Jesus said to his disciples:
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.”
~ John 15:18-19
My thoughts this morning are with the former Chief Justice Renato Corona. He has passed away. And from the distance, I feel he died a broken man. From the heights, he fell in defeat and disgrace. I feel terribly sad for him.
A husband who dutifully drives his wife to her work in school cannot be a bad person. And along the way, they pick up and give rides to two other co-teachers on their way to the school where they were all teaching. This is a couple made after God’s own heart – loving and generous.
A dutiful husband and a doting father to three children cannot be a bad person. So how can he have been so guilty as to deserve the shame and disgrace he was subjected to? There were surely among those who sat in judgement over him during his impeachment who were guilty of more horrific crimes. And yet they remain scot-free and sanctimoniously self-righteous.
I remember of another just and upright man who was also unjustly condemned. Raul Manglapus was a great and inspiring statesman. He was convicted for having overspent in his election spending for his seat in the Senate. Probably the only person to be so condemned. All because he correctly reported what he had spent for his campaign.
I feel and pray for Rene. I feel and pray for his family. And I recall and paraphrase the words of the classic Don McLean song:
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
Your life may have seemed sad
after what evil men did to you;
But I could’ve told you Rene
This world was never meant for
One as beautiful as you.