Well I know now they broke a record as far as a crowd. The Filipino people as a as a faith is unbelievable to me. Most of us know there would have been three more people that would have went if they would have had a way. You would like to think it was all different religions. Just faith and followers no war and no one inflicting there beliefs on each other. Outstanding......
The Christian faith of Filipinos is incredible and unwavering, be it in times of poverty, tragedy, wealth or joyous times. Blows my mind. Saw interviews with people who lost everything in Tacloban--meaning their families died--their homes and work all disappeared, still thanking God for the chance to move somewhere else and start over.
I figured it kind of works like this: A Filipino down to his or her last two beans is ready to eat (typically if having food, eats same exact time each day) but as you--a stranger, are sitting next to him, extends his hand -- beans therein, and asks you "eat?". They share. Then after eating, probably prays silently, thanking God for those two beans.
An American would gobble them both and maybe if praying at all, maybe ask for a whole sack of beans.
Most Filipinos 'walk the walk' even if they can't get to church or just don't go, they carry it within them.
It really can make a person visiting from outside the Philippines think, when they see people with little or even nothing, still finding reason to give thanks--reasons to laugh and remain optimistic.
I sometimes wonder how people w/o much of anything material, dealing with endemic corruption, even w/o adequate health care and in physical pain from chronic conditions, still find things to smile and laugh about, share and be thankful for. I've traveled a fair bit, but never seen anything like it. At the end of the day, most Filipinos can say they took time out to eat and laugh together, enjoyed music and gave thanks.
Here in the USA, we might get home at six (if we have employment) or don't work two jobs, then eat something fast, get on-line or watch TV, then go to sleep, tired and looking forward to Wednesday as 'hump day' bringing us closer to the weekend. It's more like a rat race here. On top of it, unlike there, we often come home to neighborhoods where we don't really know our neighbors and lock ourselves in.
I hope to get back there this summer. Every time I go there, it changes my attitude and makes me realize how lucky we are, but don't realize it.
Going to church no more makes you a Christian than you going into a garage makes you a car. Even if you're a non believer, seeing the strength of their faith and how happy they manage to be, it makes you think.
