“Peace, peace” when there is no peace. . .
13 For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
14 They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.
For centuries, the Filipino people have been longing for peace since the colonial period until today, under the rule of unscrupulous politicians. The 2024 World Happiness Report said that the Philippines placed 53rd as the happiest out of 143 countries. Yet, the survey does not seem to match the stark realities. The happiness report measures happiness based on gross domestic product, life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom, and corruption.
Yet, Filipino workers with a family of five could hardly survive with a measly daily wage of Php 610 (USD 10) when they are supposed to receive Php 1,197 (USD 21) daily. One must not lose sight of the country’s economic, political, and social structures that breed poverty, leading to many other problems causing unpeace. Farmers hardly get support from a government that prefers to import rice and other agricultural products from other countries. People’s movements defending fundamental human rights are met with military force, red-tagging, and the draconian law that regards legitimate actions as “acts of terrorism.” The Philippine economy is making a nose-dive as the peso is weaker and weaker than the dollar. The effects of climate change have exposed the ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots. Unhappiness results in the general population facing low income per capita, poor health outcomes, low social support and trust, a lack of generosity, limited freedom, and systemic corruption. The happiness index is an index of peace. Unfortunately, most of the leaders – from the bottom to the top, whether Christians or Muslims – are infected with the plague of greed and corruption.
The Inextricable Connection between Spirituality and JustPeace
It is always easy to point fingers and blame others for the miserable situation of the masses. Yet, it is high time that everyone must reckon that everyone, Christian or whatever religion one follows, must also be accountable for what is happening to the country. Many religious and pious Filipinos vote for politicians who are not trustworthy. Some sold their votes, literally. These acts are not consistent with their religiosity. Their piety is not coherent with a spirituality grounded in the sacred text. Many people have confused their piety with spirituality. Perhaps these people thought that nodding one’s head to a seatmate in church, saying “Peace be with you” is enough and that peace is simply about the absence of war.
Spiritus as the “breath of life”
Spirituality comes from the word spiritus, the Latin rendition of the Greek pnéuma and the Hebrew ruach. It means “breath of life” (Gen. 1:2), or “wind” (Exod. 10:13, 15:10). In the Hebrew Bible, ruach is also translated as “mind” (Gen. 26:35; 6:17), disposition (Gen. 41:8), seat of emotion (Isa. 26:8, Job 7:11), will and moral character (Isa. 59:21, Ezek. 11:19). Spirit is the “impelling prophecy to utter instruction or warning” (I Chron. 12:18; Isa. 61:1). Ruach is distinguished from nephesh, which means “soul” or psyche.
Spirituality ultimately means living out the gift of the breath of life God has given us. God, the source of this breath is Spirit. Thus, spirituality means living a life in a relationship with God. It means living a life of holiness and discipline of the Spirit. Therefore, humans are called to share this breath of life, this spiritus or ruach with fellow beings and other creatures on this Planet.
Shalom as harmony, completeness, and flourishing
Peace is one of the English renditions of the Hebrew word shalom, or of the Greek eirene. As a noun, shalom means completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, safety in body, health, contentment, tranquility, and quiet. It also means friendship. Shalom, as an adjective, means complete (Gen. 15:16), safe, unharmed (Gen. 33:18), as in a covenant of peace (Gen. 34:21), full, perfect (I Kings 8:61; Isa.38:3; 1 Chron. 16:9; Deut. 25:15:8). Eirene, in the New Testament, means several things. It means peace and harmony between governments (Luke 14:32), being out of danger (Luke 11:21), and harmony in personal relationships (Luke 12:51; Matthew 10:54; Eph. 4:3; Heb 7:2). It also means a state of well-being. Anything and anyone that destroys well-being is an adversary of peace.
One would be remiss if one takes shalom, apart from other Hebrew concepts. Shalom, to be whole, embraces justice (mishpat), rightness (tsedeq) or righteousness (tsedeqah), compassion, loving-kindness (chesed), mercy (rehamim), and truthfulness (emeth) altogether. There is no shalom without justice. Justice (mishpat) is about fair judgment and rectitude and giving the afflicted what is right and just. “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isa.1:17). Shalom is the effect of righteousness, truth, and justice. Shalom is a condition where God leads nations to settle their conflicts and beat their swords into plowshares (Micah 4:3; Isa 2:4). It is a condition where “the wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them” (Isa 11:6). Feminist theologians speak of justice as right relationship with self, others, creation, and God. Justice must operate at all levels of relationships. In this sense, one must face power, oppressive systems, abuse, subjectivity or agency, interdependence, and all dimensions of life that have a bearing on the meaning of the right relationship. One cannot speak of peace apart from justice. Thus, the concept of just peace.
The Call to Embody a Spirituality of JustPeace
A spirituality of justpeace is living out the Spirit’s gift of life that upholds and practices justice, mercy, righteousness, truth, loving-kindness, and mercy. A spirituality of justpeace is a life lived to practice these virtues. A spirituality of justpeace is a lifestyle of making just peace prevail in people’s daily lives. It is not a devotion detached from social realities and social justice. In other words, a spirituality of justpeace takes into one’s practice and vision of salvation at all levels – the material and spiritual, body and soul, personal, social, and planetary. Furthermore, it encompasses equality and equity. A spirituality of justpeace works for gender justice and challenges racism, ethnocentrism, ageism, ableism, classism, homophobia, misogynism, militarism, and religious bigotry. It is a lifestyle where prayer is both a contemplative meditation and action. The effort for justice-making encompasses the active work of defending the lives of marginalized people – children, women, subaltern men, the LGBTIQIA+, and the life of Mother Earth. The spirituality of justpeace is a life lived in the Spirit of a righteous and loving God. An exemplar of the spirituality of justpeace, Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates this Spirit-filled life. A spirituality of justpeace involves promoting and defending the fullness of life. Any element or force that opposes a proposal for a durable, positive peace is an adversary of genuine peace. Anything that destroys life– an individual, a group, a project, an institution, a state – embodies evil, an adversary of God of Shalom. The notion of “creating” peace by violating human rights, killing and silencing activists, as the NTF-ELCAC does, is the peace of the cemetery. It is a negative peace and blocks the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (Jn. 10:10). It is a far cry from peace as God’s shalom, salaam, or salamu.
Let all people open up to the Spirit of God and embody a spirituality that makes justpeace a reality in the Philippines and the world, for, as the prophet Isaiah said,
15 until a spirit from on high is poured out on us,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17 The effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness, and trust forever. (Isaiah 32:15-17)
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Prepared by
Muriel Orevillo Montenegro
For the National and International Day of Prayer for JustPeace in the Philippines
National Council of Churches in the Philippines
