In a basketball game, the fourth quarter,
among the four quarters, is considered as the “clutch quarter.” [Some would say
that the last five minutes of the fourth quarter is the clutch period.] Because
even if a team is down or up by thirty points, the players should play
consistent offense and defense so as to avoid an upset loss from the opposing
team. And usually during this “clutch time,” there is a player or there are
players whom the coach trusts most to deliver the offense or the defense needed
by the team. These clutch players are usually the most experienced ones, the
talented ones, the courageous ones and those who take the necessary risks. They
are the best players that can handle the pressure and can deliver the necessary
plays needed by the team. And during this “clutch quarter,” this last quarter,
only the courageous and resilient players can stand and play for the team.
The recent events in the Philippines
would give us an idea of an apocalypse, seriously. War in Zamboanga. Earthquake in Bohol
and Cebu. And, just recently, the super
typhoon in the Visayas. We might
think that these events maybe signs of the end of the world. We might think
that these events are signs of the Armageddon.
We might, just might. But in a second
glance, these are not actually signs of the last things [As I reflect on it. I
am not Nostradamus, anyway.]. These are just phenomena in our human life that
test our resiliency, our capability for survival, our unity as one nation, our
faith and trust in God, and our hope for a better tomorrow. We might think of
the last things and last days in life but as we think of them, we actually
become more hopeful, more strong, more faithful, more united. This is evident
with the people joining together to help the victims of the war, earthquake and
typhoon. This is evident with the same prayers offered by people who belong from
different religions and denominations. This is evident with the promotions and
campaigns for help in different social networking sites. And this is also
evident with the amount of support our nation gets from other nations. In these
events, there seems to be a change in our hearts. Isn’t it we become more charitable to each other? Isn’t it we become more
prayerful? Isn’t it we become more hopeful? Well, I am not saying that
these events should always happen so that those latter good things would
surface from us. What I am actually saying is that we should be more optimistic
and more hopeful during these events. We come to realized that people know how
to love and how to express that love.
Also, during these events our resiliency
to pressure is deepened. We become more experienced, more courageous and more
willing to take all the necessary risks. Thus, we can say that during these
events, we become “clutch persons,” or the last persons who can still deliver a
good fight. We become the trusted persons who can still play a good game under
pressure during the last quarter, during the clutch time.
Thus, this is the challenge of Jesus
that we become more courageous, more learned and more willing to take the risks
in the challenges that face us. Well, even if it is not the last quarter, we
still try to do our best, to play our best because even if without the
pressure, we can still learn. We become more “clutch persons,” in the end.
