NO ID, NO ENTRY
“You do not believe in the one whom he sent…” – John 5:38
“Ma’m, I can’t get an interview,” a writer of the magazine where I am editor explained to me why she had not yet submitted an article about a woman executive we had scheduled to feature. “The secretary said her boss is super busy,” she added. So I called up the woman manager and she gave me a date for the interview.
On another occasion, a photographer told me he wasn’t allowed to take pictures of a celebrity I assigned him to cover. So I called up the celeb’s manager and she gave me an appointment for the pictorial. It happens now and then.The staff doesn’t get their job done unless I make representations for them.
One time, I myself was not allowed to cover an event. I hissed at the security guard, “Why?” With a poker face he said, “Sorry, no ID, no entry.”
Yes, people won’t believe us if we are not properly identified or represented. Sadly, the people in Jesus’ time found it difficult to believe in Him even if He already identified Himself as being sent by the Father. Alas, many still don’t believe Him today.Cynthia Santiago (boses2go@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
Jesus is the One sent by Our Father. Believe!
Truth Has Many Voices
A popular saying goes: “You may fool someone at one time, but you cannot fool all people all the time.” Hence comes our practice of establishing the right side of stories through the corroboration of witnesses and through the test of time.
Amidst the doubts and intrigues of His human critiques, Jesus resorts to the human logic of coming to know the truth. He enumerates the many “witnesses” that will favor His claims of Messiahship: the ministry of John the Baptist, the signs and miracles that accompanied His preaching, the abiding signs of the Heavenly Father’s accompaniment of Jesus, the prophecies of the Jewish scriptures.
The preponderance of witnesses and proofs in favor of the truth, however, is inutile if people’s minds and hearts are ruled by biases, and by outright efforts to cover up and deny the truth. I believe this is what is happening to numerous fact-finding sessions, congressional inquiries and senate investigation in our country, for instance. The facts and the proofs are many times glaring, staring people on their faces, obvious. The truth is as clear as daytime… but all quests for truth come to naught because the lure of money, the influences of powers-that-be, the pressures from high places overturn judgments and logic. In the end, good people become tired, hopeless… indifferent.
Jesus’ experience makes us sigh: He knows why truth does not always triumph, why bad things happen to good people, and why evil men seem to enjoy themselves! Man-made obstacles hindered Jesus’ teaching of the Good News in His earthly ministry. Jesus had also to surmount the closed mindset and the evil schemes of Jewish leaders who preferred to safeguard their political privileges. Amidst these things, Jesus invites us — never give up. There are times when truth becomes victorious because witnesses become victims. Then the world could not but listen!Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP
Reflection Question:
Like Jesus, are you confident about your side of the truth? If you are now brought before God and others, what “witnesses” will you confidently invoke to your favor?
Dear Lord, You alone know what is in my heart. I ask for Your mercy that I may stand before You justified.
St. Edward the Martyr, pray for us.
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