PINK Minds Think Alike

Long ago, you could gain a friend through snail mail anywhere in the world, without ever seeing him. He was called a pen pal. Those days are gone now. For the longest time, our friends were those within our circles.

Then social media redefined "friend" as someone on your "friends' list" and privy to your posts. I have had a few friend requests now and then . . .

 . . . but never like this! 

Days after VP Leni filed her Certificate of Candidacy for president, I have been deluged with friend requests. Suspicious of scammers, I first visit their walls.  

Why, they are all of PINK Minds! These are people who share my values, love this country, are judicious decision makers, and want an honest governance.  

Why would they want me to be their friend? They must have visited my wall, read my posts and blogs, and saw my PINK mind, which matches theirs.  

Accept. Accept. Accept. I couldn't click accept fast enough.

And today, I have many, many friends, with whom I share VP Leni pages. All posts are unifying:  concerns are appeased, successes are toasted, impatience are pacified, and values are affirmed. Words of apology (over words that  might have offended a sensitive soul), are profuse.  

PINK pages are where we hold each other up. Here, we learn about voluntary contributions; feeding events at the host's expense; pink parol hung on fences and trees; jingles and videos produced pro-bono; tarps and comic books given away; plus more.  

Here, we know by heart her 8-pronged program if elected—under the omnibus tagline, Gobyernong Tapat, Angat Buhay Lahat (A sincere government ushers in a better life for all). 

When handled with commitment and compassion, these will raise our standard of living:   

1) Jobs 

2) Housing 

3) Security

4) Health

5) Education

6) Food 

7) Environment

8) Infrastructure/Technology 

Often, we are hurled with insults, nasty remarks, laughing emojis, profanities, non-sensical gobbledygook, and disparagement from rubble rousers (or even friends from a different camp) and paid trolls. Some try to talk sense into them. But when these are met with derision, I delete and block them.  

That's our community of PINK minds. We call each other kakampink, our Filipino version of bosom buddy. 

It is my safe place. It is where grace turns up in comforting words of hope and peace. It came just as I was at my wit's end over failed governance, on the verge of losing my moral compass amidst a crippling pandemic. 

"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works." Hebrews 10:24 (NLT) 

Eat All You Can

Cardiologists warn us, especially when our blood chemistry reveals risky results, to have a healthy diet.  “Eat in moderation. Avoid eat-all-you-can restaurants,” are words spoken to hefty, overweight patients with heart problems. Often, doctors suggest an ultra-low-fat diet.  

The pandemic saved us from that kind of over-indulgence. Health protocols banned eat-all-you-can binges. We break bread in moderation at home. But creatures of habits, we still prepare so much food during celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, and New Year.  

We do know that good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Our balanced diet can help us reach and maintain an ideal weight, reduce our risk of heart troubles, and promote our overall health. 

Too much intake can lead to disaster.  

When it comes to “eating” God’s Word, however, the flip side is true. The more we  ingest it, the healthier our spiritual life becomes. 

“Break your fast in the morning,” Pastor Ariel encouraged the congregation. “Read God’s word first thing in the morning, and you won’t go hungry or thirsty all day—you will have all the nutritional grace you need. He then cited what Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” 

Remember when Satan dared (Matthew 4:3-4) Jesus to turn stones into bread to prove that He is the son of God? 

Jesus replied, “No! The Scriptures say,‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

“Eat all you can!” Pastor Ariel stressed. There is no such thing as over-eating God’s Word. Otherwise, you’ll suffer from spiritual malnutrition. Eat God’s Word every morning, every day, and find yourself growing in relationship with Jesus.”   

Questions to self: How often do I ingest God’s word? Do I eat all I can?

Len-Len: PINKaholic

A lady senator, who plays the mistress of the house in a short video, scolds her househelp named Len-Len, off-camera. The name is a thinly veiled allusion, with mockery and malice, to VP Leni. Speaking in Filipino, she calls Len-Len to task for being dumb and inept in making her coffee bitter. 

Not content with that, she uploaded online this message, all caps: 

TIRED LEN-LEN

ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO WORK 18 HOURS A DAY IS EITHER LYING OR STUPID

What brought on this acerbic tirade against VP Leni? 

On TV, VP Leni was asked by an interviewer how many hours does she work. She replied, "18 hours." 

The all caps, white-on-black message of the senator, whose family reeks of money, on Len-Len went viral. 

Those who work 18 hours a day or more are many. Across the board, they have been demeaned, condemned for working hard and for long hours: 

• Farmers who wake up early to either plant or harvest their crops
• Healthcare professionals, front liners who often go into a double or 24-hour shift
• Advertising, movie, and TV production practitioners
• Movie and stage actors, and musicians 
• Journalists, authors, editors, and printers
• OFWs toiling the night away to earn enough for their families back home
• Single parents tackling two jobs
• househelps (stay-in or per day), gardeners, labanderas
• Market vendors, restaurant and supermarket staff
• CEOs, managers, department heads 
• Teachers who spend the night preparing materials and checking papers
• Security and coast guards  
• Mothers  
• Plus many, many more     

In unison, "We are not lying, nor are we stupid." 

This gave birth to a series of memes, where hardworking people (who can never have the lady senator's wealth even if they worked over 18 hours a day all their lives), PINKaholics all, have come forward as Len-Len. 

I am proudly one of them.  

Those of us who toil and work hard for our families, or for the love of our craft—if not recognized for our perseverance—should not be mocked. We might be insignificant like the tiny ants, but the Bible admonishes the high and the mighty, who enjoy an easy and relaxed life, to work like these little crawlers: Len-Len, we are called.  

Proverbs 6:6 reads, "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!"

Photo credits: All images of Len-Len were borrowed from social media. 

The 7 Things the Lord Detests

As I read Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT), I shivered. The words hit a little too close to home. They’re on the Net and newspaper editorials almost every day. 

They describe how our country’s leaders behave on TV or on video, the media where we see them during the pandemic. 

“There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests:

Haughty eyes. They glare at us as though nobody but they have a say on how our country should be run, or that their opinions are gospel truth.  

Lying tongue. How many times have we caught them making pronouncements, but the facts say otherwise? “We will solve graft and corruption in three years, bad traffic in three months, the drug problem in two years." It’s been six years and corruption, traffic, and drugs are nowhere close to being solved. In fact, they are worse. No corrupt official or drug lord has been punished. 

Hands that kill the innocent. There are over 122 minors killed in the war on drugs in the last five years; many others have been killed without due process. One of the most sacred principles in our criminal justice system is that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

A heart that plots evil. The national elections will happen three months from today, and already many are plotting against and vilifying possible candidates to influence voters. Social media, particularly FB, found around 600 fake news websites and 10,000+ fake news stories from 2015 to 2018 alone.  

Feet that race to do wrong. Because elective positions are short, a number of politicians amass wealth that’s more than they could earn in their lifetime within a three-year term. Just take a look at their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).  

A false witness who pours out lies. High-profile inmates, including murder and  drug lord convicts, testified against Senator Leila de Lima’s alleged involvement in drugs. The lady senator is still in jail five years hence. But those inmates have been transferred out of the penal facility and are now in more comfortable quarters. 

A person who sows discord in the family. Unfounded gossip about politicians’ “indiscretions” have resulted in broken homes. 

Now, how about ordinary people? These seven abominations may be in us, too. 

So why does God bother with sinful us, mortals with human heart? Mystifying grace. 

“What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him?” (Hebrews 2:6 NLT) 

PINK Is a Many-splendored Thing

Since October, the color PINK—initiated by volunteers for VP Leni's presidential campaign—has spawned so many meanings. If you were to ask kakampinks (rough translation: pink allies or kindred souls), what PINK represents, they each would come up with something different. 

In the beginning I had no doubt in my mind that PINK meant hope, which is what PINK generally denotes. 

With Leni's campaign now in full gear, after watching her many interviews on mass media, seeing her old photos helping the poor and calamity victims through the years, I have realized that hope has many-splendored dimensions. Kakampinks have added more nouns and adjective phrases in all hues of the color PINK: 

Accountability   

Service to all people

Good values 

Transparency

Corruption-free government 

Love of country  

Simple living  

Better life for all   

Reliable and true  

Sincere, unpretentious

Compassionate  

 

No wonder VP Leni has a slew of different slogans coming from different demographics. Indeed, PINK, from God's rainbow, is a many-splendored thing. 

Since it is February, the love month, many are singing this old favorite, Love is a many-splendored thing.  The song refers to romantic love, but love, to those who believe in Jesus, is a command found in many Bible verses.  

". . . Love each other as I have loved you. (Corinthians 16:14)  

"Do everything in love." (John 15:12)  

All isms have some idea of the value of love, but the Christian faith stresses its importance, because God has revealed that He is love (1 John 4:8, 16). 

Love is both what God is and what he has done—sending his Son to die on the cross to save sinners (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10).

Shouldn't our attitudes and behavior in everyday life then reflect that love? Jesus said that only two commands are needed to govern our lives: love of God and love of neighbor. 

PINK demonstrates that in many-splendored grace:  

From this kakampink, just one in a growing crowd who desires love and good values to reign in government, Happy Valentine's Day! 

PINK Is the Color of Tomorrow

Every language has its own phrases/clauses that are untranslatable to any language. We can try, but the essence is lost.  

One example is Kulay Rosas ang Bukas, one of the slogans of VP Leni's campaign for the presidency. It is a beautiful rhyming clause in Filipino and tugs at the heart. But translating it to English (my blog title) takes its marrow away.  

But what does it matter? My FB wall today is blanketed with PINK. More than a thousand of my friends have uploaded PINK images and changed their profile pictures to PINK with this phrase/clause: Kulay Rosas ang Bukas. 

So have I! 

Many more have followed suit as this day wears on. The 10 on PINK is VP Leni's number on the ballot;  it also signifies the highest level of standard; and in the Bible, it symbolizes the completion of a cycle.  

08 February 2022, today, is the first day of the official campaign period for the elections. From the high tides in the ocean, the force of the PINK wave, the strongest kind, is upon us and visible to all.  

As revealed in my previous blog on PINK, I have gained over 200 like-minded friends who believe in the PINK revolution—a movement of hope to stop the atrophy of morality in the country, caused by power-and-money-hungry politicians. PINK friends uplift the spirit and, I believe, are the Lord's channels of grace, for people like me who have become cynical of governance. 

Today is PINK day. 

It is my prayer that PINK will be the color of tomorrow in our land. 

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13 NLT)  

Facetiously, Fabulously Funny

Two adverbs and one adjective do not accurately describe how I feel about Frasier, a sitcom series in the 90’s (spin-off of Cheers). It is so much more, because it defies description. 

It has been the after-supper staple night after night of Tony, our son #3, and me during the pandemic lockdown. 

Let me gush over it. 

Kelsey Grammer (a talented actor, director, writer and producer) portrays the title role. He went back to his hometown in Seattle, where he is a celebrity as a well-paid radio psychiatrist (who actually needs one!). He takes his father and his dog to live with him; his younger brother, also a wealthy psychiatrist (who also needs one!), pops in and out of their home. Naturally, their lifestyle is opulent and their taste, snobbish. 

The series’ credentials? 

It won 37 Emmy Awards during its 11-year stint on TV including “Outstanding Comedy Series” from 1994 to 1998. Channel 4 in the US voted the show as the greatest sitcom of all time in 2006! It was the undisputed gold-standard of ’90s sitcoms. 

But those are not what makes Frasier outstanding for us, more than two decades later. 

Aside from bringing out our loudest laughter, which is not the norm during these foreboding times, we see ourselves in the cast, with every member acting as a foil to each other: pretentious yet natural, refined yet crude, vulnerable yet resilient, carefree yet anxious, ethical yet improper—and enjoying the warmth of family and home.     

Their farcical speech is facetious and their uppity milieu with bespoke furniture, art museums, champagne, and opera is fabulous—all toward a funny ha-ha viewing. It’s like a therapy, which I call grace, waxing nostalgic about what was and what could be, and forgetting what is. 

The only hitch is, sometimes our DVDs, because of age, act up and therefore unwatchable. 

No matter. Each episode of Frasier is like a modern-day fairy tale, with gags that have both heart and soul, ending ha-ha-happily ever after. 

“He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." (Job 8:21 NLT) 

The Times They Are a-PINKin'

If you are a millennial, you won't know Bob Dylan. But those who were already humans (as I was) in the 60's, he was a respected celebrity—a Nobel and Grammy awardee.  

Now 80 years old, Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author and a visual artist, often referred to as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. His protest songs challenged the wrongs of the establishment. He encouraged people to change with the times. 

For me, his song, The Times They are a-Changin', is specially relevant today in our Philippine political platform. 

The last stanza is eerily true: 

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin'

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin

I am taking the liberty of substituting a-changin' to a-PINKin', because the pink movement is changing many voters' mindset. Women were branded by macho society to be weak leaders, the same way that presidential candidate VP Leni is being diminished.  

But times are a-PINKin'. 

On social media, we see changes in people (I have recently gained over 200 pink-minded friends who know and fight for issues that benefit the marginalized) in never-before-possible ways. 

For years, the moral decay in our country has been breaking down relationships. On national TV, a stream of vitriol from the presidential sanctum, aimed at anyone who suggests new ways of doing things, has been constant. Many kith and kin have lost hope and emigrated abroad because of flagrant corruption that inflict deeper pain upon a suffering populace. 

But "the order is rapidly a-changin'."  

By God's merciful grace, those who are lording it over by foul means now, "will later be last, for the times are a-PINKin'." 

Change will not happen overnight. But pink is the color of hope.   

VP Leni's slogan says it all: Gobyernong tapat, angat buhay lahat!  (Rough translation: A lawful/honest government brings about better lives for all.)  

Scripture tells us that God always does new things. He never changes, but as He reveals layers upon layers of the truth, we experience aspects of God and His salvation in brand-new ways and depths.

"And the one sitting on the throne said, 'Look, I am making everything new!'” (Revelation 21:5 NLT)