WHITE CHRISTMAS

Ber months are reminders of Christmas and Christmas has many memories. I fondly remember what happened in 1991. It was not even Ber month when all of a sudden I experienced a "White Christmas" and I wasn't dreaming. At last it was snowing in the Philippines! The grass, the mango trees, the palm trees, the streets, the roofs and everything else was covered with "snow". I quickly scooped a handful and as quickly I came to my senses. What I was scooping with my hands were particles of sandy ashes falling freely from the skies.

The grayish ashes came all the way from the erupting Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales, the volcano that was slumbering during the last 630 years. Who or what awakened the volcano? According to former First Lady, Imelda Marcos it was a curse from God on the Cory Administration for not allowing the embalmed body of Ferdinand Marcos to be returned to the Philippines that time. Of course it was silly if not a stupid argument. Was it nature's reaction to man's cruelty? An Aeta leader believed so.

The eruption of Mt Pinatubo was only one of the catastrophic phenomena that happened. Mt. Unzen also erupted in Japan as well as Mt. Vesuvius in Italy. Cyclones and tidal waves destroyed Bangladesh. There were earthquakes, typhoons, tornadoes and tsunamis all around. Were these the biblical signs of the end of the world. Was God reminding us that we were dusts and to dust we shall return? Do we understood the message or do we need more sign such as terrorist attacks and other natural calamities before we are convince to sin no more?

The message is clear and loud, in fact not only deafening but also blinding. It is about time we pause for some reflections and introspections. God has been talking to us ever since but are we listening? If not, it is about time we begin contemplating before it is too late.