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ChangeIsComing

Whenever I ride a taxi going to Mandaue on a rainy day, I always hear the taxi
driver mumbling how useless the road repairs are. Even my friends say the
same. I admit, I occasionally say the same thing whenever I am stuck in the
traffic. But talk of useless road repairs always turns to conversations of who
started it in the first place, which then leads to why these government
officials started something they cannot immediately finish, which turns into
assumptions of greed and corruption. It then finalizes in generalizing the
entire government as corrupt with everyone spitting out examples of lapses
in every part of the society. As dramatic as it sounds, the conversation usually
ends with the Philippines being a hopeless nation, (”Wala ng pag-asa ang
Pilipinas”) and a desire to just go live and work in a more progressive country.

Then enters our new President Rodrigo Duterte.

Even before he was officially inaugurated, hundreds of drug users and
pushers ran to police stations to surrender. Even more followed when he was
officially seated as president. #ChangeisComing posts flooded social media,
and could even be heard as a common expression walking down the streets.
People are associating change with Duterte. Based on the election results,
Filipinos feel that his presidency will bring change in the country. But can the
fate of 100 million people just solely rely on one person? If for some reason,
our president fails, will he then be blamed by 100 million people because he

did not bring the kind of change they hoped for?

BE ON THE FRONT LINE.
The Philippines is labelled as the only Christian nation in Southeast
Asia.1 We have been longing for change in this nation, and God
has given us the opportunity regardless of who the new
president is. Just as a tree is known by its fruit, we will be known
as followers of Jesus as we move in love. Galatians 5:22-23
describes that the fruit of the Spirit of God is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-

control. We are the ones responsible to actively campaign against
adultery, lewdness, hatred, selfish ambitions, murders and the like.
We are not just abiding by the laws of our nation for the sake of

abiding by them, for above all we are following Jesus Christ who is
our King and the final authority.

It is not because Duterte is our president that we obey the
law. It is because we know that this is right in the eyes of
God, and we believe in His Sovereignty.

RALLY FOR MORE PEOPLE.
Jesus died for us to have a new and transformed
life (2 Corinthians 5:17). This life is not just to be
lived out within church or Christian fellowships.
A changed life should be a beacon of hope and
encouragement wherever he or she goes.

Only someone who has experienced