MY HUSBAND'S LOVER'S LOVER

Last Sunday, aking inamin at ikinumpisal sa mga miyembro during my sermon na ako ay masugid na tagasubaybay ng mapangahas na teleserye sa GMA na My Husband's Lover(MHL).  Being a gay-themed series, I am not sure what would people's judgment on the soap opera and to the people who watch it.  I got negative reactions from some of my members on the said teleserye. One time when the youth in the church had an overnight activity over a member's house and the television happened to be tuned on MHL, one of our youth leaders remarked, "Bakit yan?"  One Sunday, during lunchtime, the mother of the said youth leader also expressed her dislike on MHL. Those reactions gave me a feeling of keeping my fondness of MHL to myself.

Why do I watch MHL?  More than its controversial theme, it is soap opera for everybody.  It makes the viewers realize that gayness has something to do with the things we also value like true love,  family, friendship, responsibility, forgiveness and others.

It is not an ordinary teleserye were missing baby or mother abound, villains who are more evil than Satan, dream sequence, kidnapping, resurrection of the dead and other plot that insult the intelligence of the viewers.

MHL is a groundbreaking program not just because of its subject but also on the treatment of the subject.  Sa teleseryeng ito naturuan ang mga tao na gay can be as normal as other people except that they prefer same sex for a lover. That they can be a successful professionals like Architect, Businessman and Chef at hindi lang isang screaming faggot na parlorista.

 The camera angle, thespic prowess of the all the casts, employment of objects as co-actors to highlight the emotions and drama of the teleserye  are all commendable.  This teleserye make you notice and appreciate the drinking glass, the lady bag, the cellphone, the elevator, the shoes and the condominium unit as part of the acting ensembles.

In this teleserye, every actor shift from being a protagonist and an antagonist from time to time.  There are no "Bella Flores" and "Eddie Garcia" type of villain here.

If there is plenty in MHL, it is the quotable quotes.  One can relate to one or two of those lessons.  One cannot avoid quoting them themselves.

In short, MHL is REALISTIC, BOLD AND UNPREDICTABLE soap opera.  It is about to end and yet, viewers are still guessing how it will be?  And based of the sudden and unexpected shift and turn that characterize this teleserye, it can be anybody's guess.  That makes it kaabang-abang talaga!

I must say that MHL indeed succeeds in setting the bar higher in doing soap opera in our country.  If other networks can produce another teleserye that will trend even beyond the world, only then they can top the record set by MHL.  Since Day 1, the Philippines and the rest of the world are talking about it.

So, why do I have to include MHL in my sermon?  It is because I talked about the "predictability in the church" that makes it boring and unattactive.

In the church, we sing the same song for the longest years.  We sit on the same pew Sunday after Sunday.  We attend the same activities year after year.  We hear messages that just repeat what the Bible has already said Sunday after Sunday.  We know when we will sit and stand in our mass or service.  We hear the same people dominate our Bible Studies and Sunday School.  It is always the same faces, places and results in the church.

The church does not set trends because it does not do anything new.  People are not excited to come to church because it will have no effect to their lives.  The church ended up as "passive listeners" than "active catalyst" of the society.

At para naman, may karamay ako sakaling ako ay i-persecute ng congregation dahil hindi ako nagiging modelo kung ano ang dapat panoorin, isinama ko na rin sa confession ko ang dalawang members na alam kong fan din ng MHL.  Hahahahahaha!

At mukhang hindi lang ako ang pastor na mapepersecute dahil I realized na among the pastors, marami rin pala ang mga MY HUSBAND'S LOVER'S LOVERS.  While I was attending a mentoring among church workers this afternoon, I overheard one saying, My Husband's Lover sa discussion namin whenever we talk about gay issue.  Nang tumunog ang Iphone ng lecturer namin, react agad ang mga pastors na ang tumatawag daw ay si Vincent o kaya si Lally.  We all know, that the main cast of MHL uses Iphone for a phone. Kaya identified na ang ring tone na yon sa MHL.  Hahahahaha!  Di ba obvious na affected ang buong bayan?  Natuwa naman ako dahil hindi naman pala ako nag-iisang nanonood. Hindi pala dapat confession ang ginawa ko last Sunday kundi PROMOTION.  Hahahahahaha!   I became more proud to be a My Husband's Lover's Lover.  Hahahahahaha!

I just hope that the popularity of this teleserye even among church workers would translate to the reaching the objective of the production people behind MHL.  That of being bold and unpredictable.

Some would like to extend MHL.  Some are suggesting how it will end.  Me, I don't care although I will miss MHL.  It is just enough for me to love a story that does not come everyday.

IF LOVING MY HUSBAND'S LOVER  IS A SIN, THEN I AM GUILTY!