JOHN

    I was supposed to be happy that day because I passed my exam in one of our Philosophy subjects but when I heard the news about the condition of my friend John, I felt no reason for any celebration. My heart breaks after knowing that my friend is now on the brink of being insane due to addiction on illegal drugs. On the evening of that day, the news really bothered me, I feel pity for my friend because I know that despite of his being a drug addict, he is still a good man. Our friendship which was tested through times could attest how good he is to me.

          The last time I went home, it was last October 2013 and it coincides with the barangay elections; I met him again and talked to him together with our other friends. We laughed together and shared personal experiences. Suddenly, he came close to me and said” dong sorry, but I need to distance myself from you because I don’t want to drag your name by my foolishness. I want to preserve your reputation as a seminarian. This gesture won’t mean that we are not friends anymore rather it’s my way of protecting my beloved friend (you) from unjust criticisms of other people. I was touched by what he said to me and I responded,”no John, we are friends since then and I appreciate and value our friendship. Our friendship has gone through many years already and it will not change. If you keep yourself away from me, then, I will take the initiative to be near to you”  

       After we had that conversation, I still continued going to their house and invited him together with our other friends to go outing or have food trips within our place. In our friendship, we are very open to each other. I can share to him my problems and he also shares his miseries in life to me. We gave advices to each other for every difficult situation we confronted. We tease and criticize each other in a constructive way.  In him I experienced the best friendship I really dreamed of. A friendship which is not founded on the material benefits that we can gain out of each other rather its foundation are loyalty and trust.

     When I came to know John many years back, he’s not yet into that kind of vice at that time. I just found it out last 3 years ago, but still, I did not change the way how I treat him as my friend. Many people had told me to keep away from him, but I never do what they said. On my part, it’s not an act of rebellion but it’s my act of compassion for someone who is discriminated by the community. I know John as a good man and not as a drug addict, I know him as my dear friend and not as an outcast in our place. If people will despise me because we are friends then I don’t care. Anyway, I am doing no harm to any one or even to myself since my intention is pure. Is it wrong to care for a friend? Is it wrong to give value to someone who is perceived as worthless by the community? I believe there’s nothing wrong with my actions as long as I won’t do the same thing. In fact I never fail to convince him to quit from his vice.

       I know that people are just concern about me and they don’t want me to be influenced by some drug addicts. I understand their part, but John is not the same with other people out there. Although he’s an addict but he is a true friend to me. Even just once, he never convinces me to try such wrong doing. On the other hand, what annoys me is that, some people think that as a seminarian I should not get in touch with this kind of people. But I believe that they are wrong. For me nothing will be change in our friendship. My identity as a seminarian will not segregate myself from this kind of people in our community. Hence, my identity just made me more aware of my obligations as a Christian in our society. I have been taught here in the seminary to love the least, the last and the lost. To show genuine compassion and love for those people who really need it most, and I believe John is one of them. Accountability for our brothers and sisters is not just a mere word. As a Christian, most especially as a seminarian, it should be observed and incorporated into my life. We are following Jesus Christ’s footsteps and it was him,” the good shepherd who left the 99 sheeps to search for the lost one”. Can’t we do the same act to our brothers and sisters who are lost? The essence of being a seminarian doesn’t lie in our sotanas because it is just a piece of cloth. We are seminarians if we could integrate the gospel values that we’ve learned in the seminary. Let us all be identified as such not because of our clericals or sotanas but with how we accept, reach out and sympathize for people who are worthless for others, for people who are lost, last and least in our society.

         Right after vacation, I will visit John and I hope that he can still identify me as his friend and calls my name like what he always does before.