A champion swan

The Bible teaches us that the swan is a champion of fidelity. But what exactly does fidelity mean?

Many of our experiences in this 21st century have often caused us to ponder about our faithfulness toward each other, whether it be in our personal or professional lives. As a Humanities graduate, the understanding of people, in other words, the study of humanity, has always been my deepest source of inspiration – a foundation built on a lifelong journey in Education and Communication.

Just recently, I had the pleasure of meeting his Most Worshipful Grand Master Agapito S. Suan Jr. who’s mission revolves around the virtues of charity and humility. It’s no secret that my grandfathers were masons and my professional life has led me to meeting and working with dedicated and faithful masons in public service.

The virtues of charity and humility has up to very recently been the same virtues that have constantly struck a chord with me as more and more people seem to clamor about teaching the youth the principles that go beyond money and success, while placing focus on being a good and upright person.

In my opinion, our busy lives have taken us to a point wherein getting ahead is the most important thing and who we are is simply secondary. The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about charity is more often than not attributed to the generosity and helpfulness of a person or organization for those who are suffering and are in need.

Although all this is true, charity is built on a very solid foundation which is nothing less than love. Charity is love that goes beyond the people we like the least and yes, even to those who have hurt us. It is the foundation that is built on the faithfulness that at times may challenge us to remain committed even when it is difficult. This is where the test in our humility comes in.

Yes, whether we like it or not, we are often tested when it comes to the virtue of humility because in a competitive world such as ours, pride, which is the opposite of humility, is the vice that gets in our way. Humility tests us especially in situations where we have the upper hand but choose to remain humble by being mindful and setting aside personal gain for the good of others.

Swans as I mentioned earlier is a symbol of fidelity but it is also a symbol of beauty, grace and power. The present day constantly shows us that success is built on fame and wealth and virtues such as charity and humility are often underestimated as softer skills that sadly come unnoticed. It’s time we start paying better attention to the softer skills we think are less important as such skills are the very same ones that make a champion. While the clamor in building our character continues, more and more people are realizing that better teachers, better public servants and leaders are the very same ones who commit to making deeper connections based on a genuine desire to uplift others. This is a mark of a true champion. And just as swans fly in a V formation where each bird takes its turn to lead or fall back when it is tired, we too must be faithful to one another in the different seasons of our lives and making sure that no one gets left behind.