‘Gates of Hell’ revisited

THE pleading for “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” translates to sundin ang loob Mo sa lupa gaya ng sa langit. For lesser mortals like Filipinos, the bit of divine spark within can spill without. Or as a body of knowledge called hermeneutics has it, outward signs point up and show inner substance. In outward show of godliness, habits of cleanliness may be cultivated—maybe not.

Jerking the knees, hands flailing in a fit of snit, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority top honcho raged, raved at a Dan Brown description of Manila as “gates of hell.” So we remember that episode past.