RECONCILE AND RULE June 18, 2020

It is ironic that well-meaning public relations efforts across the global community are encouraging people to heal and stand up as one against our common enemy—the CoViD-19 pandemic—and yet witness all the conflicts among our local, national and international leaders, and even within our barangays and villages.

It is understandable though, that everybody would be on edge: neighbors who are wary and do not hesitate to ostracize somebody new, and even those they know, but whom they hear just came from out of town, for fear that these people may be carriers of the virus.  Then too, we have leaders even within the same department or committee who are not consistent with the principles and procedures that they are implementing; political leaders who seem more like they are engaging in turf wars rather than trying to make the nation heal; and global leaders who fight across borders, trade relations, and issues of race and discrimination.

Do these all mean that man’s best efforts could never overcome our baser nature of trying to go higher or be better or be more benefitted than the other person?  Are all these task forces, web conferences, treaties and pledges of solidarity only for show, but when it comes to action, it’s every man for himself?

How pitiful, since it could only end in failure, unlike the blueprint we have been given in GOD’s Word today.  We read in Genesis chapter 32 of how Jacob, who formerly defrauded his brother Esau of the first-born inheritance and who ran away to his uncle’s house to work and build his own family, came back and reconciled.  We learned that he sent numerous gifts—a worthy caravan, that is—to appease his brother, in hopes of making up to the blessing he has stolen.  But big brother that he is, Esau was ready to forgive his baby brother and embrace him back, seeing that even if Jacob supposedly stole his blessing, yet he was prosperous in his own right too.  I believe Esau realized that instead of holding a grudge on something that didn’t fully take effect yet, he decided to let it go.  After all, blood is thicker than water, and who else could be his number one supporter except his very own kin?

Then we read that after this, an angel of GOD appeared to Jacob, wrestled with him, and when he wouldn’t let go, finally declared the blessing that he would become a great nation, and that his descendants would bless the whole earth too, then giving him the name by which his descendants will be known thousands of years later—Israel.

Now, some skeptics say this is all myth.  I don’t think so, for even today, the places and the people mentioned in this story are still alive and still there for us to see and immerse in, once international leisure travels are allowed.  A myth or a fable is just that when the actors and the settings become buried down in obscurity or where no physical evidence exists of them in modern culture.  But this story is different, for thousands of years later, it still gives us a strong lesson.

No matter what we strive for, no matter how good our intention is, we will never truly succeed and be at peace if we have a disagreement or a grudge against the people who matter to us—be they family or loved ones, workmates, teammates, friends and colleagues.  True, we can climb the ladder and be on top, but it is lonely there, with so little space and not enough for other people to share what we have and who we are, and for them to continue to support us and help us grow and be better.  And if we ask anybody who has climbed the summits of mountains, nobody lives there forever.  Sooner or later, we have to climb down and somebody else takes our place.  If we are not united and reconciled with our fellowman, who will meet us, help and comfort us on the way down? 

We can only truly be victorious against the challenges we face today in modern life, if we first reconcile with our brother.