Thoughts on Holy Thursday

Holy Week gives us pause and the reminder that in this present world of ours of globalization and rapid technological changes, the ultimate exemplification and manifestation of the ideal human life is only seen in the life and words of a man who lived two thousand years ago. Yes, long before the modern conveniences and inventions were even dreamt of. There is the reminder that by his life and sacrifice, Jesus empowered his followers to live this ideal life.

With the many advances in scientific thought and understanding, the rise of consumer culture and other secular forces such as Communism for most of the 20th, century, there was the fear that all these would result in the demise of religion. The contrary has happened, for the world has witnessed the massive upsurge of religion and the rise of energetic forms of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and charismatic movements.

The word “religion” is derived from the Latin term “religare,” meaning to tie together or bind.  Historians believe that this suggests how the unique relationship between history and religion came about.

For most of us – Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus – a religion or spiritual movement developed because it was God’s (or Allah’s) will that it should. For historians like Linda Woodhead, religions flourish when they are in alliance with earthly power, whether political, economic or military.

This seeks to explain that the principal factor for the spread of early Christianity was its adoption as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century by Constantine. According to Woodhead, “Without this, its (Christianity’s) fate would probably have been similar to its rival world religion, Manichaeism, which failed to sustain its political patronage and was unable to consolidate its early gains.”

Perhaps earthly powers do need to be allied with a religion because the secular must have a need for the sacred. When Spain was at its peak as an imperial power, it sought to colonize the world and convert its colonies to Catholicism.  Thus, the Philippines became a Catholic nation.  When imperial Britain was at its peak during the Victorian era, it experienced a period of intense Christianization and its missionaries went into far-flung areas like Africa, India and China.  The USA has been witness to a literal explosion of mega churches and religious fundamentalists practically control the Republican Party.

Contemporary historians take the view that religion can also grow when it mobilizes resistance to earthly powers. Thus, the remarkable success of Islam may be explained by its ability to become the state religion in various Islamic states like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Islamic fundamentalism, on the other hand, has become stronger because it is perceived to be a defense and rallying point against the expanding power of Western (Christian) power, particularly the USA.

There is much to be learned from studying religion from a historical perspective. After all, the origins of religion are tied to the development of human society.

During the earliest human societies of hunters and gatherers, spiritual power was focused on the sky, the world of animals and the “shaman” or the individual who had gained mastery over spirits. The development of agriculture was the second stage.  There was a transfer of attention from the forest to the planted fields, which meant that the earth goddess grew in significance. Animal and even human sacrifice to the powers of fertility became common.

The population explosion and growth of trade saw the rise of empires such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and China.  Religion became more formalized and rulers were considered divine. But these religions rose and fell together with the rise and fall of their empires or civilizations.

Starting around 2,000 to 2,500 years ago, the world saw the rise of universalizing religion.  These are religions that attempt to be global, to appeal to all people wherever they may live in the world and not limited to just one culture or location.

In the history of mankind, there have been less than a dozen of these religions.  Only three have been truly successful and these are Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. There have been many academic attempts to try to explain this phenomenon and the rare success of a universalizing religion.

The overwhelming truth is that these religions were founded, not by the forces of history or human development, but by the work of five persons – Jesus Christ, Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad – whose lives and teachings continue to shape our world today.

Throughout its history, Christianity has achieved a wide diversity of forms.  But they all ultimately derive from the person, life and teachings of Jesus. Today, it exists in a world full of strains and paradoxes. It is the church of the wealthy and the church of the starving. In some countries, it is in recession but in other countries, it is exploding with energy and fervor.

Through all this, the grand message is constant. It was supremely articulated by the apostle Paul who showed that everyone can be saved. It is commemorated by all Christians during Holy Week. Jesus was the divine savior who gave up his life for all humankind.  Through faith in Him, one could share his life eternally.

I would like to end with lines from the prayer of Pope Francis at his Way of the Cross in 2021:

… We ask you to remember our brethren crushed by violence, indifference and war;

We ask you to break the chains that keep us imprisoned in our selfishness, our willful blindness and in the vanity of our worldly calculations.

O, Christ! We ask you to teach us never to be ashamed of your Cross, not to exploit it but to honor and worship it because with it You have shown us the horror of our sins, the greatness of your love, the injustice of our decisions and the power of your mercy. Amen.

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Young Writers’ Hangout on April 23 with Roel S.R. Cruz, 2-3 pm. Write Things’ six-day summer workshop Writefest (now on its 8th year) on May 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27 is now open for registration. Open to 8-17 year olds, it will run from 3-4:30 pm every session.

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