HOPE FOR THE NEW YEAR 2020

By: Norberto Betita

During the past several decades we had been hoping each New Year for an advancement in the conditions of our economic lives. We hoped for good leaders to lead our country toward development and progress. We hoped for our government to be able to provide better opportunities for our people to eventually rise above their miserable circumstances and move on with faith to the path of an abundant life. However, through those long and dreary years, we failed to witness the evidence of what we longed for. Nevertheless, we try to hold on to hope and just keep on keeping on.  

The Apostle Paul taught: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (Romans 8:24). He added: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Then he said, “Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).

Notwithstanding our blunders of selecting political leaders and the betrayal of trusts by those whom we chose to sit on the couch of sovereignty as our representatives to the hallowed halls of congress and the presidency, and by whose brilliant and intellectual capabilities, we place our trust to bring our hope to realization, we still continued to have faith that there will come a time that our hope for salvation from the pangs of poverty will eventually find assurance.

During those many years of our seemingly failing hope, we found that the highest fence that blocked the attainment and assurance of the things we hoped for, are the continued political turmoil and corruption and the degenerate hunger of the rich amongst us, for worldly mammon. The rich seems to find no treasures enough to fill their bowels and satisfy their cravings for more of the earth’s abundance, thus, “…with eyes full of greediness..” (D & C 68:31), they coveted even the crumbs that are on the tabletop of the poor to be added into their insatiable desire to fill to overflowing their treasury. Then, “Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey…” (Psalms 17:12), they take from their victims even that which they do not own, such as in the case of the water concessions in our country which is the continuing subject in our news and current affairs and social media posts. Some of these people even go to the extent of peddling our constitutional independence and sovereignty for their personal gain. Even our National Budget which is still for approval and implementation in the next year’s government operations is already marked with shades of corruption---a disgrace to our Christian heritage.

The tale of the greedy dog of those juvenile years in my elementary grades, reminds of an undying lesson of covetousness. As simply illustrated in our character education book, the dog was having a bone in its mouth while crossing the makeshift wooden bridge. Then down the river he saw his perfect reflection on the clear water. Believing that what he saw was a different dog, he wantonly desired to take the bone from the dog of his own reflection. In greed, therefore, he barked strongly towards it and so lost his real bone down the river. These people who are the subject in this illustrated moral lesson of avarice and selfishness, befits the prophet Isaiah’s description: “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.” (Isaiah 56:11).

Decades ago Howard W. Hunter declared: “In the present day of unrest, the question might appropriately be asked, what do we owe to Caesar? To the country in which we live? We owe allegiance, respect, and honor. Laws enacted to promote the welfare of the whole and suppress evil doing are to be strictly obeyed. We must pay tribute to sustain the government in the necessary expense incurred in the protection of life, liberty, property, and in promoting the welfare of all persons.” Then he quoted a declaration of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding governments and laws  drafted 164 years ago contained in Doctrine and Covenants 134:1-3,5:

“We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

“We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

“We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign…

“We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.” (Law Must be Sustained, Howard W. Hunter in CR, Apr. 1968, p. 65.)

Since the age of my youthful understanding of life’s affairs, this is the first time that I see an assurance of hope gleaming brightly towards the path of growth to the future that is destined to benefit the coming generations of the Filipino people.

During the four (4) years of his presidency, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, have shown his deep allegiance, respect and honor to our country. He seeks with honesty and integrity to promote the welfare of the Filipino people and clamp down on violations and disobedience to law and order.  We now have a president who looks at the gigantic socio-economic variance between the poor and the rich. He hates the fact that while the economic conditions of the poor lingers, the rich continue to amass wealth from the hard-earned wages of the poor. He believes that this kind of abuses by the oligarchy as to plunder, by deceit, even the blood and sweat of the Filipino people and the Nation’s wealth, never should have a place in our political amphitheater. He shows by his actions that the government should stand iron fisted and steel armed to defeat this platoon of constitutional and economic saboteurs.

The continued high economic growth projections through the efforts of the present government, provides an indication that the hope of the New Year 2020 is much brighter and will remain to be progressively grander and impressive as we continue to place our trust and confidence on President Duterte and his cabinet, as the prime mover of our hope for the progressive future of our country and abundant life for our people.

By the very noticeable aggressiveness of the President, and his most notable accomplishments in the short four years of his presidency, we should stand hopeful and with greater faith that we will eventually advance economically as a people and as a nation, and thus become progressively competitive with our neighboring countries. We may not yet be able to see and feel some of the developmental coming and going when he finishes his term, but if we choose wisely his successor, we will have made our hope brighter.  

If we ever still feel the injustice of being poor and the comparative luxurious life of the rich, please consider the Lord’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19-25). Lazarus begged for “crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table,” but at his death he “was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.” While the rich man when he died, “in hell he lift up his eyes.”

The wise King Solomon warns: “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.” (Proverbs 15: 16). “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house…(Proverbs 15:27).

The Lord Jesus Christ, himself, said: “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:18-25).

While we continue to hope and look forward with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to understand that we have the responsibility to do our best to attain the level of our highest potentials, and take every opportunity for personal growth and development. We could not stand idly by, while the government is working hard to provide the way for us to cross the chasm between the parallels of our poverty and the stretch to prospective abundance. Should we find it hard, the Lord promised to compensate after all that we could have rightfully done.    

Therefore, let us trust and pray for our president---President Rodrigo Roa Duterte---and his cabinet, and the current government. Let us hope that God will inspire them to find ways to help us in our journey into the blissful shores of life. Let us welcome and move on with determined hope for the New Year 2020 and have faith that the coming days and years will eventually provide the evidence of things which are yet beyond our present actual sight, but which our trusting visualization, foresee.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!