The Art of Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it"

- Mark Twain

How would you react if you incidentally committed an ego-crushing sin to someone close to you?

Well, it could be on the extremes, the heated confrontation scenario or could be the cold treatment type ala "dead matter" handling. But both of the above would definitely lead to a snapping end of a friendship if not resolved properly.

Everyone of us is bound to committing mistakes, errors, faults and sins. From all the people we interact each day in our lives, it's undenying that mistakes do happen, incidentally or accidentally. Doing it incidentally or pre-meditated (in the sense that you know that it's wrong but you still enacted it) gets a much more higher rate of unforgiveness.

Forgiveness is somewhat pride-altering to most, some consider it as a challenge to overcome the bar of  hurt ego, unwanting to surrender or the fear of vanquishing disdain/scorn (cuz this feeling served 'em as a shield in retaliation for the severe damage inflicted in their feelings).

There are two parties involved in a quarrel or a dispute:
a. the offender
b. the victim

Normally, the victim would hate, despise (or whatever you wanna call it) the offender due to the inconvenience and wrongdoings he/she received.

And normally (again), the victim would then anticipate for an approach of reconciliation from the offender of which the victim could either do two things:
1. do not give a pardon
2. provide forgiveness

In contrast, the offender normally do not have the guts to enact an affair of reconciliation to the victim (it could be a plan in the mind only, but it's quite hard to put it into action) in an ASAP basis. And so the dispute is further delayed in resolution.

And the hardest part of it all on the side of the offender is to say the words "i'm sorry"... "please forgive me".  Hahaha! it's true as the song goes from Elton John.. "Sorry seems to be the hardest word".

Well, THE ABOVE SCENARIO is the usual and norm that is happening in the facts of life. However, i want to share to you a tenet i learned two decades back of which i'm still following whenever i'm confronted with this kinds of situations in life .. this i consider the art of forgiveness.

Given the two characters above, if i'm in the shoes of the offender, i won't wait an overnight to pass in expressing my thoughts of repentance. In short, immediately ask for forgiveness. State my case, accept my faults, declare my being sorry for what i've done and sincerely ask for compassion and forgiveness. (it's easier said than done, true! but if you make this a motivational habit, results are beneficial)

On the other hand, if i am in the shoes of the victim. (you might think this is insane) Normally i'd be the one to approach the offender, state and convey my feelings about the rudeness or inconvenience i received and aim for a closure and reconciliation of the dispute. Meaning, to mend whatever bad feelings has arisen, to maintain good relations, and in effect; offender spontaneously deliver his/her words of repentance and pleads for forgiveness.

While it's true that everyone of us has the right to decide whether to forgive or not to forgive; to break or mend a friendship; to extend virtues or totally cut the essence of bonding t'was once formed, ain't it easier and lighter if we go and dwell on the positive side? Not on resentment and despicability; not on remorse and hatred.... but on camaraderie and love.

Let me leave this famous quote to you... "to err is human, to forgive is divine"



~Othello

Iglesia Ni Cristo (96th Anniversary)

"Consider the momentous event in architecture when the wall parted and the column became"

~Loius Kahn

27th of July is no ordinary day for any member of the Church of Christ, a.k.a. Iglesia Ni Cristo which was reestablished in the Philippine archipelago back in 1914. Today, the church worldwide is commemorating on its 96th anniversary.

It was last year (2009) when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared July 27 as Iglesia Ni Cristo Day and every year thereafter signifying a special working holiday in the country in recognition to the founding of the church. This was signed into law via the Republic Act 9645.

Looking back and reminiscing on the church' humbly beginnings, the obvious was inevitable, persecution and maltreatment were so much rampant in the early days of the Church of Christ. T'was like you were being outcasted entirely must people know that you belong to this religion. Worship Services were stoned, despised, and bluntly speaking - most people would give a murderous remark as if to belong in the fold is an original sin.

However, members did not waver in their calling. Early members shrugged off the inequalities they get during that early stage. They never faltered to deliver and all the more they become steadfast in the church. Time is the greatest healer they say, and the generation of this age are now reaping the sacrifices, conviction, hope and unmatched beliefs of the pioneers of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, led by the late Bro. Felix Manalo.

Look at the church today! It's almost on its Centennial anniversary... and the glory it beheld is quite stunning and remarkable. Not only by its proliferation of magnificent & breath-taking chapels mushrooming around the isles of the Philippines but the core values it has continued to impart among the followers of the faithful.

It is indeed, unbelievable for the mundane on how this church has achieved on what it has right now. The titanic expansion of its growth, conquering the different continents of the earth is something ala- "more-than-meets-the-eye" concept. Wonders among wonders, this church keeps on inspiring lives, keeps on shedding the true light in this world of darkness and chaos.

I want to extend my deepest and heartfelt greetings to all the members of the Church of Christ in all the corners of universe. Anywhere you are, if you are reading this, keep the faith!

Glory be to God. Happy 96th Anniversary!!!

~mAc

Smile (why is there a need to wear it?)

"Smile an everlasting smile... a smile can bring you near to me."

~ Words, by the BEEGEES

It happened on a stretch of quiet road—a walk back home through dry, blistering desert heat, the kind that presses against your skin like it's trying to reshape your face. The streets were nearly empty. The kind of emptiness that feels more emotional than physical. No breeze, no sweat—just the silence of asphalt and the occasional whisper of a passing car every few minutes.

And then, a figure appeared in the distance.

A man, likely in his fifties, walked toward me, carrying something I couldn’t make out. At first, it was just a passing encounter. But then, about fifteen meters apart, something shifted. I smiled—not fully, just a half-smile, hesitant, almost shy, unsure if it would be returned.

It was.

His smile came slowly but sincerely, warming his face with the kind of recognition that’s hard to fake. He nodded too, like we had silently agreed that in this moment, in this emptiness, we had seen each other. Not as strangers. Not as silhouettes. But as human beings sharing the same heat, the same dust, the same simple desire to be seen.

I kept walking, and not long after, I crossed paths with someone of another nationality. I smiled again—this time, with a little more confidence. And again, the smile came back, accompanied by another gentle nod.

What happened on that empty road stayed with me long after my footsteps faded behind me. Not because it was dramatic or life-changing. But because it reminded me of something we often forget in a world chasing noise: how quietly powerful a smile can be.

We underestimate it all the time. A smile seems too small, too ordinary, to matter. But it does. It’s a soft gesture that carries heavy weight. In barren places—physical or emotional—it has the power to crack open a moment and let just enough light in.

It’s not just about being polite. It’s about being present. A smile says, “I see you. I acknowledge your humanity.” In cities, in villages, in foreign lands or familiar streets, that kind of recognition is rare—and more valuable than we think.

Sure, not every smile will be returned. Some might even be misunderstood. So here’s a gentle rule of thumb:

- Don’t wear your smile like an invitation to flirt.
- Wear it like a reminder that kindness doesn’t need a reason.

Because smiles aren’t just for joyful moments—they create them. Even if just for a second. Even if only for a stranger. And sometimes, that second is all someone needs to feel a little less invisible.

We often talk about changing the world, but sometimes the smallest revolutions begin with the corners of our mouths turning slightly upward.

So try it: when the world feels too dry, too heavy, too silent—smile. Someone might just smile back.

And for that one fleeting moment, everything feels a little more alive.

~ Mac

follow us on FB

Christopher Nolan

"I think audiences get too comfortable and familiar in today's movies. 

They believe everything they're hearing and seeing. I like to shake that up.”

~Christopher Nolan

Everyone's ranting and raving about Inception. The box office kicker by Christopher Nolan. I still haven't watched the flick, yet i'm getting so much into it that i'm having a wishful thinking to be in Manila or somewhere where there's a moviehouse to watch to.

The goodness of it all when dissecting what's all about a motion picture is when you are in-line with the thought of the director, what i mean is, if the way you understand what the film has to convey is in parallel to what the director of the movie is trying to deliver.

Most of the time, i'm immersed to flicks that will leave a question mark at the end of credit rolls, that it would spark a conversation to your partner/s (someone whom you've watched the film with) whether you got the meaning of it, or, the essence of the film. Not to say, not only the plot, not only the story... but the mere fact that a "CLOSURE" is established in your mind after watching the film.

I reckon that there are two films of Nolan's that got me spell-bounded. Call me a no-witty boy but it's good to be honest. Lemme tell you the first film- The Prestige. I watched this with Claudine (my call center buddy) back in Mall of Asia, i enjoyed the flick, the thrill and all... but it did not come in full circle (to me) about the story. Later did i know that there are two main twists in that movie.. that is, Hugh Jackman (The Professor) is the same guy who offered help to Christian Bale (The Great Danton) in adopting his child. The 2nd twist that made me fully understand the story was learning that Christian Bale has a twin.

The second film that until now, there are remnants of unsolved curiosity in my head is the film - Memento. This film has all tangled up. It's in a reverse order. The sequence is so wittingly crafted that the climax of the film was delivered in the beginning. Yet, as the story unfolds, methinks as an audience felt the need to know how it had all started? Like how on earth did the protagonist came into having an anterograde amnesia? There are still scenes in the movie which are unintelligible to me, like when was the "black and white" sequences came to converge with the color one?

The above are just minute details on how Christopher Nolan's mind and well-crafted arts could tickle, stir, arouse both our imagination of thought and creativity. It is an understatement to say about  fascination and engrossment.

So now, i'm trying my best to avoid spoilers of the movie Inception so as to measure my level of understanding if i will get the plot and story right. It's different when you get the level of satisfaction that your mind wishes to achieve.

~mAc

Do you have FAITH?

Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable

~H.L. Mencken

I woke up one day, stricken by life's complexities and difficulties. The thought of it made me shiver, it's undenying that life in this world in general is getting worse each day. I don't have to paint in your mind the horrendous events breaking on the news. Neither the poor nor the rich could escape from this wrath. Everyone has it's burden (as you read this, i know you're going to reflect on yourself, what's troubling you at the moment) to face and handle. Reality check, they say that to live each day is a grand thing but we have to acknowledge the fact that sadness is mundane, that sailing rough is not out of the ordinary anymore.

At times, we are crushed by the many tests in our journey, sorrows almost unbearable to handle and it's as if, we can no longer move our foot forward to face what's going to happen next. Emotions deepen especially when our focus seems endless along the horizon, where muted silence is the only company in our grief and the longing for constant happiness slowly vanishes within our hopes of hope.

Above all these, we are still alive. Enduring, forever battling what life has to offer. I asked myself how come i'm still in to it?, how come i've gone this far?. It boiled down to one of the moral foundations established as early as childhood. That each day that passes by, this moral judgment is being cultivated, where conviction on it's power increases as experience flows, as the tests of life transpires in every moment - to prove something and would always light a piece of wisdom that is somehow carved in the heart. I call it FAITH, it is believing and holding-on to things yet to happen. It is the solemnity and peacefulness of the mind and heart to things unseen. Things unseen that are impossible for the human mind to decipher and grasp, yet you have the prowess to believe in it signifies that you have faith.

In all walks of life, we have our own unique culture. Unique ways on how faith got established inside of us. I know what i believe, i know what i'm holding-on to. I know the promise - it's not yet delivered, it's unseen at the moment, intangible like the wind. But i have faith in it.

How about you? Do you know what you are waiting for?








~mAc