“EMBRACING AND LIVING OUT THE SPMCI SPIRITUALITY”
A
BIBLICO-THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Marcos
6:30-34; 53-56; Ephesians 2:11-22; 2 Samuel 7:1-14
Rev.
Jeric C. Cortado, 2015
The spirituality defined. Every
Monday, during our Flag Ceremony and Morning Service of Prayer and Praise we always
recite the Vision of SPMCI stating, “We
envision an educational institution proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ by offering competitive and community
based curricula through its various academic programs for dynamic Christian
leadership and responsible human resource development.” An educational
institution proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which is to me, it means
proclaiming the “Whatness” and the “isness” of SPMCI. The “whatness” is the essence
of being an academic community that educates, nurtures, and prepares future
dynamic leaders and human resources for the church and society. On the other
hand, the “isness” is its existence with a unique spirituality or core values.
The
Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologian as early as 1989 defines
spirituality, which originates from the Spirit of God as contemplation and
praxis, all that contributes to the balance and blossoming, the healing and wholeness
of life. It is the way persons lived out their life in the Spirit as expressed
in their thoughts, words, and deeds. It is a thoughtful reflection and
application of divine sense into practical, human, material sense to make sure
that everybody will enjoy justly the earth which is full of God’s glory.
First,
the
Spirituality of Christian Education, which an outcome-based quality education
where the students are enlightened, empowered and equipped following the
competitive and community based curricula.
The
term Education is defined as a
systematic and sustained effort to transmit and, acquire knowledge, attitudes,
values, skills, or sensibilities, as well as any outcomes of that effort. And
what makes education quality is that it touches the wholeness of life, the
head, the heart, and the hand of a person. Meaning it develops the whole of
human being. Sinasabi nga sa isang awitin, “Ang tunay na matatalino ay hindi
yaong mga henyo, kundi yaong may pandama.”
In
our gospel lesson (Marcos
6:30-34; 53-56), Jesus introduced his spirituality of
education which intends to prepare his students be responsible with their task,
getting them involve in the collective work of missions as apprentice. Learning
for Jesus is not only a mental exercises but an opportunity to test the skills
and abilities of the students to take the responsibilities. It is in this context that our gospel reading
started its account, the students of Jesus have just returned from their short
apprenticeship, from their mission on which they shared Jesus’ authority and ministry.
The disciples of Jesus who came from the different walks of life, gone out on
their own for the first time take to extend the Christic (liberating) ministry
of Jesus. Jesus instilled to his disciples a kind of education that touches the
people’s issues and concerns.
Second,
the spirituality of the academic
excellence manifests a life who becomes a dynamic leaders and human
resources because it is well nourished. To be deprived of education is to be
deprived of life. It dehumanized the life of today and tomorrow. Academic
excellence manifests a life which creates hopes, opportunities, communities
where everybody can express and share their own humanity.
In
our gospel lesson, Napakaraming taong
dumarating at umaalis, anupat hindi na makuhang kumain ni Jesus at ng kanyang
mga alagad. Kaya’t sinabi niya sa mga ito. “Magtungo tayo sa isang ilang na
pook upang malayo sa karamihan at makapagpahinga kayo ng kaunti.”
The
whole group is so intensely engaged in ministry that they have no opportunity
to eat. And for them to take rest and eat well or nourish well, Jesus decided
to bring his disciples to a place where they can have their spiritual retreat.
For Jesus in their context, food is a basic human need. To be deprived of food
is to be deprived of life. Hunger not only kills, it dehumanizes. To receive
food is not only to survive, but to have one’s humanity maintained or restored.
It is in this sense that eating together is a sharing of humanity at the most
fundamental level. Academic excellence is a spirituality that provides
opportunities where everybody could share their humanity.
Third,
the spirituality of accountable
leadership which provides being of a new shepherd. When Jesus and the Twelve arrived, the huge
crowd is already there to greet them. Jesus views them with divine compassion, “Like Sheep without a shepherd”, since
those in the government had failed to represent God’s own rule over
Israel.
“Sheep”
is often a metaphor for the people of God (Ps. 100:3; Isa 53:6), the poor of
Palestine at the time. These “poor of the land” are considered ignorant and
hopeless by the scribes and the Pharisees. Poor because they are sinners, as
the powerful and the leaders used to say. But Jesus looks after them first.
Interrupting his legitimate rest and paid attention to them. No one is
interested in them, yet they are the ones whom Jesus favors. Israelite and
Judean kings were charged to represent God’s rule among the people, but human
kingship failed. Through Christ, God
revealed as shepherd of the people (Gen. 48:15; 49:24; Ps. 23:1; 28:9; 80:1;
Isa. 40:11) who replace defective and persevere human shepherds (Jer. 23:1-4;
Ezek 34). Jeremiah 23:1-6, shows us God rejecting shepherds who scatter
instead of uniting, people who show no concern for the needs of those who are
under their care. They are not
fulfilling their mission. In these sense, Jesus picture out image of a
community of faith being a new shepherd, fulfilling the responsibility toward
others.
Fourth,
the spirituality of responsible
stewardship exists to end the history. The plight of the crowd to meet
Jesus is not primarily that they were hungry for physical food, but they were
disoriented and scattered. The mission and ministry of Jesus, a kind of life
that Jesus wants as to be is to be the instruments of ending the history of
repression, exploitation, and oppression of the current imperial power.
The presence of Jesus as the good shepherd depicts the end of the oppressive
and disoriented power, and to launch the new story of life and hope, the story
for the new beginnings for the future with hope. Hope for a new earth where the new humanity
and the rest of creation will experience and participate in a new history.
Hope where the people would become a God’s covenanted community, a body of
Christ that manifest the Good Shepherd in action.
And
fifth, spirituality of unity in
diversity, united in a Christic-culture which means in a liberating culture
in a sense that this is a gender fair and cultural sensitive. The spirituality of unity in diversity
is a spirituality of life giving and other affirming. It is a spirituality that
manifests the concreteness of
love to one another, the un-ending dialogical process of building confidence
between and among communities while recognizing its unique existences.
Demonstrate in mutual respect for the customs and practices of different
communities. The spirituality of unity in diversity is a kind of spirituality
ready to learn one from another as well to teach one another.
The
Anglican Archbishop William Temple of Canterbury (in his sermon delivered
during the Opening Service of the Second World Conference on Faith and Order of
WCC, at Edinburgh year 1937, he) pointed out the
unity of the Church and among the church is a manifestation where Christ is in
our hearts. He stressed that, “where His spirit is active, there is His Body”,
the church. This re-echo what Paul taught to the Ephesians (Gentiles and Jews
united in Christ), dahil sa inyong pakikipagkaisa kay Cristo Jesus, kayong
dating nasa malayo ay nailapit sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kamatayan.
Pinagakasundo niya tayo. Kaming mga Hudyo at kayong mga Hentil ay kanyang
pinag-isa. Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang katawan (the church), pinawi niya ang
alitan na parang pader na naghihiwalay sa atin. (Ephesians 2:14). Apostle Paul
here defines a church as a fellowship of the people with God, manifested the
fruit of the Holy Spirit united us in Christ, empowered to banish human
selfishness and blindness.
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