The parallelism of high tides and low tides to life

Photo by FJ

High tide and low tide are natural phenomena characteristic of the movement of the sea and is parallel to the status of human existence. "Mahubsan man gani ang dagat, ang dato pa kaha!" (If the sea had such lowest point as low tide, how much more are the rich!) Without a second thought, a neighbor carpenter blurted the maxim out to the rich pediatric Chinese-Filipino physician who asked on how the second family of his father-in-law fares in life economically as they happened to be the carpenter's neighbors living and renting on a house. The affluent M.D., who lives with his wife and daughters in an spacious house surrounded by still large lawn in a posh village over and above being a stockholder of a thriving agribusiness, could not refute the lowly man's straightforwardness but chuckled and said, "Sakto jud ka, "Noy!" (You said it right, Sir!) I know both of them and my neighbor shared this story with me from the conversation they both once had. "Ang tinood nga dato dili nagapaila nga sila dato!" (The real wealthy people camouflage the fact they are wealthy!) is another maxim expressing reality. Why not? Trumpeting and showing off your wealth is an invitation for burglars to eye you and family as prospects for kidnap for ransom and robberies. In the high tide of life, it is wisdom to keep a low profile and save money so that in the imminent low tide of life, we have savings to spend with. Remember Joseph The Dreamer's interpretation of the Pharaoh's dream of "seven years of plenty and seven years of famine"? Egypt was spared from hunger and famine by application of this God-given wisdom in the instrumentality of Joseph, the Hebrew slave-turned government official whose rank was second only to the Pharaoh. "Seven years of plenty and seven years of famine" is same expression as "high tide and low tide," contradictory yet inseparable realities in human lives, thus are inclusive to the rule or law of opposites. Similarly, investing in gold jewelries is wise investment concept to engage in as gold increases value over time; wearing the jewelries, however, is both naivety and pedestal-placing on one's part but the esteem one gains is pretension. More often than not, the "esteem" most give is drawn out of the bucket of self-interest: either in exchange for job, business, or debt opportunities. In the low tide of life, people laugh at you when jewelries are no longer dangling around your neck and banding around your wrists, fingers, ankles and what-have-you (piercings, perhaps). Once this scenario takes place, the general impression is: you have just placed your jewelries for safekeeping and ventilation of air-conditioned pawnshops and protection of security guards! Just live a static, economical life and be safe from the evil eye and scrutiny of the surroundings. Even so, the lure of keeping (and wearing) gold jewelries did not spare women pastors of a particular Christian denomination church, thus tempted a church worker-relative looting almost the whole bunch along with several 100 USD bills! Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 lists 14 passage "opposites" of life that express general truth and in verse 5 is written thus, "A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them" -- but let not the opportune time of "scattering" be by means of falling victims to thievery. In like manner, the law of opposites is expressed in the song "Gulong Ng Palad" (Wheel Of Fate), a Filipino immortal classic, in the polarity of "ups and downs" and "nights and days." Almost three decades ago, Charlene Gonzales, the Philippine representative to the home-court 1994 Miss Universe pageant that eventually wrapped her up the third spot, was known for her "high tide or low tide" remark in the pageant's interview portion. Asked how many islands make the Philippines, she asked back, "High tide or low tide?" which gathered applause and laughter among the crowds. The host guffawed and replied: "Give me both!" Gonzales, now married to actor Aga Muhlach, responded: "Well, in high tide, we have 7,107 (islands) and in low tide, we have 7,108 (islands)." The difference is only one island! Was she referring to the "Vanishing Island" off the coast of Island Garden City of Samal in Mindanao? The United Nations convention on the law of the sea defines an island as "a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide." According to an Inquirer columnist, the one-time P.I. figure was due to lack of "expert knowledge" to determine the actual numbers of and which qualify as official islands that make the Philippines as the experts have discovered to date -- viz. 7,641 total Philippine Islands, a difference of 534 islands from the former branding of 7,107 islands that the Philippines and the world grew up with and formerly knew for a long time. Allegorically, high tide hides diverse islands and islets of material jewels and treasures of the Philippines and low tide reveals its hidden, non-material treasures. Is it no wonder RP had braved the colonization of Spain, Japan and America through years of its history? And now PRC is inching its way via the contested West Philippine Sea, slowly giving credence to the veracity of the 1948 Lipa, Batangas Marian prophecy: "China's dream of invading the Philippines and the whole world." Nevertheless, the Francis papacy-led Vatican quashed the apparition's supernatural origin in 2016. Regardless, Filipinos can learn from the wisdom of round-the-clock shifting of the sea surrounding our archipelagic state: the law of the opposites or the parallelism of the high tides and low tides to life.

Photo by fjacinto

Endless debate: Christianity on the losing end?

Photo by FJ

The essence of Christianity is on the brink of collapse unless denominations, sects or groups belonging to Christianity stop debunking the doctrines of one another. Christianity, the world's largest religion consisting of the Roman Catholic Church and over 30,000 (and counting) denominations and sects, is at war within its own circle. Christians belonging to different denominations have the penchant for debating each other on their doctrinal uniqueness so that they end up arguing, quarreling and fighting -- or, to use the atheistic perspective, the main cause for the existence of war in the world in which rationale is yet to be proven. Imagine the more than 30,000 Christian denominations espousing more than 30,000 separate doctrines! Christianity alone is not at peace, often engaging in word war of noxious debate with one another, losing the essence of Christianity. Unsurprisingly, Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian patriot and hero, once quipped: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." The Gandhi observation is an old cliche yet holds true even to this day. This is the blind spot of Christianity that only a non-Christian can see. One Christian is hardcore on the doctrines he believes in; and the other Christian likewise holds the same fervor on the doctrines the church he belongs to holds onto. Both have opposing doctrines born out of biblical interpretations of the founding denominational pioneers. We cannot reach concessions halfway and common grounds concentrating on debating each other. For instance, the two doctrines of "non-worship of idols" and Roman Catholic Church incorporating "visual aids" of images and icons in prayers are so irreconcilable that, if we try to force the north and south poles patched up together, would instead create an even bigger hole: limitless debate, rift and heated disagreement. Why are Christians so inclined to indoctrinate each other when atheism is gaining followers worldwide? Why has the no-God belief become popular in the contemporary world? Is it because the times we are currently in belong to the so-called "Aquarian Age"? Or, is it because of discouragement over Christians warring each other within the four corners of religion? Respect for doctrines incomparable to ours by not imposing our own doctrines -- and vice versa -- will set aside our differences (unless one or the other asks for enlightenment as to submit oneself for indoctrination). Furthermore, when dealing with atheists, deal with atheists with love. Persons tend to lose faith in God when, for one, disastrous circumstances strike their existence: for instance, tragic loss of a loved one and anxiety and depression for once Catholics now turned non-believers of God. The critical thinking is: if there is God, why such misfortunes are allowed to happen? So much so that atheists must be dealt with love since scores of them had lived through traumatic experiences in the past. Doctrines ought to lead Christians to love, the essence of Christianity; but Christians make an idol out of doctrines so that the essence of Christianity is on the verge of losing.

Unfriending: first-aid remedy for cyberbullying

Photo by FJ

Most view unfriending on facebook as an uncharitable, unchristian act of conduct. Nothing is amiss about clicking the "unfriend" button on social media inasmuch as you are doing so for those obsessed in hate posts and comments and cyberharassment. Unfriending is a healthy and wise move to maintain peace within yourself and your community online. Pharisaical view sees only idealistic rather than realistic approach to resolving human relations issues. Ideal is to befriend all people, but reality says, not all people like you. Evidence is in their, for example, unreasonable, destructive criticisms about your person, ideas, religious and political views -- and, worst, they post such criticisms to your own walls. The perpetrators try to undo you and do you unjust vexation that is overwhelming to the interior, stealing your peace and confidence. We are not shock absorbers of their unvented ire, much less doormats which they must wipe their grease-smeared shoes off on. It is imperative to do the sifting, separating the chaff from the grains, or cutting loose the toxic ones from your timelines and have an atmosphere of being at ease, at peace, and at home once again with your own computer, laptop, or mobile phone, screens. Or else, it would be a busy traffic for us online for self-defense and cyber-retaliation instead of using the gadgets for goodness' sake. Unfollowing, unfriending or, worse than other options, blocking is foremost first-aid remedy for cyberbullying, mutual reprisals and fake friendships.