"LOL"

A personal reflection on today's Gospel MARK 7:1-8,14-15, 21-23 (September 2, 2018)

"Nakakatawa ba yun?"

I was sipping coffee & watching CNN when I heard that question. I looked at the man beside me & noticed the patch on this shirt. It was the name of the coffee shop where I was staying. I was waiting for my flight back home.

I smiled at the waiter & asked, "Pinoy ka pala. Matagal ka na dito sa SG?"
"Yes sir! Anong oras po flight niyo?"
"Mga 3 hours pa e."
"Relax lang po kayo dyan. Just approach me if you need anything."
"Salamat ha! Btw, tama ka."
He gave me a confused look then said, "Tama? Saan po?"
"Tama ka. Hindi nakakatawa yun nasa news kanina. In fact, nakakalungkot."

What the heck were we talking about?

I was watching the news featuring the Philippine president. He was at a public forum & he made a joke about rape. Then the camera panned to the audience. The audience, mostly Pinoys, were either laughing or smiling. There were a few who did not react. Ironically, it was the laughter and smiles that made the news sad for me. Why? Our country is supposed to be Christian dominant. A Christian should emphatize with victims not laugh at them.

However, the news did not show that. Sad story but true.

I wrote this post not want to judge anybody. I was not there at the forum. Also, this is NOT a political post. I simply want to relate the news to how the Pharisees acted in today's Gospel. In Mark 7:5 the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” They wanted to call the attention of the disciples for not following the law. Yet, their concern about the law was not because they wanted to follow God. They were motivated by envy. They saw that Jesus was getting a lot of followers. Their question was intended to put down Christ & his followers.

The Pharisees & scribes were supposed to be God's followers. Their actions & words in the Gospel did not show that. Like the CNN story, it was sad but true.

Ang nakakatakot ay nagiging ganyan din tayo. We claimed to be Christians but we judged others because of our own interpretation of the law. We fail like the Pharisees because we are weak. This why we always need to be on guard. We need to watch our actions. We need to think before we say something. We need to guard our hearts because "these evils come from within and they defile." (Mark 7:23). We need to ask God to guide us always because we are weak creatures. We cannot be good without God because HE is the source of goodness. Mark 10:18 says "No one is good but God alone."

I looked at the waiter. I wanted to hear his reaction to my last comment - "hindi nakakatawa yung news. Nakakalungkot."

He took a deep sigh & said, "Pagdasal na lang natin bansa natin. Ang Diyos ang pagasa natin"

Those were his parting words before he attended to the need of another customer. I was encouraged by his words. I was touched when he mentioned prayer. Siya'y tunay na Kristyano dahil para sa kanya una ang dasal at pagmamahal. May our heart, mind & actions be based on love. Because LOVE should always be higher than the LAW.

So, nakakatawa nga ba yun? HINDI PO pero LOL pa din. As Christians, our "LOL" should not be Laugh Out Loud. Our "LOL" should be LOVE OVER LAW.

My friend, as you face the new week focus on being a true follower of Christ. A Christian who prioritizes love before anything else. Have a blessed & LOVING week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com