Imeldific watch

(Or, A reflection on forgiveness and justice)

Since no one is saying it, I guess you will have to let me: Will Imelda Marcos’s absurdity ever stop? I’m not sure whether people understand the Christian concept of forgiveness, as Imelda would like to espouse. I could have glossed it over, as most people dismiss her antics by now, were it not for the fact that something is blatantly amiss somewhere.

Being the many-times-aggrieved Filipino, I’ve been an active student of forgiveness side by side unconditional love, and until now, I find it hard to grasp both mysteries. But from what I’ve learned so far, Christian forgiveness is always a good thing, but not without its many ifs and buts. (Which I never tire of revisiting in this blog.)

This is no news: Imelda says and does things that are too far out. But this is news: Telling the whole world that she is praying for Cory Aquino’s recovery (from colon cancer) is tantamount to unconditional forgiveness of the Aquinos, but, really, have Imelda and the Marcoses asked pardon yet from the Aquinos and the nation for their sins? Has she prayed the right prayer? Now Imelda is making herself out to be the saint in the story, and the Aquinos and Marcos victims the villains. What a grievous offense!

Whenever things turn out way this – lies becoming facts and falsehoods becoming truths – I’m always vehemently offended! Why? Because the offender is bound to repeat the same mistake, and we are forever tied to the receiving end of it! Committing an offense is damaging, so it’s the height of foolishness and naivete to allow it to be done to us again and again.

Pardon first, reparation next, then forgiveness last. That’s the natural order of things. Not even God can forgive, in the face of one’s refusal to own up to one’s sin. It is the aggrieved party’s prerogative to forgive, never the offender’s call. The offender doesn’t have that luxury. This is what I understand forgiveness to mean. I hope we’re all agreed on this.

The problem with forgiveness is that, if it is given out of place, it results in a) glossing over faults and b) failing to demand the necessary atonement needed to amend for the slight. Whether or not the offender atones for her sins or not is up to the offender, and a good Christian is expected to forgive in either case. But it is the aggrieved one who’s in the right position to do the forgiving. And we have to respect the aggrieved one's anger; we'll have to wait it until the person is ready to forgive in his/her mind, and heart -- something which takes time.

Excessive ‘forgiveness’ is simply evil. Correct me if I’m wrong, but in Christian understanding, a minor picadillo, even after it is expunged from the list of offenses (thanks to confession and reparation), still holds its own curse, its own punishment later (unless one avails of plenary indulgence, which is God's prerogative). Every misdeed has its consequence, just as every good act has its own reward. One can’t just sweep everything under the rug or put everything at the back burner, hoping everything is soon forgotten. It may not be God who actually dispenses the punishment; it may be that he merely allows it. But it is always us who condemn ourselves for our faults in the end.

This is no an-eye-for-eye thinking, no. We’re not living in the Old Testament here. It’s just that our sense of justice is being mocked, and we all seem to be saying amen.

Just like Imelda, my prayer for healing goes out to Cory, it goes without saying. But I also hope that the Marcoses would sincerely repent before they prance around like the cool, devoted people they are. That’s the only prerogative left for them, if they are to restore their dignity and regain a kinder judgment of history.

As things stand, though, the offending parties and their allies are adamant they did no wrong.

The bigger problem is why are we Filipinos excessively forgiving of them? Is it merely because we are afraid to cast the first stone, that we are equally guilty as hell? Or could it be that we have a weak sense of right and wrong (in other words, justice)? If so, why? Where is this disturbing conflict coming from?