MY NEXT allowance says 90 per cent of Thomasians (including this writer) dread that question or at least do not expect it asked of them out of the blue.
I did not. Especially from a taxicab driver. He was some sort of preacher for Jehovah’s Witness-es, and was waiting assuredly, before he launched into his preaching, of my reply: no, I haven’t been reading the Bible lately.
What I received next wasn’t exactly Salvation History, but throughout the rest of the trip (I was going to Corinthian Hills, he started preaching when we were in Sta. Mesa), I was peppered with verses from who knows which Bible version which were supposed to introduce to me who Jehovah is.
As much as I wanted to scream that I have had my fair share of Bible trivia (from all those quiz contests back in elementary and high school), I couldn’t blame the guy. In fact, sarcasm aside, I admired how their system has been able to get around. I have yet to encounter a Catholic preacher in a public transport who is not asking for alms.
Sleepers, as that driver affirmed, are not only confined to spy and military operations. It is admirable how well-placed the preachers of these other religions are.
What wasn’t so admirable, however, was the shallowness of his preaching, which was mostly text-based. I could memorize Bible verses, too. But that wouldn’t mean that I understand the meaning and significance of what I quote. Although I kept silent, I was irritated particularly when, in the process of introducing me to Jehovah, the driver mouthed off a litany of translations of the name “Jehovah”.
***
There is another name, or noun, which has me peeved, no matter how it is stated. Or make that two. They are “politics” and “politicians”. And yes, even on the student level.
Time and again, I have expressed my loathing of the crassness and dirty tactics you find only in politics and politicians (okay, not all of them). Thus, aside from exercising my right to vote and being concerned with the welfare of my fellow constituents as well as my own, I stay away from politics as much as possible.
By the time this has seen print, the Thomasian studentry shall have known the results of the elections, both in the colleges and in the Central Student Council (CSC).
Even student politicians, ideal though they usually are, can turn into greedy beasts come election time.Some may have employed questionable means to gather numbers only to get that end (believe it; that can happen even on the student level), but no end EVER justifies the means. Even a small taint in the means employed can put a dent in a winning candidate’s supposed impartiality toward his/her constituents, and make one question for whose interests that candidate really serves.
And of course, the concepts of service and governance, especially in the CSC, have always been sketchy to me. Aside from the fact that the title can make one’s resume glitter, there is not much else. There is a lack of a genuine movement for lasting change and promotion of student rights, only a handful of activities to comply with the year’s quota.
But while it is not admirable to be all words and no substance, like how that taxi driver was, sometimes I don’t blame politicians. We Pinoys have a penchant for voting “cuteness”, rather than competence, into power. It is ideal that they go together, but usually, they just don’t.
The students, on the other hand, must not become indifferent after the elections, as that would render the exercise inutile. We must work hand-in-hand, albeit vigilantly, with the elected student officials if our betterment is to be achieved. This is our side of the coin. We must not be all about demands for our rights and wants. A check on our own productivity quotient would also be in order.
In any event, best of luck to all the winning candidates. For the sake of the Thomasian community, prove me wrong.
