The Collins Dictionary defines "original" as “something that existed at the beginning of a process or activity, or the characteristics that something had when it began or was made,” while "originality" means “the quality of being original” or “the capacity to think independently or be inventive.” Jim Jarmusch, who has an extensive history of original work across many mediums as a film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, and composer, argued, however, that “nothing is original” and “originality is non-existent;” instead, authenticity is. Austin Kleon adds, “What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.” Nonetheless, this does not mean that we cannot create and accomplish something remarkable. On the contrary, we can, and we will, as we put into practice our God-given innovative skills and creativity. 

The Scripture states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” To create is to make something out of nothing; in Latin, it is ex nihilo, meaning "out of nothing." God was never created, and He is the only one who can create; therefore, He is the only true original. On the other hand, human work or “creation” is the application and outcome of the talents, skills, and knowledge God has bestowed upon us. It is also a reflection of the ingenuity of the Giver and Originator - God Himself. The apostle Paul says, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” 
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While “nothing is original,” this does not mean we should not acknowledge the work of others. We must do so, as failure to give proper credit could put us in jeopardy. For instance, we must recognize the source or author of a quotation or story when citing it, acknowledge the inspiration behind our work, and be authentic by not infringing on someone’s ideas. Moreover, Clive Staples Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, says, “No man who values originality will ever be original. But try to tell the truth as you see it, try to do any bit of work as well as it can be done for the work’s sake, and what men call originality will come unsought.”

People will never understand and will never see something that is hidden. The validation of one’s thoughts will never be known unless spoken or shown. We will never see through a window with closed curtains unless we open it. In the medical world, a surgeon will never be able to know how to cure a patient until assessment and confirmatory tests and procedures are made. In this modern world, there are many improved procedures, apparatus, and other means to reveal the truth about something or someone. Lie detectors were made, background investigation systems were improved, QuickBooks and other accounting software were introduced to help reconcile incomes and expenses, CCTV cameras were installed, and other improved means to validate things and events. These innovations and inventions reveal the reality that we love knowing the truth. Who will never desire a transparent world with no vague areas and pretensions? Everyone would love to be in it, but the question is, are we living it? Are we men and women of transparency that we will be coming out clean in this world full of pretensions when checked and accounted for?
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“What you see is what you get” is a common saying. It validates the authenticity of the person or a thing. In this time full of pretensions and lies, we are challenged to be someone who can be called genuine and transparent. Knowing that the truth will always come out in time, we desire to live a life of transparency, where people will see our purest intentions in our thoughts, words, and actions. People don’t need to solve us like a mathematic problem to see our genuineness.

Every one of us will, in time, give account to someone who has authority over us. We may cover every misconduct, wrong record, lie, and pretension, but it will soon come out in time.  The skeletons in our closets will quickly be discovered in time, so we are encouraged to always be transparent, knowing the truth will always come out to the God who sees and knows everything. Nothing is hidden in His sight. Everything will be exposed no matter how great our effort is to hide. As public servants, we are encouraged to serve in transparency, knowing that each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

by: Jesus V. Sison, PTRP
​Deputy National Director, CRFV

“You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be My very own.”

For whom do we live and have our being? Could we still live our lives to the fullest during these challenging times?

Saint Paul once wrote that in the last days perilous times will come, that dangerous and difficult days will be experienced. Why? Because men and women will deviate from that which they were created according to the image and likeness of God. For men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money. People will become utterly self-centered and greedy for the things of this world. They will become boasters, contemptuous, and proud. They will start to scoff at God and become blasphemers.  There will be those who would be disobedient to parents and have no regard for what their parents taught them as they fail to listen. There are those who are unthankful and utterly lacking in gratitude, unholy that purity is absent, and unloving that normal human affections are missing. There will also be people who would be unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, cruel, brutal, despisers of good or unprincipled, traitors, headstrong, haughty, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. People will be having a form of godliness and façade of religiosity, but their conduct denies its validity and rejecting the power that could change them to be godly. These things became prevalent and left unchecked through time that led to various social illnesses like graft and corruption, patronage and abused politics, immorality, lack of patriotism and loyalty, poverty and mendicancy, substance abuse and gambling, apathy and passivity, juvenile delinquency, factionalism and division; and rebellion and insurrection.

Is there hope and a way to turn things around so that we could live our lives to the fullest?
As mentioned, these situations came into being because the man and the woman changed their nature, diverging from the image and likeness of God. But we can go back to who we really are and reverse the effects of decay and decline in our society. If we start to respond to what the True Almighty God is saying, that we be holy as He is holy, and embrace godliness.
Being holy means to live our lives in a way that reflects who God is and His glory, rather than conforming to the ways of the world. God calls us to be holy; to be set apart for Him. We live in contact with society but not contaminated by the prevailing negative norms. When we follow His commandments and rules, earnestly seek Him, and live in His lovingkindness, we certainly stand out in the world. Through the resurrected life of Jesus Christ in us and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are led and empowered to live an extraordinary lifestyle - a holy and godly life. We manifest in our thoughts, words, and actions the divine qualities of godliness and holiness. We express the nature of a changed life, be it in our respective homes, communities, and workplaces, that truly pleases God. To simply put it, we can say that holiness refers to our being or who we are on the inside our character; and godliness refers to our “doing” or our conduct and actions. These two can never be separated from each other. We cannot say that one is more important than the other, that we neglect to behold either one of them.

As God declared that we are His, and indeed we are. For in Him, we live and move and have our being; we should only live our lives for Him in holiness and embrace godliness. We only have one life to live, let's live it in holiness. We have a society and a nation to build, let’s accurately build it in godliness.