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I was once given the opportunity to write about the Municipality of Bokod in a weekly news paper and how rich is its culture and heritage.
Indeed, that was a great privilege, having etched in my mind and heart the picture of a wonderful childhood experience I had in this adventurous town. Bokod is a special place, where most of my growing-up years where nurtured in the Ibaloy way of life and traditions.
I could still picture Bokod vividly in its prime… that was after the 1990 killer earthquake that nearly leveled the whole town with landslide and greatly changed their way of life.
I could still remember my excitement whenever my lola Maria would invite us for a vacation in Bokod. And as we traveled, I could remember our favorite stopover before seeing Ambuklao Dam… eating the delicious Adunot style hotcakes and “tinudok”, dusting off our brown colored hair and T-shirts… only to reveal its original colors of black and white and passing through many one-way and uphill rugged roads and soft 12 inch thick dust shock-absorbers. The entrance of the town is already a mesmerizing site with a road path dividing majestic mountain ranges along steep slopes following a mighty river layered with big round boulders and upon entry a semi-plateau semi-valley form of land surrounded by mountain peaks reaching the sky.
I could still remember the different fruit trees surrounding my grandparents home; coconuts, star apples, jackfruits, varieties of mangoes, serguellas and bananas, there were also lots of rice fields due to the abundance of water, pigpens, ducks, chickens, teenagers riding in wooden formula one race “caritons”, the addictive aromatic smell of brewed coffee cooking from house to house, families gathering outside their homes, in the community basketball court surrounded by giant century old Acasia trees screaming with a high monotonous chirping sound created by our favorite toy “the airplane beetle”, as we call it and the continuous thundering sound of the rushing mountain river calling tired and dusty travelers after a hot and long winding road.
These are heart-etched childhood memories, that in every remembrance of it releasing a soothing and searching feeling of comfort, belongingness, oneness, love, security, family, home, peace and innocence… though seemingly today everything may have withered away by time, changing the vivid picture of what had been long ago to what is in reality --today… these special heart-etched memories creates an addictive feeling… a searching feeling… for such soothing emotions.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
Our soul seeks a similar search…
In the beginning, according to the Word of God, when our Father created man in His own image and likeness and that part of the Father is greatly felt and seen in our soul…
Before the “Fall of Man” (Genesis 3)… before man sinned and separated himself from the Father because of his disobedience and transgressions to the Fathers commands and instructions… the beginning of our spiritual death (Genesis 2:17). Man felt this glorious and wonderful feeling of comfort, belongingness, oneness, love, security, family, home, peace and innocence with the Father in the Garden of Eden… these emotions were etched in all our hearts… “spiritual genes” as I call it, creating an addictive feeling… a searching feeling for such soothing emotions deep in our soul. The strong desire of our Father’s embrace causes man to search and seek Him…giving birth to different religious worships and different representations of idols and gods addressing the cry of man’s soul for his creator. Giving rise to traditions patterned by what we call the “spirit world”, “the supernatural”… a deadly playground for the lion who waits to devour those who play.
Cultures and traditions are expressions of a people’s rich heritage or ethnic inheritance and something to be proud of, that I agree but after hearing God’s call to be followers and disciples of Christ and learning more about the true desires, instructions and commands of our Father through the Bible; His revealed Word. This proud concept of heritage was over-shadowed by a new way of life. Far mightier and greater than what man had formed and known… a Christ-like life only taught by the pattern in the Bible. And as the apostle Peter would describe christians “ you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, BUT NOW YOU ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD…” (1Peter 2:9-10)
With this Biblical principle, we, as christians should know that we are transformed into a new being, a being though with the same physical identity as to our tradition and culture would indicate but a renewed heart, mind and soul belonging to the Almighty Father, being His chosen children, His people. That we may ONLY declare the Father as our God and that through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we entrust our life and soul and to no one else, whether to the “spirit world” or idols formed by the hands of men, whether traditions or cultural heritage of our earthly ancestors or whether any name given under heaven by which our salvation depends…BUT only through the powerful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ where everything pertaining to religion we shall have faith in.
Thus, as Benguet christians, the command of our Lord Jesus Christ as it is written in Matthew 28:19-20 “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” is a task for us who had been called first and blessed by our Father and this glorious blessing of eternal life must be spread to our relatives and friends in Benguet and not to be kept and hidden within. For an accounting will come to those charged with this command… pray and persevere brethren for we know the mighty power of our Father and His faithful grace be to those who pleases Him always. Let us always heed the apostle Paul’s warnings as it is written: “see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8) and “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love” (1Corinthians 16:13-14).
My beloved brethren, our new heritage is now in the lineage of Abraham’s Seed and rooted in the traditions that is in Christ as revealed in the Bible. Let us continue therefore to etched in our hearts and mind these new found heritage …in love, …faith …and hope.
Glory To God!
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