Wednesday, April 29, 2009

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio

ALWAYS TAKE A SECOND LOOK

Wise men say “don’t judge the book by its cover.”

The judges at a British singing contest a la American Idol style seemed to have committed this mistake in their minds as shown in their facial expressions when an ugly-looking shapeless middle-aged contestant sang the Les Miserables theme song, “I Dreamed a Dream” like world-famous Broadway singer Lea Salonga and stunned the whole world. International press is now calling the “believe it or not” singer, Susan Boyle as an upcoming superstar.

I have also been guilty of ignoring what the wise men say in so many situations in the past.

I once thought of a mild-mannered, smiling well-dressed gentleman to be a man of compassion and honesty. He turned out to be a scammer and a swindler. He finally got arrested, convicted, and sentenced in court.

A friend told me of his experience with an exquisitely alluring female date. She turned out to be a guy dressed in sexy women’s clothing.

I know of many so-called spiritual or religious persons who always speak of the value of becoming holy and prophesy about the end of the world. Some of them are nothing less than “false prophets” whose main focus is your wallet or a beautiful innocent young girl.

Somebody told me that she once saw a regular looking matured gentleman with a worn-out wallet driving an old model car and wearing a very cheap suit. He turned out to be the richest person in the world, Warren Buffet.

Thought for today: During the Vietnam War, our American generals thought the Vietnamese irregular forces known as the Vietcong were no match with our well-trained soldiers. What happened?

End

Friday, April 24, 2009

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN

By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio



A TALE OF TWO RAPE VICTIMS



Whenever a victim in a rape case changes her story and acquit the alleged rapist, there is no more case. That’s the storyline of the Daniel Smith-Nicole Rape Story.

Rape is a crime against the human being, not against the state unless it‘s a state-sponsored rape. I believe the Philippine government this time is not to blame for the sudden turn around of the Filipina accuser.

This incident as usual as time goes by reminds of me of an incident at Harlem Hospital in Manhattan during the early 80s when I was a department adminstrator of the medical/surgical units. One of the newly-hired batch of Filipino nurses was found one morning in a secluded area of the hospital premises lying unconscious. She was brought to emergency where initial findings apparently showed possible rape.

A very concerned Filipino nurse asked me to do something about it since the natural reaction of hospital management and security was a cover-up. A top hospital security approached one morning and warned me not to interfere with security matters.

Still I asked this concerned Filipino nurse (who I heard still works at the hospital) to give me copies of the well-kept hidden medical notes of the victim’s injuries on her private parts.

Then I talked to the victim and persuaded her to report the incident to the nearby police station in Harlem. She did make the report after I accompanied her to the station but later on decided not to proceed with filing a case of rape that happened in a city hospital premises. Her reason: She needed the nursing job very badly and she was scared of being deported if she fought the hospital management and security.

Now, tell me the moral lesson of the two similar rape stories.

End

Friday, April 17, 2009

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio


AMERICA'S COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE AND LIBERTY


In the Philippines, I heard of certain Christians being converted to Islam, especially among celebrities. But I have been hearing of famous Filipino movie stars and entertainers who have dedicated their talents to give glory to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Top of the list is singer Gary Valenciano.

When an exceedingly beautiful movie actress and beauty queen named Ruffa Gutierrez stumbled from her Christian faith to marry a Muslim and later return to her Christian Church after a failed marriage, she did the right thing. Such cases always remind us of the story of the Prodigal Son: the door to Christ will always open to those who faithfully knock in order to enter into His heart.

America is founded on Christian values of mercy and justice. But America's door is open only to the true freedom-seekers trying to escape persecution because of their love for liberty. It is close to the fugitives from justice, the kleptocrats, the thieves, and other criminals inasmuch as as Christ's heart is open only to His flock and the lost ones, not to the Devil' disciples.

After the Pilgrims and other European travelers came to America fleeing persecution from their home countries and settled permanently, that marked the foundation of the New World as land of the free. Succeeding waves of refugees and other migrants from other countries followed leading to the establishment of the American colonies and later the United States of America.

So let no so-called “born in America” advocates claim themselves to be real Americans for history will tell where your forefathers came from. They may have been either former slaves from Africa or slave owners from England or just plain refugees from other countries.

As Christianity stands for mercy, equality, and justice so should America and her government be anything less.


End

Friday, April 10, 2009

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio


GOD’S DEAL WITH THE SINNERS

Some people with problems think that by killing themselves or committing suicide would be the end of their miserable life. Speaking as a Christian, I believe that is not the case.

Christians believe there’s life after death as we know it. That is the mystery of Christianity: death gives way to life.

This present life as Christians know it is just a preparation to enter another world after our last breath: either to go to Heaven with God, the Creator, or to hell with Satan, the destroyer.

The celebration of the Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, sends out the basic doctrine of Christianity written in the Bible in three-day events about Jesus Christ: His death at the cross, His burial, and His resurrection.

With Christ’s death, the promise of salvation from eternal death is offered to believers.

With Christ’s burial, the promise of Holy Spirit baptism comes to those who accept.

With Christ’s resurrection, the promise of eternal life with God in Heaven makes real the Blessed Hope when Christ returns again to redeem the dead and the living believers to live forever.

Fellow human beings, who would not want that kind of God’s deal in exchange of Faith in his Only Begotten Son, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?


End

Thursday, April 02, 2009

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio


SOME THOUGHTS TO PONDER

I am not a Preacher but I just want to share with you some of my inner thoughts:

A straight stick is stronger than a crooked one. Don’t you know that anything crooked breaks easily? That is according to the law of physics.

The same principle applies to any part of the human body, particularly the mind. The insane has a crooked mind; therefore, the insane is a broken being.

The fastest way from one point to another point is through a straight line because is it is physically the shortest. Follow a crooked way and you go nowhere.

Now let’s talk about crooks in government and business, anywhere in the world. They go nowhere and break easily. And all of them at a certain point became mad.

Look at Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Emperor, who finally lived like an animal and Adolph Hitler, the mad dictator. Yet there are still plenty of their descendants roaming the earth.

Now let’s turn to spiritual things. Among Christians, the fastest way and the surest way to God’s Kingdom is one straight way through God’s Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

That is what the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and thy house.” Isn’t that a very straightforward thing to do, no ifs or buts?

It’s yours for the taking.


End