GOD LOVES HIM, TOO
In June 2018, President Duterte made a remark that has become one of his most unforgettable quotable quotes: “Who is this stupid God? Estupido talaga itong p***** i**.” He never lived it down not that he tried because he kept on with his tirades with no let-up. As a reluctant observer of his ins and outs, I think it’s safe to assume that he is not a believer. In fact, he claimed to be “Islam.”
Then came COVID-19. Amidst the weak government response to the pandemic, he appealed to the public, "Marunong ang Diyos. Alam niya, hindi niya tayo pababayaan especially Pilipinas kasi Kristiyano tayo. Magsakripisyo lang tayo konti. Tutal ang ating idol nagsakripisyo man din, pinag hampas-hampas, pinako pa sa krus. Tayo, pasimba-simba lang. Luhod luhod ka lang diyan. Dedicate it to the Lord that you also suffer for the country.” Social media was ablaze with scorn and derision calling him a hypocrite but is he?
As mentioned, the president has never claimed to be a believer. It is lamentable that he chose to be a mocking and insensitive leader of the only Christian nation in this side of the planet but a religious hypocrite? Maybe he is just a man who has come to the end of himself and realized there isn’t much.
I don’t know if he was sincere especially with his habit of saying one thing today and another tonight but if we are to listen carefully, of all people, he spoke gospel truth. God is wise. God knows our suffering. He will not abandon us. We just have to make some sacrifices which are incomparable to what Jesus underwent. Contrast that to the reaction of the offended “Christians” who damned his soul to hell, saying that he is beyond redemption. If it were an ordinary person who uttered those words, we would probably throw our arms around him and invite him to say the sinner’s prayer.
I understand that the president is no ordinary person and friends who know me know full well how I feel about him. But my feelings do not matter. My anger does not give me free pass to misrepresent the Word and declare him an exemption to God’s offer of salvation. As much as I find his words and action (or inaction) hurtful, I still need to see him through the Father’s eyes who so loved him that He gave His only begotten Son that should he believe in Him, he shall not perish but have everlasting life.
In June 2018, President Duterte made a remark that has become one of his most unforgettable quotable quotes: “Who is this stupid God? Estupido talaga itong p***** i**.” He never lived it down not that he tried because he kept on with his tirades with no let-up. As a reluctant observer of his ins and outs, I think it’s safe to assume that he is not a believer. In fact, he claimed to be “Islam.”
Then came COVID-19. Amidst the weak government response to the pandemic, he appealed to the public, "Marunong ang Diyos. Alam niya, hindi niya tayo pababayaan especially Pilipinas kasi Kristiyano tayo. Magsakripisyo lang tayo konti. Tutal ang ating idol nagsakripisyo man din, pinag hampas-hampas, pinako pa sa krus. Tayo, pasimba-simba lang. Luhod luhod ka lang diyan. Dedicate it to the Lord that you also suffer for the country.” Social media was ablaze with scorn and derision calling him a hypocrite but is he?
As mentioned, the president has never claimed to be a believer. It is lamentable that he chose to be a mocking and insensitive leader of the only Christian nation in this side of the planet but a religious hypocrite? Maybe he is just a man who has come to the end of himself and realized there isn’t much.
I don’t know if he was sincere especially with his habit of saying one thing today and another tonight but if we are to listen carefully, of all people, he spoke gospel truth. God is wise. God knows our suffering. He will not abandon us. We just have to make some sacrifices which are incomparable to what Jesus underwent. Contrast that to the reaction of the offended “Christians” who damned his soul to hell, saying that he is beyond redemption. If it were an ordinary person who uttered those words, we would probably throw our arms around him and invite him to say the sinner’s prayer.
I understand that the president is no ordinary person and friends who know me know full well how I feel about him. But my feelings do not matter. My anger does not give me free pass to misrepresent the Word and declare him an exemption to God’s offer of salvation. As much as I find his words and action (or inaction) hurtful, I still need to see him through the Father’s eyes who so loved him that He gave His only begotten Son that should he believe in Him, he shall not perish but have everlasting life.