GOD WILL MAKE A WAY - C: 5th Sun in Lent

First Reading: Isa 43:16-21 (3 April 2022)

“Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness, paths in the wilds” (Isa 43:19b).

This Isaianic verse is made popular by the singer/composer Don Moen in his hit song titled “God Will Make A Way”. Its lyrics say: “God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side. With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way, He will make a way.” Here, Moen interprets Isaiah’s prophecy as a basis for hoping that God will never abandon us in our daily trials and sufferings. The promise of a customized way becomes, then, a testament to an eschatological salvation, fulfilment, and happiness made possible by God.

This Isaianic prophecy is not an empty promise. Isaiah 43:15 lays down its foundational premise, where the Lord declares, “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” Here, the Lord enumerates three attributes concerning his identity—he is holy, creator, and king—that evoked him to build thoroughfares in apparently impassable spaces, such as what he did to the Israelites when they had successfully crossed the Red Sea while being pursued by the Egyptians (cf. vv. 16-17). In relation to our society, I think that these three attributes can aptly serve as feasible criteria for any earthly leader in our local communities.

Holy (May kredibilidad at takot sa Diyos). God is holy and it is expressed in the Hebrew word qadosh, which literally means “awesome” and “commanding respect” (cf. HALOT). In the Old Testament, God’s holiness is intertwined with his capacity to influence the patriarchs to enact his cause after a direct manifestation of his transcendental identity, as what he demonstrated to Moses in Exo 3:1-22; 19:16-24; 34:1-35. Earthly leaders are not really expected to be super-humans like God, but they are, at least, envisioned to be a cut above the rest.

They must promote and witness to a higher moral standard and convince the public to work together in attaining this value that is perceived to make this world a better place to live in.

Creator (May sipag at makataong gawa). God is creator and it is evident in Gen 1:1 with his creation of the heaven and the earth, where the Hebrew word bara’, i.e., “to create” or “to make” (cf. HALOT), is explicitly used. However, bara’ often occurs in the OT to refer to God’s action of forging a covenant with humanity (e.g., Exo 34:10; Jer 33:25). While God is the one who initiated this divine-human pact, it still relies on human participation for its achievement. This notion teaches that leadership is not restricted to building infrastructures, providing economic opportunities, and establishing livelihood programs alone.

Rather, it entails more the ability to empower citizens with their active involvement in nation-building as chief players.

King (May kakayanang mamuno nang makatarungan). God is frequently described in the Bible as a king. While its Hebrew equivalent melek truly refers to a political ruler of a specific territory, when affixed to God it normally denotes his capacity to liberate the Israelites from oppression (e.g., Isa 33:22; 44:6; Zeph 3:15; Sir 51:12). His being king is not concentrated on his grandeur and power, but on his commitment to save his chosen people from suffering and harm.

Likewise, a true leader must possess a compassionate dedication to deliver the citizens away from evil: misery, oppressions, injustices, socio-economic disparity, and marginalization.

May this set of criteria for leaders, as exemplified in God’s self-manifestation of his identity, be our guide in choosing our next leaders on May 9, 2022. In doing so, we remain positive that we can together create a new and better highway in this barren desert brought by the pandemic.

- Rex Fortes, CM