Oliver

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come…

Hands are used for giving as much as for taking.

Oliver. The man with no hands is hands-on. You can watch him every Sunday at Church of the Risen Christ, Rizal St. Olongapo City, Republic of the Philippines or on Youtube here.

SURVIVAL OF THE UNFIT AND IMPERFECT

On the 4th of October 2004, Oliver accidentally opened a box of explosives and lost both hands. I cannot see what else he lost in getting thrown so high up in the air and nearly losing his life, but he survived. Today, he works at CRC as Security, Caretaker, and Percussionist. Is he good at it or is he handicapped? Well, as far as I know, the church is secure, well taken care of, and, as far as I can see Oliver makes beautiful music with the CRC band.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

I first saw Oliver soon after joining CRC sometime in 2008. He seemed to blend well with a band of young musicians - some professionals, some amateurs, all good. He was good enough in playing his drums and percussions, yet he was not a musician and one could clearly see that:

• he was trying hard, always striving, slowly improving;
• he looked mindful, attentive, and careful, always “on his toes”;
• he was shy, tense, self-conscious, but playing well…

Maybe we were used to taking Oliver for granted and did not notice his epiphany and transformation when they came. And so it came to pass that in the morning of March 13, 2016, I was jolted at what I saw and felt; he was:

• smooth and free-flowing; he sounded, looked, and felt professional;
• un-mindful, carefree;
• beating his conga, cowbell, and drum set with confidence, he was no longer giving his best, he was his best; he was no longer making good music, he was being good music;
  He was Oliver, period.
  Oliver did not change overnight, my perception of Oliver did.

WHAT IS THE POINT?

The point is that practice makes perfect, as Oliver did. God’s grace overcomes man-made handicaps as it did for Oliver. Miraculous is the new normal, always has been. And if Oliver became a good musician, you and I can become anything we want to be and strive for; and if our country spent “40 years” wandering around the “desert” of mediocrity, nursing wounds, and handicaps while gaining strength and momentum, our country can cross-over to the promised land when we change the way we look at things and move boldly in unity, God-given strength, grace, and direction.

Oliver… watch him play with no hands at CRC every Sunday;
DU30… soon to be protector, caretaker, and President of the Republic of the Philippines - watch him play bad cop every day; he may not be perfect but he could be, as perfect as we could be – if we give him our cheers and more than that, our HANDS!

Bob Calida
WAWD June 11, 2016
The Ph people could be imperfect and impaired like Oliver; but we can be delivered from impairments, survive, and play beautiful music together, like Oliver. – fast forward to February 2022