#Babasahin #AtingSuriin #Naranasan:OK Lang Magalit at Magtampo Sa DIYOS

Once upon a church retreat, each participant was given a copy of any of the Speaker’s OK Lang Series.

Guess what I’ve got?

Ito’ng book na may cover photo ng pusa na nakasimangot. Cute no?

By the time I received my book freebie, naalala ko yung libro na ‘Cat and Dog Theology’ kung saan mature believers are compared to a dog, while self-serving believers are likened to a cat. Ang pagkagalit ba ay tanda ng pagiging dwarf na mananampalataya? Well this book proves it otherwise. I got encouraged, reading through the lenses of mental health framed with faith.

Sabi nga, 'Don't judge the book by its cover.'

Up to this book, consistent yung author sa real life experiences written creatively, objective presentation of the scriptures, the very rich research and literature and the interactive processing questions right after every chapter. When it comes to relatability, you would think that ‘OK Lang Magalit at Magtampo sa Diyos’ would be the least relevant. Well, wait until you read it.

OK Lang Magalit

We, as Filipinos, are not confrontational in nature. Sabi nga sa libro, masyado daw tayong concerned na baka masira ang relationship. Kaya intrusive thought ang magalit. The author acknowledged the harm of mismanaged anger to others, but did not discount the hazard of repressed anger to one self. Off course while we need to be honest daw about how we feel, we need not vent to the object of our anger. Pastor Rico encouraged us to share to someone we can trust, not just to anyone about how we really feel.

Chapter One enumerated the ‘Angry Psalms’. The book confronts what I personally call unintentional hypocrisy. Di ba nga daw kapag nagalit ka ay katulad ka ng isang murderer? Pero it seemed to me that this book has treated imprecatory prayers more like confession than petition. One fave line is:

‘Kapag inamin natin sa Kanya kung gaano katindi ang galit natin at kapag binulalas natin ang galit natin, naha-humble tayo pero at the same time nae-encourage din tayo na merong nakakaintindi sa nararamdaman natin’

The book considered such scriptures collectively as a gift from God when we don’t know a single word to utter when we feel bad. ‘Imprecatory prayers’ were first mentioned sa introduction. At gusto ko yung sinabi doon:

‘…Pati ang galit ay puwedeng prayer din. Kasi sa presensya ng Diyos, welcome ang lahat, basta ipinapahayag ng tapat sa puso at may pagnanais magbago.’

I wish that The Body of Christ would grow an appreciation to the whole bible, including those parts that are grim, dark and hurting. Hindi biro ang pagpro-process ng deep seated pain in guise of consuming anger, in the road to trauma healing. I pray that God’s people will learn not to dismiss feelings of anger and remorse; lalo na when they rooted from hurts. But I hope not that we resort in tolerating imposing pain on one another, dahil galit si kapatid. Siguro when that happens, I can invite my friends who are thrivors to any Church claiming to be Bible Believing.

OK Lang Magtampo sa Diyos

Napakalaki nga namang bagay sa usapin ng Mental Health ang anger management. But how do we manage our anger when the object of our anger is God? Have you heard of ‘Seven-Year Itch’? stories of budding couples falling head over hills with each other until they get married, but passed that ‘honeymoon stage’, andyan na yung mga kwento’ng minsan mala-six feet under ang datingan?

Sab inga sa Ingles, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt.’

Kidding aside, Paano kaya dun sa tinatawag natin na ‘In a Relationship with Christ’? I mean, God is Good-Oo. But truth be told, does it breed tampo or galit? When I read the examples of those whose hearts were very keen to God, from the book; I reckoned how honest hearts breed intimacy.

Sa kabilang banda, malinaw sa libro na laments and imprecatory prayers are expected to be exceptions than norms in the Body of Christ, sighting the stories of Israelites dying or their prayers being unheard (Numbers and Malachias). It was even admitted how thin the line is, between spirituality and blasphemy. Pero ang totoo marami’ng diagnosed ng psychological conditions na Kristyano na walang lugar sa simbahan kapag ang umiiral sa kanila ay irrational thoughts. I guess this book will be an atmosphere changer in the church for them. And I quote from the second chapter:

‘Ayaw ng Diyos ng mga tagasunod na… ‘Yes Lord, Yes Lord’ Christians. Ang hinahanap Niya ay covenant partners na malayang nagpapahayag ng kanilang iniisip at nararamdaman.’

Dalawa lang ang narrative ng librong ito, mas kaunti kumpara sa naunang mga libro na nasuri natin. Pero mas mabigat tangapin ang dalawang impressions sa huling ito. Besides both having a common outline of an introduction and three on point narratives (This book has two premises reiterated through emphasis and elaboration and conclusion.), slowly ‘OK Lang Maging Malungkot at Umiyak’(https://stripedjar.wixsite.com/salticket2church/babasahin-1/atingsuriin-ok-lang-maging-malungkot-at-umiyak ) and ‘OK lang Mag-struggle at Mabigo’ ( https://stripedjar.wixsite.com/salticket2church/babasahin-1/babasahin-atingsuriin-ranasnaranas-ok-lang-magstruggle-at-mabigo ) are becoming accepted ideas in our society. But what about this book?

You see! A lot of disappointment with God was turned to unbelief. Masakit aminin na we God’s people has a lot to do with it when we dismiss someone voicing out his heart full of rage and pain? Tapos excited tayo’ng mag-share ng words of wisdom. Or sometimes dahil hindi natin alam ang response -tayo mismo ang umiiwas. OK Lang yan! We learn from experience and books like this.

But you cannot discount how much of a revolution should it make to the way the church would treat the hurting, if we learn to process our anger with others and lay down our resentment with God to God. This maybe our last review for the OK Lang Series.Pero I hope na marami pa akong ma-review like it. And lumawak yung pag-equip sa mga simbahan to minister to thrivors and sufferers.

Sa kabuuan, natutunan ko na maaring magkaiba ang ‘Dapat’ sa ‘OK lang’. Sino ba naman ang magsasabi na dapat o gusto niyang maging ‘Malungkot at Umiyak’, ‘Mag-Struggle at Mabigo’ at lalung lalu na ‘Magalit at Magtampo sa Diyos’? Wala di ba! Pero hindi sa lahat ng oras ay magaling tayo. At, kailangan natin ang isang espasyo para umamin, magsumbong, umiyak, tumahan at magbago sa biyaya ng Panginoon.; kung saan ‘OK lang Maging Hindi OK’.

Tara Church! Let's be that space.