Blasphemy

Every Friday night, an El Shaddai prayer meeting is held a few meters away from my shop, in a basketball court. How appropriate. I never get to see the actual prayer meeting because (1) I really don't go out of my shop till after closing, and (2) I don't wanna sin more than I already do. I only know about it because Niko's parents are in-charge of it, and because they use a booming sound system that it's impossible not to hear them even if you close your doors and windows.

I have nothing against their faith. I don't even care about a person's religion at all. I've even been invited and attended a grand El Shaddai prayer rally in Ninoy Aquino Football Field when I was in grade 5. I was there for the fun of it, because most of my friends went, too. We played, we ate, we slept, while Bro. Mike calls for miracles. And I can vividly recall how one mother pulled on the hair of her daughter while muttering curses at her just because she accidentally knocked over their bottle of Coke. I reall, too, how after a while the mother and daughter are talking quite happily while the daughter was combing her hair. And all of that happened while Bro. Mike was preaching and calling for miracles.

But miracles did happen (you can laugh at me if you want) that night. I remember being awaken by loud cries of those around me, some even fainted, their faces turned upwards towards the sky visible from the open field. Bro. Mike was crying so loud with that hoarse voice. And I, myself, clearly saw what they were looking at - the clouds formed the image of the virgin. It could have been a miracle, or a coincidence nonetheless. The clouds can form any images we so desire. It was a prayer rally, Bro. Mike been calling for a miracle, the people are so expecting a miracle, and they (we) saw what our eyes wanted to see.

That's faith.

And then they collected the "ikapu". And that's my point in this post. Haven't they gathered enough "ikapu" to build a church or even a small chapel in areas where they have a number of members?