CHRIST'S ÂĽO(J1H IN ACTION
"For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants •.. " (II Cor 4:5) December
1988
The Challenges to Evangelization by Mike Joseph, Jr. CYA National
TEN YEARS AGO, I heard a very gifted conference speaker define idolatry as "anyone or anything that you put all your hope in other than God." Today many Filipinos run the risk of living in idolatry. In the years before the peaceful revolution of 1986 (and especially right after 1983) more ~nd more Filipinos began to turn to God. The Marcos regime had failed in its promise to create a "new society". Graft and corruption were rampant. The economy was on a steady decline. Businesses were closing down, workers laid off. Multinational companies were pulling out. The foreign debt was increasing. The aftermath of Ninoy Aquino's assassination saw a weak and fragmented political opposition. The communist movement was fast gaining strength. The idols of money, political power, and the ~tatus quo were crumbling .. There was nowhere else to turn but to God. IT'S DIFFERENT TODAY The economy is again on the upswing. Discotheques are fuller than ever, even with exorbitant entrance fees. Politicians are jockeying for power; graft and corruption continue unabated. There is more money, power and pleasure available. There are so many "idols" that promise immediate satisfaction. A common spiritual attitude today is, "Who . needs God now?" The Dictionary of Biblical Theology points out that" idolatry is
not an attitude that is overcome once and for all. It comes back in different forms. Whenever one
Director
D Young people today are confronted with an increasing range of options and choices. How can we help them choose God?
ceases to serve the Lord, one becomes a slave of created realities: money (Mt 6:24),wine (Ti 2:3),the desire to dominate one's neighbor (Col 3:5, Eph 5:5), political power (Rev 13:8), pleasure, envy, hate (Ro 6:19, Ti 3:3), sin (Ro 6:6), even the merely material observance of the Law (Gen 4:8ff). Behind these vices which constitute idolatry is hidden an ignorance of the one God who alone deserves our confidence." Two characteristics of idolatry are lukewarmness and spiritual blindness. A CYA member recently shared about how she was dazzled by the wealth of one of her associates. But once, while flying in her friend's private plane, they flew into a storm. Everyone was terrified, especially the rich man. In the midst of this she realized that she had nothing to fear. She knew God loved her and her life was safe in his hands, no matter what happened. She realized that life was much more than riches, power and wealth. All of these things will pass and fade
away. God alone will remain for all eternity. So she began to pray and thank God. She had much more peace than that rich man. WHAT SHOULD WE DO? "Preach the word, be urgent in season
and out of season,
con-
vince, rebuke and exhort, be unfailing in patience and teaching" (II Tim 4:2, itals mine). God has not stopped loving the Filipino youth. He continues to work in their lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is shaking their complacent lives through personal problems and challenges. And he has put in their hearts an innate desire for truth and love. God also calls us in CYA to continue speaking his message of love, which is the Gospel, to them. During the last semester break, the CYA Staff took two days away to pray, receive teaching, and discuss the call the Lord has given us to evangelize the Filipino (Continued
on page 4)