‘It was a stunning accomplishment putting Bongbong on top of a major survey when his political career
exhibited practically nothing
to prove he would be capable
of being a good President.’
LOVE God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) was the preaching of CCF Senior Pastor Peter Tan-chi last Sunday. The parable features a lawyer asking Jesus how he can have eternal life or go to heaven.
Until today, wealthy and powerful lawyers have embraced a wicked self-righteousness, shunning the poor and the sick. Biblical Christians know the first part of the Ten Commandments sums up our obligations to God, while the sixth up to the tenth commandment or the last part of the parable pertains to our fellowmen.
Jesus presents our “neighbor” in “The Good Samaritan” as beaten up and left for dead by the robbers. People in distress qualify as our neighbors. And we never thought much about it as most of us continue to wallow in pride, indifference, and selfishness.
A Levite or priest and a Pharisee representing the Church and the established order had taken a good look at the victim and went on their way. A Samaritan of a sect traditionally hostile to the Jews tended to the victim’s wounds, took care of him at an inn, and left money for his needs and recovery. Indeed, only God and our genuine love and devotion to Him can drive us to be so kind, so generous and so compassionate so that we cannot sleep well at night until we have lived out this kind of selfless and sacrificial love.
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Only his family and close friends know whether Bongbong Marcos is prepared to be President and face the gigantic responsibility of rebuilding our country. Having absentee parents while growing up could be quite difficult for someone like Bongbong, who was sent to study abroad, which was customary among prominent and political families back then.
The children were secondary to the Marcos couple’s relentless pursuit of power and high ambition. Their life of privilege and extravagance proved daunting for sBongbong and his introverted sister, Irene. Imee was shaping up to be the articulate politician in the family but turned out to be rebellious and eloped with Tommy Manotoc, a cousin of the Lopezes, the major political foes of the Marcoses.
Bongbong grew up allegedly as spoiled brat who had the time of his life in London reportedly with girls and drugs. He was rumored to be a Rolling Stones’ groupie who would bring cocaine and expensive liquor.
Countless delinquents have fallen into a life of disrepute due to the absence of their fathers. More than 80 percent of inmates at the former Sing Sing Penitentiary in the US had problems with their fathers.
Today, if Bongbong is still not his own man, he may yet be overwhelmed by tremendous odds if he gets elected as President.
His highly-paid public relations and media executives have done an excellent job reshaping his image and reputation in ways probably never done before. It was a stunning accomplishment putting Bongbong on top of a major survey when his political career exhibited practically nothing to prove he would be capable of being a good President. But many people have given him the benefit of the doubt.
