Sunday’s gospel mentions two tragic incidents, one caused by human cruelty, the other by an accident. The first concerns a group of Galileans who were summarily executed in the temple on the orders of Pontius Pilate. The second recounts the fall of the tower of Siloam which claimed the lives of eighteen persons.
The popular belief was that misfortunes struck the victims because of their sins (much like our own belief in “gaba” or karma). Jesus instead posed the question whether the victims of Pilate’s cruel order were greater sinners than all the other Galileans, and whether the victims of the accident in Siloam were more guilty than everyone else in Jerusalem.
Answering his own question, Jesus said, “By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” For Jesus, the two tragedies were not a matter for speculation about the sins of the victims, but an invitation to his listeners to put their lives in order. They were a warning, both serious and urgent, “Repent or perish.”
The whole point of Jesus was for everyone to realize the need for conversion. In the face of tragedies that happen, it is of no use to blame the victims. What is more useful is to look into ourselves and be aware of the precariousness of our own life. That unless we repent, we run the risk of suffering the same fate of the victims and perish like them.
While the gospel seems dark and depressing, it ends with good news. The parable of the fig tree is a happy reminder that God readily gives a second chance. Not only does he give us time to convert, but every means needed to convert. When the owner of the land decided to cut down the unproductive fig tree, no less than the gardener himself (Christ) volunteers “to cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it [so that] it may bear fruit in the future.” If it still fails to produce after a year of intensive care, the tree would be cut down.
The gospel comes at a time when our country also suffers a great tragedy of discord and disunity brought about by the recent arrest of former President Duterte. Let us take lessons from the fig tree so we too can change and not perish.
We can understand why the loyalists of Duterte are moving heaven and earth to get him out of prison. What drives them is, to use their own words, their love for their Tatay Digong.
True love seeks the good of the beloved. If they truly love their Tatay Digong, they will do well to leave him in peace where he is now. I strongly believe that his detention in The Hague is a special grace. This could be the last chance for him to return to God. He is nearing 80 years old, which means that he lives on a bonus and borrowed time. Scripture says that the lifespan of a man is 70, and 80 for those who are strong. (Ps 90:10)
Prison time is a powerful time, more power than any spiritual retreat. Ninoy Aquino was totally transformed during his years of isolation in Laur. It was there he found God and realized that his obsession to become president of the Philippines was all vanity and that his higher call was to give his life for the liberation of his people.
St. John of the Cross was unjustly thrown in a dungeon in Toledo where he was subjected to solitary confinement, mean nutrition, regular flogging, putrid clothing and lice. It was in those dark months that he entered into a deep mystical experience of God which he committed to writing in what is his now immortal masterpiece, “The Spiritual Canticle.”
If Duterte’s loyal followers profess undying love for him, they should know that God loves him infinitely more. Duterte is, after all, a child of his. God wants him to be saved for “God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked rather than that he would turn from his ways and live.” (Ez 18:23)
The greater lesson is for all of us who are caught in the turmoil of the present political upheaval. It is time to put our love of country above any political loyalty lest we all perish.
Blind fanaticism is tearing us apart as a people. The destruction wrought by the barrage of fake news, disinformation, deception and lies that roll out from the pernicious machinery of political trolls affects not only the mind but the very soul of our people. They have become veritable victims of Satan who is “a liar and the father of all lies.” (Jn 8:44)
Survey shows that in the Philippines more than half of our people find it difficult to spot fake news in media platforms. We need to be more discerning and learn to fact-check news information especially from social media. We need to promote media literacy and encourage critical evaluation of online content lest we perish.*
