The Essence of Bayanihan

By John and Kelly Chesnut

Post date: Aug. 3, 2020

When we served in the Philippines, one of the things we learned early on was the value of bayanihan (pronounced buy-uh-NEE-hahn). Bayanihan is a core essence of Filipino culture and refers to the spirit of unity, work and communal cooperation to achieve a particular goal.

In the Philippines, the practice of bayanihan originated with house moving. When we think of moving, we think of packing our belongings into boxes, putting those boxes into cars or trucks and moving to a new place of residence. But in the rural Philippines, houses were made of lightweight indigenous materials like bamboo and coconut leaves. So moving literally meant moving a house. When a family wanted to move, they’d ask men of the town to come help. On the day of the move, 15-20 men would surround the bamboo house, pick it up in unison and carry the house to the new location. Afterward, the family would express their gratitude by preparing food for everyone to share.

That same spirit is part of everyday conversation for Filipinos. Whenever either of us engaged in one-on-one conversations we’d answer with independent pronouns like “I” and “my.” We quickly learned this was a very Western perspective. Filipinos use inclusive pronouns like “we,” “our” and “us,” even when they speak one-on-one. This flows from bayanihan.

We believe that every culture has some aspects that reflect our Creator. For us, bayanihan reflects the spirit of unity that God desires for his children. It’s a reminder that the interdependence of “we” has a far greater impact than the individualistic “me.”

As we consider what it means to love one another in unity, we’re reminded that we were created to “do life” together in community. As followers of Jesus our overarching purpose is to love God and people. Our love for God and our love for one another unifies us in Christ and bears witness to the transforming power of his love to the world.

Although unity calls for individuals to come together as one, the end result to unity isn’t a group of individuals living individualistic lives; it’s an entirely new paradigm. Much like bayanihan has shaped Filipino culture, our unity in Christ shapes us.

At Wycliffe, we desire to be a community that is unified in our love for God and people — individuals who come together with the shared goal of seeing Christ proclaimed and lives changed through the translated Word.

Questions for Reflection:

When was the last time you felt a deep sense of community and unity with those around you?
How can you begin to change your thinking from “me-focused" to “we-focused"?
What is God saying to you about loving one another in unity? How can you develop a greater sense of interdependence within your team and/or department?