Life in the Midst of darkness

Good Friday Reflection
06 April 2012
by Frank J. Hernando
Seoul, Korea

BUHAY SA GITNA NG KADILIMAN

Life in the Midst of Darkness
John 18:1 - 19:42

It was a cold sleepless night for Jesus and his disciples from the upper room where they had the dinner, to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus had his final prayers and come to grips with the reality of human suffering and death. Then the arrest out of betrayal, the trial before the Jewish Temple court followed by the trial at Pilate's Palace with the mob participating. The choice for death was not Barabas but Jesus the Nasarene who claimed king of Jews and has a kingdom of his own.

The reasons for such for the choice of the mob, the hand washing of Pilate and the persistence of the Jewish high priests are not that simple. It is complex and convoluted. Denials of the possibility for change were there for the imperial power of Rome. The empire was losing it's hold on the people, the moment Pilate release Jesus, he will be a traitor to the Roman Emperor. There was the corruption of the Jewish rituals and theological inconsistencies between the printed Torah and the ethical standards prevailing at that time. There was the misdirected anger and impertnence of the mob.

The fourth Gospel or that of John tells the story of the crucifixion of Jesus with affectionate tone. The first is ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. This is loaded with affection such as love and empathy to family and friends. Nobody can stand the extent of violence, hatred and humiliation inflicted that unravelled before them.

The second is, "I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. The third is, "It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Their tears and sorrows could not stop the bleeding from his brows, the oozing of water and blood from his sides, hands and feet. Tortuous and inminent death on the cross.

The death of Jesus is supposedly the last death that must have occured in human history. But no, even those who know and stand on the precepts and ethics of Christianity continue to kill people both at gunpoint and through systemic oppressive and unjust social systems. Jesus' kingdom has remained hidden, if not violated by the modern empires and governments of our world today. However the cross is not just a symbolism of conquest of death but LIFE giving life, freedom and peace.

Let me share with you this beautiful acapella music with the lyrics below. I like most these lines:
If you open your eyes, night opens doors of musk,
The secret kingdom of the water opens
Flowing from the center of the night.
---------000-----------
Water Night
by Eric Whitacre

Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
Night with eyes of water in the field asleep
Is in your eyes, a horse that trembles is in
Your eyes of secret water.

Eyes of shadow-water,
Eyes of well-water,
Eyes of dream-water.

Silence and solitude,
Two little animals moon-led,
Drink in your eyes,
Drink in those waters.

If you open your eyes, night opens doors of musk,
The secret kingdom of the water opens
Flowing from the center of the night.

And if you close your eyes,
A river, a silent and beautiful current, fills you from within,
Flows forward, darkens you:

Night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.

Video on youtube:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V3rRaL-Czxw

What are you afraid of?

Maundy Thursday Reflection
05 April 2012

Takot ka ba sa ano?
What are you afraid of?

Scripture Text: Exodus 12:1-14
Photo: "destruction" by Drew Hopper

1. Maundy or Holy Thursday reminds me of the intensity of emotional propensity that get into the Last Supper services I officiated for twelve years. One of the services as Gloria and I planned was the re-enactment of the first Passover celebration at the time of preparation for the exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt as narrated in Exodus chapter 12.

2. We prepared a kind of unleavened bread and there were worshippers who acted the parts of Yahweh, Moses and a Hebrew family. It was very dramatic and the congregation felt the emotional stirrings of the worship experience, especially the painting of blood of the butchered lamb in the door posts. The wailing of the parents whose firstborn laid dead was heard. The panicky Hebrews were packing up their things for the journey to the Reed Sea and off to the land of promise via the Sinai wilderness.

3. For sure the Hebrews were really scared of the night escape from Egypt with the detailed instructions how to prepare for the Passover meal and pack their food for sustenance for several days and leaving behind the relative prosperity they've experienced as in the eating of "fleshpots in Egypt" even if they were slaves there. Much more scary was the insecurity they will have in journeying to an unknown promised land. The Passover was reenacted by Jesus through the last supper with his disciples.

4. In fact the Passover was the prelude to exodus or better articulated by Christians as the once and for all freedom from sin. The last supper was filled with bidding and remorse for the revealed betrayal, arrest, trial, judgement by the mob, crucifixion and death of Jesus.

5. Sino ba ang hindi natatakot na ma-aresto, makulong, ma-dedeport at mahatulan mabitay sa ibang bansa? Walang sinuman ang hindi malalinan ng takot sa maaring datnan ng ating buhay sa ating sariling bansa man o sa ibayong dagat. Who is among us not afraid of being arrested, imprisoned, deported or comdemn to death in a foreign land? Nobody can ever escape fear of whatever may befall us either in our own country or abroad.

6. But, we can learn from Jesus how he faced the impending shame and death on the cross. It is not because he is the son of God or himself God but rather as a human being who made the choice to die for the cause of a new social and if you like a heavenly dispensation. Maunday Thursday provides a measure of the great resolve to love humanity in spite of the insurmountable political, social and economic costs.

Sinong nangangalakal ng digmaan?
Who are the war mongers?

7. On this Maundy Thursday night when we commemorate the last supper, where the table is spread with bread and wine, and hearing Jesus say, "This is my body, take eat and remember me," and the cup, "This is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins", we as well hear the rumors of wars or the bombings and shootings in war torn countries as the backdrop of this.

8. I've read in today's English daily in Seoul that the Philippine government will suspend and reroute flights from Korea and Japan from April 12-16. This is a dicision based on the perceived threats to security and peace at the launch of long range missile in North Korea. The US and the South Korean governments are insisting that it is not a sattelite North Korea will launch but a missile that would reach distant lands. To me the suspension of flights on specified dates by the Philippine government is an overreaction to the sattelite launch. Wait a minute, when South Korea launch a sattelite last year, the Philippines did not even notice that. The US did not say anything about it especially that it was a failure. I suspect that the US is manipulating the Aquino government to ride on the war mongering to increase the level of insecurity in Asia-Pacific as a premise to the re-basing of US military in the Philippines and justify the well opposed construction of the US naval base in Kangjeong village in Jeju island. I think the war mongers are instilling fear and anxiety among people especially the Filipinos. Time to stop spreading the rumors.

9. If Filipinos in Korea want to pack their bags and want to escape go ahead. Please don't get infected by bug of war mongerers. What the Korean peninsula needs is a permanent peace treaty to replace the Armistice of 1953. Many Koreans believe and support the reunification of the Korean nation.

10. The Passover meal and Maundy Thursday are essentially the same. God in Jesus Christ has given us peace and security. The ethical imperative for peace loving people is to live out the new covenant of life, love and peace.
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Exodus 12: 1-14

12The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT

Kung ayaw mo, di hwag!
If you don't like it, I won't!

Hoy, walang hiya!
Hey, you, shameless sloth!

Holy Wednesday Reflection
04 April 2012
Scripture text: John 13: 1-18

BAKIT AYAW MO?
Why don't you like it?

Jesus faced with the inevitable arrest, trial and crucifixion, gathered his disciples for a dinner and a ritual of servanthood, foot washing. The very understanding of foot washing has been emphasized in pastoral ministry formation. Just like how Jesus acted out not just the idea of it but the very act of serving the people in whatever circumstances.

However there is so much paychological and politcal underpinnings when we read the biblical narrative of the foot washing, aside from the ritualistic act that it carries with it.

When Jesus approach to wash Peter's feet, the latter refused to be washed. Peter supposed that Jesus, the teacher should not stoop down in washing his feet. He would rather do the act to him. Jesus told him, "kung ayaw mo, di hwag" "if you don't like it, I won't insist." But Jesus teach him the deeper meaning of what he was doing, if Peter won't be washed, then he won't be a part of what we stood for. Illustrating the scope and commitment to servanthood Jesus washed the disciples' feet as one final act of being with them and for the disciples to challenge the powers that assume dominant control over people's lives. This is one final act that in commitment to the marginalized, servanthood means giving your all, even your own life.

Frequent washing of hands or checking one's face on the mirror is a kind of psychological disfunction. Interesting though, for us to know the compulsion to wash and be made clean, we must be reminded that the excessive urge to wash to feel clean constitute obsessive compulsive disorder.

Wikipedia.org defines Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) as an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning; repeated checking; extreme hoarding; preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts; aversion to particular numbers; and nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room.

I remember the heated discussion during the 1991 UCCP constitutional convention in which one of the delberations was on the title of the ecclesial head of the Conference, a Conference is more or less similar to a presbytery or a diocese. Three titles were proposed, Conference Moderator, Conference Bishop and Conference Minister. The first title was thought to be outdated, so the discussions focused on the last two. The proponents for the Conference Bishop were head on and persuasive with their justifications, at one point, the Concon President, former senator Jovito Salonga commented that Jesus did not want to be called with such titles like a bishop or with some other titles, but simply a servant, a teacher or the son of man. It is important for us to reconsider our positions or the way we think about ourselves in view of the ethical demands for servanthood amongst our people. In this sense, we can reverse the negative connotation of 'Kung ayaw mo, di hwag' into postive way of refusing to be always pedestalled in relation to other people.

HOY, WALANG HIYA!
Hey, you shameless sloth!

Another inevitable situation is Judas betrayal of Jesus. The dinner ensued and the foot washing ritual finished and the moment of truth has come. Jesus told them that one of them will betray him. The gathered disciples were confused and in disbelief of what Jesus revealed. They don't have any idea who the betrayer is. I would think in this intense and stressful situation some of them could have cursed or uttered "Sino ba ang walang hiya na ito?" "Who is this shameless sloth?" "Sinong makapal ang mukha na ipinagkanulo ang ating guro?" "Who is this shameless betrayer of our teacher?"

Judas from the place called Escariot was frustrated that Jesus' way of struggle was of self-sacrifice, a kind of suicide instead of insurrection. Judas was a member of rhe insurrectionist group called the Zealots waging an armed struggle against the imperial power of Rome which was in collusion with the Jewish temple authorities. They wanted to overthrow the power of Rome and the temple authorities. With what Jesus was doing, it is better that he be arrested and penalized so that people will shelve his work. Betrayal was the right thing to for Judas.

A good friend and teacher is sold for pieces of silver. A person has been a means toward a particular end, and that is horrible. Judas is the shameless sloth but those who bribed him with thirty pieces of silver were the disfunctional Jewish temple authorities who feared losing their control of the people.

Once again Wikipedia has this definition of betrayal:

Betrayal (or backstabbing) is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations.

Often betrayal is the act of supporting a rival group, or it is a complete break from previously decided upon or presumed norms by one party from the others. Someone who betrays others is commonly called a traitor or betrayer.

Ngayon, sabihin mo, sino ang totoong walang hiya?

Now tell me who is the real shameless sloth?
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Photo by Tanya Rochat

The Servant, Our Nation

Reflection for Holy Tuesday
03 April 2012

Isaiah 49:1-7

"YOU DISGRACE THE FILIPINOS"
In a recently concluded thread here in my post about my narration and analysis of the answers to my questions of the visiting Philippine VP Jejomar Binay in Seoul, a commenter on my post wrote that my analysis of the answers were disgraceful of the Filipinos. By defintion according to Meriam Webster Dictionary, disgrace means: 1. to humiliate by a superior showing, 2 : to be a source of shame to and 3 : to cause to lose favor or standing. In Tagalog disgrace means kahihiyan or kadustaan.

I don't think I disgrace the Filipinos by sincerely asking questions related to the plight of migrant workers in particular and the dire economic situation of Filipinos in the broader perspective. Reminded of the definition of disgrace in view of Isaiah's articulation of the servant, I realized that the servant that is being referred to in the chapter 49 is both referring to Cyrus the rising Persian king in the 6th century BCE who was foreseen as the liberator of the Israelites from bondage in Babylon. Secondly the servant is as well referring to Israel itself, the nation in slavery in Babylon . Thirdly the servant is the foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, with which the suffering, death on the cross and the resurrection perfectly fit into the imagery of the servant.

WHO HAS BEEN DISGRACING THE FILIPINO NATION ?
Second Isaiah has to say about the nation Israel:

Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, youg peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” (49: 1-3).

The Filipino nation was birthed through the struggle of the ancestors but any nation for that matter can be considered as a struggle for respect for the humanity of the individual and of the community. Based on the history of struggle of the Filipino nation, the succession of colonial and semi-colonial goverments have had disgraced the Filipinos through the centuries, including the present government.

The servant is the suffering people who have knows its identity and pursues the direction towards the new exodus, when the oppressed will be set free. Whether the people believed in the personal, external, supernatural God or the highest goal toward humanity of the people, what matters most is that the Filipino people has to act on the life of the servant.

Furthermore, Isaiah declares:

And now the Lord says, who formed me in nial n the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—
He says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

This says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”++

Photo: winterskies by Drew Hopper

"Masters and Tyrants Unwanted Here!"

"Masters and Tyrants Unwanted Here!"

Reflections on Holy Monday
02 April 2012

Text: Isaiah 42:1-9.

YOU HATE YOUR MASTER? You will be a pauper!

Has it been ingrained in many people's mind via cultural training at home that one has to rise above all others to be considered a success? Or has it occured to you that since you gain consciousness that you have to be obedient to your parents and other persons older than you? It is unimaginable for everyone to think of being a servant all of his or her life depriving onself of the comforts of life and constrain oneself from aspiring to control or command persons and utilize material possessions for one's comfort. If you think like this, you must be out of your mind.

The Hong Kong masters lord it over their Filipino and Indonesia maids. The maids are employed for a specific purpose and they are not persons but a kind of accessory in the house, a wee bit intellegent and animated than a robot. That's why maids in Hong Kong are not allowed to gain permanent resident status. Great! The masters love it ! Advice for the maids, kick your master's ass---ets, I mean assets.

THAT WEIGUK (foreigner) IS SUSPICIOUS.

Admiration for Caucasian foreigners in South Korea by many Koreans is amazing, it seems like seeing Caucasian Americans and Europens as angels and Hollywood stars. Amazing! But what about the blacks and browns? Many people on the street can't actually differentiate brown from black, they only see black. Weiguk saram dul- foreign people are suspicious, they are here taking away jobs, they maybe drug dealers, very poor in their home countries, not well educated and uncultured. Many Koreans like to see the blacks and browns as well because they feel, to the very least better looking or fairer and economically able than those from Southeast and South Asia and Africa. In the small and medium scale industries the Korean sajangnims or employers love to enslave their migrant workers. They expect full respect and adulation from migrants. They are not only slave drivers, they think they are tyrants, who demand unconditional obedience from the migrants. That's why the jobs in South Korea in th SMEa are 3D--difficult, dirty and dangerous.

FOR CHRIST SAKE, TAKE THE POWER of the SERVANT GOD that will release and free you! Claim this power with your hands.

Second Isaiah, the prophet heard God saying to despairing people:

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.+

KASAMMAKO Statement on the Occasion of Philippine VP Jejomar Binay Visit in Seoul

KASAMMAKO STATEMENT ON ISSUES AND CONCERNS
VICE PRESIDENT JEJOMAR BINAY
SHOULD KNOW AND APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TO
25 March 2012

We leaders, members and friends of member-organizations of the Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (KASAMMAKO) together with the community of OFWs and other Filipino expatriates, welcome Vice President Jejomar Binay to South Korea.

The visit of Vice President Jejomar Binay to South Korea, we believe, is not just a social occasion in spasmodic and harried preoccupation of the Philippine Embassy officials and staff, but a down-to-earth and truthful engagement in dialogue with OFWs in South Korea. We would like to present the following issues and concerns of OFWs and the Filipino people in general to Vice President Jejomar Binay for his careful consideration and appropriate action:

1. The 160% increase in Philhealth premium and budget cut on allocations for assistance to nationals in distressed situations. We oppose the Circular No. 022 of Philhealth Board that prescribes 100% to 160% increase in premium contributions for National Health Insurance Program (NHIP). This is one form of legalized exaction and an additional financial burden laid on the shoulders of OFWs. This violates the very intention of the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) that stipulates OFWs should not be subject to any form of taxation and this directly affect even agency-new hires who are obliged to enroll with Philhealth for them to get an OEC. More so, the national budget for social services should be at the upbeat with the increasing needs of OFWs.

2. We urge the Philippine Congress to amend Article 26 of the Revised Family Code that infringes on the right of Filipino citizens who are married to foreign nationals to re-marry after initiating a divorce. This law is unfair, especially to Filipinos in abusive conditions. It is discriminatory and makes every Filipino marriage migrant more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. This law should be amended to allow Filipinos married to foreign nationals to re-marry after a divorce, regardless of who, between the two parties involved, initiated the divorce. KASAMMAKO has been involved in an international signature campaign for the amendment of Article 26 of the Revised Family Code.

3. Pursue legalization of undocumented migrant workers and put a stop to crackdown as a deportation strategy of the Korean government in curbing the number of undocumented migrants while denying the need for skilled and culturally well adopted migrant workers in the Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs). The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea need to enact a law that will give amnesty to undocumented migrants workers who have worked in the country for a definite period of time and has proven competency and skills in their particular occupations. The UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrants and their Families is the blueprint of what is possible in the legalization process of undocumented migrant workers. We oppose all forms of crackdowns on undocumented migrant workers for these are violations of their human rights.

4. The Employment Permit System (EPS) foreign workers employment term extension by way of amendment has been duly approved by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea last December 29, 2011 but was officially woven into law in February 1, and thereafter become effective in July 2, 2012. Many EPS OFWs whose term of employment end prior to effectivity date are excluded and have to go the tedious and expensive processing to be able to return and find jobs in Korea. We believe that POLO can present policy recommendations to MOEL to make the amendments to EPS law inclusive.

4. Scrap the Oil Deregulation Law and remove VAT on oil, LPG and all petroleum products. The unabated oil price hikes has deepened economic difficulties, pulling down greater number of the Filipino people to the abyss of poverty. The monopoly pricing by giant oil companies keeps prices high - or overpriced way beyond actual costs and actual demand which has been protected by the Oil Deregulation Law. Oil prices are being artificially pushed up due to the insatiable greed for profits of giant oil companies, speculators, financial investment houses and banks and not by any supernatural, abstract entity that economists call as the market.

In conclusion, KASAMMAKO believes that forced migration has been a product of social injustice in the Philippines and the EPS is an instrument of enslavement of the neo-liberal capitalist globalization. The failure of the present and past Philippine governments to provide decent employment for its people in the home country and the need for cheap and docile workers in destination countries are the root causes of this. The social costs of forced migration are irreversible and grievous circumstances evolved as the global economic recession worsens. Therefore it is an imperative that the Philippine government should immediately change its policies and create decent and meaningful employment for the potent working population of the Philippines. +++

References:
Pol Par
Chairperson, KASAMMAKO
Tel. 010-4607-7526

Carry your cross and follow Christ

PROK Staff Morning Prayer
22 March 2012

Text: Mark 8: 34

God of compassion and love:
We thank you for this day and for the renewed strength of body and mind.

At this hour of prayer we are reminded of the words of Jesus, that if we want to follow a life leading to love and peace, we have to deny our own personal vested interests and carry the burden of the suffering people.

It is not an easy life to follow the sufferings of Jesus. But we thank you that we are constantly reminded to serve God with the whole of our lives. Also, we thank you for the courageous struggle of common people for food, water, home, security and peace.

We remember in our prayers, the sufferings of people in many communities where life has been threatened: Kangjeong maul, Syria, Palestine, Tohoku, and in many communities where people are treated like commodities. May the liberating power of Jesus be the source of inspiration for attaining greater access to the source of abundance and justice.

We especially pray for today's strategic planning conference/symposium at Kangnam church. May the Holy Spirit guide and inspire the Church leaders and staff who will participate in process.

Unite us in faith and response to the many forms of separation in our world today, through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.