As a child, I had a notion of God we called Diyos. My family had always believed in the existence of God although we were not religious. I remember going to church during special occasions like Holy Week, Christmas, New Year, town fiestas, weddings, baptisms and funerals, perhaps on some of my birthdays too. But we were not what you'd call churchgoers.
I had my first formal religious education when I went to kindergarten at the University of the Philippines. A woman from outside the school came to our class once a week to talk about God. I think we had religious instruction until Grade 2, then it was gone.
The only thing I remember from those classes was an impromptu skit where I was picked by the teacher to play someone who was brought back to life. I thought all I had to do was lie on the table, pretend to be dead and get up on cue. I acted the part, and then the teacher looked at me as if I should be speaking or doing something more after "coming back to life". I was confused. We did not rehearse it. Picking up from the teacher's cue, I simply said a lifeless "I'm alive." She didn't seem pleased.
Well, too bad I hadn’t seen a dead person come back to life before. I didn’t even know the story we were acting out. Maybe that was the Bible lesson of the day and I wasn’t paying attention, just looking forward to recess.
Well, too bad I hadn’t seen a dead person come back to life before. I didn’t even know the story we were acting out. Maybe that was the Bible lesson of the day and I wasn’t paying attention, just looking forward to recess.
But, hey, my acting wasn’t so bad. The 12-year-old girl in the New Testament story I believe I role-played didn't say or do much either. Read Luke 8:49-55 (NIV):
“ 49While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
Did the girl say anything? Did she show any excitement? I'd assume she was trying to make sense of what was going on. She was probably confused. Wasn't this how I acted in the skit?
After raising the girl from the dead, Jesus did not wait for her to say anything or respond a certain way. He only wanted her to be fed.
After raising the girl from the dead, Jesus did not wait for her to say anything or respond a certain way. He only wanted her to be fed.
That should have been a nice ending to our skit.
Recess.
Recess.
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