Government

Let me share with you a Bible reflection I read in Didache (July, August, September 1999 Issue) entitled "Government."

A lot of people complain about tax evaders that the government does not catch, the widespread graft and corruption that the government condones, the environmental pollution that the government tolerates, the houses that the government does not give them, etc. These they say are signs that the government is trying to bring its own people down to depths.

Government? Who uses office supplies for personal purposes? Who throws cigarette butts, candy wrappers and other garbage into the canals? Who invents additional children to increase their tax exemption? Who dares the bus driver when he crosses the street where there is no stop light or pedestrian lane? Come to think of it, isn’t a democracy a government of the people? If this is so, who is the government?

I am not excusing anyone. Government officials and public servants may be doing a bad job and thus, pulling the country down to the depths. How about the rest of us pulling towards heaven by not adding to the problem? After all, the walls of Jericho would probably not fallen if only Joshua marched around the city. The Israelites would not have been able to leave Egypt if they did not lend their support to Moses. Gladys B.

Lord, You have given us a beautiful country, may we take care of it the way You intended for Your greater glory.

Reflection: In what direction are you pulling?

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Election Time. Aside from numerous infomercials (minus the “Vote for me” tagline), for me road constructions all over the metro is a clear indication that election is near. Last week I just saw one near the subdivision’s main gate.:p

Nine months from now, we’ll be electing new set of leaders – President, Vice President, Senators, Congressmen, Mayors, Vice Mayors, Governors, Councilors and Party Lists. Among the long list, the president is the most important position. Synonymous to parenthood. To be the President of the Republic of the Philippiines is like being a parent to 92.23 million Filipinos worldwide. With this figure, why is it that many politicians still desire to be the nation’s head? Running for President is suicidal, don’t you think?

However, the reflection above gives us a different angle about what government is all about. In my opinion, government is comparable to a big family. The father is the president; the mother is the vice president; and the children are us, common citizens.

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Family, Freedom and Limitations. Most parents want their kids to have a good life. That’s probably the primary reason why parents work really hard. They also set rules so that the children will not wander in wilderness. And when things go wrong, parents are expected to take charge. But this is not always the case. Because children grow. And as children grow, they start to crave for freedom- freedom to decide on their own; freedom to choose their own clothes, their own friends, the activities they want to go into etc. Without a choice freedom is gradually given. However, responsibilities are also being introduced. They are being taught how to stand on their own; how to clean up their mess; how to protect themselves from harm etc. Hence, decision making is no longer parents’ sole responsibility. But certainly there are limitations.

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Example: Assuming you are a teenager, your parents give you consent to go out with friends but you have to be home by 8 p.m. Parents who trust their kids will probably ask just the basic questions like “Where are you going?” and “Who are these friends that you are going to go out with?” Everything else will depend on you and your friends, right? Freedom and limitations go together for good reason.

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In a big family, you cannot expect parents to do everything except of course when kids are still small and highly dependent and for affluent families who can afford to hire housemaids or yayas to oversee the children’s needs specially when both parents have job. In a typical family, the older children are expected to look after their younger siblings specially when parents are not around.

Summary:
1. Every member of a family has a role to play.
2. Cooperation is a must.
3. Freedom is good but there are limitations that we must follow

(In government, freedom is called democracy and limitations as laws).

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The difference between family and government. (1) In a family, parents can plan how many kids they want to have. In government, the numbers are given (and tremendously increasing). (2) In a family, children don’t have a choice who’s going to be their parents. In government, however, common citizens have the freedom to choose our leaders which happens during election. In real life, there are good parents but there are also irresponsible and evil. Who would you choose?

It's up to us!

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Posted 9/15/09 2:35 PM