An dvent Meditation: A Peaceable Leader in the Midst of Calamity

 Advent Meditation: A Peaceable Leader in the Midst of Calamity

December 16, 2024

Simbang Gabi at UTS Salakot Ecumenical Church

By Frank J. Hernando

Isaiah 11:1-10

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.2The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strikethe earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

INTRODUCTION

Good evening friends! I’m glad to welcome you to this first evening of our Simbang Gabi here at the Salakot Ecumenical Church (SEC). We thank  God for this opportunity to hold this Advent meditations until Christmas Eve. Since the first Sunday in Advent, I have not intensely monitored the weather conditions in the country, but we were informed a couple of weeks ago that despite the absence of LPAs, heavy rains and flooding were experienced in many parts of the country due to erratic climatic conditions. Then the major eruptions of Mount Kanlaon and the minor one of Taal Volcano. We have seen and heard that in the midst of calamities, preparations, and disaster mitigating strategies and resource mobilization are found inadequate if not relief assistance comes too late. It looks like we need a leader who resembles the “shoot from the stump of Jesse,” (ang bagong sanga sa naputol na puno) an 8th century BCE Israelitic imagery of a peaceable leader.

O N E

There are characteristics vividly described in Isaiah chapter 11: 1-9 of the peaceable leader that they look forward to reversing their calamitous situation. First of these is the divine empowerment that endowed the leader with the spirit of wisdom and understanding–not foolishness and ignorance. The leader has the spirit of counsel and might—or the ability to listen empathically with the pain, joy and hope of the people and make decisions that uplift the life of the people and guide them to new divine consciousness that lead them to change their situation and live out meaningful lives.

A leader who lacks wisdom and understanding would be a leader characterized by foolishness and ignorance, lacking the qualities necessary for effective, just, and compassionate leadership. Such a leader would exhibit the following traits:

1. Lack of Discernment

1. Makes impulsive decisions without careful thought, failing to consider long-term consequences or the needs of others.
2. Misjudges situations due to a shallow understanding of issues.

2. Ignorance and Close-mindedness

3. Refuses to seek knowledge or learn from others.
4. Dismisses constructive criticism and alternative viewpoints.

3. Injustice and Bias

5. Acts unfairly, favoring certain groups or individuals while oppressing others.
6. Lacks empathy for the marginalized and perpetuates inequality.

4. Arrogance and Pride

7. Relies on personal opinion rather than seeking counsel or collaboration.
8. Views themselves as superior, ignoring the wisdom of advisors or the voice of the people.

These four negative characteristics of a leader or leadership are so blatantly exhibited in the country’s political and economic systems, wherein most of the state administrators and lawmakers had been conditioned to manage government programs within the framework of classism–priority is given to those who are wealthy and powerful. Knowing and hearing the discussion on the national budget that PhilHealth was not given allocation in the 2025 national budget, is disheartening, because we know that the meager health care service and benefits given to people could hardly provide for much needed health care. Philhealth itself failed to improve the health benefit of its members and as ASec Albert Domingo disclosed in a TV program this morning that Philhealth has 150 billion pesos budget surplus for 2024 and that regardless whether there is allocation in the 2025 Budget or not, he claimed Philhealth can serve the needs of their members. The impact of the program funding remains to be seen and evaluated.

This Advent Season, I mourn the passing away of a colleague, Rev. Ric Sibugan, from UCCP Western Visayas Conference, who was my student in the Conference licentiate training program in the 1990s. On December 7, I received a copy of his daughter’s follow-up letter to UCCP for financial assistance. A portion of that says (I quote):

Recently, my father was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease, a condition that requires urgent and ongoing medical treatment. The prescribed injection, which is vital for managing his condition, costs Php6,000.00 per day. He needs to be vaccinated for two weeks this December, and the injections will continue for up to six months. (unquote)

Before financial assistance could be received, Rev. Subugan died. He is 51 years old. 

T W O

Moreover, the leader that the people of God was anticipating to guide them has the skill of a judge–that is able to weigh what is the best thing to happen in the lives of the poor and the meek using the measure of equity and justice. 

The description of the leader judging with righteousness and equity for the poor and the meek emphasizes a ruler who embodies justice, fairness, and compassion, particularly toward the marginalized and vulnerable. These are: 

1. Judging with Righteousness

• Righteousness refers to moral and ethical integrity, aligning with God’s will. The leader does not rely on superficial appearances or biased opinions when making decisions (v. 3: “He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear”). Instead, judgment is based on truth, wisdom, and divine guidance, ensuring justice for all.

2. Equity for the Poor

• Equity means fairness and impartiality. The leader recognizes the needs and struggles of the poor and ensures they are treated justly. This is significant because the poor often lack power and influence, making them vulnerable to exploitation and neglect. The leader’s actions aim to correct systemic inequalities and provide for the downtrodden.

++This is the aspect of leadership where many political and economic leaders are weak. We have heard false promises of lower prices for per kilo rice–our staple food, control of food and commodity prices, unemployment, inflation and others. Yet political campaign jingles heard and seen on TVs project aspirants like “Better with Abby Binay,” “Bagong Boses, Bagong Bukas” ni Camille Villar, and others, may sound convincing but these float on bureaucratic economic control, wealth and patronage. 

3. Defending the Meek

• The meek are those who are humble, powerless, or oppressed. This leader advocates for them, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are upheld. The meek are often overlooked in worldly systems of power, but this leader protects their dignity and seeks their welfare.

4. Impartial and Transformative Leadership

• The leader’s judgment is not swayed by wealth, status, or appearances. This impartiality reflects God’s justice, where every individual is valued equally. The result is a society where the vulnerable are uplifted, and systems of oppression are dismantled.

5. A Model of Divine Justice.  The leader (often understood as the Messiah) who rules with the qualities of God— e.g. compassion, fairness, and a commitment to truth. Such leadership contrasts with human rulers who may be corrupt or biased, offering a vision of perfect governance that brings peace and harmony.

+Illustration: A colleague of mine who is still working as a mission co-worker in South Korea, has messaged me that I can get several millions of pesos, now. I was amused by his message and I know that he is connecting me with the success of Atom Araullo and his mother Carol Araullo in a case against red tagging made by defendants Atty. Lorraine Badoy and Jeffry Celis. They have to pay Atom and his mother Carol not less than 2 million pesos in damages. This is the article on social media:

ATOM WINS LEGAL FIGHT VS RED-TAGGERS: Why is it a groundbreaking victory?

Award-winning broadcast journalist Atom Araullo has won a landmark civil suit against his red-taggers, securing a groundbreaking lower court decision that could set a precedent for other victims of red-tagging.

By holding former state anti-insurgency task force spokesperson Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and confessed former New People’s Army member Jeffrey Celiz liable for defamation, the court vindicated Araullo and exposed the harm caused by disinformation.

In his social media account, Atom Araullo said: 

This case opens up a legal option for anyone who has been a victim of red-tagging and harmful disinformation, particularly journalists. I hope it gives courage to others who have a similar experience too. It is not okay to be attacked or harassed simply for doing our jobs.

Congratulations to all the outstanding lawyers of the Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) who worked hard on this case. And thank you to everyone who expressed their support!. (unquote)

Judging with righteousness and equity for the poor and the meek signifies a just and compassionate leadership that protects and uplifts the powerless, ensuring fairness for all and reflecting the divine character of God’s justice.

T H R E E 

Furthermore, the foreshadowed leader will institute peace based on justice. I was invited by Peace for Life to their 20th Anniversary Celebration and Forum last week, where I discussed the topic “Liberation Theology and Just Peace.” Let me share with you my understanding of Just-peace:

The key aspects of Just Peace are the following:

a) The struggle for Just Peace in the Philippines has been influenced by various historical events, including the fight against colonialism, the Marcos dictatorship, the succeeding tyrannical governments, the ongoing conflicts in regions like Mindanao and foreign domination or imperialism

b) Just Peace emphasizes the need to address social injustices and inequalities. This includes advocating for the rights of marginalized groups, such as indigenous peoples right to their ancestral land, land to landless farmers, respect for the rights of workers for decent wages and safe working environment, the urban poor are provided decent housing and jobs and ensuring that their voices are heard in the peace process. 

c) Protecting and promoting human rights is a central component of Just Peace. This involves holding accountable those responsible for human rights violations and ensuring that victims receive justice and reparations. The victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) have not been given justice and their families are demanding that the perpetrators of EJK under the Duterte’s war on drug be prosecuted and penalized. )

d)  Just Peace requires inclusive and participatory dialogue among all stakeholders, including government officials, rebel groups, civil society organizations, and affected communities. This helps to build trust and create a shared vision for a peaceful future. Integral to dialogue is the peace process / talks that will level-off the goals in addressing the fundamental causes of injustice, oppression of peasants, workers, and other marginalized sectors of society. 

e) Addressing the root causes of conflict, such as poverty and lack of access to basic services, is essential for achieving Just Peace. This involves implementing policies and programs that promote economic development—that is consistent with economic goals toward national industrialization and eliminates exploitation of labor, liberating and nationalist education, and healthcare system that is accessible to all especially the poor, marginalized and vulnerable communities

f) Recognizing and respecting the cultural diversity of the Philippines is crucial for Just Peace. This includes the development of scientific and nationalist culture of the people, acknowledging the unique identities and traditions of different ethnic and religious groups and ensuring that their rights are protected. 

The pursuit of Just Peace in the Philippines is a complex and ongoing process that requires the commitment and collaboration of all sectors of society. It aims to create a society where everyone can live with dignity, freedom, and equality

CONCLUSION

My friends, the world is in need of not just leaders who have the characteristics imaged by prophet Isaiah. This advent and Christmas seasons we are reminded of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who has shown us how to live with the people and help them achieve their greatest hopes and dreams. 

The vision of a peaceable world commences with various processes: Taken in the realistic sense the vision would be like this:

Powerful oppressors, after going through repentance and engaged in restorative justice, are living peacefully with the vulnerable, where reconciliation and harmony between social classes or nations are made possible. This implies a transformation of human character brought about by the Messiah’s influence like the call for individuals and communities to adopt values like forgiveness, empathy, and non-violence in their lives.

This also points to the Kingdom of God being fully realized on earth, eliminating sin, suffering, and death. This points to our hope of  reconciliation between humans and nature, emphasizing stewardship and care for the environment.

May the blessings of God who incarnated in the Son Jesus Christ be our hope and guide on this Season, in the days ahead and the coming year. Amen.