A ridiculous fact

My column in Mindanao Daily News and BusinessWeek Mindanao

OPINION

By KLAUS DORING

 September 24, 2021

---

SHARE

Like

Tweet

A mistaken belief accompanies us each and every second of our life. Incorrect decisions and wrong doings are part of our daily life.

 

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really, he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in our daily newspapers or online for example. There seem to be too many rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

 

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes -  without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and, if I am not mistaken, it's still a missing proof until now.

 

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That's why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. Is it really totally neglected in today's modern education?

 

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one's sustenance, then the other more mundane becomes attractive. After all, great thinkers often do not get (good?) jobs... .

 

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. Wow. That was during his age.

 

Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It's easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

 

Too often we are blind to the truth. As a consequence, we easily believe in lies; we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error. 

Truth in charity and universal outlook

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9,40) With these

words, Christ told his apostles, and is telling us now, that we should

have a universal regard for everyone, irrespective of the unavoidable

differences and conflicts we can have among ourselves.

          Especially when these differences and conflicts are just a

matter of personal preferences and opinion, we should not sacrifice

our good relations with others because of them.

          And even if these differences and conflicts concern serious

matters like our core beliefs and religion, we should see to it that

we don’t cut ourselves from the others. There will always be some good

and positive elements that we can see in these differences and

conflicts, and no matter how insignificant they are, we should take

advantage of them to maintain friendship.

          This is how truth is lived in charity, or the other way

around, how we can live charity in the truth. This point was

illustrated in that gospel episode where an apostle told Christ that

he forbade someone who was driving out demons in Christ’s name because

that someone did not follow them, the apostles. (cfr Mk 9,38)

          That’s when Christ told them, “Do not prevent him. There is

no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time

speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk

9,38-40)

          We have to be wary of our tendency to fall into some kind of

exclusivistic mentality or lifestyle. We should be open to everyone.

As long as we can see that one has an earnest desire to know and

uphold the truth and what is good, no matter how different from our

way of knowing and upholding them or even how wrong, we should try our

best to maintain good relations, since only then can we be following

Christ’s example.

          This kind of attitude is most relevant in our effort at

ecumenism and the apostolate “ad fidem.” We have to learn how to be

open-minded, flexible, tolerant in the manner Christ spelled out for

us when he said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

          In this regard, we have to take extreme care in avoiding

causing scandal to others. This point was again highlighted by Christ

in the same gospel episode. He was quite strong in this regard.

          “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me

to sin,” he said, “it would be better for him if a great millstone

were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

          Scandal is when we lead others to sin. This can start with

our attitude itself and can worsen with our behavior. We have to see

to it that even in our internal forum, in the way we think, judge,

assess, reason, conclude, etc., the good things like charity,

compassion, understanding should be deliberately pursued.

          Then we can expect good actions to follow, for our thoughts,

desires and intentions are the mother of our actions. How important

therefore it is to keep our thoughts clean, our desires pure, and our

intentions full of love and compassion toward others! Our actions are

just expressions of our thoughts, desires and intentions.

          This is how we can live the truth in charity following the

teaching and example of Christ, and thereby attain a universal outlook

amid the complicated drama of our life here on earth.

 *Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Philippines youth join Grammy winner Kirk Franklin for song ‘Lean On Me’

 Kirk Franklin (center)

by Robert Requintina, Manila Bulletin

Six youth from the Philippines have been chosen as part of a global choir to join Grammy-winning music artist Kirk Franklin to re-release his single, “Lean on Me” on Friday, Sept. 24. 

The youth, who are part of Compassion International’s child development program, was chosen to join peers from 24 other countries to participate in the Compassion Youth Choir.

For the past several months, Franklin has been working with youth from all 25 countries in Compassion’s child development program. Through virtual auditions and rehearsals, the Compassion Youth Choir made up of more than 120 youth, ages 11-19, worked with the artist to record the song, which was originally released in 1998.

“It was an honor working with so many young, talented and gifted kids from across the globe!” Franklin emphasized. “I’m grateful to the team at Compassion International for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”

The six youth are Yshara, 11; Hannah, 12; Tessa, 15; John, 18; Kevinker, 18; and Catherine, 18. They came from poor families and auditioned online.

“I’m very excited to be part of the Youth Choir, to show everyone my talent in singing, and to be with other singers from different places as well. My favorite experience so far in working and meeting with Sir Kirk Franklin is when I met him in Zoom. I asked him a question that he answered, and we talked to each other. He gave me advice on how to sing a song well, and he shared his life’s experience to us,” says Yshara, 11, the youngest choir member from the Philippines. 

During the virtual sessions, Franklin provided vocal coaching, answered questions about his life and musical career, and even taught the group some dance moves.

The music video for the re-release of “Lean on Me,” featuring the Compassion Youth Choir, can be seen at compassion.com/kirkfranklin or on YouTube.

Franklin concludes, “It’s unbelievable that a song like this still resonates with so many people. I pray this version provides a little hope for the people across the globe.” 

Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records and Franklin will donate proceeds from the sales and streams of the song to Compassion.