Valuing Life Amidst Illegal Logging and Disasters in the Philippines - Coursework Example

Running Head: Franciscan Spirituality Franciscan Spirituality of Franciscan Spirituality Introduction Franciscanspirituality is a way of life that centers on the Gospel and Christ. It emphasizes the notion of being like Christ because he is the ultimate source of inspiration for human beings1. It calls upon recognizing God in the form of righteous actions and deeds. This can be the only way to embrace eternal union which promises deliverance and salvation for the believers2. Spirituality embraces the notion of increasing faith as a means of withstanding calamities and adversities. Humility and poverty are focused by Franciscan spirituality due to several reasons. They provide the means for understanding the real purpose of existence. Excessive material wealth leads to avarice, greed, and hatred which can cause the destruction of humanity. Thus the notion of believing in Christ helps an individual to contemplate about the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It helps the individual to recognize the unique creation of humanity that is entrusted with the task of creating a just and humane society. The Philippines is a great nation with a talented and productive workforce. It has natural resources that are being threatened by unscrupulous individuals who desire greed and profit. Illegal logging poses a serious threat to indigenous people and local habitats. It has the potential of creating natural disasters that increase misery and oppression. The goal of this paper is to apply Franciscan spiritual principles in the context of illegal logging and natural disasters in the country. It seeks to develop a collective response by focusing on the major principles of spirituality. Background Franciscan spirituality is based upon the notion of living a life that is filled with humility and poverty. It encourages the development of spirituality as the means to attaining eternal grace and union with God3. It embraces the notion of living as Christ because he is the symbol of divinity and humanity. His crucifixion enables the believer to contemplate about the changing environment. It creates an environment where success can be attained by recognizing the value of human life4. Spirituality means the application of moral principles that enable a human to live in harmony and balance with the external environment. Every action of humans must be Christian centric because ultimately it will be the criteria for success. The Philippines is a beautiful country with a hardworking and talented people5. It has numerous resources like natural habitats and environmental wonders. All of these resources are under threat from unscrupulous individuals who seek to destroy them for their own purposes. Illegal logging and natural disasters pose a threat to the integrity of the country. It is contrary to the natural values that embrace the notion of solidarity, peace, and harmony with the external environment. Franciscan spirituality advocates love for all human beings irrespective of their differences6. It embraces the notion of poverty as a means of fulfilling the covenant of Christ. It believes in the absolute supremacy of poverty because richness is really found in the spiritual domain. Application of Franciscan Spirituality Franciscan spirituality is derived from the Christian notion of perfection and sanctity because the believer is encouraged to achieve the ultimate dream of eternal union with the divine entity7. Hence it advocates the development of a spiritual framework that seeks to exert the believer to perform righteous actions to the utmost in order to achieve sainthood. The Filipino people value the importance of sustainable living with the surrounding environment. This is because the natural environment provides food, shelter, growth, and sustenance. Hence it must be respected according to their natural values and norms. A recurrent theme of Franciscan spirituality is the emphasis towards modesty and destitution8. This is because materialistic possessions tend to create greed and avarice among human beings. The natural environment comprised of trees acts as a bulwark against natural disasters. Illegal logging has been destructive to the Filipino habitat because some consider it to be responsible for the cause of flash floods and typhoons. Illegal logging and natural disasters have had a deleterious impact upon the country. Deforestation has caused the destruction of fertile lands through soil erosion. This has increased the chances for landslides that pose serious threats to the people. Frequent floods and droughts pose a serious threat for the livelihood of many Filipinos. Power outages have become common because there is no water to power the electric turbines. Thus it can be seen that illegal logging has created an environment disaster for the Filipino people. Franciscan spirituality would view the issue of illegal logging and natural disasters due to the actions of human beings9. It perceives humans as being individuals who have the capacity to become either good or evil. This is because they have been created from the image of God. Humans are thus entrusted with the responsibility of protecting their environment. Jesus Christ is the exemplary model for humans because he was the first of creation. Furthermore, God has the remarkable tendency of loving others at an infinite rate. Humans have been created with the potential of having the greatest feeling of love. They can perform righteous actions that ensure harmony with the external environment10. Safeguarding the divine love is essential which can happen only through protecting the environment. Franciscan spirituality would argue that humility is necessary for the survival of the human being. This is correct because every individual must perceive the environment as something that must be safeguarded for future generations. The resources must be utilized according to needs rather than wasted or misused for greed or avarice11. Jesus Christ represents the fusion of divine and human love which is a model that can be emulated by every human being. It is a manifestation of divine grace which must lead to superior outcomes. Franciscan spirituality advocates a Christian centric approach that would lead to recognition of the rights of lesser animals. Course of Action Purity of mind and heart is the most essential tenet of Franciscan spirituality because it helps to cleanse the individual of wicked thoughts and actions. The pure and pristine teachings of the Gospel enable the individual to develop heightened levels of awareness and perception12. Hence the Filipino people must be taught to embrace God and derive strength from such an eternal union. Such a course of action will ultimately help them to fight against the forces that are bent upon destroying the external environment for their own nefarious purposes. The Gospel is equivalent to Christ according to Franciscan spirituality13. Therefore the real purpose of the crucifixion must be contemplated among human beings. This is the only way to achieve sense of purpose and meaning in this world. The Filipino people must thus embrace the life of Christ as a model for humility, modesty, and poverty. The goal should be to acquire virtues as a means of creating a positive environment. Christ becomes the symbol of hope and aspiration for the downtrodden and weak people of the world. Poverty and love are common themes in Franciscan spirituality14. It is essential to raise awareness about these values by using an efficient and effective approach. A mass education campaign based upon such values like solidarity, honor, esteem, etc should be generated. Franciscan spirituality can be used as a mechanism for mobilizing the masses so that they are aware about the rights of the environment15. They can pose a formidable challenge to the vested interests that seek to rob the resources of the environment. A frugal and simple lifestyle should be encouraged because it is an essential element of Franciscan spirituality. Poverty enables the individual to devote towards spiritual pursuits. The individual begins to shun the worldly possessions which have the capacity to generate hatred, avarice, lust, and greed16. Franciscan spirituality encourages acquiring richness through righteous words and actions. This is a powerful image that can counter the unabashed desire for profit and money. It helps to expose the powerful segments who covet the possessions of the environment for their nefarious purposes. Franciscan life emphasizes on the importance of affection for all creatures. Specifically it advocates recognizing humility and modesty as the means for achieving deliverance and salvation. Charity is another aspect of Franciscan spirituality which can be recognized in the situation of the Filipino people17. It provides a unique method to achieve love and grace for all human beings. It embraces the concept of good deeds as a means of attaining salvation. Furthermore, it advocates the development of a framework that can be used for creating goodness in the environment. Conclusion Franciscan spirituality is based upon the notion of adhering to the Gospel. This is because the Gospel testifies to the truth of Jesus Christ. It provides a manual to live an abundant life that is filled with spiritual awakening and conscious. It provides a path towards salvation by shunning the materialistic possessions of the world18. It enables the believers to devote themselves to the worship of the one and true God. It creates the need for embracing the love and affection of fellow human beings19. In addition, it advocates the development of an environment where values like compassion, humility, modesty, and generosity are promoted and practiced. The beautiful land of Philippines is under threat from powerful organizations and individuals who covet its prized possessions. Illegal logging has become a commercial enterprise that has the power to threaten the lives and property of indigenous people. It is an anathema to the sanctity of life which is treasured by Christianity. The spiritual principles of Franciscan order can be used to understand this situation. God has created humans as special creatures due to their ability to comprehend and understand the notion of morality20. Therefore it is expected for human beings to embrace the notion of love and tolerance for other creatures. It is based upon the desire to create a just and humane society. References Armstrong, Regis, Hellmann, Wayne & Short, William. (1999). The Saint – Volume I of Francis of Assisi: Early Documents. New York: New City Press Monti, Dominic. (2009). Francis & His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press Regis Armstrong and Ignatius Brady (1982). Francis and Clare: The Complete Works, New York: Paulist Press Regis Armstrong and Ingrid J. Peterson (2010). The Franciscan Spiritual Tradition by Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press Delio, Ilia. A Franciscan View of Creation: Learning to Live in A Sacramental World. The Franciscan Heritage Series, 2 Hammond, Jay M. (2004). Francis of Assisi: History, Hagiography and Hermeneutics in the Early Documents. New York: New City Press Nothwehr, Dawn. (2000). Cosmic Mysticism, Cosmic Christ, Cosmic Mutuality. Vol 50, no 3, 125-137 Nothwehr, Dawn, ed. (2003). 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