Our world. First world, third world. Developed, and developing. What is the difference ? Semantics, rhetorics, worst... socio-economic injustices. Growing up in a small nation (1960), a small population (today 100 million + people), abundance of natural resources, and talented people. Philippines, my birthplace, a promising nation, and future. That was before - today bankrupted by government corruptions, inefficiencies, complacency by many people, partisanship, natural disasters, but not lack of faith. Knowing the country, for many years (1983-1991), I moved around the Philippines, looking for a panacea, of our self-inflected and others inflected sufferings. 

Philippines is an example of an ideal gone wrong ? A nation, created by the hands of a Divine God and God, never intending and inflecting the sufferings. Was it the sins ? Is this the punishment of the people ? For what ? I do not know the answer.  Maybe, you do ?

As a young idealist, myself and many of my friends, made and tried to make a difference. We failed, I failed. I left the country in 1991, broken hearted, and promised not to look back, just like Lot's predicament, when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Is God destroying the Philippines ? 

 God builds, and do not destroy. What about Sodom and Gomorrah ? The sins of the people destroyed them. What sins ?

Looking at ourselves, many of us think, we are somebody. Material achievements, and world follies, can be intoxicating. We often forget, life is chasing after the wind. Many kingdoms rise and fall...from their sins and excesses. Many kings exploited the multitudes, God's people.
Because of their sins, the wicked kings were destroyed, and forever banished from the Book of Life. 

The peace of our world is fragile. Why ? Any peace based on "compromises" (sins), will fail.
How can we go on, with empty promises ? Wars come and go. Why ? Sins. What sins ? Selfishness and worldliness. Now, you still wonder, why so much sufferings ? We are the problem, and we are the solution. Why can't we be selfless ? We are nobody. Dust to dust. Chasing after the wind, except to LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS, and LOVE GOD's PEOPLE as we LOVE ourselves. Why so difficult ?