We are merely stewards of every God given good thing seen and unseen... and are accountable to both God and to our neighbor. its so trite (lame) to say 'lapse of judgment' now a days... better to simply call a spade a spade... a 'stupid call' then? not even close (stupid is too mild)... SPECIALLY when and if one asked for a birthday gift in writing from a public official with public funds... the nerve even to ask as a joke as pinoys do.
ask for nothing, refuse nothing... would even be dangerous nowadays. nothing is given free.... always with payback-time in mind? i still believe in the free-neess of generosity... without anything in return. yep its rare but not extinct. i still can believe because i still am standing... sometimes alone, but not everytime... its possible to increase free-ness of giving... it simply needs practice. c:
The carpenter's son from galilee would be best heeded in these days were devilish and angelic ways are not as distinct to the untrained eye... its not enough to be 'gentle as doves, but ALSO be cunning as snakes.' i hope being born in the year of the snake does not only bring me good luck but also its senisitivity to the signs of these times (and places)
'test everything and keep what is good... what is holy' is what we heard from the PASTORAL epistles.
Despite the 'return' of the vehicles and the 'won't take it back' melodramatic stance of some (i would have done the same, but with receipts of no-return-no-exchange... if only to find a 'sense and humor' in all these mess); the fact remains that inspite of sincerely providing these 'seen goods' of the earth for the good of the people in need... there will always be a way to discredit the good that was done. Let the poor speak for themselves, some say. But even if the poor were to so speak in the defense of the few 'branded' damasos, who would you think would listen... listen to the poor?... listen to the 'branded' damasos? it is not easy to do good today... it is not easy to be holy today... when what is holy, what is good news... is 'edited' as not good or relegated to the pile of "not worthy of news"... sittinhg on the bodega shelf that reads... probably 'next time' nalang.
very few puiblications publish good things... why? 'no one buys them' monetarily and reputably. inadvertenly then... very few want to do good things... why? ...again 'no one buys them (same rationale).
its already an insult (racist, profiling to put it bluntly) to be branded a DAMASO just by looking at you... when one has striven never to be one.
Yet what is more frustrating is when we 'supposed' damasos give them reason to say so and reason to trumpet it.
these two sentimos pasaje... is from a beleagured damasito who still believes in the goodness and goodwill in a heart created in the image and likes of God.
its easy to do good... its not hard even if others make it discouragingly difficult.... learning always from the old wisdom of the ages and holy book... servus inutile summus. its easier to smile becasue we are merely another "pasajero" in God's calesa... let him lead the way not us.
c:ako
(from a pasahero of one good calesa driver, God.)
