When I was younger, I lived in a community that may be classified as a melting pot of culture. The harmonious relationship of its residents from different tribes and religions made it more special. There, I have established good relationships with my Muslim and Christian friends.
One time, I visited my aunt’s house in the same community. I was tagged along with an “ate” that used to go to a center (Padayon Center). The center, which is near a chapel, is a simple place where people, especially the youth, gather to listen to some lectures and play. I was one of those young attendees. I remember that “ate” always mentioned the word “Silsilah” whenever she shares her beautiful experiences with her friends there. From that moment on, I was eager to experience also what she had experienced.
When I was in high school, I attended a Culture of Dialogue seminar. That training taught me to understand other religions and appreciate differences. I have become more sensitive to other people’s feelings and opened my heart to be more humane. There, I aspired to inspire people and let them see the goodness of others.
As I continued to study, I reminisced what “ate” told me about the “Silsilah” that I used to hear. As I searched for deeper meaning in my life, I continued to attend monthly formations and various seminars which strengthened my desire to know more. Every formation inspired me to be a future formator that would also give the same formation to other young people. Then, I was invited to attend the Silpeace Youth Gathering -“Ako Ito” workshop at Silsilah in 2010 which pushed a big shift in my life. I never thought I would find my purpose in life and the meaning of my existence.
However, the learnings and values I acquired in the many workshops and training I attended under Silsilah were washed out that day –– the 9th day of September 2013 (dubbed as the Zamboanga Siege), when the sound of the rooster every morning in Zamboanga City was replaced by the deafening sounds of bombs that inflicted fear in the minds of people. The once white and fluffy cotton clouds were blended with charcoaled fumes depicting a horrific ambiance. The sounds did not discriminate against any religion, age, color, or status in life. Everyone was affected. Those sounds served as my alarm clock on that day while having a peaceful sleep in our residence at Sta. Catalina – a sound that created not only fear but a division between Muslims and Christians in our community.
Around 5:30 in the morning, we suddenly woke up because of the continuous loud sounds that we heard. At that moment, I had a gut feeling that something wrong was happening. “Gera ya na Zamboanga”, said the radio announcer. After an hour or two of gathering all our relatives and friends inside our broken-down house, we heard the rebels having conversations outside our house, just near our door. Sweat was dripping from our faces. No voice could be heard. No sound except the screeching of our door about to reveal the hidden and frightened innocent people inside. Then, we heard a familiar female voice outside. It was our close Muslim friend, trying to persuade the rebels to stay on the side of the road to rest and eat. I don’t know if our Muslim friend knew that I was looking at her from inside at the side of our door or knew we were still inside our house and helped us to escape, but because of her, we were able to go out and ran to the grass field. While in that plight, some of our Muslim neighbors who shared camaraderie with us for years in the community, were smiling and looking at us with satisfaction. When I looked into their eyes, I saw a reflection of myself slowly being dragged into a sinkhole without anyone wanting to help me. But that image was different from the image that I saw in the eyes of Aunt D. I was holding a hand while looking at a smiling face, expressing trust and love. I saw God’s mercy. He didn’t abandon us in those hours that we were to be exposed. He gave me that sign of hope and an experience of His mercy. Maybe, If I had no strong foundation and training in the Culture of Dialogue and Interreligious Dialogue, I may not have overcome that experience. It made me realize that the evil things humans do are not necessarily influenced by our religion. As Fr. Seb always says, “There’s always a corner of goodness in every individual”. We just have to find it.
In this world, different possibilities can happen. Human beings became natural human beings before affiliating with any religion. Humans also have characteristic features of different forms of evil like greed, passion, etc. Thus, this gives me the impression that bad things are caused by these bad features of human beings and are not necessarily influences of our religion. After the siege, I realized that there is still a lot of Aunt ‘D’ in our community and this city. We may experience a change of direction when we are sailing, but it still depends on us on how to manage our sail.
I did not even realize that the Culture of Dialogue seminar in our school would change me into the person that I am today. My choices in life especially the choice I did for my career path and how I view my existence today revolved around the word “Silsilah”. As I look back, a few years ago, I was at the time of my life when I was at crossroads of what career path to choose. Now, I feel no regret about my career choice. It is what I used to imagine. It is what I envisioned. It is what I longed for. Living that dream is indeed one of the best choices that I did. It was always something I needed to do or wanted to do. In the end, I still chose what I wanted which turned into what I needed.
The “Silsilah” that I just used to know is now my workplace and my comfort zone. I committed myself to stay in this place where my heart truly belongs.
Lady Anne Sheena Macero
Coordinator, Media Center for Dialogue and Peace