Man does not live by bread alone

In today's gospel, John Chapter 6, verses 24 to 35, Jesus admonished his followers and the crowds that followed him, to strive to partake not just human food, but also spiritual food. In Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 Jesus also rebuked Satan saying: "It is written that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Today we reflect on the issue of food, in relation to the endemic hunger of millions of Filipinos and their deep spirituality amidst poverty. Foreigners can’t understand why we are always happy despite our poverty.

Information shows there is an ongoing conspiracy to galvanize a massive concerted action against the government. This conspiracy is reportedly being led by the left, the center, and some disgruntled elements of the right. The left includes the usual activists organizations. The centrists include opposition politicians, businessmen, and some religious leaders. The right includes taipans and magnates who got hit by the government's thrusts against tax evasions. My friends in Malacañan concluded that any attempt to sow trouble will never succeed because the people, although suffering from poverty and food insecurity, will never support another revolution.

In other words, what will cause a revolution is not the endemic lack of food security. Rather, it is injustice, a perception of injustice could galvanize collective action and fuel revolution. People will never die for lack of food, they may get sick due to malnutrition, but never because of hunger per se. There will always be food. In the rural areas, as long as they plant crops and vegetables, or fish from rivers and the sea, they will always have something to eat. In the city there is always work to be done. They can beg and borrow or look for food in garbage bins and they will survive.

It is a wonder the poorest of the poor have the deepest faith in God. They live in shacks or sidewalks, but they trust that tonight there will be food for their loved ones. This is the meaning of spiritual food. This is the meaning of living not by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. This is why Filipinos are the third happiest people on earth, even if we have one of the highest poverty incidences in the world.

Because of this, Malacañan does not believe the poor will support any attempt to sow intrigues and foment another revolution.

The poor are sick and tired of being used by trapos to advance their own interests. The people will not buy any attempt to use food and poverty to fuel an act of treason and rebellion. Not anymore.