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Have you heard the song "Kalapastangan" by Filterkarma? When I first listened to it, I was amazed at how emotional and powerful it sounded. It felt like a worship song because of the words about saints, angels, and thrones. But as I reflected more, I realized that it is not really a worship song for God. Instead, it is a love song that treats a person like someone holy. The singer shows devotion to the one he loves as if that person were divine.

One line that struck me deeply was "Kalapastangan ang 'di ka ibigin" ("It's blasphemy not to love you'). Normally, blasphemy means disrespect to God, but here the singer says it is blasphemy not to love his partner. That made me think: this song is clearly about human love, not worship of God. Another line that stayed with me was "Oras nang sambahin ang ngalan mo" ("It's time to worship your name"). In worship songs, we praise God's name, but here the singer praises the name of his beloved.

I also felt the weight of the lyric "Pa'no ba ako magiging 'sang santo / Para makasama kita diyan sa tabi ng trono mo" ("How can I become a saint / So I can be with you beside your throne"). This places the loved one on a throne, like a king or queen, while the singer longs to be worthy enough to join them. Even angels are part of the love story: "Umaawit ang mga angel / Nagdiriwang sila nang makasama kita" ("The angels are singing / They're celebrating now that I'm with you"). In worship songs, angels sing for God, but here they sing because of human love. Finally, the line "Mamamatay akong nakangiti / Kapag ikaw ang nasa aking tabi" ("'ll die with a smile / If you're by my side") shows that the singer's joy and peace come from his partner, not from God.

For me, this song is really great and so emotional. It connects with many listeners, and I believe that’s why it suddenly became popular this year. It was actually released in November 2023, and only just this year it reached the Top 4 on Spotify Philippines Sometimes, songs need the right moment, the right audience, or even viral trends to shine. Kalapastangan found its spotlight now because people relate to its deep emotions and dramatic use of worship imagery.

But listening to it also made me ask myself: is it really good to worship a human? From a religious point of view, worship should only be for God. To worship a person can be seen as wrong, because humans are not divine. Yet, I understand that in art and music, "worship" here is more of a metaphor. It shows how strong and deep love can feel-so powerful that it seems sacred. The song does not really tell us to replace God with human love. Instead, it uses worship words to describe the intensity of romance. Still, I remind myself that while it is beautiful to honor and cherish someone, true worship belongs only to God.