small wonder then that God treats them as one would a "valued client." There you go, is that how those Latin American bishops staring poverty in the face, were able to coin the now popular term"opcion preferential por los pobres?"
On the other hand, take the case of the rich, the proud, the powerful and the mighty. They have no need of God. Or their neighbor's help. Or so they think. They have everything they need and more. They can afford the best doctors, lawyers, mechanics, the best and most expensive cars, medicines, soothsayers. There will hardly be anytime when they will ever feel the need to cry out to God in desperation. Their butler or nurse is just a buzz away. The result? "GAWA LIMOT." Absence makes the heart go wander.
So, what have I learned. Tama yata si Bro. Jules. We need the poor. God uses the poor to teach us a lesson, to save us. "Blessed are the poor." Mt. 5:3. "Blessed are the meek." Mt. 5:5 "Without me you can do nothing." Jn. 15:5. Learn from the poor. They have no choice except to develop a great virtue - faith in God. Complete dependence, total surrender to Divine Providence. But that's crazy, I can't do that, I will starve, my children will starve. "O men of little faith ... look at the lilies of the field..." Mt.16:8. The poor it seems have no choice except to depend on God. They have little else. They got limited options. But then again, they may have the best option of all: God. Hence, the title of this piece: "The Poor's Preferential Option for God." Faith is God's gift to the poor. And, since it's a gift, it's free!
Tama si Bro. Jess, "Blessed are the poor..." Mt. id., supra. - BRO. JAMES LANSANG
Whether you are poor, rich, or unbeliever, just believe in God and in his words in the Bible - and you will lose nothing. If you believe and it turns out that there is no God and God's words in the Bible are not true, you lose nothing (except the short time enjoyment in this world). But if you don't believe and it turns out that there is God and all that He says are true, you lose everything - plus you will suffer forever.(From Jun Densing)
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Kuya, tama ka. Except that the poor seem to have a built-in advantage. They seem to have no choice except to believe and live according to such belief. They seem to have as their greatest option something that the rich and powerful tend to ignore or forget. For the unbeliever, well, what can I say I hope to God he finds out soon enough he is wrong. tnx. rgards.
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The late Gerry Gil once proposed that the better communicators in the XVD write homilies for parish priests who may have little time to prepare them (he wasn't so kind, I remember!). Angkol, that's part of your R&D offensive: providing expertise where it may be lacking or inadequate.
Paraphrasing the "Field of Dreams": WRITE 'EM AND THEY'LL USE 'EM... |
Hey, take it easy! People who do not know us better might believe we're laundering our soiled undergarments in public; not pretending and wishing it were true!
On the other hand, why not provide others with the opportunity to smile at some good-natured ribbing between partners in lesser crimes? KAMPAI! |
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