I read an article trying to grasp its message. It told the story of a young woman—25 years old, a working professional, and a breadwinner. She lives away from home because she’s the one keeping her family afloat. One day, while out with a friend to relax, she fell ill. When her companion tried to inform her family, she pleaded, “Please don’t let them know, I’m okay.” Her greatest fear? Not death or pain—but being a burden. In the Philippines, “when you’re the breadwinner, you suffer quietly, collapse silently, and apologize for being human.” What struck her friend even more was the indifference shown by institutions—the barangay and the hospital—towards her suffering. There are countless other stories and events that tempt us to say: “Pilipinas, ang hirap mong mahalin.” Lately, we’ve seen corruption in flood control projects.

Many people feel powerless to change the current situation. Resignation (sawa) becomes the prevailing emotion. Survival is the only way to live. Yet, once again, we are invited to look at the prophet Jeremiah, who offers three qualities that can inspire us on our journey:

• He is responsible toward his people, knowing that God has entrusted him with the task of speaking His Word.
• He is free from the influence of the powerful and refuses to be intimidated by threats or pressure.
• He is obedient to God’s Word until the end.

I was deeply moved by the final testament of Anas Al-Sharif, a Palestinian journalist from Al-Jazeera, a Muslim killed by the Israeli army. He wrote: “God knows I gave all my effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice to my people […] I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification – so that God may bear witness against those who stay silent.” He, too, felt responsible for his people. He remained obedient to God, who called him to speak the truth, and he was free from the fear of giving his life to bear witness to the atrocities committed by Israel.

Jesus did not spare himself from being a sign of contradiction and scandal to the religious authorities of his time, who manipulated the people for power and control. His words reveal a profound human truth: CONFLICT. Conflict—distinct from violence or war—is part of life and permeates human coexistence. It is, above all, “a confrontation between divergent and even incompatible positions, just as it can arise from the discrepancy between human expectations and harsh reality.” (Luciano Manicardi) The question is how we resolve conflict: through dialogue and constructive means, or through violence and destruction.

We are called to face conflict through DIALOGUE and CONSTRUCTIVE MEANS, wherever we live and work. We are called to be witnesses of God’s will and builders of His Kingdom. But this requires courage, availability, and even martyrdom. Where do we find these? Only in Him. There is no other source. The Lord promises to be with us until the end of days. He invites us, in every circumstance, to build His Kingdom—a Kingdom of justice, peace, communion, care, love, honesty, and the pursuit of the common good. 
May the fire be lit in each of us!