THE first battle is won once we get ourselves to think also of the others, instead of thinking only of ourselves. But there is yet a second battle, and it is to think of others as the objects of our spirit of service. In fact, responsible citizenship is concerned with this second battle: It consists of looking at our fellow countrymen as people whom we must serve, whose welfare we promote, and whose genuine development we help bring about.
Once we define "life as service, always (given) with stalwart loyalty, laying down no conditions" (Furrow, 350), we place ourselves firmly on the road towards winning this second battle. Moreover, we take on the mantle of responsible citizenship, and the challenge becomes simply that of wearing it properly every day of our life.
With that mantle on, our view of the others does take a 180-degree turn. We no longer look upon others as stepping stones to our personal ambition. We no longer look upon serving the others as "equivalent to (our) climbing to the top" (Furrow, 351). We no longer look upon obtaining professional success as "climbing and obtaining (ever higher and more powerful) positions" (Furrow, 352). We would no longer "invert the terms" where "service to" (country and to people) ends up as having the country and the people serve our own personal ends" (Furrow, 355).
But isn’t this inversion of terms we see every day. Don’t we see many of our self-professed "humble public servants" lord it over the people in the discharge of their official duties? Don’t we hear the loud protestations of candidates campaigning for public office, about their sincerity to serve the people, and don’t we notice these officials, once in office, demanding obeisance, perks and tokens of power and influence over the people? Haven’t the people been all too often used as an excuse for promoting personal ambition and satisfying greed for money as well as lust for clinging on to power?
The rot is not only in politics. It is also in every other sector of our society. Indeed, the rot in the private sector is as bad as in the public sector, if not much worse in some instances. Even within corporations and institutions, we see so much in-fighting and bickering. Within small pockets of business and of a few other sectors as well, there are always those plotting to overthrow the existing establishment and take over power. It is as though they never grow up; they foreswear against becoming mature democrats; and they never learn from, or much care about, the enormous damage their plotting brings to our economy. And yet, these are the same people who are loudest in their call for unity. Haven’t they heard this observation: "True unity cannot be promoted by making divisions; even less can it come about when its promoters wish to gain control and take over from lawful authority" (Furrow, 364)?
If we are to remove the rot in many sectors of our society, and if we are to blot it out from our midst, we should fix our gaze and attention on – -and throw all of our efforts into – - the two battles we have to win. The first is to think beyond ourselves; and the second is to think of others, particularly our people, as the objects of our spirit of service. And if we are to serve, we must hang on and persevere. We also need to know the secret of perseverance. It is really no secret at all: "To persevere is to persist in love" (Furrow, 366). It is really that simple. We have to love our country and our people. As responsible citizens, we should take this to heart.
