Leadership guru John Maxwell said that needs start the process of finding purpose. Leaders must discover their purpose and advocacy, whether it be accidental or intentional. Maxwell used the example of Nehemiah. In the Bible, Nehemiah gave up his stable life as the king’s cupbearer to build a wall for his city precisely because he was moved by the needs of his community. The sight of his home in ruins moved him to rebuild his city and to call others to action.
The biblical story of Nehemiah is similar to the story of Sonny Busa. Like Nehemiah, he calls people to bridge divisions between countries and people. As retired United States Army infantry officer and a former diplomat for Kuwait, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, South Korea and Honduras, one of Sonny’s greatest accomplishments was his active participation in the return of the San Pedro Bell from the United States to the Philippines. When Father Raymund Chan, of the Diocese of San Fernando, La Union, wrote to the West Point Superintendent about the possibility of having the bell returned, Sonny provided the seemingly invisible bridge between the US and the Philippines. After all, he is a Filipino-American graduate of United States Military Academy Class of 1976 at West Point and, more important, is a friend of the USMA Superintendent—Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr.
As a former US Consul General to the Philippines, Sonny connected the officials from the United States (West Point, US Army, Department of State) with the stakeholders from the Philippines (University of Santo Thomas, Catholic Church, the Department of Foreign Affairs). The bell, which was brought to the United States as a military souvenir more than a hundred years ago, now sits at the Church of Saint Peter and Paul in Bauang, La Union. Sonny’s next objective is to participate in the return of the controversial Balangiga Bells from the US to his home province of Samar.
Recently, Sonny accepted a one-year teaching opportunity, pro bono, at the Philippine Military Academy. He taught International Relations in the USMA at West Point. He will likely renew his teaching contract in PMA if only to serve as a teaching channel between cadets and graduates of both service academies. However, if Sonny were to continue to inspire future leaders in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he will be alone, as his wife and children are all based in the United States. Sonny will also suffer a massive pay cut; PMA, after all, can only pay its instructors so much. These kinds of hardships always accompany service to a greater purpose.
In his book Great Days with the Great Lives, Charles Swindoll narrated how Job’s faith and purpose was tested by many trials, and how Job’s faith never wavered, faithful that God was present during times of trials and hardships.
One of Maxwell’s principles is “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This holds particularly true in the Philippines. As provided by the Preamble of the 1987 Constitution, we are “imploring the aid of Almighty God” to establish “a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and peace,” among other aspirations. In the Bible, Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
My foreigner-friends have told me that while the Philippines is blessed with so many resources, it also seems that the country is cursed with bad leaders. I believe that Filipinos can accomplish all the aforecited aspirations and secure the blessings of “independence and democracy under the rule of law,” only with good leaders, especially those burdened with a purpose just as Sonny. In the Bible, Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Best-selling author and pastor Rick Warren said that, despite this promise, all things do not turn out alright for everybody. For Rick, and presumably for Sonny, the verse simply means that good only comes to those who trust Him with their plans. And Filipinos have trusted Him, as we have implored His aid as found in the fundamental law of our land.
Sonny, perhaps, realized that his purpose in life is to be a bridge between his country of citizenship, the US, and his country of birth. We need to find and develop leaders who are grounded in faith. In Sonny’s words, “how do you put a price on the satisfaction of influencing future leaders of the Philippines?” No bridge is too far for Sonny.