loft sponsored by the Catholic Leave go of Martial and KROC Convention in custody in Davao Metropolis on October 21-26,
2007)
A church mystified in the midst of armed work
The Hygienic Establishment Parish of Pikit is one of the oldest parishes in the See of Cotabato.
In the function of of the Natural Ecclesial Communities or BECs, Christians like seasoned important religiosity and a strong
crux of community and fault towards fellow Christians. Equally was premeditated as the robustness of the
Place of worship in Pikit, nevertheless, turned out equally to be one of her weaknesses.
Pikit Parish is situated apt at the meaning of an armed recalcitrance years waged by the Moro Islamic Discharge
Leading light. The Christians are a minority, comprising entirely 35% of the total motherland. The Moro Leading light has
maintained a quarters in the in villages of the local.
Rock-solid WAR, Unusual Harmony
From 1997 to 2003, the humanity of this local like experienced four abundant armed confrontations in the company of
kingdom troops and MILF armed forces that resulted to vast evacuations of civilians, ceiling of whom were
Muslims. Not entirely that, war has continually been very divisive and its biting effect on the fix of humanity
is even auxiliary base than the physical crumble. In war, even the civilians convey sides - the Christians with
the war and the Muslims with the rebels. And so, even in arrears the war is supercilious in the battlefields, the seal off war
goes on in the hearts of the humanity of Mindanao.
THE Provocation OF THE Place of worship
The all-out-war in 2000 which displaced supercilious a million civilians in Mindanao brought the church in Pikit
ready a foul illuminate of life-force curious. The province, which was very exclusive at that time, was split
whether or not to delay brand mass to Muslim evacuees who were acutely families of rebels and
whom the Christians premeditated as their enemies. It was entirely in arrears a touching mind by way of council members
that the province grave to break the protection of indolence and mediocrity thanks the cut of Jesus in the
Gospel that tells them to "Sweetheart your national as yourself," and the catchphrase of Jesus that "whatever you do
to the smallest amount of of my brothers, you do it unto me." (Mt.25:31-46)
Portion THE Impoverished IS NOT A Quiz OF Chief
The province moreover coagulate the Crisis Acceptance Consortium (DRT) at peace acutely of youthful Muslim and
Christian volunteers. Whether under the stifling heat of the sun or the wet rain and amidst buckshot fires, these youthful volunteers rambling food to thousands of famished evacuees in diverse flight centers - Muslims, Lumads and Christians alike- demolishing the myth that the war in Mindanao is holy in nature.
They would eat together on the exceedingly upland, pray together and even cry together one time they strike that different teenager had died in the flight focus.
The province hurriedly realized that hand out the measly is not a add up of above. For us Christians, it is a pledge and a social fault. At the rear of all, one time you strike the cries of mothers and children sobbing in the night, you don't anymore ask whether they are Muslims or Christians.
Sensitivity BREAKS Cobalt CULTURAL AND Priestly Area
In 2003 war, hundreds of Muslim and Christian evacuees like sought guarantee at the province church and through the province physical education building their transient home. When the moon was arrogant, Muslim and Christian kids would be realistic together at the province put in at before the eyes of the adults who subtle just about the corners. At smallest amount of for a record, the curse of war is over and done. I celebrate that day one time they were unrelieved to their places of origin in arrears six months. The Muslim evacuees were all teary eyed - men, women and children- as they bid us goodbye. I guess the simple act of kindness pass by the church had one way or another corrected misconceptions and demoralized down cultural and holy boundaries that for diverse living had split this small local.
AN Sprouting CONTEXT REQUIRES A NEW View, ONE THAT IS Concluded
A new context was embryonic, after that, a new prediction was mandatory - one that responds to the press-gang of the get older. To assume that prediction, the church initiated series of consultations in the conflicting districts and BECs for the operate of uncomfortable the vision-mission of the province. At the rear of just about one rendezvous of discussion, church leaders during the assembly revised their vision-mission. As real, the new one was an finish prediction that built-in two very serious elements based in the context of the uncomfortable realities in Mindanao and in the world. One was Inter-religious Talk and the other was Peace-building. This new vision-mission is now guiding the province command in gratifying her task in the local of Pikit The province has in future shaped a special ministry with full-time staff members at peace of Muslims and Christians who implement Talk and Peace-building schedule at the province and people's levels.
Apartment BRIDGES Reasonably THAN Protection
Being moreover, the province has been conducting seminars on the Cultures of Harmony and Talk. These seminars, which as a rule carry on for three days, are participated by Muslims, Christians and Native humanity. The primary ambition of the reunion is in principal to renovate the demoralized fix and to let the participants understand that it is attainable for Christians, Muslims and home tribes to work together for categorization and tranquility even as a lot of humanity in Mindanao believe it instead. The exceedingly seminars like equally been conducted to members of the war and paramilitary troops, teachers, conclusion kingdom officials, kingdom line agencies and the early life.
The province equally leads the almanac celebration of the Mindanao Week of Harmony in Pikit in which conflicting sectors including the conclusion kingdom unit and the war share in diverse schedule during the week-long celebration.
End of war Register Repossession THE Past
Perhaps, the ceiling serious part of the reunion is the healing illuminate in which the participants sit in a circle in a victim-offender setting and in which each organization is approved the ground to speak his or her foul incident of the as soon as when the rest listens with close association. The illuminate is routinely sound charged with love. In this lesson, one gets to understand that he or she does not like the monopoly of strain. Then, the whole illuminate ends up with the participants hugging each other in tranquility and making categorization with one different.
CREATING Sitting room FOR Harmony
As part of rejuvenation the communities affected by the wars, the province has coagulate certified villages housing by Muslims, Christians and home humanity. Government of the province, society leaders sad with conclusion Muslim categorization advocates negotiated with the war and MILF not to make these villages as combat zone of their armed forces. Somewhat of minder the combatants to the right, we through them as followers believing that no one has the monopoly of aristocrats. In these villages, certified socio-economic projects and peace-building schedule were implemented in order to tirade the marked and concealed stuff of war. These communities are now called
"Rupture for Harmony and Youthful as Zones of Harmony" communities.
Throw Holy month of Ramadhan, I brought a novelist to one of these villages. The society tour guide told us that the Interfaith Legislative body that we coagulate three living ago is set vigorous and that the members set meet every month. He alleged that carry on Eid'l Fitre the Muslims and Christians contributed food. They placed the food on a hope for upland and they gladly ate together with their empty hands- Muslims and Christians, men and women, children and adults.
Talk AS A WAY OF Core
The microbe of tranquility has been sown and it seems it continues to show bit by bit. The illuminate is slovenly but it brings upmarket and a lot of surprises. Everywhere before you don't see a Muslim coming to the province compound, now you see them come. It is no longer a secret space for Christians acquaintance but a public space. Muslim kids problem bump and peanuts on your own initiative come apart from hatefulness. One Muslim friends would sometimes come to the convent and separate meals with the priests. Within the meals, sometimes they would lead the prayer at other get older, the priests do.
Within Muslim weddings, offering are equally Christians who stand as sponsors. At the exceedingly time, during Christian weddings, offering are equally Muslims who stand as sponsors. In one wedding at the province church, I was stunned to see three bridesmaids voguish 'tundung' or tiara. I found out complex that they were Muslims and that they were colleagues of the bride in high school. I equally stood as a sponsor in two Muslim weddings.
Within patronal fiestas, the province routinely receives Muslim circle in the convent and the province prepares
'halal' food for them. By the same token, during their holy partying such as Ramadhan, Christians equally go just about visiting their Muslim friends to semblance their friendship with them.
Every single one summer, the province early life ministry holds a month-long sports and cultural fest. Sane of the new vision- task of the province, for the carry on three living the early life leaders like opened the illustrate to Muslim and Protestant early life as well, diverse of them their neighbors, colleagues and friends.
Shot TO Priestly LEADERS
Pikit province is reaching out to the conflicting parishes in the archdiocese conducting intra-religious words by way of priests and lay leaders most primitive and moreover inter-religious words and culture of categorization seminars by way of Muslims, Christians and Native humanity instant.
Talk is not proper the work of one or two experts in Islam. It is an "integral part of the evangelizing task of the Place of worship." (Redemptoris Missio) Hence, it want be the conclusion church, our Natural Ecclesial Communities, that want be in the forefront of this words work of the Place of worship.
In saying this, I would the same as to purpose out that holy leaders be realistic a very serious function in this work. So far, offering are some of us who, apart from the mature it, like become part of the arrest by re-enforcing luxuriant protection of capacity relatively than part of the enter by loft bridges of tranquility.
The challenge for churches is not so radically to build their own be given but to build the be given of God. To understand this, churches want recommit to the Gospel and be convulsion to become instruments of God's aristocrats to every mortal years regardless of who they are.
PLANTING THE Embryo
Common peace-building is the same as loft blocks. You don't put the blocks on top. You start from the bottom up. In Pikit, we storage space to workings the microbe of aristocrats not even mature if and one time it is departure to show. But we acclaim in God's Good fortune that whatever aristocrats we like planted order be radiant entirely in aristocrats and that aristocrats acquaintance order befall in the end.
(Fr. Roberto C. Layson writes a box file, "Fields of Dependence", for MindaViews, the front feature of MindaNews. Fire up Layson is former province priest of Pikit, North Cotabato and anon the manager of the Oblates of Mary Immaculates' Inter-Religious Talk. He is the 2004 Ninoy Aquino Man for public service.)
Source: my-spiritual-path.blogspot.com
