A former boss once sarcastically blurted in our office: "You can take Jojo Baldo out of Samar, but not Samar out of Jojo Baldo". My officemates mockingly laughed, but I stood unaffected. I am secure in my waray-waray identity, and the condescension of some could not bring my confidence down. My Visayan heritage is rich, and God loves my linguistic group — thick accent and all😊. The same thing could not be said about the Israelites however, after their Exodus from Egypt. Four centuries of exposure to the polytheistic culture of a foreign nation did serious damage to their souls — individually, and as a race. Their rootedness in the God of Israel needed to be rediscovered. They came out with broken identity, shattered hearts, and disoriented thoughts. The Lord had to take them through the road to wholeness, so that once again they could love the Lord, their God, with all their hearts, souls, and might. HEAD. HEART. HAND. The Lord is the rebuilder of our broken lives, and He h...