Creators of New Meanings?

In last week’s Shalom column I referred to government officials, doctors and nurses, and all medical/health workers as people who create new meanings for old symbols. No, I was not referring to them as poets, mystics, theologians or philosophers who are the real creators of new meanings. I was simply referring to them as implementors of the government’s ordinances in preventing infection of people by Covid-19. So, as such, they are expected to be intelligible, clear, articulate, consistent, especially in their use of words either in English, Cebuano or Tagalog, etc. As a consequence of their efforts, correct understanding and faithful compliance produce good results and lives are saved. This seemingly complicated process may be termed creation of new ideas in the area of articulation and procedure, not in terms of values, cultures and principles and systems of thought and ideology.

While our country also needs government officials like these enforcers of public order and behavior, we need leaders driven by patriotic and moral values. History mentions Mahatma Gandhi of India (Non-violence), Julius Nyerere of Tanganyika (Pro-poor), Nelson Mandela of South Africa (Non-Violence), and Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia (Playwright). They were elected by people who knew and experienced the power of their values and examples of their lives.

What about the current government officials who are already announcing their candidacy? But will there be a national election during this pandemic? I am not capable of answering these questions. But everyone agrees these questions are important.

The central point of this brief article is to emphasize that the human wisdom of creating new meanings is found in those individuals who are able to experience the truth in people, environment and events… and are then inspired to verbalize their meanings, and articulate them so they can be communicated and be of help to individuals and society.