Because I am His
On the occasion of Fathers’ day, it is of such joy for believers to identify themselves with The Perfect Father! As He gave us earthly fathers to fulfill a grace-filled purpose, we remain connected with Him.
Save for illegitimate children who can only use their father’s last name with the consent of the latter, children automatically carry their fathers’ last name under Philippine law. even though children have this vital umbilical connection with their mother, their identity in law is established by the last name of the father. In a patriarchal society, it almost comes out as naturally as the birth of another living being. The baby instantly becomes identified with a patronymic tone, like “James, son of Zebedee,” regardless of the fact that the child is the product of his two parents. While studies show that around 7% of mothers elect to allow their surnames to be used, this does not change the universal concept that most children will likely be perpetually associated with their father’s surname.
While this sense of distinctiveness pursuant to the patronymic culture is more pronounced in other areas than most, the color is not always bright though. harilal gandhi, eldest son of the famous anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist Mahatma gandhi, lived his entire life in the shadow of his father’s name. As this son rebelled against everything his father believed, the colloquial label for Mahatma gandhi was “father to a nation, stranger to his son”. on the local front, sara Duterte-carpio is far from being a stranger to her father. After all, she may have carved out a niche as Davao city’s Mayor, following her father Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership style. critics see Mayor sara with the same air of calculated arrogance as that of her Presidentdad. she is her “Father’s Daughter”, in many ways, lording over Davao city with the same iron discipline. should Mayor sara run for higher office, the Duterte brand will spell the difference between victory and defeat.
Early on in my professional career, people i meet will almost always ask me how i am related to general salvador Mison. i suppose the same holds true for my siblings. For my kuya, the question gets moot as he bears the same first name and practically followed my father’s footsteps in the uniformed service. Both even retired from the service as Vice chief of staff
with the rank of lieutenant general! Both are “notoriously” known for their brand of discipline and whose integrity is beyond reproach. Although my other siblings and i have charted our own professional journeys, our collective public identity rests on being a Mison, born and raised with much discipline! growing up, i remember that the Mison rod was never spared, Mison time is always at least five minutes early, and a Mison always endures all kinds of trials that come his way. Though he is not as biblical as other fathers i know, my father salvador practically imbibed and practiced what the Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:5-7, “My son, do not make light of the lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; god is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” To discipline is to love; to love is to discipline!
until this very day, i have so much deference and respect to my father, perhaps due to fear, but more so out of reverence. however which way we were raised, we are children first, because we have fathers, both in this world and beyond. Both fathers have their ways of disciplining us. But beyond the nomenclature are the relationship, the connection, and the bond between father and children. Although some may call themselves unlucky for being born with a “tarnished” last name or for not knowing who their fathers are, all of us can rest with confidence that we have a spiritual Father above. his omnipresence can sometimes be taken for granted, unfortunately, but not for king David, who once declared, “And i am this day weak, though anointed king;” (2 Samuel 3:39). This simple verse teaches us with specificity that in our earthly existence, we shall encounter frailties, limitations, and drawbacks. We can wage battle with some disease or suffer shame or guilt from a mistake to the point of getting shackled in some kind of despondency. in times like these, best to look at the torch of hope and hang on to our true identity – being a “royal priesthood” and “god’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). For some, their human fathers may have abused them or left them with a shameful name. Yet, they should not allow these circumstances to define them. After all, i was once told that “what goes on outside does not define who we are, it’s what’s going on inside us that does”! king David, at the lowest point of his life, seeing defeat from a battle, held on to that specific connection of his entire being with his Father.
circumstances during this pandemic can indeed push us into misery. hunger, strife, electoral sabotage, even domestic violence, or career confusion can make us give in or give up. The torch of hope may start to flicker. Yet, believers remain confident and blessed to be called children of an Almighty god. in the Bible, 1 John 3:1 tells us, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we shall be called children of god!”
on the occasion of Fathers’ day, it is of such joy for believers to identify themselves with The Perfect Father! As he gave us earthly fathers to fulfill a grace-filled purpose, we remain connected with him. i have fathered three children, Regina Victoria, J. siegfred salvador, and Regina Elena. i did what i could in raising them in the way i was taught how. some fathers may not be as disciplinarian as salvador, but, rest assured, all earthly fathers, myself included, can only do so much for our children. in his poem, “on children,” kahlil gibran said: “Your children are not your children… They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.” he referred to fathers as “the bows from which your (our) children, as living arrows are sent forth.” gibran sees our heavenly Father as the archer who “sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and he bends you with his might, That his arrows may go swift and far. let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so he loves also the bow that is stable.” Bows and arrows (father and children) loved by him, lets give praise to the archer—our Perfect Father, who, unlike no other, provides, protects, and pardons, simply because we are his!
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.