Nature, Nepal and the Good Shepherd

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Spirit Moments

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Nothing can be more relaxing, peaceful and serene as a scene from nature: green trees blending with the blue skies, clean waters nourishing life all around, living things co-existing in perfect harmony – just like this rustic setting. And yet nothing can be more destructive and catastrophic as nature at her worst. I think of the great quake that just devastated Nepal, killing thousands of people and injuring several thousands more, flattening out building without any regard to their value, whether historic or commercial.

Sympathy and assistance will flow in torrents to Nepal in the coming days. People will open their hearts and wallets in touching generosity to help the victims of the earthquake. This would go on for a while but sooner than later, the world goes back to where it was before. We will be spending more money in arms and weapons destroying each other’s cities and killing one another than in aid and assistance to wipe out poverty and hunger forever – for which we have the resources to accomplish. The powers that be will dole out public money to save banks because these are too bog to fail; but the same powers that be will not think twice about gouging struggling students with exorbitant student loans because these young ones have to be taught the important lesson that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

It is a tragic life. Through the pain and suffering we are all heirs to, we hope we would come out better and kinder persons. But we seem stuck in the muck of evil and selfishness. And we even find a rationale for such tragic turn of events – that He who made the lamb made the lion too.

How simple it would all be if all of us but just listened to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Alas, we are not all sheep. There are wolves among us. And worse, there are wolves who go about in sheep’s clothing. Yet, in the face of such tragedy and oftentimes absurdity, there is indeed a Shepherd who calls out to us by name. Cynicism may sometimes mute or drown out His voice. But in the stillness and serenity of nature, we can still hear His voice. Perhaps alongside with the rustling of the breeze through the trees or lapping of the water by the shore.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
~ Psalm 118

Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”
John 10:11-18
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Food

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Spirit Moments

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Filipinos just love food. We need only the smallest of excuses to get together and share food with friends, families, and in many instances even with complete strangers. When our kids were growing up, we lived in a condo complex with other couples with children aged just like ours. The children of course played together while the parents ate together. Even when there was no special occasion, we would call for an ‘eat-out’ which meant bringing out whatever we had prepared for dinner and sharing it it with all the rest in the common area. It was fun and it bonded us forever as friends.

Filipinos probably celebrate more fiestas than any other nation on earth. We probably have he most holidays among all the countries. And each fiesta and each holiday is always an eating marathon. Eating around Manila is always an adventure. You will find a restaurant catering to all kinds of cuisine. There are always new restaurants cropping up regularly and they are almost always full. Food builds communities. It makes friendships stronger. It heals broken relationships. It forges new ones.

Christ also loved food. Among the images He used to describe the Kingdom of Heaven is that of a banquet. He loved to eat with people and He went out of His way to visit their houses and ‘break bread’ with them. And the most beautiful remembrance He asked us to do in His name was the ‘breaking of the bread’. As the Risen Lord, He asked the apostles and disciples to eat and share a meal with Him.

The Lord, in His marvelous ways, always takes the most ordinary things and transforms it into something sacred and divine. And isn’t it exciting that heaven will be a feast!

Lord, let your face shine on us.
~ Psalm 4

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
Luke 24:35-48

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“It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Spirit Moments

In a world of doubts and uncertainty, it is easy to be afraid, to be anxious about tomorrow and to worry about the many imponderables in life. Anything could go wrong any moments. Life could take a nasty turn for the worse at any moment, in the blink of an eye. And yet, life moves on always getting better with each passing day. I strain my ears to hear the voice the tells me, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

But much of life is often ordinary and sometimes boring – more often than it is catastrophic or problematic. Lethargy can sometimes linger for days life a boat adrift in a vast, windless and humid ocean with no even a single wave or ripple to break the monotony. During such moments, even a bad turn of events seems welcome compared to the ennui. Still, in midst of all that stillness and sameness, I strain my ears to hear the the voice that assures me of the richness of life, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

 I remember my happy and winning moments in the past. Many of these I did not deserve. They were pure gift. There were many things I did with confidence because of that constant voice that assured me, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Sometimes, I did things because I did not know any better. But things worked out well anyway because of my Constant Companion.

Still in all, my life has been more exciting than boring, more blessed that cursed, more laughter than tears, more rainbows and sunshines than storms and disasters. There are times I feel guilty receiving so much so undeservedly. I worry and wonder what the catch is or what cost I would have to pay later. But there is this incessant voice that tells me that there is no catch and that I have all of these because He loves me, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
~ Psalm 33

When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.
John 6:16-21

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Homeostasis

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Spirit Moments

There are times I look at the world and I get worried about the incessant drive for more and more growth in business. I remember my own days in the corporate world, we used to plan for growth year after year and seeking ever greater market share for our products. Old products are discontinued and new products kept on being launched into the market. I wondered then how long we could sustain the growth; but if we did not that would have meant the gradual decline and eventual death of our company. Today, I feel more certain that this unending growth cannot go on forever.

In the quest for economic and business growth, we have gutted the earth of her mineral resources; we have irretrievably lost forest covers; we may have irreversibly polluted our planet; and species are dying off because of the loss of their habitats. How long before the earth become inhospitable to the human species?

And yet it need not be so. There are sources and resources that are renewable, recyclable and reusable. We can have clean and unlimited energy by tapping the sun, the wind and water. We need to balance our needs with our consumption instead of keeping and having more than we need. The body, at a certain stage, seeks no longer growth but homeostasis – that internal balance and stability to keep itself alive, taking only what it needs from the environment, nothing less but nothing more. Diseases happen when this balance is broken.

One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
~ Psalm 27

Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
John 6:1-15

 

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Nourishments For Life

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Spirit Moments

One of the popular sayings today  is, “You are what you eat.” With my health issues, I have come to realize the truth in these words many times. I indulge in sweets and chocolates, I see my blood sugar and weight shoot up. I overeat starches and carbo, I put on the pounds and see my blood pressure going up as well. I eat junk and mu body ends up as a trash can for all that junk. I eat healthy, I become healthy and feel good.

Similarly, I have come to realize that you are what you read. Reading feeds the mind. I read inspiring literature, I see the richness of life and its possibilities. I then have something to add to my life project. I read trashy things and I mind is full of junk and becomes cluttered and confused. As a man things, so he acts. If he feeds his mind with noble things, he is capable of noble deeds. If he fills his mind with lies and misinformation, he becomes destructive and negative.

Just as we need to feed the body and the mind, we need to feed the spirit as well. Prayer is the mealtime of the soul. In the silence and solitude, my spirit finds nourishment in the words of God until they become enfleshed and real in my life. Prayers are an essential part of my day as food and reading are. These are the essential nourishments in my life.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
~ Psalm 34

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
John 3:31-36

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Particle Accelerators and Easter

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Spirit Moments

The Large Hadron Collider at CERN is back in the news as it was recently re-activated. It is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. Scientists shoot sub-atomic particles through at the speed of light and when these particle collide, they release a tremendous amount of energy, which if not done within the controlled environment of CERN,  would be enough to incinerate the earth. These experiments demonstrate Einstein’s basic equation E=MC2. Each piece of matter contains within itself and can be converted into tremendous amount of energy.

In ordinary everyday life, there is more to the things we see and do than what we ordinarily perceive. Like, can someone love to such an infinite degree, at the level of the energy within a particle accelerator, that he can actually overcome death? Can someone believe with his whole heart and soul, to the degree of the LHC, that he can move mountains? Can someone be so connected with his source that He can truthfully say, “I am going back to the Father. And where I am going you cannot come unless you believe.”?

This for me is a rational approach to the Resurrection and the Easter experience of the apostles and the disciples. To one who believes, all he needs is to ponder on the words of the Risen Lord to realize what has happened and is still happening today.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
~ Psalm 34

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
John 3:16-21

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Already But Not Yet

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Spirit Moments

I do not see the wind but I know it exists when it caresses my cheeks as a gentle breeze. I believe in the sun even when it does not shine because I know life happens because of the light and energy it radiates. I can see the stars only in the darkness of the night and I know they are there in the daytime even if they seem to have disappeared from view. There is more to life than can be perceived by my senses and often these are the more substantial things.

When Christ went through His passion, death and resurrection, He did not take away pain, suffering and death. Rather, He showed us a way to conquer them. He showed us that death and suffering do not and cannot destroy life. And so in my life, pain and suffering remain. Death will inevitably come. But Christ has shown me the way to deal with them.

We live in the already-but-not-yet. Christ has given us a glimpse of what is in store for us in the Resurrection. But the ultimate and total fulfillment of His promise does not come until the end, either of each on of us individually or of the entire universe. In the meantime, we have to deal with and live through the tension between the already and the not yet. This tension brings about all the anxiety I go through. From the petty worries over the small stuff to the cosmic angst about the ultimate meaning and purpose of my life through the daily struggle of trying to do the right things by the people I love and who are important to me.

I take these tensions and let them pull the strings of my life until they are taut. And as the strings become ever tighter, I listen in the silence until they start vibrating in sympathetic resonance to the Divine melody that the universe is singing. And listening to the hymn of the universe, I hope to encounter my God in the silence.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
~ Psalm 93

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3:7-15

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Wandering Through the Deserts of Doubt

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Spirit Moments

For all my frequent declarations that the best in my life is yet to come, I also sometimes feel that there is nothing more for me here and so I should just disappear. These are the times when I get lost in the desert of doubts and beset by desolation. At times like these, I feel like Thomas wanting to put my finger on His side. Or like Nicodemus bedeviled by all sorts of questions. I have to restrain myself and pray, “I will not put the Lord to the test.”

Sure, I have many moments of consolation and deep spiritual joy. But just as morning follows night, moments of desolation are certain to happen. So, is life but just a zero-sum game, with consolation and desolation canceling out each other? Must I just try to weather out the storm and wait for the sunshine to come again? Is this yearning in me for eternal sunshine and unending joy for real or just one cosmic illusion?

Like Nicodemus, I turn to Jesus with my questions and my doubts. But, during moments of my desolation, His words often do not make sense. Like, be born again? Or, take up the cross? Or, be humble to be exalted and be the last in order to be first?

I grope. I search. I cling on to something familiar until this blows over.

“Should my heart not be humble, should my eyes fail to see,
Should my feet sometimes stumble on the way, stay with me.
Like the lamb that in springtime wanders far from the fold,
Comes the darkness and the frost, I get lost, I grow cold.
I grow cold, I grow weary, and I know I have sinned,
And I go seeking shelter and I cry in the wind.
Though I grope and I blunder and I’m weak and I’m wrong,
Though the road buckles under where I walk, walk along.
Till I find to my wonder every path leads to Thee,
All that I can do is pray, stay with me,
Stay with me.”

Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
~ Psalm 2

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:1-8

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Seeing Eternity in the Now

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Spirit Moments

Morning has broken

I watch and enjoy this picture I once took of the sunset.
I pointed my camera and clicked it and out came this awesome photo.
It could very well be the picture of another glorious morning breaking.
Either way, it fills me with joy, gratitude and great humility before such beauty.

Science will tell me that it is all a matter of the synapses
that the photons hitting my eyes are
being relayed to the neurons in my brain.
All perception is but the electro-chemical reaction of my cells to outside stimuli.

But I do not experience reality at that level.
I am not even aware of the photons and the neurons.
But I am enthralled and simply dumbstruck
by this unspeakable beauty before me.

A doctor can tell me what is happening in my brain and in my mind.
But he can never know the memories I lovingly store in there.
Nor can he understand all the hopes and aspirations I imagine
Nor the dreams I conjure and often make happen.

A doctor can count the beatings of my heart and know if it is healthy.
But he can never know for whom or for what my heart beats,
Why it skips an extra beat when I see a person I love and cherish
Nor why it palpitates in anger and resentment when I think of certain people.

There is a scientific explanation to everything that exists.
In the final analysis, we are all made of the same sub-atomic particles.
And yet no two persons are ever the same
And each of their story is as unique as one can be.

I look at the grandeur and magnificence around me.
I love the goodness and the love in people I see.
I know that I am part of a picture or a story that is bigger than me.
I am slowly but surely moving into eternity.

I do not need to know the science part of life to see that it is magical.
I do not need to see the stars to know I came from stardust.
I do not need to put my finger into His side
To know that my God is here and alive.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
~ Psalm 118

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
John 20:19-31

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What the Risen Lord is Telling Me

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Spirit Moments

In a world racked by hatred and violence, where the weak and the defenseless are routinely massacred, it is often very difficult to believe in the goodness of men and their capacity for love. Yet, in my own life, I have been blessed to have met and worked with people, groups and communities that work unselfishly and untiringly to love and serve others and to make this world a more loving and caring place. I believe in love and goodness even in the face of all the hatred and violence there is in the world. This is what the Risen Lord is telling me: Goodness and love will always triumph over evil and hatred.

In a world plagued by so much pollution, where livable spaces are fast disappearing and even the climate is changing for the worse, it is very difficult to believe in the beauty and the seasonal rebirth of nature. And yet, every time I go on a hike or even just a walk around the neighborhood, I see the colors and the movements of plants, trees, flowers, tiny insects, birds and animals all straining to maintain all the beauty and the life that surround them – regardless of what care-less humans do. I believe in beauty and the life it sustains even in the face of the pollution and the wanton destruction that people are inflicting on our paradise. This is what the Risen Lord is telling me: Life and beauty are stronger that death and ugliness.

In a world drowning in lies, where falsehoods are peddled as facts and vices are extolled as virtues, it is very difficult to trust people and specially leaders to tell us the truth and for them to live by those truths. Yet, I only have to look at innocent children at play or listen to their conversation to realize that we were born to tell and live by the truth. I believe in the truth and in its power to change and guide our lives even in the face of the lies and  falsities we are being enticed to live by. This is what the Risen Lord is telling me: Truth will set us free and will be the unerring guide to the good life.

I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
~ Psalm 118

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:9-15

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