MANILA, Philippines - Our postmodern society is characterized by the almost unbridled power of the media, battles of perception, eradication of hierarchies, merging of binary opposites and the blurring of the divide between the artificial and the real, truth and falsity, fact and fiction, light and darkness, good and evil.

When psychology and other human sciences were not as advanced as now, there was a clear distinction between the hero and villain in the movies. Heroes were the epitome of virtue and goodness, and villains of evil and vice. In these postmodern times, when fact and fiction merge, the distinction becomes unclear.

The award-winning movie, “Schindler’s List,” demonstrates this point. Oscar Schindler, the protagonist, has a shady past with women. But in the hour of need, he risks his life and living to save Jews. This very complexity of human nature—a capacity for both compromise and courage—is also reflected by the life and ordeal of the star witness of the ZTE scandal, Jun Lozada, a self-confessed proud Thomasian and Jose Rizal fan.

I believe Lozada encountered Jesus through the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas during his student days at the Aquinas University high school in Bicol and in UST, both Dominican institutions heavily infused with Thomism.

Jesus, in the Gospels, advised his followers to allow the weeds and wheat to grow together. According to him, the farmer, in weeding out his farm, may mistakes the wheat for the weeds.

We should take the ZTE controversy as an incident to be understood in the light of the advice of the Lord Jesus to allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together—for the binary opposites to merge temporarily.

People involved in the ZTE deal carry in their hearts the wheat and the weeds. They have at their disposal the option and the capacity to do good and the potential to leave a legacy. They are free to decide whether to be weed or wheat; they are free to go to the right side, that of the sheep, or the left side, that of goats.

We should remember that the Lord prohibits the farmers from pulling the weeds only at a certain period of time, when they are small and the distinction between the two is difficult to discern. During harvest time, they will be separated forever; the weeds shall be thrown into fire.

In another parable, when the appointed time comes, the Lord will divide the sheep from the goats—eternally.

Black and white

The old paradigm of looking at things in black-and-white terms is evident in the intervention of Miriam Santiago. In her effort to discredit the testimony of Lozada, she disclosed some of Lozada’s anomalous deals in the past. Lozada readily admitted that in his life, he had done some things he wasn’t proud of. But he said he wanted now to save his self-respect by apologizing for his shortcomings and finally telling the truth.

Surprisingly, his admission of past wrongdoings has strengthened his credibility among opinion-makers in the media.

And in unison, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, Catholic Education Association of the Philippines, Manila Archdiocesan Parochial School Association, Makati Business Club, and Lozada’s alma mater, UST, have also hailed Lozada.

Lozada’s quick admission of fault is a stark contrast to former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos’ projection of himself in the media as immaculate and incorruptible. He has in fact filed a libel case against Lozada.

Lozada’s candor also puts in doubt the change of heart of the First Gentleman when the latter canceled all the libel cases he had filed against the media after a near-fatal sickness. Has he really changed? some people ask.

Reckoning

On the day of reckoning, the Lord will divide the sheep from the goats, the wheat from weeds—the binary opposites will be put in their proper places for good. On that day, power will be in the hands of the just judge, not anymore with the media.

On that day, Jesus will say, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and clothed me, I was homeless and you gave shelter. Come into my Father’s kingdom.”

As followers of Jesus, the basis of our judgment will be how much we have done for the poor. How many poor children have been deprived of food, water, shelter, education, and other basic needs due to corruption?

This is why Cardinal Rosales reminded his priests at this time to be more focused in the program of helping the poor in the Archdiocese of Manila through Pondo ng Pinoy. According to the Cardinal, “In focusing our energy in this present controversy, we will be sidetracked; the poor shall end up being losers. They will continue to be neglected.”

For Cardinal Rosales the Church is sworn to help the poor. Not that we do not care about the truth. We just have to remember that in our fight for truth, we should never lose sight of the poor.

Jesus also said that on that day of reckoning, everything hidden shall be exposed to the light. Lozada, who simply described himself as a “probinsyanong Intsik,” did not want to be put in the spotlight. He just wanted to have a simple and peaceful life. But his efforts to “moderate the greed” of some officials, perhaps to make amends for his past wrongdoings, placed him where he is right now—in the light of goodness, on the side of the sheep.

Meanwhile, on the wrong side of history are the goats: President Macapagal-Arroyo, Mike Arroyo, Mike Defensor, Lito Atienza, Sergio Apostol, Ronnie Puno, Avelino Razon, Manuel Gaite, Antonio Bautista, and others, many of them coming close to the day of reckoning because of their advancing years.

But they still have time. They can still make amends as what Lozada did. In this season of Lent, God, as revealed by Jesus Christ, gives everybody a fighting chance to repent for immoderate greed. This controversy is God’s call for all of us to repent as a nation.

The author is vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila.