Finding our innocence

I write this first draft after over 24 hours of celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Once again, Christmas has lifted my spirits from what has been a challenging and often disheartening year. I hope this is true for many Filipinos who have endured economic struggles.

2024 has not been kind. But whether kind or not, the year has marched on, impervious to human efforts to slow it down. Through good news and bad, time pressed forward, and now, we are turning its final page. Despite the hardships, I witnessed how the Christmas spirit, tentative in September, finally broke through to dominate December. Thank you, Christmas, for reminding us that hope endures.

This is not the moment to dwell on what went wrong. We know the struggles; we have lived them. Instead, we deserve this reprieve—a time to come together not to argue or debate but to savor the best of family and friendship. In these moments, darkness recedes, and light breaks through: the smiles, the laughter, the hugs, and the rare sense of peace amidst the festivities.

Rest is a reward in itself. Week after week, as I write and share my thoughts on public issues, I am emotionally engaged with the events and people I write about. While objectivity demands clarity and facts, true insight requires understanding human sentiments and behavior. I strive for accuracy and balance, but my values ultimately shape how I present my opinions.

Christmas, for me, is a strategic pause. It shifts my perspective on current events and the collective trajectory of life. The negativities of the year—visible, grating, and deeply troubling—were undeniable. Yet Christmas came, bringing joy and hope, reminding us that light persists even in dark times.

At its core, Christmas is about Jesus Christ. Without Him, there would be no Christmas. Whether we are Christians or not, this historical truth matters. In the Philippines, Christmas holds special significance, transcending religion to unite us in shared celebration and hope.

But soon, the celebrations will fade. In just a few weeks, the euphoria will give way to a longing for the season to linger, only to be interrupted by the daily grind of work, school, and politics. Little by little, the shadows of negativity will encroach, competing with and eventually overpowering the inspiration of Christmas.

It will be a year until Christmas 2025, but the gift of this season lingers in its affirmation of innocence. The Holy Child embodies the innocence inherent in all of us—an innocence we may have discarded or polluted but that remains part of our nature. Recognizing and reclaiming this innocence is essential. It is not easily activated, but it is there, waiting to shield us from the corruption that undermines our integrity and cultural values.

This is why we must turn our focus to the youth. While we lament the loss of role models among our leaders, we must acknowledge the slim odds of reform within the entrenched systems they dominate. The idealism of the young, rooted in their unsullied innocence, is a formidable force for change.

For compromised adults, reclaiming integrity is no easy task. Guilt alone seldom leads to genuine repentance and atonement. The older generations need the youth to ignite the movement toward a return to honesty and integrity—not just in governance but in the home and community as well. The shining idealism of the youth can inspire a nation and lay the foundation for a reformist environment.

I am deeply disillusioned with the failures of formal leadership across nearly every field of human endeavor. Bright spots exist, but they are rare among those in elevated positions of power. The way forward lies in multiplying these bright spots, empowering the enlightened middle class, and sparking generational revolutions.

We cannot afford to let Christmas fade into obscurity. Its power, innocence, and promise must not be wasted. Above all, we must not forget its lessons. Darkness looms, with political drama and looming elections threatening to distract us from our responsibilities as citizens of a democratic nation.

Soon, we will hear endless promises from candidates—promises destined to be broken like so many before them. We will be bombarded with proposals claiming to save us, when, in truth, we must save ourselves from them. Rarely, if ever, will we hear of leaders who aim to empower citizens to contribute meaningfully to our collective progress.

As we face the challenges ahead, let us hold on to the hope and innocence of this Christmas season. These are the shields we need to navigate the difficult path forward and reclaim the integrity and light that define us as a people.

Strong shields are necessary for the immediate journey beyond Christmas. While we are concerned about the Philippines, a greater world is out there driven by anger and fear, many already writhing in pain. All of them in varying degrees impact upon our collective lives in the Philippines. Our trials and challenges are national, regional, global.

Let us remember to find the answers in ourselves, our capacity to produce, to stand on our own two feet in courage, not fear, and take care of one another as much as we can. Much is asked of us, and we must not fail.