ILLEGAL LOGGING & DISASTERS IN THE PHILIPPINES Essay

ILLEGAL LOGGING & DISASTERS IN THE PHILIPPINES - Essay Example Humility and poverty are focused by Franciscan spirituality due to several reasons. They provide the means for understanding the real purpose of existence. Excessive material wealth leads to avarice, greed, and hatred which can cause the destruction of humanity. Thus the notion of believing in Christ helps an individual to contemplate about the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It helps the individual to recognize the unique creation of humanity that is entrusted with the task of creating a just and humane society. The Philippines is a great nation with a talented and productive workforce. It has natural resources that are being threatened by unscrupulous individuals who desire greed and profit. Illegal logging poses a serious threat to indigenous people and local habitats. It has the potential of creating natural disasters that increase misery and oppression. The goal of this paper is to apply Franciscan spiritual principles in the context of illegal logging and natural disasters in the country. It seeks to develop a collective response by focusing on the major principles of spirituality. Background Franciscan spirituality is based upon the notion of living a life that is filled with humility and poverty. It encourages the development of spirituality as the means to attaining eternal grace and union with God3. It embraces the notion of living as Christ because he is the symbol of divinity and humanity. His crucifixion enables the believer to contemplate about the changing environment. It creates an environment where success can be attained by recognizing the value of human life4. Spirituality means the application of moral principles that enable a human to live in harmony and balance with the external environment. Every action of humans must be Christian centric because ultimately it will be the criteria for success. The Philippines is a beautiful country with a hardworking and talented people5. It has numerous resources like natural habitats and environmental won ders. All of these resources are under threat from unscrupulous individuals who seek to destroy them for their own purposes. Illegal logging and natural disasters pose a threat to the integrity of the country. It is contrary to the natural values that embrace the notion of solidarity, peace, and harmony with the external environment. Franciscan spirituality advocates love for all human beings irrespective of their differences6. It embraces the notion of poverty as a means of fulfilling the covenant of Christ. It believes in the absolute supremacy of poverty because richness is really found in the spiritual domain. Application of Franciscan Spirituality Franciscan spirituality is derived from the Christian notion of perfection and sanctity because the believer is encouraged to achieve the ultimate dream of eternal union with the divine entity7. Hence it advocates the development of a spiritual framework that seeks to exert the believer to perform righteous actions to the utmost in or der to achieve sainthood. The Filipino people value the importance of sustainable living with the surrounding environment. This is because the natural environment provides food, shelter, growth, and sustenance. Hence it must be respected according to their natural values and norms. A recurrent theme of Franciscan spirituality is the emphasis towards modesty and destitution8. This is because materialistic possessions tend to create greed and avarice among