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.