Scene and sin

There was a fascinating scene this day when we attended the 27^th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution at the Edsa Monumento, Quezon Avenue. We, the Claretians participated on it for the celebration of faith that united the Filipino people 27 years ago… and still believing that they are.

And I wanted to capture great moments thru an old Canon digital camera I brought with me.

There are just a lot of stories behind the lens: the figure of Mother Mary as the lady of faith during the bloodless Revolution; the different religious sects being united; the Philippine President Noynoy Aquino signing The Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013; the hundreds of army and policemen standing steady under the heat of the sun; the figures of running officials and celebrities. And the list goes on and on.

Of all the clicks and shots, there’s only one that stands out among the pictures I captured: a group of photojournalists clicking for a story.

I couldn’t explain what I felt when I saw these media men gathered together and held their respective cameras; positioned to their place and shot for a myriad angles on the subjects they projected. I remember back in school, I learned that if you really want to have a good angle, you must know how to wait. As the trite adage goes, “patience is a virtue.”

Here and there, they waited. And when the moment comes, they come like a big, huge wave to shower the flashes from their cameras directly towards the subject. I saw them very determined. So focused and steady. They can’t just be bothered by anything else… never! You’ll see their heads guarding the subject – waiting for something that’ll turn into a FrontPage issue for the next day.

And so I immediately took the chance of taking a picture of these photojournalists without knowing why. I even heard one man near me commenting, “Why is he taking picture to those mediamen?”

The celebration lasted for almost five hours. And in a reflective mood, I kept on examining that scene. Why a sudden strange attraction on that image? Then the “scene” gave me a “sin.”

Are we like those photojournalists? That once we recognize our sins, we immediately turn our cameras on and ask god for forgiveness? Oh how I see the real me here.

In today’s Reading (Dn 9:4b-10), it’s amazing how the prophet Daniel prayed passionately to God saying all the infidelities he committed and of the people of Judah. He was so narrative in crying for help. And take note how many times the word “sin” is mentioned on this text (twice actually). And take another one from today’s Psalm: Lord, don’t deal with us according to our sins. (Ps 79:8)”

Is the message once again tells us how to plead for help? The Gospel this day (Lk 6:36-38) is very clear to this: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Excuse me God, are You saying like, “Forgive your own sins”? Do You mean I just have to forgive myself from all the sins I committed, no matter how big or small are they?

And God told me to check the pictures I’ve got from the camera. And as I scrolled those images, they are perfectly beautiful for me! I couldn’t believe how unsatisfied I was when taking a shot this morning believing those angles don’t look good but actually they are!

And those photojournalists? I want to believe we discovered the same: we have been doing enough… it’s just that we don’t think it’s good enough already.

Why keep focusing the sins we committed than focusing how good is the Lord? Why don’t we forgive ourselves from being sinful when God Himself has already forgiven us?

An image that taunts me

“Be merciful, just as your Fatehr is merciful…”