God, Christians and Duterte

BAÑOC

I cannot tell how the believers of Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism, Taoism and etcetera react if their gods were maligned by President Rodrigo Duterte. I cannot even guess how they would defend their respective gods.

For Christians, it is expected that reactions vary in defense of God. Violent reactions are, however, unlikely to those who really know Christian teachings.

I remember a Bible story. One of the disciples, Simon Peter, being armed with a sword, cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant’s in an attempt to defend Jesus.

But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. (Luke 22:51).

Peter has all the right to react exaggeratedly because he is a close friend of Jesus being in his inner circle. Yet Jesus did not tolerate his reaction. If Jesus were present today, would he tolerate Christians to react violently against the president for his controversial remark?

Let me clarify that I’m not saying that Duterte is correct in maligning our God. But lambasting and castigating him in “defense” of God runs counter to Christian teachings.

Let me mention a few teachings. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12).

The greatest commandments said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 37-39).

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20).

Moreover, aside from knowing that God is so powerful: omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, he also teaches us that he can be seen through the ordinary people as can be gleaned in Philippians 2:7.

In fact, Matthew 25: 44-45 says, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of my brethren, you did not do for me.”

If indeed we are offended that our God is being maligned then it’s high time we, especially those who pretend to be defending God against Duterte, ask ourselves, “What have we done to the least of our brethren for they are the image of God?” Have we not been no different from the Pharisees?