IN the vernacular, the title suggests something very negative as it denotes craziness or insanity. Media can come up with some U.L.O.L headline or tag lines to increase viewership or readership. After all, a crazy title will almost always catch our interest. In a typical social-media strategy, advertisers rely heavily on the number of likes and comments, which in turn, depend on how the page or brand attract viewer attention. These days, some government officials, in their attempt to maintain a brand image or keep up with the culture of “not so comedic sarcasm,” have resorted to all kinds of attention-grabbing remarks. At times, it can be funny. At times, it can be downright insulting. Either way, it catches the attention of the reader or listener.
When it comes to crazy, I know of a friend who can talk smack and trash talk all day, owing to his gangster background during his younger years. He was a gang member and did some drugs before. Gifted with a good physique and talented voice, women would go gaga or “U.L.O.L” over him instantly. As such, he has fathered 22 children from 17 different women. When the long arm of the law finally caught up with him and brought him to prison, he became U.L.O.L over the Word of God. I guess much alone time confined in a small space made him reflect upon his life of being a gang member, womanizer and drug user. He eventually studied the Bible while in prison. Upon his release, he still carried his U.L.O.L ways… but this time, more about sharing his faith with others. In his capacity as a pastor, he is not your typical soft-spoken and levelheaded person as he can go ballistic every time he teaches the Law of the Lord. Of course, as a friend, he still show signs of some of his U.L.O.L way back in the old days, but more for fun or friendly banter! He can be downright obnoxious, in a good way, to make sure he keeps the attention of his students or mentees. When asked for advice, he can be brutally candid as he shares what the Bible says in various topics such as relationships and behavioral doctrines.
So, when the idea of sharing biblical principles not from the pulpit or any of the typical platforms came about, my pastor friend Gary Galvez went U.L.O.L and came up with the concept of telling stories that exemplifies what the law of the land and what the law of the Lord would say. Laws, by God or by men, were meant to be obeyed, whether one espouses absolutism, humanism, relativism or utilitarianism. If Congress and all other legislative bodies are the sources of the laws of men, the Bible is the best, if not the only, source of the Law of God. Hence, the first episode of U.L.O.L na U.L.O.L (Usapang Law of the Lord and Usapang Law of the Land) will be premiering on Sunday, September 26 on DZXL 558 MHz or Radio Mindanao Network (RMN News Manila). As Pastor Gary Galvez will be sharing the law of the Lord, yours truly will be explaining the law of the land in issues that we all experience in our daily lives. Our mutual objective is to correlate these seemingly contradictory legal foundations with the hope that our listeners and viewers will understand that they are not so different after all.
For instance, praying is very much prescribed in the Law of the Lord as provided in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says, “Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.” Under the law of the land, President Ferdinand Marcos (Proclamation 2242, 1982), President Corazon Aquino (Proclamation 44, 1986), and President Fidel Ramos (Proclamation 1067, 1997) prescribed a certain period in a year as “National Bible Week.” Ironically, despite his much-publicized attacks on God and the Church, President Duterte turned the Bible Week into a Bible Month (Proclamation 124, 2017). January was officially declared as National Bible Month with its last week as the National Bible Week. Recent history has shown that government pronouncements have incorporated the Bible and any activities related thereto in government activities. Proclamation 24 reinforced that the term “Almighty God,” only found in the 1987 Constitution, is a reality that runs in the veins of each and every Filipino.
The Bible tells us that it is through prayers that we communicate with our Almighty God. The Preamble unequivocally expressed that Filipinos ought to implore the aid of the Almighty God in pursuing their lofty objectives in the Constitution. By law, therefore, Filipinos should communicate with our Almighty God, by way of prayers in every situation. While different religious groups prescribe varying forms of prayers, the fact remains that believers all over the country acknowledge praying as a communication channel to God. Both the Bible and our government, the latter recently in the light of calamities, have recognized the power of prayers!
Filipinos, with little or no eternal perspective, will not have a clear definition of what is just and what is right in the eyes of God. For public servants to especially understand that compliance to their sworn duties can be as simple as serving others with love, they need to study the Bible. Whether required by regulation or strongly encouraged by their superiors, public servants must have a continuing presence of God’s ultimate law of loving others. In their oaths, where they swore to uphold the law and defend our Constitution, public servants need to marry the concept of justice with God’s righteousness if they are truly to understand it, biblically speaking. In the words of author Cindy Jacobs, “Law without an ultimate judge and lawgiver can only deteriorate into anarchy or tyranny. Law without the fear of the Lord turns our cities into police states.”
Without the values of “truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace” as provided in the Preamble (Law of the Land) which are aligned with “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” as found in the Bible (Law of the Lord), the sins of corruption will persist and prevail in our society. With programs like Usapang LOL, “crazy” Pastor Gary and I aim to make others crazy to learn both the Law of the Lord and the Law of the Land.
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.
