by Rev. Dr. Mariano C. Apilado
Our country has received national and international criticisms in following the bloody hostage-taking incident near the Quirino grandstand in Manila.
This column is about the incident, but will be focused on the recovery of courage as a people rooted in our spiritual and religious foundation as a nation.
This spiritual rootage is represented by the phrase “silver lining” which was first used and popularized at the height of the First World War (1914-1918) when young American men were out fighting in Europe while their families and other loved ones left at home were full of worry.
Lena Guilbert Ford first wrote in 1916 about a silver lining: “Keep the home fires burning, while your hearts are yearning / Though your lads are far away they dream of home / There is a silver lining through the dark cloud shining / Turn the dark cloud inside out, till the boys come home.”
This beautiful poem inspired and gave courage to parents, sweethearts and families until the war ended on November 11, 1918.
After the war ended, the spirit referred to in the phrase gave the American people the impetus to take leadership in the pursuit of international peace resulting in the formation of the League of Nations, the precursor of the present United Nations Organization.
The message is that persons and nations may suffer from problems like wars, personal pains, national embarrassments, pains of misery, perplexities and other predicaments, but there is always a tomorrow when the radiance of hope will again shine clearly.
Lena Guilbert Ford’s poem popularized the phrase and inspired the American people to act with courage and recover a sense of national unity.
It is to remind readers, however, that Ms. Ford was not the first one who wrote about a silver lining, because King David of ancient Israel, after a bout with deep pain because of personal illness and moral indiscretion, wrote a prayer of thanksgiving, saying, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).
For the ancient Israelite king, there may be problems, difficulties and pains in the world that cause all kinds of weeping, crying and suffering darkening the world as if a long night would not end.
What sustained him and what can sustain the Filipino people today, however, is the dream, vision and the real possibility that there is a morning worth living and waiting for when a remedy, a solution and victory comes.
I am convinced that the Tagalog salawikain, “Habang may buhay, may pag-asa” (in Ilocano, “No adda biag, adda namnama”, or Bisayan, “Pag naay kinabuhi, naay paglaum”) is not as powerful an inspiration as “Habang may pag-asa, may buhay” (Ilocano, “No adda namnama, adda biag”, or Bisayan, “Pag naay paglaum, naay kinabuhi”).
Hope is founded upon God who loves and cares for all people. The gospel message is that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” (John 3: 16).
Hope in God sustains life in people and gives them courage and power to recover. It is not human life that sustains hope in God.
This is the basis of Lena Guilbert Ford’s conviction that, “There is a silver lining through the dark cloud shining.” This can be the foundation of our courage to recover power to rebuild from such embarrassments as the hostage-taking.
Facing problems and pains at night? Sleep on, dream on, hope on, live on, work your best to make your dreams come true because “joy will come in the morning.” A better Philippine government and society is now being born!
