THE SILENCE OF THE SHEPHERDS
After I wrote my reaction to a pastor’s wife’s lament over the silence of the shepherds in the months leading up to the election, a good friend messaged me and we had a good discussion about it. And yes, we’re still friends. Haha
She opined how “we were given many reminders to vote for someone with integrity and honesty,” and that she “can’t imagine our church naming a candidate and calling him untruthful…”
True but the thing is, unless I am mistaken, I don’t recall a single sermon dedicated to May 9. Any election-related mention was relegated to “inserts” in preparation to the “real” topic. And please don’t tell me that sermons are lined up a year in advance so there can be no modifications because every Filipino knew what was going to happen in 2022.
Before anyone thinks I am for bloc voting, no, I am not. I just know God would want us to vote against what even atheists would recognize to be contrary to our teachings.
And then another round of silence post-election.
On the very night when liwanag was being extinguished, Psychologists for Leni was already offering their help via zoom. Soon after, there was a proliferation of “secular” invitations to a mental health webinar and processing sessions. Where was the church? Their pink members had to endure for days as their hearts were crushed in 31 million pieces before it said, “Call me.” If it did anything before that, it did not cascade to the church-led socmed groups that I am a part of.
Yes, I understand that leaders are also human and might have been recovering from their shock as well, but so too were the people behind the Zoom sessions and webinars. Being pink all over (unlike the sapin-sapin church), they were also mourning but they remembered their members when it mattered. If the pink church leaders were still processing, where were the red and green?
Now I am sure there were people who went out on their own to fill the vacuum and help heal the pain but sporadic activities by a few does not absolve the organization.
“My only concern is that when lost people read the grievances of Christians towards the leadership...where else do they go aside from church?” lamented my friend.
The leaders should have thought of that. Don’t agree? Respect my opinion.
After I wrote my reaction to a pastor’s wife’s lament over the silence of the shepherds in the months leading up to the election, a good friend messaged me and we had a good discussion about it. And yes, we’re still friends. Haha
She opined how “we were given many reminders to vote for someone with integrity and honesty,” and that she “can’t imagine our church naming a candidate and calling him untruthful…”
True but the thing is, unless I am mistaken, I don’t recall a single sermon dedicated to May 9. Any election-related mention was relegated to “inserts” in preparation to the “real” topic. And please don’t tell me that sermons are lined up a year in advance so there can be no modifications because every Filipino knew what was going to happen in 2022.
Before anyone thinks I am for bloc voting, no, I am not. I just know God would want us to vote against what even atheists would recognize to be contrary to our teachings.
And then another round of silence post-election.
On the very night when liwanag was being extinguished, Psychologists for Leni was already offering their help via zoom. Soon after, there was a proliferation of “secular” invitations to a mental health webinar and processing sessions. Where was the church? Their pink members had to endure for days as their hearts were crushed in 31 million pieces before it said, “Call me.” If it did anything before that, it did not cascade to the church-led socmed groups that I am a part of.
Yes, I understand that leaders are also human and might have been recovering from their shock as well, but so too were the people behind the Zoom sessions and webinars. Being pink all over (unlike the sapin-sapin church), they were also mourning but they remembered their members when it mattered. If the pink church leaders were still processing, where were the red and green?
Now I am sure there were people who went out on their own to fill the vacuum and help heal the pain but sporadic activities by a few does not absolve the organization.
“My only concern is that when lost people read the grievances of Christians towards the leadership...where else do they go aside from church?” lamented my friend.
The leaders should have thought of that. Don’t agree? Respect my opinion.