You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

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Showing posts with label Beware of Bitter Zeal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beware of Bitter Zeal. Show all posts

Monday, September 27, 2021

Be wary of bitter zeal






By Fr. Roy Cimagala *



          YES, we have to be most careful with our tendency to fall

into bitter zeal. It’s that zeal that was rebuked by Christ in that

gospel episode where his disciples suggested that fire rains on those

who did not welcome them while they entered a Samaritan village. (cfr.

Lk 9,51-56)


          While it’s true that we should try to be always zealous in

our life, we have to make sure that our zeal is righteous, holy and

charitable, not bitter, with a clear and proper sense of purpose, not

just aimless.


          Righteous zeal is always respectful of legal, juridical and

most importantly of moral standards, especially that of charity and

mercy. Bitter zeal wants instant results while ignoring legal and

moral requirements, let alone the requirements of charity and mercy.

It may pursue a valid cause, working for truth and justice, but

without taking care of the appropriate means.


          Bitter zeal makes a person hasty and reckless in his

assessment of things. It fails to consider all angles, to listen to

both sides, so to speak. He is prone to imprudence. In the end, it’s

animated by the evil spirit of self-righteousness.


          Inflammatory, incendiary words are its main weapons. Being

belligerent is its style. It relishes in rousing controversies and

sowing intrigues. It’s actually not as interested in looking for the

objective truth and justice as carrying out his own personal agenda.


          Especially when we engage ourselves in matters of opinion,

we have to learn to practice restraint and moderation since no one has

the exclusive ownership of what is right and fair. Opinions are views

that are hardly based on absolute truths of faith and dogmas. They are

more expressions of one’s preferences and tastes, and therefore we

should expect a wide spectrum of differences, since things depend on

people’s different temperaments, backgrounds, cultures, etc.


          Yes, we can have some exchanges and try to sort out these

different and even conflicting opinions if only to clarify things and

perhaps to eke out a most fair view with respect to a particular

issue. We can attempt to have a kind of consensus.


          But all these should be done in an atmosphere of mutual

respect and utmost charity and delicacy. We have to avoid bitter zeal,

sarcasm, irony, insults, ad hominems, mockery, vulgarity, nitpicking,

fault-finding, one-upmanship, the crab mentality and the like.


          If we are truly animated by Christian charity, there would

be zero bitterness in our exchanges of views, opinions, and even of

beliefs. True love, as St. Paul describes it, “takes no pleasure in

evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all

things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor 13,6-7)


          We just have to learn to be patient in handling whatever

contradicting reactions we get from all the goodness that we may be

doing. We just have to look for an alternative way in resolving issues

and situations like this.


          This was the case of Christ when his apostles suggested that

fire rain down on a Samaritan village that did not welcome them since

they were heading to Jerusalem. (cfr Lk 9,51-56) As the gospel puts

it, Christ rebuked the apostles and they journeyed instead to another

village.


          We have to make sure that we are always burning with the

zeal of love. We need to fill our mind and heart with love, and all

that love brings—goodness, patience, understanding and compassion.


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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com