[CodeRED is printing the message of our publisher, Fr. Armand D. Robleza, SDB, for his 55th birthday last April 30, 2008. May it inspire our readers too as we get in touch with the spirituality behind the mag as well as the future in store for us.]

At 55, you mix up your spelling, but your dreams become crystal clear. At 55, I personally feel the need and the urgency of building the servant leaders of our country from our Filipino youth.

With all the Salesians of Don Bosco, I dream of servants patterned after the heart of Christ who lead others with integrity. I dream of our own Mother Theresa who devoted her life to those who cannot repay her. I dream of a Martin Luther King Jr who translated the power of resolute goodness into a movement for human equality and dignity. I dream of a Gandhi who won freedom for his people through non-violence. I dream of a Ramon Magsaysay who hunted the enemies of the state to make peace with them. I dream of a John Paul II the great pope whose compassion for all never waivered.

Our times cry for transformational leaders who lead foremost with the good example of their kagandahang-loob. They are the Filipinos who lend a hand readily at any opportunity, bereft of selfish considerations or the glare of the media. And you don’t have to be rich and powerful. Kagandahang-loob is the innate goodness in every Filipino. We look for it in our neighbours, and they expect it from us simply because we are Pinoys. Kagandahang-loob cements the social fibre of our nation.

Imagine if all of us would promise ourselves that we will never, never, never, never be selfish with the little good we can do. Imagine the goodwill and trust you will generate. Imagine other people doing what you do because they are enthralled at the visible satisfaction of your life. Now translate that into a social scale. Make kagandahang-loob a lifestyle. If you do good to someone, will he do you harm? No. If you lend a hand to a friend, will he be a miser with you? No. See what I mean? There is hope for this country.

We are all bigots; our love is conditional. We judge this person on our right as worthy of our love but not that somebody else on our left. And so is our kagandahang-loob. We are willing to extend ourselves but not the painful way of loving someone we believe to be not worthy. Inspiring people take responsibility over their lives and their actions. They love someone who “is worthy,” and they also chose to love someone who is “not worthy.” Kagandahang-loob will take root only in a heart filled with compassion. And compassionate love finds its reasons only in one’s faith.

Ours is a God who is compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love and is always ready to forgive. He does not look for a better person in us to embrace us. He loves us, as we are, where we are. This is the obedience of a priest, the unbending commitment of a life partner or a parent, the disinterested service of a public servant. And our identity lies in “loving one another as I have loved you.” If our love could not transform our country, maybe it is because it has ceased to be the compassion of Christ.

I still believe that any leader worth his salt is the most telling element in any process of social change. But he must be marked by deep faith which wells from within, from his kalooban. In practice, his core values dictate his actions. This is the leader worth dying for.

All of us have the seeds of compassion within us. Young people can become heroes if only we would educate them. Let us dream together. Join me in another journey. I dream of a critical mass of young Filipinos growing to be the future servant leaders. Let us focus their idealism, sharpen their capabilities. Let us awaken their enthusiasm for sacrifice. Dream with me.

I dream of families and schools consecrating their young for the common good. Let us create a culture of kagandahang-loob in our communities and work places, devoid of narrow exclusivity and selfish interests. It starts with our own good example. And it works. Dream with me.

I dream of sending at least one copy of CodeRED, our magazine on servant leadership to the 42,000 public schools all over the country. We experimented with 450 public high schools last year and we received favourable feedbacks. Let us harness the immeasurable power of heroic stories. Let us all adopt a school or two. Dream with me.

I dream of a CodeRED Society, an association of mga taong may magagandang-kalooban. I see this group as the champion of various media, youth seminars, fora and gigs to mobilize our youth towards servant leadership. I dream of a CodeRED Society of kindred spirits living the spirituality of compassion, promoting the politics of non-violence and respect even for a political foe. Let us put our resources and energies together in building hope for our people. Let us put our faith where our dreams really are. Dream with me.

God believes in each one of us. Each one of us. There is hope for this country. Today, we ignite our dreams!