HE
IS THE MAN
It
has been four years since an L300 van capsized in South Road
Properties. After three months in a hospital and living
unconsciously, who would expect that he would survive after that
catastrophic incident happened in his life?
Clark
Acibron almost lost his faith when he met a car accident in SRP.
Everything had changed after he was discharged from the hospital. His
beautiful plans in his life suddenly turned into absurdity which
challenged him to question God. Even how many times he told himself
that it was just a quest, for him it is a never-ending punishment.
What happened to him is not a work of God for God saves. He chose to
be alone while watching the crimson light disappearing above the
horizon during the dusk.
“I
become useless with my situation,” Clark said. “I can’t tell
that there’s something good that lies ahead for me.”
As
I listened to him, I could not also help myself to doubt if God
really loves his people with that Clark’s situation. He was
hopeless in everything he did. He thought that he could no longer
work normally as a person now that some of his left hand finger tips
were cut off. I tried to encourage him to apply for a job but he
hesitated to do so. He was afraid that he would not be accepted due
to his situation which made him also afraid of trying.
I
have known Clark since we were in the seminary. Even he is eight
years older than me and he entered the seminary ahead of me, I know
his principles in life. He is the man who wants things absolute when
it comes to sharing philosophical ideas. He is the man who can also
be considered one of the intellectual students in the seminary during
his time though some priests were trying to find something negative
in him.
However,
during the student evaluation which was done every end of the
semester, Clark had been described by our rector as a rebellious man
which was one of his negative evaluations. This had made the rector
to decide that Clark should undergo indefinite regency — he could
not proceed to his study until further evaluation on his performance
outside the seminary.
The
indefinite decision of our rector is just simply saying that Clark
can no longer go back to the seminary. He can never be accepted with
his situation for the rector said that they form students who are
capable of serving God’s people.
During
his regency period, he stayed in a small rectory of the chapel
managed by one of our former parish priests in Bantayan. He worked as
a helper together with our paisano—
a term used when two men come from the same place.
“I
never have expected that a terrible incident would come upon me,”
Clark said.
When
they were heading to their way home, the L300 van loaded with rocks
capsized on the SRP road. The only thing he remembered was his
paisano
was asking some help.
After
spending months in the hospital, he went back to Bantayan choosing to
be alone. His life there became pointless. He never talked to people
aside from his family and close friends. He stopped going to church.
He never shaved his beard which grew an inch long. I sometimes asked
him jokingly of how was the life of being a hermit.
“I
have been asking God why I have to experience the worst of the worst
things in my life. Does He want me to realize that He is existing or
that He never exists at all?” he lauded.
It
was only then that he realized that something good is waiting for
him. Through his friends and having a drinking peer with them
sometimes, they have become his refuge. He started to gain back his
faith in God and was able to attain the glory of life and the
richness of God’s love for his people.
Clark
once said that God does not dwell always on everything we do.
Sometimes He leaves things to us to exercise also our freedom which
is one of his gifts for us. The bad things happened in our lives are
sometimes the consequences of our actions or they are given by God
for us to be reminded that there should not be going beyond our
limits and this leads us to abuse our freedom and makes us sinful.
What
Clark have undergone is not easy to bear. If the same thing would
happen to us, how strong are we to face the challenge. His experience
may never be a failure but it may be fatal.
With
Clark’s experience, I have always been inspired.
He
is the herald of goodness and perfection. Through him, I have
realized that there’s something worth in life.
