Every year, readers and friends ask us about our view on the annual religious tradition called “Traslacion” – that massive display of religious faith and fervor (which others prefer to call ‘fanaticism’) at the procession which commemorates the historic transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from a church in Intramuros to its present-day shrine in Quiapo, Manila.

The tradition draws the nation’s attention and holds it for the duration of the procession. To many, the event is a source of inspiration as it showcases the emotional expression of adulation for the wooden icon of the cross-bearing Christ by millions of barefoot devotees.

To others, the annual event is a security, health, and administrative nightmare. The effort to transport the wooden statue onboard the iconic “andas” as quickly, efficiently, and safely as possible from Luneta to Quiapo appears to be a near-impossible task. The difficulty of this task was underscored last week as close to nine million people took part in the tradition, registering a significant number of deaths and disruptions, plus a record duration of some 30 hours.

As usual, while the event draws millions of devotees, it also invites a deluge of criticism, particularly from individuals and groups who question what they describe as the absence of a “biblical basis” for the yearly practice. Some accuse the participants in this tradition of violating the biblical proscription against “idol worship,” while others decry the “unnecessary” risks to life and limb which accompany the yearly procession.

As we have mentioned in this column several times over the past year, the people of Antipolo have a strong emotional connection to the annual Quiapo-based celebration.

As we have pointed out before, these ties are of historical origins. During the Second World War, the Antipolo Church (now an International Catholic Shrine) was turned into a garrison by the foreign invaders. The image of the Lady of Peace and Good Voyage – Antipolo’s Patroness – was initially concealed in an underground hideout to prevent it from being vandalized or stolen.

The precious image was later “smuggled” to Quiapo. It was concealed in the very same church where the Nazarene is enshrined today. After the war, the image of the Lady of Peace and Good Voyage was brought back to Antipolo in a procession which may have inspired the modern-day annual “Alay Lakad.”.

To this very day, a motorcade bearing the Lady’s image from Quiapo to Antipolo is held every year to commemorate her safe return from her Son’s shrine in the heart of Manila back to her home in the Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines.

As adherents of Bible-based faith, and as we have done a few times in our past columns, we will again share our perspective with our readers.

Our view remains that the annual procession is a stage from which we can witness, understand, and appreciate the nature and depth of the spirituality of the ordinary Filipino. The devotion to the Nazarene shows us three important qualities of the faith of the ordinary Filipino. It is simple. It is concrete. It is passionate.

As we have said in past columns, the devotion to the Nazarene may lack the sophistication of theological dissertations.

It follows a simple logic – that man is weak and therefore needs a powerful king and savior. It does not want a king robed in majesty and seated in a golden throne. It prefers a king who looks like any ordinary man – blackened by the dust of the streets, reeking of the smell of the sweat of the working man, and burdened by a cross just like the one which the ordinary man carries on his shoulder every day.

This particular expression of faith is not abstract. It is displayed in ways visible to the human eye, such as the bare feet of those who follow the Nazarene’s carriage. It clamors for a God and Savior who can be seen and touched – whose face they can wipe with the very same pieces of cloth with which the ordinary laborer wipes his sweat and tears.

It is passionate. It involves much human emotion. In expressing this simple, concrete faith, devotees weep, cry, shout. We surmise that – in the presence of a cross-bearing, dark skinned King – this is their way of unleashing their bottled-up pains and frustrations. Perhaps, they believe that they would be heard by the King, who would take on every hurt and burden they carry.

Should we question this expression of faith, which others say allegedly lacks a solid biblical basis?

As we said before, it is ironic that such simple and concrete faith should defy logic and should remain unfathomable by the sophistication of human intellect. Perhaps it requires one to be simple, too, for one to be able to understand it. Perhaps, this expression of simplicity should also be viewed with the eyes of faith.

Instead of adopting a critical perspective, we can draw inspiration from the simple yet enduring faith of the devotee of the Nazarene. After all, given the uncertainties that the country and the rest of the world are facing today, a simple yet powerful faith in the Almighty God will go a long way in sustaining our collective will and ability to survive and move on.