Running thoughts... Rallying cry

I am joining this afternoon a prayer rally here in Makati. Our community has even agreed with the organizers to make our campus the converging point for all participating Catholic schools in the area (Makati-Pasay). The meeting is set at around 2pm, after which we start the walk to Ayala avenue.

This isn't the first time I am joining such an activity. I had my first rally experience back in 1986 (with my father when I was only 8) then several others came after that-- prayer rally, rally against anti-life bill, rally in support of this and that until my last participation in January of 2002. I had been to Edsa, at the senate, Quirino grandstand/Luneta, España in Manila even Mendiola and in front of the US embassy and several other places because of these rallies.

And again this time, there is this call to go out the streets-- to express disgust over corruption in government, to search for truth in the midst of several allegations against people in the office and to call for change--both at personal and societal levels, among individuals and in our existing systems. But before doing that, before getting drowned by the crowd; before the walk and the talks, I choose to follow first the wisdom of our bishops and ask myself several pertinent questions.

I would like to raise the same points put forward by Cardinal Rosales: "What’s evil in me? How am I hindering the progress of my country? Am I selfish? Am I boastful? Where do I cheat?" these are important questions because as he said: "When we find the answers to these, believe me, we will all grow up. The difficult part here is that we always want to be near the sea [alluding to the israelites at exodus]. We keep going back to Edsa." And he added, "Hanggang ngayon di pa natin nakikita ang Diyos. Bakit? Sapagka’t ayaw nating pumasok sa disyerto, sapagakat gusto natin sa tabi ng Edsa (Up to now, we haven’t seen God. Why? Because we don’t want to venture into the desert, because we want to remain near Edsa)."

"We keep returning to Edsa. That is why we can’t attain our liberation. We don’t want to journey far into sacrifice, into changing ourselves, because of the cost."

In a couple of hours I'll be walking to Ayala avenue... maybe this time not with clenched fists but with clasped hands; not with shouting and screaming but in silent reflection of my own contribution to the ills of this society of which I am very much a part of.

May this rally be for all of us a moment of reflection, realization and readiness to change however difficult it may be and whatever price it may demand from us.