The
headlines of these past weeks were disheartening. Most of the news reported were
about death or destruction: a patient shoots his doctor then himself; a plane
from Taiwan crashes leaving 40 people dead while the world is still stunned by
the specter of an entire Malaysian airline passengers’ demise; the raging
conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates in Gaza resulting to almost a
thousand lives lost. Tragedy is a constant ingredient in the drama of human
reality! We breathe the scent of evil in the air. Yet we know that there are
also many good things happening daily.
Jesus
in his gospel uses simple parables as pedagogical devices to show us how the
things of daily life speak to us of God. When he spoke of a field where the
master sowed wheat and later that night an enemy sowed weeds, he wanted to
highlight the tension and conflict of good and evil in the world. God’s
patience allows both good and evil to thrive.
Sadly,
some people just focus on seeing the dark side of life. They get depress and
lose hope. Indeed the world’s disasters loom big. The national scene is somber
as the country continues to be entrenched in progressive squabble about our
coffers being mismanaged by our leaders. On top of all these is the interplay
of our own personal and emotional struggles we go through. Among the news item
that caught my attention was an item tucked within a section of a newspaper. It
concerned a sixteen year old girl from Alcoy, Cebu who hanged herself because she
got fed up! She wrote a suicide note which read, “Ingat kayo pa at mga kapatid. I love you. I’m sorry. Dili na nako
makaya” (Take care pa and to my brothers. I can’t take it anymore).”
World
Health Organization reveals that depression is the Number One cause of illness
and disability for both boys and girls aged 10 to 19 years. In this age group,
and suicide ranks number three among causes of death. Worldwide an estimated
1.3 million adolescents died in 2012. A psychiatrist from Vicente Sotto
Memorial Medical Center for Behavioral Sciences confirms that indeed “teens are
at risk of committing suicide because they encounter various emotional
struggles.”
As
I see it, depression strikes everyone like a virus. According to studies there
is a group of neurons in front of the brain that seems to be strongly linked to
depression. Interestingly, this area of the brain is also known as the
“me-center” of the brain because it is the active area when one “thinks about
oneself or worrying about the future.” Hence there is truth in the saying:
“selfishness is the fantastic way to be miserable.”
Moreover,
I think that our culture of convenience has contributed much in making our
young people soft. It places no premium on sacrifice or renunciation anymore.
It has succeeded in convincing them that life is about living comfortably; that
the measure of life is being happy. Hence suffering is something to be avoided!
This throwaway culture has taken away the meaning and value of suffering and
sacrifice. Thus when they experience pain and pressure, they give up.
Faith
allows us to see the bright side of life. It allows us to find strength in a
power greater than ourselves. It gives depth to ones character and allows
plenty of hope and optimism. When Jesus tells the parable of the hidden
treasure, he invites us to see the hidden God present in our lives. When he compares
the kingdom of God like that of a merchant who found a precious pearl, he
challenges us to make the effort of seeking him hidden behind our struggles,
our sufferings and our sacrifices. Faith gives us an amazing ability to cope up.
It is faith that unravels the many mysteries of life. When we believe, we will
find ways to rise above the challenge.
