The love of a parent

We can have an idea on how much our parents love us, but that idea won’t ever capture the totality of what it means compared to when we become parents ourselves.

There is something powerful that is hard to put into words – to love someone before that someone actually existed; to love someone before even knowing that someone.

The analogy of God being a parent works, because being a parent is the closest way to defining what unconditional love really means. That love can be tough, but it is always forgiving. And at the same time, it is overflowing.


John 15:9-11. As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-131: MAY 11, 2023]

Synchronizing

We are always in this dance of trying to understand ourselves and trying to understand others. Synchronizing with ourselves (as in being authentic to who we are and being responsible to who we are shaping up to be) and synchronizing with others is a whole new level.

I have reflected multiple times already on how much I appreciate athletic teams and bands who seem to be so in sync that they know what their teammates are going to do even before the teammate themselves knows it. It is oneness, indeed.

Within an organizational context, the pursuit of being in sync with each other is a great challenge. I have been attending trainings on quality assurance for our college these days, so I find myself constantly reflect about my own understanding of quality and how I can help our college arrive at a shared understanding. The dream is to be as in sync as Lennon-McCartney in their prime or the 2014 San Antonio Spurs championship team.

For now, it feels like the tension of the blues notes but there is no satisfying resolution in sight yet. But so be it, let’s fiddle with the blues. And maybe, this structure and improvisations will lead to a piece to remember.


John 15:1-8. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-130: MAY 10, 2023]

Towards impact that makes a (lasting) difference (a short reflection)

It is easy to measure outputs but tricky to measure impact. Impact needs time. Outputs are more about efficiency (which is easier to document) while impact is more about effectiveness.

It is easy to say that pursuing impact requires faith. But faith can be such an abstract concept. And even if we seek a reasonable kind of faith, where should we anchor such faith?

Maybe the short answer is on a system capable of piloting and producing virtuous cycles. At the very least, systems that can pilot outputs that build on each other towards lasting impact.

And in terms of our obligations as stakeholders, “letting things be” is unresponsive. “Make it be” sounds too arrogant. We can “help it be” – iterating again and again, shaping the context while letting the context also influence us.


John 14:27-31A. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-129: MAY 9, 2023]

Words should not be cheap

The advent of generative AI makes it easy to produce cheap words or words that may sound good but are not really meaningful.

If we listen to standup comedians, orators, artists, performers, and songwriters, words are far from cheap. They can mean more than what they literally denote.

Carefully chosen and smithed words can paint a thousand beautiful pictures.


John 14:21-26. If any one love me, he will keep my word.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-128: MAY 8, 2023]

To deeply know another is to share vulnerabilities with one another

The depth of relationships between people is not necessarily driven by time, but rather, how open people are in terms of sharing their vulnerabilities with each other.

If we think about it, if ever such person who is invulnerable does exist, wouldn’t it be terribly hard to understand or relate with that person?

Maybe it is a paradox of life that we tend to seek or idealize perfection, but we find ourselves somehow more whole when we are with people we can share our vulnerabilities with.


John 14:1-12. Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-127: MAY 7, 2023]

(Another reflection on) inherited will

I’m such a sucker for shounen anime. Maybe it is because of the context of my childhood – from watching Filipino dubs of Japanese anime in local channels, getting excited by Japanese dubs with English subs in cables, to internet and Netflix access.

A common theme in shounen anime is “inherited will”. I’ve reflected on this in the past, and I feel that this theme is more relevant to my life than ever. This theme is what I loved about One Piece, Naruto, and to some extent Dragon Ball Z (side note: they did Gohan such a disservice after the Cell saga…).

In a way, this “concept” of inherited will has guided my approach to mentorship and being mentored. How can I not be grateful for the mentors that went before me and showed what is possible? How can I not choose to pay it forward when I know I cannot ever repay the wealth of wisdom and will my parents and mentors have passed to me?

The spirit of inherited will is made more manifest in the works of those who came before us. At the very least, their work provides a blueprint or a template. At best, their work provides inspiration of what could be and how we can build on what they have done.

Doing good work feels like such a vocation because it enables the next generation to stand on the shoulders of giants. Mediocre and BS work are flimsy and may even be un- and de-inspiring; good work (even if not perfect) can inspire and can allow the next in line to inherit the will and dreams of the OGs and the pioneers.

May the good work that we do always honor the will and dreams of those who came before us!


John 14:7-14. Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake. Amen, amen I say to you, he that believes in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-126: MAY 6, 2023]

How can our hearts avoid being troubled?

These past few days, my barely 2-month-old son caught a persistent cold and had fever-like symptoms. I had to go to work, so it was my wife who shouldered bulk of the burden caring for Franco.

Understandably, we had some fears. We consulted medical professionals (special thanks to Franco’s Ninong Doc TJ!) and got medications.

Compared to when Franco had newborn jaundice during his first two weeks, I felt more peaceful this time. Maybe it’s because we have adjusted quite a bit already as parents. Franco’s huge appetite for milk was still there. He was more fuzzy and irritable, but he’s still able to sleep.

I found myself thinking, “namana niya pagkasipunin ko (he inherited my being prone to colds)”, but at the same time, I had this confidence (or is it faith?) that this is actually a good thing in the long run – at least, his body and immune system are being tested with a small challenge that he is likely to overcome.

My reflections these past few days have been about rearticulating my understanding of faith. Troubles will come, and it’s easy to let our hearts be affected negatively.

But faith is about the heart and mind, so when the heart feels troubled, maybe our minds can intelligently find ways to be reasonably confident. When our minds feel overburdened, our hearts can seek safer spaces for rest.

And with serendipity, our spirits can be lifted.


John 14:1-6. Let not your heart be troubled.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-125: MAY 5, 2023]

The paradox of servant leadership

My high school student leadership days have been very instrumental in shaping my beliefs about leadership in general.

As a former student-athlete (my dad bod says hello to my former self! Haha!), I felt that effective leadership meant outworking (not necessarily outperforming) teammates who are more talented than me. I learned then that discipline and hard work are the basic currencies of earning respect. Looking back, maybe I didn’t need to be the best player in the team, but I intuitively craved to be the most respected.

Simultaneously, as a former high school student government vice-president, I intimately knew what it meant to sacrifice. Sig served as my president, and back then, our student government was called the Student Advisory Board (SAB). Sig and I would often tell each other that SAB could mean “Sacrifice At its Best” especially in moments when we were too busy organizing that we are unable to actually enjoy. I remember proms, dance nights, and concerts when we are unable to have dates or just normally participate because we had to do so many preparations behind the scenes. Admittedly, during those times, everything felt absurd – why is it that the student leaders who organized events are the people who were unable to enjoy the very event they organized?

Many years later, I’ve come to realize how formative those moments really were. Those moments helped me appreciate servant leadership in a simple yet pure way – the service is both the process and reward in itself. A rational person would not stay in those moments because there were no material rewards. There are even more risks – I recall moments when our event mishaps led to some students and even some of our teachers getting frustrated at us. Rationally, there seemed no upside.

But from an authentic and integrative perspective, those moments made me realize how it’s possible to be selfless, or at least be “self-with-others”. The sense of fulfillment or wholeness after pulling off a hard project made it all worthwhile. And, to this day, I consider Sig a brother for life. How could I not when we endured so many battles together?

To end my reminiscing, I’d like to write about how my wife has teased me about my views on public recognition. When I achieve certain career milestones, she’s the one who spreads the word (to my slight discomfort). And maybe that discomfort stems from my high school experiences where it’s about discipline, hard work, and sacrifice even if the supposed “rewards” are not guaranteed. Maybe I wanted to preserve the “purity” of being able to say that I did good work because doing good work is a reward in itself. Maybe I don’t want to be seen as narcissistic. And I don’t want to also be falsely humble. So maybe my coping mechanism is to just treasure the purity of doing something for the sake of it. Good work for the sake of good work. Service for the sake of service.

The title of this reflection is “the paradox of servant leadership”, and I feel that the moment I brand myself as a “servant leader” is also the moment when it feels my leadership is most inauthentic. So, maybe, a not-discomforting way to articulate my thoughts right now is that “servant leadership” is what we’ve been trained on way back our high school days. The paradox is if we view servant leadership as a means to a reward, it becomes absurd. Or the reward becomes more elusive.

But if the conditions and context allow for a person to just focus on doing good work and doing service for their own sake, then “servant leadership” may not seem like an elusive ideal or a cheesy leadership term anymore.


John 13:16-20. The servant is not greater than his lord; neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-124: MAY 4, 2023]

Open-minded doubt vs close-minded doubt

Oxford Languages define doubt as a “feeling of uncertainty”. If we are to be honest about it, aren’t we living in a life full of uncertainty? Prayers and sayings often characterize doubt as the opposite of faith, as if doubt is a sin in itself.

Open-minded doubt, to me, is healthy. I would even say it is conducive to authenticity, because this means we are aware of what we know and don’t know about our experiences, the fallibility of our insights, and the potential unintended consequences of our actions. An open-minded doubt leads to curiosity and inquiry; it can also be an opportunity to be courageous. Faithful, even.

Close-minded doubt is unhealthy, and this may be what the Bible characterizes as a sin. Close-minded doubt implies that we have certain hills we’re willing to die on even if it turns out that our beliefs may be unreasonable.

I do not see Doubting Thomas as a tragic character; rather, I see him as a relatable character precisely because he knows how fallible he is. Maybe he is aware of how prone to fear or how gullible he is, so he protects himself. Even if Jesus would comment on how doubtful and fearful His disciples are, He goes on to provide clues or signs that will resonate to them anyway.

A close-minded kind of faith – blind faith at that – is dangerous too, because it avoids inquiry. It avoids dialogue. It avoids two-way relationships.

Maybe an open-minded doubt and open-minded faith are indeed two sides of the same coin.


John 14:6-14. If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-123: MAY 3, 2023]

Wisdom

“And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.”

In other words, the Word Incarnate walked into the entrance of human wisdom.

How profound would it be to view wisdom as the accumulation of insights, acts, and faith?


John 10:22-30. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-122: MAY 2, 2023]