Declamation piece: "Peace and Unity"
2/10/2010
42 Comments
Where does it all start?
It was a bright and sunny morning. After I got up from bed, I
finished my daily devotional and said my morning prayers. “Make
me a channel of your peace…where there is hatred, let me bring
your love...” kept playing inside my head as I was about to get
ready for the day.
As I went down to the kitchen, I sensed that our house was
awfully and unusually quiet. I couldn’t figure out why. Oh well… I
turned on the television to check if there’s anything interesting to
watch.
I chanced upon Channel 5 where reporters have flocked to the
area where a middle-aged man was lying dead, shot by an
anonymous criminal.
“Live from the crime scene… the police just announced a
nationwide search for this heartless murderer on the loose…”
“In politics… the President has just granted pardon to a plunderer,
who was proven guilty of stealing the people’s money…”
"Meanwhile, in Manila, the untoward incident shocked thousands
of Glorietta shoppers. Different angles have been looked into to
determine the root cause of this tragedy…”
I couldn’t take anymore of these bad news so I switched off the TV
and went upstairs to read. On my way up, I figured that the
reason why our country is in turmoil is because a lot of injustice
has been done to our people and there’s no end to it if we just let
the abuse continue. But if we act upon these injustices as one
people, then there might be a chance that we achieve the peace
we long for.
Just as I was about to open the door to my room, I heard a loud
scream. It came from my parents’ bedroom. Before I could run to
check, my mother stormed out of their bedroom, a mess and
crying.
“Catherine, let’s leave this house. I can’t stand living with your
father anymore,” was what she told me in between sobs.
“Why, Mom? What happened? What is it this time?” I asked her. I
was really worried why she was crying so hard.
“I said, go pack your bags! No questions asked.” She began to
shout at me.
“No, Mom. I won’t go.” And then out came Dad with a bag of
clothes. He was ready to throw it right at Mom’s face.
“Stop it, Dad! Dad, please! Mom, please stop it! Please stop
fighting!” was my endless cry as I try to part them to make them
stop from hurting each other. But the shouting never stopped.
I covered my ears to strain off their bitter exchange of words.
Stop, please stop.. please… “You don’t have to say you love me,
just be close at hand…” I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see them
hitting each other. I prayed so hard for it to end. Why? Why can’t
we have peace in this family?
“Catherine! Leave your mother and me alone!” Dad muttered, but
it was already too late. My mother hurriedly went out the door,
carrying all her stuff without even looking back.
Their fights were becoming a daily routine. Dad says one thing,
Mom says another and then they argue and start shouting at each
other. Now the house is so quiet. So quiet, I could almost hear the
sad beatings of my heart.
Is this peace? Is it in silence that we find it? Is silence equal to
being peaceful? I mean, who are we kidding, right? How can we
achieve peace when even in our family we couldn’t stand a day
without fighting? It’s simply impossible!
And then, the words of Confucius resonated to my ear… “A
peaceful world is built by individuals at peace. It all starts from
within us.”
Yes! Peace could then be defined not by the silence of the
cemetery but by the spirit of unity that is alive in every individual.
It is personified by a family bonded together in unity.
Mom, Dad, if you are not one in patching things up and in
forgiving each other, then, it’s going to be a very long and difficult
process before we could have peace in our family.
In our country, the call of the time is to have peace…without
unity, justice and truth, peace will continue to be an elusive and
fleeting dream for our nation. Where does it all start? Right in the
very core of our being.
Peace and unity start with me!
Peace Not War by
Patricia Lithuanian
July 12, 2015 paurazointia
Boom! blood, flesh, struggle and fear
surrounding in the atmosphere
if one is sulky, one is scorned
if one is not a noble, one is a peasant
there are crimes, abuses, hates and injustices
and the only thing that rules the earth is immorality
Sshhh… silence,
for the end may come
voices are not made to speak the truth,
but to shout and scream!
eyes are not made to see the reality,
but to hide the facts and cry, and weep
and the hands are not made to reach out
but to fight instead!
This is not yet over
this is chaos
this is what we call
WAR!!!
It was a day of in famine
last September 11, 2001
when an airplane crashed it’s way into human life!
The United States of America’s
World Trade Center
Shattered! Boom!
tranquility and harmony was lost
roaming outsider, Boom!
Many lives were gone in just a blink of an eye
mothers died, fathers vanished and brothers suffered
leaving no more but distress
and pieces of mind and soul
Guess what the cause is?
TERRORISM!!!
brought by the power of this indespicable greed
This is the beginning of the 3rd world war, or the featured
prophecy of Nostradamus
God forbid though in this world
where every one is divided by walls
that separates east and west through religion
and all living creatures that exists
came from only one creator
TERRORISM!!
Bloodshed,
showering of bullets,
bombs and missiles
biochemical weapons,
and death!
The story of why many human beings
who were victimized and sought for moral righteousness
Terrorism!
Start walking on ice where beings die,
in a shivering cold and lose their lives
GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!
I was there, I was there, I was there
and shout!
Listen, and you will hear the cry of the trouble of our faith
so now, eliminate all your senses!
Talk, and you will not be heard
for your rights are separate from the other turfs
Behold
For the riches of life were broken
because, we are dreamers
STOP! This are all hatred, hatred and hatred!
You who did cause for the voices of the youth
Youth who have the right to be hold
for the unity and progress of the future year
It’s time to wake up!
It’s time to do something!
the clock is ticking…
and then,
10 selfishness
9 arrogance
8 hate
7 injustice
6 pride
5 war
4 kindness
3 respect
2 love
and at last
1 peace
It is peace and wisdom we want
like a steel pad that serves us on it’s path
May that be all?
we need to show the true virtue of peace, love
soldiers may march towards the war
guns may kill millions of men
homes may be shuttered
and lives may be called in danger
but one thing is for sure
this is not the end
there is hope
We, the youth lays here and wakes up in the advent of war processes
save our future
join hands together
for what we want is
Peace Not War.
Ang mga Kabataan ay Nagtatanong
Sino ang Tunay Kong mga
Kaibigan?
“Marami akong natututuhan dahil kay Cori. Kapag
kasama ko siya, marami akong nakikilala, nagagawa
ko ang hindi ko pa nasusubukan, at enjoy na enjoy
ako. Nagbago ang mundo ko dahil naging kaibigan
ko siya!”—Tara. *
Sa tingin mo ba’y imposibleng magkaroon ng
ganiyang kaibigan? Kung oo, huwag masiraan ng
loob. Marami kang puwedeng maging kaibigan sa
mga kakilala mo. Tutulungan ka ng artikulong ito na
malaman kung sino sila.
‘NAPALILIBUTAN ako ng mga kaibigan pero wala akong
kaibigan.’ Ganiyan ang paglalarawan ng 21-anyos na si Shayna
sa sitwasyon kapag marami ngang kasama ang isa pero hindi
naman siya talagang close sa sinuman sa kanila. Baka lalo nang
nadarama iyan ng mga kasali sa isang social network.
“Puwedeng napakahaba ng ‘friends list’ mo at para kang
popular at hinahangaan,” ang sabi ng 22-anyos na si Serena,
“pero ang totoo, hanggang listahan lang ’yon.” *
Alin ang mas gusto mo—daan-daang pangalan sa ‘friends list’ o
iilang kaibigan pero tunay naman? Bagaman parehong may
bentaha ang mga ito, ang tunay na kaibigan ay aalalay sa iyo
sa pagharap sa mga hamon sa buhay at tutulong pa nga sa iyo
na maging mas mabuting tao. (1 Corinto 16:17, 18) Gamiting
batayan ang sumusunod na mga katangian para malaman mo
kung sino sa iyong mga kakilala ang tunay na kaibigan.
ANG TUNAY NA KAIBIGAN AY
MAPAGKAKATIWALAAN
“Sinasabi sa akin ng kaibigan ko ang mga sekreto niya, kaya
akala ko mapagkakatiwalaan ko rin siya ng mga sekreto ko.
Minsan sinabi ko sa kaniya kung sino ang crush ko. Nagkamali
ako! Ipinagkalat niya agad iyon!”—Beverly.
“Nasasabi ko sa kaibigan kong si Alan ang anumang bagay, at
alam kong hindi niya iyon ipagsasabi.”—Calvin.
Sino sa dalawa ang may tunay na kaibigan? Sino sa mga
kaibigan mo ang mapaghihingahan mo ng iyong niloloob? *
Sinasabi ng Bibliya na “ang tunay na kaibigan ay umiibig sa
lahat ng panahon.”—Kawikaan 17:17.
MGA TIP SA TUNAY NA PAGKAKAIBIGAN
1. Sikaping magkaroon ng tunay na mga kaibigan,
hindi lang basta maraming kakilala. “Maganda kung
marami kang kakilala. Pero kahit sa isang malaking grupo,
hahanapin mo pa rin ang ilan na kapalagayang-loob mo na.”—
Karen.
2. Maging tunay na kaibigan. “Ang gusto ko sa mga
kaibigan, y’ong tapat at mapagkakatiwalaan, kaya sinisikap ko
ring maging gayon sa kanila.”—Evelyn.
3. Ipakita ang pagpapahalaga. “Para ipakita sa kaibigan
ko na pinahahalagahan ko siya, binibigyan ko siya ng card o
regalo.”—Kellie.
Isulat sa ibaba ang pangalan ng dalawang kaibigan na
mapagkakatiwalaan mo.
1. ․․․․․
2. ․․․․․
ANG TUNAY NA KAIBIGAN AY
MAPAGSAKRIPISYO
“Sa pagkakaibigan, may mga panahong mas matatag ang isa
kaysa sa kaniyang kaibigan. Alam ng tunay na kaibigan kung
kailangan mo ng tulong at handa siyang umalalay sa iyo.
Siyempre, umaasa rin ang kaibigang iyon na tutulungan mo
siya kapag siya naman ang nangangailangan ng tulong.”—
Kellie.
“Nang mamatay si Inay, mayroon akong bagong kaibigan. Hindi
pa kami masyadong close noon, pero may plano kaming
dalawa na dumalo sa isang kasalan. Nagkataon naman,
kasabay ito ng serbisyo para sa libing ni Inay. Nagulat ako nang
pumunta siya sa libing imbes na sa kasalan. Noon ko
napatunayan na isa siyang tunay na kaibigan!”—Lena.
Sino sa mga kaibigan mo ang mapagsakripisyo? ‘Hahanapin ng
tunay na kaibigan, hindi ang kaniyang sariling kapakinabangan,
kundi yaong sa ibang tao.’—1 Corinto 10:24.
Isulat sa ibaba ang pangalan ng dalawang kaibigan na
napatunayan mong mapagsakripisyo.
1. ․․․․․
2. ․․․․․
ANG TUNAY NA KAIBIGAN AY
TUMUTULONG SA IYO NA MAGING
MAS MABUTING TAO
“Inaasahan ng ilan na sasang-ayunan ko sila o hindi ko sila
iiwan kahit labag sa pamantayan ko o sa konsiyensiya ko ang
ginagawa nila. Hindi ganiyan ang tunay na kaibigan.”—
Nadeine.
“Si Ate ang best friend ko. Pinalalakas niya ang loob ko na
gawin ang buong makakaya ko at tinutulungan akong maging
mas palakaibigan. Sinasabi niya sa akin ang totoo kahit hindi
iyon ang gusto kong marinig.”—Amy.
“Nang minsang magkaproblema ako, hindi ito basta binale-
wala ng matatalik kong kaibigan; tapatan nila akong
pinayuhan. Y’ong iba ay nanahimik lang at walang ginawa.
Hindi nila sinabi na may problema.”—Miki.
“Kumpara sa iba, mas nakikita ng kaibigan ko ang potensiyal
ko, at pinasisigla niya akong abutin ang mga goal ko.
Pinaprangka niya ako kapag kailangan—at iyon naman ang
gusto ko!”—Elaine.
Tinutulungan ka ba ng mga kaibigan mo na maabot ang iyong
potensiyal, o kailangan mong babaan ang iyong pamantayan
para tanggapin ka nila? Sinasabi sa Kawikaan 13:20: “Siyang
lumalakad na kasama ng marurunong ay magiging marunong,
ngunit siyang nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga hangal ay
mapapariwara.”
Isulat sa ibaba ang pangalan ng dalawang kaibigan na
nakatulong sa iyo na maging mas mabuting tao.
1. ․․․․․
2. ․․․․․
Tingnan ang mga pangalang isinulat mo sa tatlong seksiyon.
Kung tatlong beses mong isinulat ang pangalan ng isa, tunay
siyang kaibigan! Pero kung wala kang maisip na may gayong
mga katangian, huwag kang malungkot. Malamang na mayroon
kang puwedeng maging tunay na kaibigan sa mga kakilala mo.
Baka kailangan lang ng panahon para mahanap mo sila. *
Pansamantala, sikapin mong maging isang mabuting kaibigan.
“Lagi akong handang sumuporta sa mga kaibigan ko,” ang sabi
ng 20-anyos na si Elena. “Kapag may kailangan silang gawin,
tumutulong ako. Kung kailangan nila ng kausap, nakikinig ako.
Kung gusto nilang umiyak, dinadamayan ko sila.”
