IF WE ARE really good citizens of our country, truly concerned about how things are, then we should be, one way or another, a good activist pursuing advocacies that can make authentic improvements in the different fields of our social and political life.
We cannot deny that there are serious issues and problems besetting our collective life and we should not just be indifferent to them. We have to feel the responsibility of doing something about them, since we, as persons and as children of God, are meant to be responsible for one another and for the whole society in general.
We should just find a practicable way of how we can be good activists without compromising our basic personal necessities, especially in the moral and spiritual aspects. We have to observe the proper priorities, although it cannot be denied that sacrifices, even the extreme ones, cannot be avoided.
To be an activist can only mean that we have reached a certain level of maturity and have formed a personality and characterthat now covers a scope of concern wider than just the purely personal and individual.
In practically all aspects of our life, we need activists. From the most material and physical aspects, to the personal, social, political, etc., there are serious matters that need to be improved on.
Yes, we may focus on physical cleanliness in our environment only, but that would already be a good and worthwhile effort. But I am sure that there are many other issues regarding the environment that need to be tackled.
To me, the advocacies with fundamental importance would be those that are related to the protection of life, basic human rights, family, education, moral and spiritual ecology.
These advocacies can be pursued individually or, better, by groups. But these should be inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. They should not just be motivated by some certain sense of social or political concern, because unless clearly inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit, these advocacies will most likely turn into something where lack of charity and the dominance of biases and prejudices would prevail.
We have to be careful not to be activists who are simply obsessed with something, no matter how legitimate in itself. Such condition can only lead us to bitter zeal, if not to violence.
A good activist will always be respectful to everyone and will pursue his cause with great delicacy to the people’s different views and conditions. The forcefulness of his advocacy will never compromise anyone’s freedom. Rather it will come as a result of the clarity and fairness of his views and actions.
A good activist is willing to suffer anything and is not scandalized by any wrong thing that can happen along the way, which will always be likely to happen. He refrains from making rash judgments and from simply finding faults in the others. He is willing to listen to everyone, including those who differ with him.
Amid differences and conflicts, he knows how to find common ground with everyone, always listening to everyone and open to a continuing dialogue. At times he may have to give in without giving up over something that may pose as an obstacle for moving on with the advocacies. If it is something essential, he may have to be patient in waiting for the proper time to recover what was unfairly lost.
He would know how to behave properly in both those times when things are favorable to him and to his group and when they are not. He is always game and sport, not allowing setbacks, disappointments and frustrations to discourage him.
He is also quick to learn from the others, knowing that he does not have the exclusive claim of what is right and fair. He is very welcoming to others and knows how to adapt to everyone according to the way they are.
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Fr. Roy Cimagala is the Chaplain of the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise, Talamban, Cebu City (roycimagala@gmail.com/PN)
