Cooked in the Common Pot

Factionalism: United we stand, divided we fall

For many times, we lack sensitivity and so we tend to cling to our own people as they are very familiar to us. Since we have come from the same tribe, or the same country of origin, we have to go together, leaving the minority in the group. It was almost the same in my community, there were a lot of us from Mindanao, so the tendency was a faction, we shared and laughed at things, we talked things of our own understanding. What we are creating here are "super-community units" within our common community. We create our own divisions, so that there is a wall from Mindanao and Visayas and Luzon, in as much as there are divisions between Cebuanos, Kapampangans, tagalongs etc. and other places of origins.

We are in a situation called for a deepest emotions and struggles. And most often, we are individuals uncomfortable with the others' presence, so that we isolate ourselves. We do not exert effort in reaching the world of others, in initiating talks which would involve the depth of the person. We are superficial individuals, who prefer to function only for peaceful co-existence.

Again, I would like to say that in our community, we have common and shared experiences. The challenge is for SOLIDARITY, which would create a sense of relationship. Ex. It is not that I am a Filipino, so I should be different in much sense. I have to integrate myself to the community. If I am second year or third year here, that does not mean that I am far better, so I can leave behind the first years. In your case, we can leave others behind because we outnumbered them, we can agree as a majority who to choose and what to do.

SMILE: A simple smile and a greeting to a brother is really something. It sparks relationship, so that it will turn into an inter-personal communion. "Love is communicated through non-verbal means (...). With this I think I would really commend you all. I love first of all, the way you greet your friends, even those of other congregations. It is very important that goodness and friendship radiate from our faces into the hearts of people. There is nothing important that real friendship, support and love for each one.

",je