The Ancient Call

*This was written on Independence Day, in remembrance of freedom and "purpose." I accidentally saved it in my drafts and did not know that I haven't posted this til today. So here it goes.

"Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan."

And I see you grit your teeth and roll your eyes. 

The youth has always been believed to possess a grand calling. In both spiritual and secular dimensions, we have always been considered vital and purposeful (yet looked-down-upon at the same time, okay I'm not going there)

But we are the chosen generation. The Generation Y. The Internet-savvy. The next leaders of the country. The fierce, faceless, blameless army of God. The forerunners. The history-makers. The IT generation. 

Yeah, yeah. We've heard that before. Preached in several services. Prophesied a million times. And maybe we've stopped hoping. Or begin doubting. Or tell themselves maybe it's going to happen, just not in our time. 

Behold, cynicism. And we can talk about numerous causes and symptoms of this disease. Rationalism. Legalism. Burn-out. Worldly-contamination. Discontent. Disappointment. You name it.

But it has been lurking in our society. Cunningly stealing the hope. The "idealism." The vision. 

Before we know it, our insides stop functioning and death is our destiny.

Apathy becomes the trend.

I and an old friend of mine were talking about this recently, realizing that many of us have fallen into this pattern - a radical-turned-apathetic God-fanatic.

But despite pessimism, the countless efforts of forgetting and unfortunate circumstances such as loss and desire and dream funerals, the vision still burns within. (It's a good thing to know, though, that I'm not alone, there are several of us that is -- two is comforting). Or if I'm the only left standing and fighting, I will not stop hoping. 

Weariness, failure, pain, distraction, I can guarantee. But He's going to fight with me. He always has anyway.  

We may have been complacent or stuck somewhere I don't know. But we have to soldier on. We have to believe again.

They say the youth era is the "Golden Age" of one's life. So let's make it worthwhile. I don't wanna waste any of it. I don't wanna be left behind. I don't want to be named a bystander in tomorrow's history.

We have been passive long enough.

I remember asking my Law professor, how can the "freedom of speech" be actualized and assured? He said, "if you constantly claim that you possess it - constant, meaning every day."

A vision can only be alive if you water it with enough H20 (sometimes it can be too salty but whatever). It has to be nurtured.

Every day we need to claim that we do have a calling as a people. And it has always been the same. It is that powerful that no matter how hard you try to forget, it is engraved within. It is sealed in us.

We have an irreplaceable role in His Kingdom. And not death or life or the devil could take that away. The enemy can deceive us however. But God has set eternity in our hearts. It is written. This is the chosen generation. And this is the generation that will prepare the way of the Lord. We have always been.

I have never stopped believing for those who sought and ran with this "vision". Along with those that are yet to be enlisted in this army.


And I hope to see them again soon and watch new faces battle in this bloody field of ours.

As for myself, I'm getting my dogtag again. It's not fake. It's not tarnished. But it's blood-stained. And has only one name and one syllable on it. His.  


Suit up. Gear up. We got a land to conquer.

O God let us be the generation that seeks
That seeks Your face
Oh God of Jacob

Give us the strength to fight again.

The Four Letter Word

I'm not really sure what to write about so let's see where my mind will take me (and you as well, my dear sojourner)

Love.

An abstract, intangible idea. Poets, philosophers, psychologists, scientists, theologians and love-struck teenagers have tried to come up with a grand explanation to this four letter-word. To identify each claim will only be a waste of effort.

Now just to be clear, although I hate sounding defensive, I ain't gonna talk about romantic love or Cupid or boy-crushes. Besides, aren't you fed up with all that shizzles? With media and society bombarding us with telenovelas and cheap love and... I'll stop myself  'cause it'll take another entry to talk about this.

Has "love" become that complex that we don't even know what our genuine response is? Or have we tainted it with so much meaning that it has become as messy as postmodern art - an abstract painting?

Apparently, when we think/talk about God's love, it still appears to be... complex. Or should it be? Well, the songs and the verses tell us it is incomprehensible. But is it? Is it because His is so great that none can fathom it? Does that mean, however, that we cannot experience His love to the fullest measure?

Maybe we cannot fully grasp it and I guess that's what love does, you know. It allows room for never-ending exploration. For mystery. For wonder. That maybe we can never understand it to His understanding And that's not necessarily wrong.

Maybe.. it's beyond logic. But does not reject logic. Maybe it's giving room for faith. For a 40 ft free-fall jump. But of course, we all know that.

Whether Christian, Catholic, Muslim or Agnostic, we have all heard about the famous illustration of His love - the cross. And that is precisely the reason. He died to bring life. Not for Himself. But for us.

And admit it, after hearing it from the pulpit from the 1556400th time, it wears us out. Overchurched brothers and sisters say Amen. And that's where the question really lies: how can we really say that we have encountered His love? Is it because we simply know it? Or we have just decided to believe that He loves us? But how do we believe? Is it a mind-conditioning ritual that all Christians are supposed to do?

Or are we asking the wrong questions?

But His love exceeds understanding. Feeling. And even words. It is powerful. It is whole. It is.. dangerous.

And what I mean by that. It pushes oneself to his limits. Imagine a God jealous for man? How is it possible, right?

But He is. He loves us deeply. Passionately. Personally. It creeps me out (a good kind of fear, okay)

It is tasted. It is lived out. It is experienced. Genuinely. Powerfully. Wholly, without any glitch.

He loves us too much that He gave Himself wholly and gave us freedom to respond to His love freely.

Like any mortal, I am filthy despite the "Christian" label. Not because I do not live by the "Christian standard of doing Christianity." And often, I become suffocated by it and therefore miss out the truth about my being.

What then is the truth about our purpose? I don't think it's to earn star stamps and stickers.

It's to experience His love. Remain in it. And love Him back. It won't be difficult to love others then, would it not?

Maybe it's not that complex after all.

It wouldn't be if we just stop pretending and pouring empty love.

At least today, I choose to love You.

At least today, I do.