A reading for a day during that vacation was about the fall of man - of how Adam took a bite from the forbidden fruit and hence the separation of man from God's grace came about. What struck me was how the minister shared and discussed the passage talking about the original sin and how it came from our kin, our ancestor; the Cebuano word she used was ginikanan. I did a bit of researching and found this online:
Parent - Latin parentem (nominative parens) "father or mother, ancestor," noun use of present participle of parere "bring forth, give birth to, produce," -etymonline.com
The reason why I had to look this up was because the word ginikanan reverberated in my head. In Cebuano, we call our relatives ginikanan, not just our parents; also, we use the same word to mean the source of, or where something came from. (Example: Gikan ko sa balay. I came from the house.)
The use of the word ginikan in the sermon that day, given its definition and usage in the language, led me to realize how we are never to look at ourselves as the center of everything. The word reminded me of how I am connected by blood to my sibling and even my relatives coming from an ancestor from way back. Kauban sa atong mga igsoon, amahan, inahan ug mga kaparentehan, usa ra atong ginikanan. In theology, we look at our separation from God in the fall of Adam as the also the fall of man. Didto sa atong ginikanan kita natipas sa atong Ginoo. Most importantly, we turn to the one true Source of everything, recognizing our oneness in spirit with all the other souls in this earth and even with all creation. Usa ra ang Ginikanan sa tanan.
I look into myself searching for answers to my questions.
I look at others and realize I am not the only one looking for answers.
I look up and I see the Answer we're looking for all along.
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