Dr. Benie A. Sy, Angelo Rodriguez and the Alpha, Tukod Network volunteers.
When I switched from using a PC to using a Mac, I was an insufferable Mac evangelist. I would begin my “conversations” with my friends by making snarky remarks about Windows-based PCs:
“Should it really take a laptop five minutes to use whenever you turn it on?”
“Wouldn’t it be great to just use your laptop without worrying about viruses?”
And I would often end with the self-righteous observation that “Windows is like the Galactic Empire. The Mac OS is like the rebel alliance.”
My early days as a Mac evangelist have long been tempered by three realizations. First, I suspect that George Lucas intends to spend the rest of his life ruthlessly, callously and joylessly expunging everything that was transcendental and amazing about the original trilogy, Star Wars: A New Hope. Second, if there is any multinational corporation that has assumed the dimensions of the Galactic Empire, it is Apple. Third, I probably turned off many people entirely from trying out what was once the coolest, most intuitive and most dynamic OS on the planet simply because I was insufferably negative and unbearably preachy.
Preachers often do well only with those who are already inclined to believe. When I would talk with some of my friends about the virtues of using the Mac, many of my friends who were involved in graphics design or web development would wholeheartedly agree with every statement that came out of my mouth as if it bore the stentorian sanctity of Gospel truth. Of course, these people would oftentimes already be using a Mac.
Like many people who have a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ, when I first came to revisit my faith, I was insufferably negative. I realize now what a douche I must have been. If you have to tear something down to feel good about yourself, then there’s not much good there, period.
I was also unbearably preachy. What I failed to realize then was that many Filipinos, much like myself, have been “sermonized” into submission. We refuse to explore our faith because we never felt that we could.
This is why it is important to celebrate the vision and the courage of clergymen such as Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma. He knows that by and large, many Filipinos’ hearts are in the right place. However, due to the massive responsibilities heaped upon the Catholic clergy, the Church hasn’t had much success engaging the ordinary churchgoer as fully as the Church wants to. Thus, the Alpha Course.
The Alpha Course is a short series of brief talks, long discussions, and satisfying meals where we engage people to explore the dimensions of their faith in Christ. And while most traditional evangelization relies heavily on a charismatic presence to bring people to a personal relationship with Christ, there are no such onerous start-up requirements in the Alpha Course. All you need is a humble heart, a generous spirit, and a killer pasta sauce. Well, perhaps not the pasta sauce.
Dr. Benie A. Sy and his crack team of Alpha volunteers (with special thanks to the tireless and tirelessly enthusiastic Tukod Network volunteers) are currently running an Alpha Course every Thursday in Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School. One hundred and fifteen students (115), from sections Dalton and Lewis, have begun exploring their faith. And if the videos they have been posting on Facebook are any indication, then they are certainly having a lot of FUN exploring the FUNdamentals of their faith.
His Excellency, Most Reverend Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, has endorsed the Alpha Course for use in the 45 parishes of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. Why? Because evangelists shouldn’t preach. We should engage. Exploring the big questions in life should be FUNdamental.
Related articles
- Abp. Ledesma pushes for culture of peace in media (bukidnonews.wordpress.com)
Tags: Alpha Course, Cagayan de Oro
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