[ad_1]
There is much to love about athletes other than their extraordinary endurance, fitness and ability. In an unforgettable “5,000-meter men’s heat” at the 2019 world athletics championships, spectators at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar were wonderfully surprised by the self-sacrificing act of the long-distance runner from Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Braima Suncar Dabo, instead of racing ahead of his exhausted competitor Jonathan Busby from Aruba, decided to help the latter up and dragged him to the finish line.
Busby was on the brink of collapse on the final lap until Dabo came to his rescue. Together, they strode to complete the race. Busby collapsed again just after crossing the line. These two runners do not speak the same language and, as in all athletic competitions, they were hell-bent on winning as they strongly represent their respective countries. But surprisingly, one showed such a sporting gesture that no gold or treasure can ever buy. During his interview immediately after the race, Dabo said: “My thought was to help him finish, that’s the goal of the race.”
All sporting events are competitive, hence the Olympic creed that says: “The important thing in life is not triumph, but struggle; The essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well ”. Fighting well includes the selfless act of an athlete, by all common measures, which can reverberate beyond the fields of friendly matches. That message, generated from the heart, should have been the overwhelming aphorism for all of us who have been active in relief efforts since the multiple recent typhoons that struck the country. Young and old alike, organization after organization, friend and foe, stretched out an arm or two to give what they could for their fellow men whose homes were destroyed, whose loved ones were lost, and whose livelihoods were severely affected.
However, during a televised press conference, President Duterte warned his highly publicized political rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, not to compete with him. President Duterte, probably misinformed by his aides, delivered highly venomous criticism and savagely vicious comments against the country’s second-highest civil servant, at the height of reinforcement operations for the typhoon victims. Triggered by rumors that it was Vice President Leni herself who launched the hashtag “NasaanAngPangulo” on social media at the midpoint of the wrath of calamity, President Duterte unleashed a barrage of comments that would make any decent person tremble. Perhaps it was the impact of the multitude of photos and videos that show the official distributing goods before, during and after the typhoon that caused this presidential cry. Feeling that the hashtag and these viral images were excessive or sarcastic, the Commander-in-Chief, who participated in a virtual ASEAN meeting during the height of these calamities, warned his successor: “Don’t compete with me” and “wawaswasin kita”(Dressing or shaking off). Although they are from different political parties, both Duterte and Robredo are leaders of the Philippine government whose objective, in times of national emergencies, must transcend political considerations.
Well-meaning Filipinos should know that doing good deeds, inside or outside of government, knows no borders and is never a monopoly. As long as good deeds are shared on social media or spread in another way, others are more likely to be encouraged to do the same. Whenever one flaunts his good deed, with selfish motives such as those of political color, the deed is no longer good. But whenever one shows their good deed, for the purpose of informing donors / sponsors where and how donations were spent, the writing is basically based on getting more efforts from more people to stand up and help others finish. the race called life.
Helping others is never about competition, unless the desire to help is based on personal progress. Regardless of VP Leni’s motives for allowing photographs of his relief efforts to be published, these are rendered pale by the optimistic faces of all the families whose lives he touched with his personal presence. As much as we cannot rule out the proposition that a possible purpose was to advance her political career, much like that of an athlete in the track and field championship with the goal of getting that gold medal at the finish line, we should lift our pom poms and support her, regardless of whether we like it or not. Like runner Dabo helping Busby, Leni’s efforts, as well as those of others like her (César Sarmiento, Teng Zaide, my co-workers at SM, and even my daughter Regina Victoria) were directed toward the homeless and downtrodden. Such a good action, when generated from the heart and prompted by the indwelling Holy Spirit, should not have enmity.
We may find ourselves in a rivalry with our neighbors, or at our workplace or at school, just as the president and vice president pay allegiance to different political parties. It can be tough competition, fierce competition, but the imperative need to show a compassionate heart for others must carry primary weight regardless of the competition and despite conspicuous antagonism. Reiterating the permanent principle in Hebrews 10:24 of the Bible: “And let’s consider how we can stimulate each other toward love and good works.” There is a time to compete and not compete. Helping others is never a competition! While the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (“Faster, taller, stronger”) is based on one performance metric relative to another, our key performance indicator in our personal lives is based on a single standard as found in John 13:34 of the Bible, which says: “Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another. “Love is best expressed when we do good deeds, not in a spirit of competition, but of cooperation, to genuinely help others to please it.
Helping a rival finish a race out of disinterest may be too high a bar for some. But Dabo, the West African athlete, quickly and willingly helped his competitor finish the 5,000-meter race. Sportsmanship is a lesson in elementary athletics. May all of us learn this lesson anew, especially our leaders in government, present and future, as we face our Creator one day, hopefully echoing the apostle Paul’s testimony in 2 timothy 4: 7 of the Bible It said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In the midst of this pandemic, let’s remember a phrase from the movie Last Christmas: “We are lucky to be alive, we are lucky to help each other, in one way or another.”
Siegfred Mison, Former Infantry and Intelligence Officer in the Army, showcased his philosophy of servant leadership at organizations such as the Philippine Integrated Bar Association, Law Offices of Malcolm, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Office of Immigration and Philippine Airlines. He graduated from West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School and the University of Southern California. A corporate attorney by profession, he is an inspiring teacher and Spirit-filled writer with a mission.
If you have questions and comments, please email me at [email protected]
