BAGONG BaRRIO
“The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will He?” – John 7:41
Stereotyping. That’s what the crowd did as they debated whether Jesus was the Messiah. They couldn’t believe that during Jesus’ time a prophet would come from a notorious place like Galilee.
In modern Manila, Philippines, there are places that are similarly notorious for crime, riots, salvaging, poverty and illiteracy. One of them is Bagong Barrio, Kalookan. And this is the place where I grew up.
My childhood days were filled with memories of pollution, drunkards, gossips, robberies, double-crosses, street fights and so on. Yet our parents defied stereotyping. They strove hard, through the grace of God, to encourage us to study when our classmates in the neighborhood dropped out and even when they themselves weren’t able to finish college; to forego any fights despite neighborhood kids jeering at us; to bond as a family despite being surrounded by broken families. And yes, we, their children, all graduated from college. One day, the local government of Bagong Barrio honored us with the “Ulirang Pamilya Award” (Model Family). This miracle happened because Jesus reigned in our home. Indeed, a prophet could come even from Bagong Barrio. Obet Cabrillas
REFLECTION:
A wrong thing is wrong even if everyone is doing it; a right thing is right even if you’re the only person who’s doing it.
Lord Jesus, use me to change my world for the better as I myself change to become more like You.
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