REVIVAL: JUAN TAMAD WITHIN US MUST BE AWAKENED AND TRANSFORMED

 

This is a sequel to my previous article “Juan Tamad Within Us May Elect Our Next President.” As a backgrounder, let me repost the concluding part of my previous article

The crux of the matter: The need to “engage” the 70% of the voter population in their Slow Thinking System 2 minds on election education is crucial. The 30% is the bulk of voters presumed to have fallen prey to disinformation purveyors and their Fast Thinking System 1 mind taken over.

Let me conclude this mind-boggling article with M. Scott Peck’s grim words:

“One of the major dilemmas we face as individuals and as a society is simplistic thinking (Fast Thinking System 1 of Juan Tamad) – or the failure to think at all. It is not a problem; it is the problem.”

In this sequel, I would like to add my two-cent worth of idea on mitigating the problem. The 70% problem area I believe could be taken care of by the programs and resources of various private, religious, academic, non-governmental, cause-oriented groups and institutions under the umbrella of our nation’s civil society. The 30% problem area – a tough job – has invited my interest whose nature and complexity can be defined by this statement:

To argue with anyone about his or her belief in Marcos’s history revisionism could go nowhere, any more than to argue with an atheist about his or her disbelief in God could go in a vicious circle.

Let me take the case narrated by PDI columnist Mart del Rosario about his friend Alex’s conversation with a lady who inquired where he was going.

“To San Fernando to deliver a talk on ‘Traumatic Years of Bagong Lipunan’,” he said.

“Ha! I’m an unbeliever of the Hate Marcos Cult,” the woman said.

Alex was silent for a while, then asked:

“Have you read Primitivo Mijares?”

“No,” the woman said.

Arillo?”

“No.”

“Sionel Jose?”

“Who he? No.”

“Dr. Maslog?”

“No.”

“Some Are Smarter Than Others?”

“No.”

“Then, Madam, you are not an unbeliever, you are just ignorant.”

Let me present a parallel hypothetical scenario of my own with a lady inquiring where I am going.

Me: To San Fernando to deliver a talk on “What It Means to be A Christian.”

The parallelism with Alex’s case – the irresistible force meeting an immovable object -- is noteworthy. For Alex, as an anti-Marcos Martial Law Years advocate, the stake is a vote; for me, as a Couples for Christ member, a soul. Not as an interruption, the lady I take both as a challenge and an opportunity.

Lady: Ha! I’m an unbeliever of Christianity.

Without saying anything, I smile and offer her peppermint candy which I always bring with me on the road to calm my motion sickness. She smiles and says, “Thanks.” I nod politely. In less than no time, she asks, “What’s your talk all about?” All at once, I share my talk with an audience of one on the road.

In Christendom, the above simplified hypothetical scenario exemplifies the essence of

Servant Evangelism = Deeds of Kindness + Words of Love + Adequate Time

In the thick of its meanings and implications, the equation’s key principle: Deeds come before Words. That is, a deed of kindness, even how small (like sharing the peppermint candy) it is, could create “phone wires” in transmitting God’s words of love -- in Alex’s case, love of country. Stephen Covey, author of Seven Basic Habits of Highly Effective People called the “peppermint candy” an emotional bank deposit – investing trust in a new relationship (with a stranger in this case).

Disclaimer: The author Steve Sjogren of the Christian book Conspiracy of Kindness from which the above method is based stated he does not intend to criticize anyone who is sharing the gospel in other ways and affirmed that the state of evangelism today doesn’t demand a few good ideas but a hundred. Just as Steve does not intend to criticize anyone, so too this article does not call into question Alex’s method that cut the lady down to size.

Adequate Time.

We need to allow time for deeds and words to have their effect on the lady’s mind and heart. How long would they take? Nobody knows. As the proverbial phrase goes: Time will tell. In the equation, Adequate Time is God’s domain.

All the more when we consider the 63 million voters whose System 1 and System 2 in Pinoys’ minds have been fighting each other amid the noise of the upcoming May 2022 election, let alone the swarm of disinformation. As the two Systems play off against each other in every issue, their interactions determine how we think, make judgments and decisions, and act. With just four months to go before the election, there’s so much work to do in so little time.

Let’s juxtapose excerpts of the 2022 events predictions of Jarius Bondoc in his Philstar’s Gotcha column:

“Fake news and historical revisionism will dominate the election campaign. Candidates with the least credentials will concoct accomplishments and blur dark pasts. Online media will be the primary means for falsities, and computer analytics will be used to pinpoint which big lies to reiterate to look true.

“Political dynasts will lead the popularity polls for president, VP, congressmen, and local posts. Senatorial favorites will be the old names. Party-lists will violate election rules by promoting not their advocacies but names of nominees.”

Plus PH now is declared as “critical risk” for Covid-19 and Metro Manila is in a “severe outbreak” of the pandemic.

So grim, the total outlook is.

“What is happening to our country?” Crawling out of the car riddled with bullets, then Foreign Affairs Minister Emmanuel Pelaez uttered those words moments before he was wheeled inside the operating room with four bullets piercing his back and neck. What can be more relevant today than those excruciating words?

Charles Colson in his book Kingdoms in Conflict: An Insider’s Challenging View of Politics, Power, and the Pulpit, described Cardinal Sin:

“He saw his role as a spiritual, not a political leader. Sin had been studying the Book of Chronicles. He saw in the account of Israel’s corrupt leaders parallel with the grief his nation was enduring. 'When God wants to punish a people, he reasoned, He gives them unjust rulers. Like Marcos.' So the answer is for the people to repent, turn from their ways, be converted, and seek God.

“Among the lush green islands Sin preached to legions of poor farmers as well as the stylishly dressed elite. His simple message took root. His battle cry was 'Cor,' which means 'heart' – an acronym: C for true conversion, the changed life created through repentance and forgiveness from God. O stood for the offering of the obedient lives to God -- for true conversion had to make a difference in behavior. R stood for reparation – for the 'making right' required of true repentance.”

Is Cardinal Sin’s “Cor” the “revival” we need today?