Bottomline of bottomlines

In all likelihood, few of us will be able to recall the first time we set eyes on a belen (a tableau of the Nativity) as kids. I do remember the cutout belen my parents always put up every December at the center of our home, the more elaborate dioramas we would design and assemble as students in university residences, not to mention the animated display that would draw crowds to what was then COD department store at the (then) Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.

It is a scene that has never failed to uplift spirits in a period seasonally marked by snarled traffic, yearend deadlines at the office, and frenetic activity like making a gift list and checking it twice to make sure that no one important is missed.

More than that, this period is also an excellent time to remember that Christianity is not just a set of beliefs and rules to be observed only on Sundays, but is a way of life that ought to guide the way one spends time with spouse and kids; fulfills personal and professional obligations; handles business transactions; deals with superiors, subordinates, and friends; plays sports, etc. Yup, it comes in handy for everything of consequence that one does.

Where was it that I read: that the conflicts and tensions that now wrack almost every corner of the globe could have been prevented/resolved if only those in power were to observe the Decalogue and the Beatitudes? That’s one tall order — one can imagine eyes rolling in sarcasm and skepticism at this point — but then, who can argue against those principles?

Thus, it was instructive in December 2020 to relive a bit of the first Christmas — in uncertainty, isolation, discomfort and without the usual fanfare — as the COVID virus rampaged worldwide.

And so, without forgetting the primary, fundamental message without which the season loses its sense — that God became man in order to satisfy divine mercy and justice (which are not contradictory) and so open the gates of heaven to all – let’s look at what we heads of families and professionals can take away from the nativity scene.

Let me cite just a few.

The first is the central role family plays in life, for in the final analysis, even when one loses his/her job or business, one will always have family as the fortress to which he/she can retreat to in order to fight another day.

Hence, it is but logical to do what one can to strengthen that core of any society: not only by avoiding giving in to anger, irritation, or frustration after one comes home at the end of a hectic day, but by being on the lookout for the slightest opportunity to serve individuals in the family (in much the same way that one would think little of going the extra mile to attend to anything of great value).

The family is also the primary (though not the only) venue where one serves society. As the “saint of the gutters” — St. Teresa of Calcutta — said: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

It has never ceased to amaze me that the two greatest saints of the Catholic Church did not belong to royalty nor to any social, professional, or intellectual elite, but were an impoverished, simple couple who spent the first Christmas as refugees fleeing from a threat to their life (a story played out in the tens of millions in almost every continent to this day).

Secondly, each member of the family in that manger offers practical tips for dealing with the opportunities and challenges that an ordinary day brings us:

• From the Child (who was “a sign of contradiction” — from the crib as a refugee from persecution, to his 30s, and right to the end when even His closest friends deserted Him), we learn that doing the right thing is never about winning a popularity contest, that going with the crowd does not necessarily mean we are in the right (hence, there ought to be a stable source of one’s convictions), as well as dogged, single-minded determination to achieve any good objective (“He resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” where He was to die for all).

• From His mother, we learn to always be alert for opportunities to serve others wherever we find ourselves (she noticed that the wine had run out even before the newlyweds and the steward of the feast at Cana were alerted to a brewing catastrophe), to serve discreetly and without fanfare, to be habitually introspective (she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”), and to be courageous against all odds (she stood at the foot of the cross after almost everyone else had run away).

• From his foster father, we learn the value of silent, hard work (he was known as “the carpenter” by the community, reflecting widespread respect for the quality of his products) and of being “a good and a just man” (he displayed dignity when he decided to separate from Mary privately when he thought she had been unfaithful, rather than expose her to public scorn and certain execution).

Third is the example given by the three wise men (from Parthia and/or some other empire east of the Roman Empire’s borders in what is now West Asia, according to scholars) when it comes to being committed to a worthwhile objective. Such commitment is operationalized in the details, i.e., careful planning for an arduous, perilous trip that could have taken weeks or even months, and flexibility in the face of fluid situations (warned of Herod’s intent to kill the Child, they took another way back to their own country).

The apostolic letter, “Admirabile Signum” (“A Wonderful Sign”), which Pope Francis issued in December 2019 — practically on the eve of the pandemic — also said that “[t]he magi teach us that people can come to Christ [and, as a corollary, any good] by a very long route,” hence, the need for patience and perseverance in the face of obstacles when working for anything worthwhile.

Finally, “Admirabile Signum” also reminded readers of the value of poverty and the role of wealth.

Poverty, far from the negative connotation it has for many folks, is actually a virtue, since it puts personal possessions in proper context and frees owners from crippling dependence on them.

The manger, the papal letter said, “asks us to meet Him and serve Him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need.

“The presence of the poor and the lowly in the nativity scene remind us that God became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of His love and who ask Him to draw near to them. Jesus… was born in poverty and led a simple life in order to teach us to recognize what is essential and to act accordingly. The nativity scene clearly teaches that we cannot let ourselves be fooled by wealth and fleeting promises of happiness.”

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church says that “wealth exists to be shared.” Specifically, this doctrine provides that:

• “Goods, even when legitimately owned, always have a universal destination,” and, thus, “any type of improper accumulation is immoral, because it openly contradicts the universal destination assigned to all goods by the Creator.”

• “Wealth is a good that comes from God and is to be used by its owner and made to circulate so that even the needy may enjoy it. Evil is seen in the immoderate attachment to riches and the desire to hoard [by the way, he who has ears to hear — especially when it comes to strategic farm products like rice — let him hear].”

• “Those who work in the economic sphere and who possess goods [ought] to consider themselves administrators of the goods that God has entrusted to them,” and “[t]he rich man… is only an administrator of what he possesses; giving what is required to the needy is a task that is to be performed with humility because the goods do not belong to the one who distributes them. He who retains riches only for himself is not innocent; giving to those in need means paying a debt.”

At this point, one need not be overwhelmed by the enormous task of poverty alleviation (here we speak of the social ill of people not having enough to make ends meet) in our country. These principles are best applied to all those in need in one’s immediate surroundings (starting with time spent with family members in need rather than binge-watching your favorite shows or movies on streaming services), radiating further out in society according to one’s capacity.

To end: hopefully, more of us will no longer look at the belen the same old, tired way.

By this time, most organizations will have completed their plans for 2025. But even the best-laid plans constitute just the first step. Much depends on quality of execution, and that in turn depends on the quality of those carrying them out.

Take it from the humble belen, which most of us have taken for granted for so long: Catholic teachings offer solid principles to guide responses to society’s needs across time.

Wilfredo G. Reyes was editor-in-chief of BusinessWorld from 2020 through 2023.