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Shaking of the foundations

“When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, ‘He really was the Son of God!’.” — Matthew 27:54

July 16 Earthquake

Last July 16, Baguio City commemorated the killer earthquake that visited the city and other parts of Northern and Central Luzon fifteen years ago. I would like to reflect on this tragedy that had befallen us in the light of new developments in our life as a people.

The extent of the damage caused by the July 16 earthquake was indeed immeasurable. Although the Office of Civil Defense at that time officially reported that there were at least 1,653 people killed, 3,000 seriously injured, 1,000 missing, and 110,000 rendered homeless, I’m sure these numbers exceeded as relief and rehabilitation efforts continued. More or less 3,000 people perished as a result of the tragedy. This is not to mention the psychological traumas that people developed later on. Many were saying then that the three cities in Northern and Central Luzon, particularly Baguio, Dagupan, and Cabanatuan would never be the same again.

Like in any calamity whether it be human-made like wars and poverty or natural like earthquakes and floods, the most adversely affected are the weak and the innocent, and in the case of the July 16 earthquake, the school children. Hundreds of children were killed when a school building in Cabanatuan City collapsed.

There are many explanations about earthquakes. Volcanologists said that the July 16 earthquake was tectonic in origin; meaning, it was caused by some changes or deformations in the earth’s crusts. They also say that at least five tremors are recorded daily in our country, although they are not strong in intensity as the killer earthquake.

As human beings, however, we yearn for deeper explanations. We would like to go beyond scientific explanations and try to dwell in the realms of meaning. For instance, we ask, what does the killer earthquake mean to us, especially to us believers in the God who created the heavens and the earth? What is God saying to us through this calamity? We do believe that God is a God of love and compassion and that it is not God’s will that people would perish due to calamities. However, every tragedy can be an occasion for God to speak to us. God can turn a tragedy into a blessing.

Earthshaking Experience

The July 16 earthquake was an earthshaking experience for us, indeed. It shook not only the foundations of the earth, but also the foundations of our faith as a people. Many Christian friends at that time were saying that the tragedy was perhaps a sign that Jesus Christ would be coming back very soon. But then one Pastor said, “If ever Jesus Christ would be coming back, why should he not just come back? Why would he kill a lot of people first, especially children, before coming?”

Today, we do need not just a simple faith; we need a faith strong and deep enough to withstand even the worst tremors that would come to us.

Moreover, the July 16 earthquake shook not only the foundations of our faith, but also the foundations of the things that we are craving for in life, like prestige, power, and wealth. To acquire and possess these things, sometimes people destroy each other or even kill each other. Yet, when calamity strikes, we do realize that none of these things could really save us, not even a house made of stones.

Jesus’ Violent Death on the Cross

The story of Jesus’ violent death on the cross as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 27:45-54) could help us discern God’s message through this calamity.

In his three years of public ministry – proclaiming, teaching, and practicing God’s Kingdom, healing the sick, forgiving sinners, lifting up the lowly and feeding the hungry – Jesus caught the ire of the powers-that-be. He became a threat to the social structures of violence that enslaved the Jewish people in perpetual poverty. Looking at Jesus’ public ministry, it seems that the best way to attract the attention of those in power is to help those at the bottom of society.

Even today, if we would genuinely identify ourselves with the aspirations of the common people as Jesus did, and do something to uplift their miserable conditions we would surely be suspected of plotting something against the powers-that-be. And we may suffer the same fate that Jesus suffered.

I still remember that Sunday after the killer earthquake, Mr. Benjamin Salonga, Sen. Jovito Salonga’s elder brother, was talking just before the start of our worship service at Pasig Capitol Community Church, I was pastoring the church then, about the different kinds of earthquakes that visited our country. He was saying that aside from the natural earthquakes, we also had political earthquakes, economic earthquakes, and even religious or moral earthquakes. But the only problem with these other kinds of earthquakes is the fact that they already become part of our ordinary life so that they come to us seemingly unnoticed, but the effects on people and to society as a whole are equally damaging or even worse.

Once, I tried counting how many people are killed each day in our country due to various crimes basing on newspaper reports. I counted an average of at least 30 people killed daily in a period of one month. Indeed, we live in a very violent society. But it takes a killer earthquake to underscore this alarming reality.

Treachery

Through the treacherous act of one of his trusted disciples, Jesus was arrested, tortured, underwent a mock trial, and was condemned to death by crucifixion.

Treachery might come to us in various forms. For instance, not fulfilling a solemn promise before God and people not to run for president of the Republic because it might cause divisions among the people is a form of treachery. Constructing a building with a very weak foundation and substandard materials just to earn a huge amount of profit is also a form of treachery. Destroying the resources of Mother Earth and abusing the environment is again another form of treachery.

Many of those who survived the killer earthquake, like Mrs. Sonia Roco, the wife of Sen. Raul Roco, believe that the tremor is Mother Earth’s way of reminding us how much we have abused her. Any form of treachery leads to destruction or even death, and most often than not, a very violent death.

But then, it takes a devastating earthquake for us to be awakened to this truth.

The Cry of Jesus

On the cross, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Try to reflect on this cry of Jesus. It sounds like the voices coming out of the rubbles of the Nevada and Hyatt Hotels in Baguio or of the Christian College of the Philippines in Cabanatuan.

While it is true that some people took advantage of the July 16 earthquake to pursue their own selfish interests, like taking for themselves the relief goods that were supposed to be for the victims, not all abandoned Jesus Christ our Lord in the face of the victims of the tragedy. Many risked their lives, shared their time and resources in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.

I would like to especially mention the Benguet miners, because to me they symbolize what I believe is needed for us as a nation to rise above any devastating calamity. In the words of the British rescue team, “the miners were outstanding, they showed enormous courage, drive, determination and professionalism, and set an example of selflessness which will not be forgotten”. Even after the foreign rescue teams with all their sophisticated equipment were all gone, because according to them there were no more survivors, still the Benguet miners continued in their search. And behold, they got four more survivors! Then Deputy Press Secretary Horacio Paredes was indeed right when he said, “In the end it’s not so much the high technology that matters, it’s the heart that counts in looking for survivors”. The Benguet miners’ heroism was again shown in last year’s calamity in Quezon Province. But no one ever remembered them, even just the names of these Benguet miners. Perhaps, this was because they offered their services to the victims of calamities, not for photo exhibits as others are doing, but because of their genuine love and compassion.

Indeed, it is only the heart of love and compassion that would quench the thirst and the cry of Jesus Christ our Lord in the face of victims of tragedies.

God’s Lordship

As Jesus breathed his last, there was an earthquake, according to the story, the temple’s curtain was torn into two, from top to bottom, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of God’s people who died were raised to life. The army officer and the soldiers with him who saw the earthquake and everything else that happened were terrified and said, “He was really the Son of God!”

The tearing apart of the temple’s curtain was very symbolic. Behind the curtain was the Holy of holies, which was believed to be the place of God and into which only the High Priest could enter. In a sense, God was hidden behind the temple’s curtain. The tearing apart of the curtain would mean therefore that God’s Lordship should now be recognized and affirmed not only behind the curtains, but also more importantly outside the temple.

It took an earthquake for the army officer and his soldiers to recognize God’s Lordship and declare of Jesus, “He was really the Son of God!” It is also our hope and prayer that the July 16 killer earthquake would, indeed, awaken us from our deep slumber and recognize our human frailties as a people and affirm God’s Lordship over our lives.

After the killer earthquake, the Grade V pupils of the U.P. Integrated School had written an open letter of appeal for all of us. When I was reading their letter I could sense that the dead school children of Cabanatuan had come back to life and were appealing to us through these Grave V pupils. They said in their letter:

“We appeal to the old people to stop killing each other. We appeal to the politicians to stop fighting for power and money. We appeal to the architects and engineers to stop being greedy, but instead use the money to build buildings and hotels with earthquake-proof materials. We appeal to all Filipino school children who were not affected to give donations like used clothes, food and money. We appeal to the illegal loggers to stop cutting trees in our country for a better future. Lastly, we appeal to all young and old people alike to pray and to change for a happy and peaceful future.”

If we who survived the killer earthquake would really learn our lessons, and listen and respond concretely to this appeal of the school children, then we could say that those who died in the July 16 earthquake fifteen years ago, especially the innocent children, have not really died in vain. #

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