Solidarity

I do not know personally Ka Rene Penas, the murdered leader of the Sumilao and Calatagan farmers and yet I felt compelled within to continue what he had been fighting for: right to land, right to cultivate land.

I will not also consider myself a socially-aware person.  I am guilty of being caught up in my own world, my own cares, my own worries, my own problems, my own victories, my own desires.  But the plight of the farmers, especially the Sumilao, is something very close to me because it was their story which broke in my social consciousness.  It was their story of pushing for, fighting for their right that caught my attention and has converted me morally.  Moral coversion understood not just avoiding sins and obeying the Law but moral conversion which intends what is truly valuable, what is truly worthy, what is truly good (cf. Lonergan’s discourse on moral conversion).  When one does not anymore intend what is pleasurable, what is satisfactory, what is convenient; instead, one only intends what is truly good despite it being unpleasurable, unsatisfactory, and inconvenient.

I imagined that the road Ka Rene trod had not been easy.  Proof of this would be his tragic fate.  And yet I believe, he knew what awaited him, he knew that he was up against “giants”, “powerful” persons and entities.  He knew that in the end, what he was fighting for, what he was living his life for, would cost him his life…and it did. And I could not help but connect his fate with that of the early Christians. Didn’t most of them die a tragic death? They all trod the martyr’s road.  I could not help but ask and reflect what made them fearless in the face of death? Why were they able to push forward knowing that the consequence of their mission and their action would be death.  Why? And all these will point only to one man’s example: Christ.  Indeed, they were disciples of Christ, followers of Christ.  They followed him even unto death just to proclaim the good news. And what is this good news — that God wants us to experience fullness of love, peace and justice, at all costs! They believed that these were truly worthwhile, truly valuable, truly good, and even more worthy than their own lives. And Ka Rene was no different.  He knew that what he was fighting for, living for and died for was good news.  He is worthy to be called a true Christian.

The spirit of Christ, the examples of Christ’s selfless love, is still very much alive in our midst in the examples of people who are not afraid to die, or let me rephrase, it is alive in the examples of people who are not afraid to live out the values of Christ…even to the point of giving up their lives.  They have discovered that indeed,  God’s love “is better than life.” (cf. Psalm 63).

So in my own little way, I decide to put my blogging in good service— to make people aware that there is a world beyond our own worlds; there is a need that is far greater than our own needs; that there are people who are out to live for, fight for, and even die for the good news of Jesus Christ.  This is a challenge to all Christians.  We are unworthy of this name unless we will truly live out the life Christ lived, a life for those who have less, who are least, and who are last.  The challenge may be “challenging” and will even require us to transcend our own weaknesses, our own limitations, our own comfort zones, but we have to start somewhere. We have to fix our hope in Christ, that with his Spirit in us, and in our midst, we can contribute to making this world closer to what he has intended it to be…a place where justice, peace, and love of God will be felt and experienced by all people through people.

Let us support the plight of our farmers (or other causes that promote dignity of life and creation) in whatever way you think you can help (by blogging, by donation, by signature campaigns, by information dissemination, by being involved, by policy making, etc.) It has to start somewhere. It has to start with me.

FROM http://apps.facebook.com/causes/295013 (Justice for Ka Rene, Justice for All Farmers cause)

Bukas (June 9) ay darating ang labi ni Nong Rene Penas sa Manila galing Sumilao, Bukidnon. Ang labi ay darating sa OLD DOMESTIC AIRPORT, Mia Road, Pasay City sa ganap na alas-3:00 ng hapon.

Mula at pagkadating sa Domestic Airport ay magkakaroon ng isang MOTORCADE/CARAVAN papuntang St. Peter’s Memorial Chapel, Quezon Avenue para maayusan si Nong Rene. Ang daan ay via Airport Road-Roxas Boulevard-Quirino Avenue-Nagtahan-Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard-Araneta-Quezon Avenue.

Sa ganap na 6:30PM ay ilulunsad ang LAKAW PARA KAY NONG RENE kung saan magmamartsa mula St. Peter patungong Dela Strada Parish Church, Katipunan Avenue, Bgy. Pansol, Quezon City na siyang magiging himpilan ng labi ni Nong Rene habang nasa Maynila.

Lahat ng ka-Facebook sa causang ito ay inaanyayahang:

(1.) makisalubong sa labi ni Ka Rene sa St. Peter’s sa ganap na alas 5PM at makimartsa patungong Dela Strada; o

(2.) sumalubong sa Dela Strada Parish.

Muli, patuloy po ang aming pasasalamat sa “outpouring” ng support para kay Nong Rene. Ang inyong tulong pinansyal para sa pamilyang naulila ni Nong Rene at ang pagpapagamot sa dalawa pang nasa hospital na kasama ni Nong Rene nuong gabing siya ay pinaslang ay lubos naming tatanggapin.

Manalangin tayo na ang katarungan at katotohanan ay pumaimbabaw sa gitna ng kawalang katiyakan kung sino ang tunay na salarin.

Para sa karagdagang updates, bisitahin ang http://landwatch.i.ph o makipag-ugnayan sa amin.

Maraming salamat at halinang mag-Facebook eyeball para kay Nong Rene habang ang kanyang labi narito sa Maynila.

Hanggang sa muli,

Gari LAZARO
People’s Campaign for Agrarian Reform Network
Task Force Rene Penas

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