20/20 Spiritual Visual Acuity

by Captain Stephen Toring

As the clock’s hand turned from 11:59pm to 12 midnight of December 31 last year, the wold ushered in the year 2020 with great jubilation. Many declared, “Bring it on, 2020!” But boy, did the New Year bring things in deluge.

In less than 6 months, we saw forest fires burn through large swaths of land abroad, we witnessed the heightening of geopolitical tensions in our part of the world, and of course, we all experienced the government imposed lockdowns which were done in an effort to contain the raging pandemic. The latter brought our normal daily lives to a screeching halt.

On the outset, the year 2020 seems to have brought nothing but misery and ruin to all but, looking at things under positive light, this year could actually be a year of re-focusing. A year to see things more clearly. A year of 20/20 spiritual visual acuity.

In my line of work, we are trained to see and think in a certain way when there should

be an emergency. We are to remember that regardless of the kind of airplane we fly,

whether big or small, our number 1 priority is to always maintain positive control of the

airplane while everything else are secondary.

I believe that this kind of thinking at work is not really different from the way I should be thinking as a full-time Christian in this trying time. As a Christian, I am reminded to first have 20/20 visual clarity on the things that remain constant, then everything else is secondary. God’s call to His people is indeed constant regardless of time in history or situation. This, I believe, is best expressed in Micah 6:8 “You have been told, O man, what is good and what Yahweh requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”. These were the words given to the people of Israel during their time of great tribulation. They received the same call before, it is the same for us now.

For us in Casa Toring, this has been a perfect time for us to re-focus and look at the

good things that we have had as a family and as a member of HCC. The 5 spokes of spiritual growth holds true for us now as it was during our pre-CoVID lives: Prayer, Scripture,

Sacrament, Community and Service are still our family’s guide to growing spiritually.

Prayer and Scripture. With more time spent at home, Jenny and I are blessed to have an

increased measure on these 2 spokes. We both consider the 3-weekend spent in the recent PTI (Pastoral Training Institute) talks regarding Revelation and The Savior as an opportunity of great spiritual growth. It was like going through another CLP but with a deeper and more profound effect on our selves.

Sacrament. During the 2 months of intense ECQ, our desire to be with the Lord in Eucharist

was gratefully addressed by the gift of technology. Church doors were shut but God flung wide open new avenues to channel His grace through online masses. Our family is also grateful that the Franciscan Sisters, who live in the convent inside the IAU campus and who

take care of the Chapel of St. Therese, were there to administer communion service for our

family during the ECQ.

Community and Service. The current mandate anywhere is to practice Social Distancing but thanks to modern technology we need not practice Spiritual Distancing from our brothers and sisters. Via the internet, we can still serve and participate in community activities. Indeed, it is a blessing to be planted in fertile ground. Personally, I find the joint

virtual CYA-ALNP-HCC prayer meetings as particularly inspiring because it is a clear manifestation of God’s call being heeded across multiple generations. Learning from our brothers and sisters, through their life sharing and drawing inspiration from them through virtual prayer meetings and MWG’s, keep our family in firm fertile ground.

Despite all the difficult things we’re all going through, let us cling on to an unchanging

truth: that our call as Christians has always been the same and that we belong to a God

who is faithful and true, as beautifully encapsulated in James 1:12 “Blessed is anyone who perseveres when trials come. Such a person is of proven worth and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him”.

** first published in Ang Panimalay 3Q 2020