What Negrenses can teach the world

“Let your conversations be full of grace.”

This verse from Colossians was quoted in last week’s talk on Wisdom.  I am amazed at how the Bible is so direct and simple about this. It need not mask this wisdom with a parable, a riddle, or any mind-boggler. It’s a simple advice that concerns a daily occurrence; and yet it is significant counsel, too, for the foundation of all relationships — conversation.

I recall all those times when I fancy gossip and erroneously justify talking about other people as an “assessment.”  I also recall all the petty talks, the discouraging and harsh words I’ve spewed in my life. How juicy when I let them out… but by the feelings these leave me with, how cheap and lacking in grace!

We cannot underestimate the effects of this simple advice. When we start to favor positive conversations, we do not only change the way we speak, but the way we think as well. We change the landscape of our thoughts such that our perspectives become positive, and our intentions are no longer muddled but more loving.

For example, when we meet a new person, our minds rewired by God’s grace automatically sees the good, withhold judgment even in our thoughts, and (borrowing from the Prayer and Life Workshops), we acknowledge that each one is a “Living Wonder,” an “Interesting Mystery.”

Or perhaps, when we are not serviced properly in stores, we express our disappointment in the action but do it so with kindness, in private, and with the sincere intention of helping improve the way things are done. By no means do we assault the personnel, because it does not only lack grace, but shows how we want to get even or stroke the ego.

I believe that we, Negrenses, must be at the forefront in making a revolution in conversations. Our dialect is not just a body of words, expressions and manner of speaking (intonation). It is, interestingly, a reflection of a distinct culture, a way of life, a mindset.

For instance, when Negrenses are caught in difficult situations, we can manage to exclaim (oftentimes with a crisp, loud clap) “ay, kasadya!”  An oxymoron, sure. But that’s a better response for something that usually calls for a curse. It can also be a reflection of Negrense resilience – that all situations can be overcome with grace.

When we get off a jeepney, ours is not an order to stop (for example, “para”), but a gentle request to get off at a mutually convenient stop (“sa lugar lang”).

Our gentle tone, too, must be preserved and purified. By purified, I mean that we make all our intentions sincere, good, and loving to match how we sound.

Our term for God’s will is so beautiful, too: “pagbuot.” Whereas in “will,” it evokes power and obligation, in “pagbuot” it captures God’s goodness (“buot” being the vernacular for “good”). It gives us a heartwarming illustration that whatever God wills for us is out of his goodness as a Father.

I am so excited for us, Negrenses, as we build and enhance a culture founded in Christ’s gentleness and enriched by local history.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, this work is not mine!

 

 

 

The Miracle in Obedience

Artists can be very proud of their work that any criticism is often met with resistance. In my earlier days doing communications work, I considered edits on style as an assault and a misunderstanding of my creative process. I would sulk and defend myself in aggression and lose faith in whoever wielded the red pen. I had more faith in my fellow student publication writers because they were writers, not non-writing superiors. But all along, it hadn’t been my creative process and effort that got wounded. It was all about my ego.

This is my latest realization especially after experiencing a major overhaul in the pieces I submitted in a recent project.  Requests for revision are not new to me and I welcome the scrimmage as organizations have their preferred tones; but really, I had welcomed these because I only had to revise parts. In the case of this local project, it’s my first time to be asked to rewrite from beginning to end and I was very surprised.

I was very surprised not because of the major rewriting, but because of how I accepted the daunting task with no question, no assault, no aggression, no devaluation of my worth.  A lot of work, but not a tinge of hurt.

If this happened to my younger, blindly arrogant self, I would have moped coldly through the whole task. Then I would have remained super arrogant, with my proclamation louder than my already stunted talent.

The peace I felt while rewriting and running on borrowed time was a gift.  He has filled me up so much that I get my worth from His love alone, and not from affirmation and accomplishment – not anymore. So this is what it means to turn to God and be a Christian gale^ — little by little you pay no attention to ego; you peacefully accept and do everything with and out of love.  It’s not always like this, of course, because there are days when the ego gets so stubborn, but at least now I know that I can always cry out to Him whenever it does (That’s why prayer must be taken seriously. Like how Doctora Lara would echo Father Ignacio Larranaga and Saint Ignatius’ Examen, among others – prayer, and auto-critic, side by side.).

And by embracing the daunting revision, I learned from my client (and former Advertising professor) something so new and helpful that with further practice can enhance my skills in writing for the ear. Another case of me being delightfully bobo, and I will forever thank RGH for his mentorship. It has been a great writing exercise with a pro! J

True enough, there is always a miracle in obedience.