Saying yes to God is not only an act of faith. It is also an act of respect to Him. You see, our God is such an awesome God because He willed to be with us in the person of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Being one like us, except sin, proves that God is not "watching us, from a distance", as a 90s song goes, but someone who is up, close, and personal. Being personal means being in a relationship with Him.
One of the important ingredients that keeps a relationship healthy is respect. Imagine parents not respecting each other, would their family thrive? Imagine community members not respecting each other, wouldn't that spell its demise? Imagine the government not respecting the rule of law and the rights of citizens, wouldn't that breed social unrest? Imagine the Church, especially those in the hierarchy, not respecting dignity of the poor and abused, wouldn't that cause scandal? Imagine if we don't respect God, wouldn't our souls be in peril?
Why do we respect God and men? Isn't it because they are important in our lives? And because they are important, we make it a point not to offend them, yes? Sadly, since the time of Adam and Eve, our sins reveal how insignificant God and others are in our lives. If we respect God, we would make it a point, for example, to attend Sunday Mass. Devoting an hour in a week for the Lord is all He's asking! If we respect others, we would, for example, refrain from backstabbing them, attacking them in social media, or slandering them.
While on earth, Jesus was the perfect Son because He respected and fulfilled His Father's will. He was also the perfect gentleman because He respected people regardless if they were rich or poor, saint or sinner, Jew or Gentile.
Let's think of the relationship we have with God and those around us. How we value it determines how respectful we are.
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President Duterte appoints Associate Justice Teresita De Castro as Chief Justice. While I respect the President's prerogative, I am disappointed with his lack of respect to people's plight in the hands of corruption and injustice (which he has been so vocal of) by appointing someone whose integrity is questionable (not to mention that she will only be in the position until her retirement in October - a windfall for her at the expense of the public). Apart from deciding in favor of controversial cases such as allowing Marcos' remains to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, this Ampalaya Queen has not only complained, but also testified, and voted for the unconstitutional ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice. De Castro's ambition is diabolical! Yes, change has come, for the worse!
