Jesus and Candy

The priest writer of a column in the Catholic Times recalls waiting to take a bus when a grandfather, a complete stranger, came up to him with candy in his hand saying: "Believe in Jesus." In a slightly annoyed voice, he answered: "Yes I believe in Jesus."

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and opening them again thinking the grandfather would be gone.  But no, he was still there  putting the candy in front of his eyes and again: "Believe in Jesus." This time for a moment, because of the grandfather, he didn't want to believe in Jesus? Who in the world would want to believe with a person dangling candy in front of your eyes and asking you to believe?
 
The bus came and he went on his way. However, he was embarrassed seeing the way he acted with the grandfather. If only he had been a little more understanding and kinder in dealing with him! 'Grandpa you are doing good work. I am also a believer in Jesus. May you have a good day and have success in your work!'  How wonderful it would have been..."

Thinking over what he had done it was the candy and belief in Jesus coming together that he found difficult to accept. Jesus' connection with candy bothered him and responded unkindly to the grandfather.
 
On returning to the monastery that evening, he realized that he actually wanted his faith to be candy. He always wanted God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit to be like sweet candy. Our Blessed Mother was always sweet! And he realized that his faith life was always looking for the good feeling. He was very happy with the Bible, it was good to have faith in the people around him.

And in fact, on occasions, he actually thought of Jesus as similar to candy. Rather than feel a deep love for human beings by participating in the Lord's suffering, without deep insights and meditations, on the crucifixion, death, and the meaning of salvation, even the mystery of crucifixion was like candy. I accepted the sweetness of love both received and given without considering the cost.

Candy. It's a good snack food replenishing our body's sugar and gives us energy but too much, will eventually make you sick. Eating too much is a factor in the disease that makes the body unable to control it. This is true also of the spiritual life.

Every day, knowing that God loves me is a whisper that speaks sweetly. But if that is all we remember the sweet whisper of love, we may be skipping the long journey of death and the cross to give us life in its fullness. 

Thanks to the grandfather who offered him candy, it helped the priest to look over his own life. Sorry, he wasn't kinder to him but thankful for his help in examining his own life. He should have taken the candy, thanked him and told him that he will believe in Jesus. He wished that had been the case. A regret that is not really a regret.

Seeking the Truth

Fakeness is rampant in the world. Fake items are passed off as luxury goods and lies masquerade as truth. The whole world is filled with bogus and sham. Not infrequently, difficult to separate the fake from the true. We may think that since the present reality is such no need to distinguish and lose our peace of mind. We forget this is dangerous thinking. So begins an article in Bible and Life by a diocesan Peace and Justice Committee head.
 
The problem is that the fake passes itself as genuine. Those dealing with the counterfeit know that it is not genuine and right from the beginning are out to deceive. This is the work of evil. Sometimes it's deception about life itself. What is not God is passed off as God,  bogus love is given as true love, a life which is not life is used to deceive and harm true life. Consequently the need to distinguish between truth and the false.
 
How does one distinguish between the bogus and what is true?  We need to search for the essences of our realities. He gives the example of those who spend their time roaming the mountains to find ginseng roots. One searcher knows thousands of different herbs and plants except for the ginseng plant, the other has no such knowledge but knows the ginseng plant. It's obvious who will be finding the ginseng root. We have in Matthew's Gospel 4: 1-11, the temptation of our Lord where he knew how to distinguish between the false and the true.
 
"I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life."  "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." Both from John's Gospel, however, still very difficult to distinguish.  Not only do we not know the essential we are absorbed with the nonessential. We are so busy with all kinds of complicated matters our heads are spinning and we forget who and where we are.
 
The perplexity of life clouds our minds and we don't clearly see what we are about.  Like a clean window but with time gets dirty and we can't see anything beyond the window. The bogus which finds such a favorable climate in society finds a place in our own hearts. To prevent this from happening we have to simplify our lives. We are like a person standing before the front door of our house fishing inside our pockets for the key. Too many things in the pocket and difficulty finding the key. If the key is the only thing in the pocket no problem. We have to empty and simplify our lives.
 
Our Lord  reminds us: "Yes, if you mean yes, No if you mean no anything more than this comes from the evil one." Our lives are too complicated to distinguish between 'Yes' and 'No' the genuine and the bogus. We have to rid ourselves of the non-genuine. Why is it difficult to love? Hundreds of excuses, explanations hide the simplicity of the life we should be living and see the difference between the true and false.
 
In Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale: ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ in the last scene when the king comes to visit it was a child who broke out laughing when he saw the naked king. Everybody else remained quiet but the child's simplicity was not overcome by the fear of the crowd and their thoughts. He was quickly able to see the reality of the naked king. We need to become simple as children and put aside the fakeness of much we see.

June 25, Prayer for Unification and Peace

The beginning of the Korean War began on June 25, 1950. The line between North and South Korea was made at the end of the Second World War. It was intended to be temporary but continued for 70 years. The cease-fire at the Armistice on July 1953 brought no peace treaty, consequently the state of war between the North and South still exists. We have seen over the years how this hostility has shown itself endangering the citizens of both countries and jeopardizing the rest of the world.

Most of the Koreans in the South do favor the unification of the peninsula but many of the young would not be of that mind. They see the human rights issue as a serious obstacle and also self-interest may be a big part of their understanding They have benefited from freedom and wealth of the country and are not too interested in seeing it disappear helping the impoverished North.

June 25, is the day we pray for peace and unification in Korea. Last year after three meetings of the leaders of North Korea and South Korea and the meetings with the U.S. we hoped to see changes. But with the new year doubts have arisen but still hope and prayers for the day of unification. These words begin an article by the unification committee chairman in a diocesan bulletin.

Over 70 years of division and many citizens in the South have come to take it as the way it is on the peninsula. It's a fact that the road to unification will be filled with many difficulties. We need to work to overcome this kind of thinking. The present peace we experience is not a full peace.
 
The separation of the country has given us great pain. Many have spilled their blood and today some are asking for blood. The situation is making the conflict between the members of society on the issue deeper with the passage of time. Because of the division, many citizens over the years have been treated unjustly by the government and have suffered. The time has come to end all the suffering and harm done because of the division.
 
We need to overcome the difficulties of our division and seek peace. But the task is not easy. Over 70 years have past and feelings of trust have not been fostered. Always confronting, criticizing, each side pushing their point of view as the only one. We have talked unification but not together and go our separate ways looking for the one Korea— doing it my way. If reunification means that my life will have to change then we are not interested and our desire disappears.
 
The journey to unification must be together. From last year we have come a long way along the road. On the military demarcation line, tensions have decreased. In the demilitarized zone, we have opened up a road to meeting and dialogue. The road leading to trust is before us and we need to meet and work towards building community.
 
The peace that Jesus came to give us is not the kind that we can choose to ignore our brothers and sisters and go blithely ahead looking for peace on our own terms. We pray for reunification and do all we can to realize it by what we do and say.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress is the body's reaction to pressures from changes in life situations with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress is a normal part of life, an understood reaction to a stressful situation or pressure. Not always easy to deal with. A medical health practitioner gives some help to the readers of a parish bulletin on how to deal with stress.
 
Stress and anxiety are not always easy to distinguish. The words are often used interchangeably. Stress may be positive but anxiety is always negative and long-lasting. Stress may develop into anxiety. Both may be followed not only with headaches and the raising of blood pressure but with depression and other psychological problems. However, when we take extreme steps to avoid all pressures we are not acting wisely for a certain amount of stress in life is expected and not harmful and can be helpful. What we can do to rid ourselves of the factors that produce the stress is all for the good but some stress is not bad.
 
Stress factors make life difficult. However, often the secondary responses to the stress are what makes the problem troublesome. An example: "Why does this happen to me?"  "Why did I act so foolishly?"  and blaming oneself. Trying to solve the problem by drinking and other harmful acts are to be avoided.  It may be difficult to prevent stress but we can prevent the secondary acts that follow upon the stress.
 
Psychological capital refers to what we have within ourselves to deal with adversities. It's a positive evaluation and perception of our abilities. The ability to bounce back after a fall, resilience to recover from failure, motivation facing negative events, optimism that accepts positive events internally and persistently. It's necessary to find and cultivate such inner psychological resources. When all our efforts at overcoming the stress encountered are of no help we need to ask for help.
 
These days in the liturgical year we are hearing of the mysteries of our faith which in a word deal with the love God has for his creation. God is love and this is repeated in the liturgy. Faith is a belief in this love and the desire to accept it. However, the noise we have to contend with in our world drowns out a great deal of the messages. Below are the words of St. Francis de Sales on anxiety which we can understand as a type of stress and more serious.
 
Anxiety is the greatest evil which can happen to the soul, sin only excepted. Just as internal commotions and seditions ruin a commonwealth, and make it incapable of resisting its foreign enemies, so if our heart be disturbed and anxious, it loses power to retain such graces as it has, as well as strength to resist the temptations of the Evil One, who is all the more ready to fish (according to an old proverb) in troubled waters.

Anxiety arises from an unregulated desire to be delivered from any pressing evil, or to obtain some hoped-for good. Nevertheless, nothing tends so greatly to enhance the one or retard the other as over-eagerness and anxiety. Birds that are captured in nets and snares become inextricably entangled therein, because they flutter and struggle so much.
 
Therefore, whensoever you urgently desire to be delivered from any evil, or to attain some good thing, strive above all else to keep a calm, restful spirit,--steady your judgment and will, and then go quietly and easily after your object, taking all fitting means to attain thereto. By easily I do not mean carelessly, but without eagerness, disquietude or anxiety; otherwise, so far from bringing about what you wish, you will hinder it, and add more and more to your perplexities  (Introduction To A Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales).

The Positive Overcomes the Negative

"Mr. A speaks a great deal and  mostly with complaints." A religious sister in the Catholic Peace Weekly writes about her experiences and in this week's column on what a young friend tells her about an encounter with a person who as soon as he sits down begins complaining. Her friend respectfully but with determination: "Sorry, but that kind of talk makes me uncomfortable. Why don't you speak to the person directly yourself?" His face flushed, got out of his chair: "OK, OK  I understand," and left the room slamming the door.

Complaints may be an indirect way of calling attention to oneself. I want to be confirmed that I am right, good and just. I may be looking for comfort and looking for some kind words, possibly struggling to seek revenge for some injustice and painful situation.

The more we complain the easier the words of dissatisfaction with others come out. The world is unjust, ruthless and here I am suffering alone. They lose their peace of mind. St Francis de Sales says about this situation: they try to remove the reason for the thorns but the thorns only go deeper into the body.

In modern psychiatry, people complain a lot about health problems due to a biochemical imbalance. Stress hormones increase, resulting in sleep disorders and body aches. Even little irritations can increase the stress hormones and instigate feelings of anger and uncomfortableness.
 
Of course, those who complain are not always complaining. They also have many positive things to say, are humorous and enjoyable to be with at times. They can praise, joke and be very pleasant but it doesn't last. Negativity is not easy to overcome and being positive is not a familiar situation. They forget quickly their good feelings. They go along at peace but irritation arises. They want to be cheerful, but pain here and throbbing there is the reason for lament. The feeling of peace comes and goes like a stranger. The brain has been accustomed to this way of dealing with life's problems. Habitual complaints reinforce the negative view of the world and make it difficult to overcome even the most ordinary situations.
 
Even if my thoughts and feelings are negative when we speak and express ourselves positively, will we not change our thoughts and feelings in some way?

My sorrow and suffering of the heart are transferred to the persons who are close. Repeatedly, however, being negative and complaining about others makes others uncomfortable and tires the listener. The brain is unable to distinguish thought or imagination from the actual situation. What  we see and hear  and the feelings aroused are being transmitted to others
 
I have to tell myself every day that I am fine, there is a reason for everything, all said with a smile. Then, as you become acquainted and familiar with the positive feelings, will not the world and neighbors look brighter and clearer?

Only What Is Necessary

In the Kyeongyang magazine, a psychiatrist writes about the black hole of greed and its antidote: temperance and the golden mean. Lessons learned from life.
 
He begins with a short story by Tolstoy: How Much Land Does a Man Need? Briefly, it's about a farmer told he could have cheaply all the land he could encircle by sunset. He began early in the morning but realized in the late afternoon that he would have difficulty returning to his starting point before sunset. In that case, he loses everything. He started his return trip but was so exhausted when he arrived that he dropped dead. Tolstoy gives us the answer to his question of how much land does a man need. He needs enough to be buried.
 
We can't see beyond the horizon. We don't have permission to enter this area. Our life is limited by the horizon of time. Time beyond the horizon does not influence us. It is the great unknown. Is this concept too difficult to understand? Time goes beyond the horizon never to return. Today's rice cannot fill the hunger I had yesterday.
 
He gives the example of a student who had the opportunity to take an exam for a job. He didn't feel that he was prepared and didn't take the exam. He did come to a time when he felt he had the knowledge to pass the exam, more so than anybody else, but the second opportunity never came. Time went beyond the horizon. Once the time is gone it never returns.
 
The word moderation and temperance are often used with food and drink but not limited to that. Wordly gain, carnal desire, lust for power, and many other cravings we need to control. Our cravings are many. When not controlled the wise both in the East and West have always emphasized misery and sadness will follow.

Controlling greed is no easy task. Problem is solved if we desired the necessary amount then temperance would not be necessary But the reality is a person who desires only 1,000 dollars when received goes on to desire ten times that sum, the person who says only one room would be perfect goes on to desire a penthouse.

Life begins with acknowledging time is limited and we don't know how much. We can make a guess. Nobody will remember reading these words in a few years. If we made a graph of our time on earth it would disappear into the horizon.

We crave as if we will live here on earth forever. We don't know when life will come to its horizon. It's not given us to know. If I knew I was to die tomorrow I would use my possessions in a most significant way since nothing goes beyond the horizon. If at that stage what would we crave what would we abandon? It will be different for each one of us but we will not be craving anything materially.

Do we fret about having something? It may be a shining sports car, a beautiful face, or even the praise of others, a nice house for the family or money to have the family live in comfort. To achieve these aims we have to understand the time needed for their acquisition and weigh them against the time left before the horizon. A person in his 50s these are not something to crave.

Moderation is not something to endure. We don't know how much time before the horizon but a need to live wisely. Once we realize that time is limited, at that moment, we will want only what is needed—only what is necessary.

Awareness of Our Mission In Life

Our society continues with unrest and conflicts:  discontent, candlelight demonstrations, and 'hate speech' increases. Facing the difficulties that come with the uncertainties in life, tied to our own experiences and beliefs, especially in political matters. In democratic societies, the constitution guarantees the right of the people to freely express their views and opinions, but it is necessary to reflect on truth and the righteousness of our claims. In the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times a priest, sociology professor, gives us his thoughts on the subject.
 
Democracy in modern society has been formed in solidarity and struggle by the citizens to voluntarily and independently create a "better society" against the inhuman repression and exploitation when the king alone ruled. Therefore, 'citizen consciousness' in modern society has grown along with progress in  society towards the universal values of freedom, equality and fraternity.
 
If we are caught in the web of ideology from the past: cold war, anti-communism and remain with what was imposed from the past and afraid to leave the failed formulas and old time mistakes we are not citizens with public awareness of our present reality. What is it that we mean by free citizen participating actively in society?

First, do we follow truth and sincerity in freedom?  Manipulation, distortion, and forced news spreading on SNS or YouTube is not 'truth'. "Yes  if you mean yes, no if you mean no" the words of Jesus have something to tell us in these times when truth seems hidden.

Confucius said— If a person disobeys the dictates of heaven, the words he uses will be tainted, and will spoil the work done— When we look back on our history and without proof blame the problems here in the South on the North and spread this and use it in what we say and write we are giving up our freedom as responsible citizens.

Second, are we seeking the "common good"?  Does self-interest, political party concerns, undermine our concern for the common good. The Korean Christian Association's own historical interpretation wants the president to retire, they want to make a Protestant President in their not all objective understanding of the present situation. According to the study of sociologists, social conflicts have been amplified because of the religious polarization when the Protestant was president in Korea.
 
Third, does our love for our fellow citizens especially the "marginalized and poor" have priority?  The people under the monarchy took for granted hierarchical governance and structural inequality.The privileged paid close attention to maintaining their ownership and vested rights. Despite the collapse of the Catholic Church, which represented the order of the ruling class in the French Revolution, as the religion of the country: God did not forget the poor and marginalized citizens but  progress continued in pursuit of love of humanity. Today, as polarization and the gap between the rich and the poor gets worse, the way to pursue solidarity so that the dignity of the poor is respected in the social structure becomes a compass for civic consciousness.

Fourth, people often like to return to the  past which they think was  full of honor and pride. Today, young people are not tied to the nostalgia of the past, and when grown-ups admonish them they are considered out of it and bullies.Without the proper understanding of the times it is difficult to access the agony and need of the young people, the protagonists of the future. We will be a citizens of a heavenly country when we take a step away from the comfort and convenience of the old generation and acquire the future-oriented values and the viewpoint of the future so that our children and future generations will live happily and fully in the common house of mankind.

The Second Vatican Council proclaims the people of God as the center of ecclesiology, ahead of the hierarchical church. However, the people of God are not only those who obey the orders of the state and the church but also the children of God who actively perform their roles as priest, prophet and kingly roles in everyday life. In addition to the Holy Spirit, it is the 'citizens' who contribute to building of God's kingdom. "Let all Christians appreciate their special and personal vocation in the political community. This vocation  requires that they give conspicuous example of devotion to the sense of duty and of service to the advancement of the common good" (Pastoral Constitution, #75)

Listening And Silence in Prayer

In a bulletin for priests, a retired priest writes about his experience with prayer in the pastoral life of a parish. One of the families in the parish community prayed for the promotion of their father and husband, an army officer. Everybody united in their efforts to secure a promotion. Unfortunately, the next year the husband failed to advance, disappointment was great, and the attendance at church stopped.
 

One young mother was depressed because of the illness of their young son. It was not a serious problem but she prayed the rosary and became a member of the Legion of Mary. She did not find the praying easy and was hoping it would help her son. However, after many months and no results she gave up her prayers. Surprisingly many people who are disappointed in their prayers of petition abandon  their faith life. 

When everything goes along smoothly believing is easy. However, difficult things happen and life has its 'shocks', "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," which for many can help the faith life grow and for others a reason for distancing themselves from God. God is no longer present.

We need to live the life of prayer, communicating with our heavenly Father; faced with difficulty we ask for help. However, God is a God of love and is always giving and it doesn't depend on the words we utter and the way they are said but our disposition in receiving. The belief that God is a personal God is important. Prayer is a conversation with God and  conversation requires speech but it is important to listen. We talk and listen to what God will say to me in this situation. Think about God's Word in the Bible and seek to find and accept God's will. Some say in great pain, they were grateful because they gained strength through prayer to overcome difficulties.
 

Followers of Jesus have confidence and faith that God loves them and is leading them. Faith means confidence in God without giving up even if we are in difficult straits and unable to understand.

"My thoughts are not like your thoughts, and my ways are not like your ways" (Isaiah 55.8). God loves. We are often trying to live according to the material and worldly values with which we daily encounter and forget the direction that God has for us. God wants us to enjoy life to the full. We often misunderstand what this means. We don't try to change God's will but to change our wills so that we can receive all that he wants to give. Prayer is mostly to change ourselves so we can receive.

When there is no interest in the spiritual values that Jesus teaches, and stay only in the asking mode for blessings— 'give me' religion— and not concerned with giving there is no difference from the faith in shamanism and superstition. A child, in the beginning, knows only to ask from parents, gradually the child grows and learns the love and the spirit of the parents and becomes mature. Our faith must also develop and mature.

Don't Steal the Future From the Young

On May 24, more than 500 youths protested simultaneously in various places throughout the country. "We can't exercise because of the fine dust"— Mathematics is important but we have a right to be educated about climate change"— "Please don't gamble with our future"— signs held high in demonstrations. So begins an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly by a member of the Bishops' Committee on the Environment.
 
Greta Thunberg, a Swedish schoolgirl, who at age 15, began protesting outside the Swedish parliament for immediate action to combat climate change and will boycott classes until she sees efforts to bring change.
 
In a  lecture held in Stockholm last November, Thunberg said, "Why should I study when the future may disappear? You say you love your children, but you are stealing their future." She emphasized the urgency and importance of developing climate change measures.
 
The main contents of the demonstrations conducted by the Korean youths following Greta's lead are to put environmental education into the curriculum. Which reminds us of the fact that unlike other countries, Korea lacks basic efforts for dealing with climate change.
 
The educational climate of Korea is focused on entrance examinations to college; lack of education for survival is a painful point. Unlike adults who feel discomfort because of climate change but do nothing, the young people are demanding we do something with the continued abnormal temperatures, fine dust, etc., youths are demanding we face the problem and urge resolution.

According to the Climate Change Countermeasures Index (CCPI) 2019, Korea is ranked 57th out of 60 countries in terms of the climate change response index and has the stigma of 4th place among carbon dioxide emission countries of OECD.
 
This generation is borrowing the use of the planet from future generations, and conscious only on how to use and develop the earth? 27 years ago, at Rio's UN Climate Change Conference, despite the serious warnings of climate change and dangers ahead, is it not only the young people who are conscious of the problems ahead?

We know there is something wrong with our planet, but don't know it has anything to do with me. It's a Chinese problem, a foreign matter, the earth is a strange place, and it doesn't register that the problems are caused by me. It's convenient after all to use delivery services for ordered goods, power plants need to operate, environmentally harmful substances are produced, disposable items such as packaging materials and containers are used, waste generated. How much awareness do adults perceive our actions and habits cause pollution and that these things are interconnected and cause climate change? Yes, it will bring about a new world order which we find difficult to accept.

Unlike adults who think admission to college, Korean language study, English and Mathematics are what's important, young people want the right to receive climate change education. Young people's values and environmental sensitivity from childhood can lead to action. Adults desire for comfort and abundance is it destroying the future of the children they love?

She ends the column with these words of Thomas Friedman:"Destroying the tropical forest is like burning the masterpieces of the Louvre to make dinner."

Fake Science

A professor in research and teaching writes in the Kyeongyang magazine about fake science.  He goes back to his years as a child of five and remembers a trip he made from Pusan to Masan on a steam engine. Everything was new to him. He had all kinds of thoughts on how the train was moving along the tracks with not one of his thoughts correctly understanding the situation and seeing everything with the eyes of a young child. Understandable, but is this not the situation in society with many seeing reality with the eyes of a 5-year-old?
 
YouTube is a vehicle in which all can make their views known to the whole world; much of it helpful, much harmful, for watching untruth does great harm to our ability to judge matters of life when seen as true.
 
Not long ago he was talking to his colleagues about a YouTube group asserting that talk of a round earth was a lie and publishing this on YouTube. The professor a curious person, knew it was a waste of time, but curiosity was so strong he went to the video and quickly went through the video at a quick pace. Despite knowing all the facts and all the voyages in space they maintained the earth was flat. What is more of a surprise is to see the followers that the YouTube presentation received, and the many positive comments?

When he was a child he remembers reading an article where a priest using a forked branch from a tree to look for underground water, wrote about learning this from a French foreign missioner. In the summer months, we have long dry spells this was an effort to alleviate the problem.
 
This method, dowsing, was in use in Europe. The person using the forked branch and responding to the surrounding environment searched for underground water. Since the farmers saw this being done they were awestruck and the method continued to spread. The writer tells the readers that in Korea anywhere you dig the chances of finding water are good. Although in Korea dowsing has been shown not to be scientifically based, it continues.

A similar bogus 'quantum resonance system' using the same reasoning is sold with a high price tag. They add a fancy scientific name and even though they don't understand they are impressed with the scientific name.

A priest in one of the parishes in which the professor lived in a sermon said the stars do not give their light but reflect the light of the sun. He was mixing up the stars with the moon which reflects the light of the sun and extending it to the stars which like the sun with nuclear fusion give off their own light.
 
In the past, the planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were considered stars but since they are giving off reflected light they are called planets. The professor was concerned that when the children heard the sermon and knew what they had been taught in school would have less concern for their faith.

Our ancestors for the most part, understood the earth to be flat and the sun and moon to move around the earth and this was the thinking of the many writers of the Scripture. But the Scriptures are not teaching science but a way of life and adapting the teaching to the thinking of the readers of that time.

Jesus tells us to be children but this is in a spiritual sense. St. Paul tells us the relationship our faith should have with reason. "Surely I should pray not only with the spirit but with the mind as well" (I Cor. 14:15). "I would rather say five words that mean something than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, you are not to be childish in your outlook. You can be babies as far as wickedness is concerned, but mentally you must be adult" (ICor.14: 19-20).
 
Jesus was not happy with those who were looking for miracles. Are we looking today for things that are not reasonable and desiring to see miracles? It is well to remember that God works also in nature and through our reason.

Eco-Friendly Activities

In the parish bulletin this past week we had a list of 19 activities that will help us to return to a healthy relationship with our environment. They will lead to a simple, and minimal lifestyle for the brave of heart.
 
1. Use with restraint vinyl bags and plastic containers
 
2. Carry along a bottle of water 

3. Planned shopping—carry along a bag
 
4. Don't use disposables
 
5. Knowing and practicing on how to sort the trash

6. Restraint on using home delivery services and  request little packaging
 
7. Reduce the amount of meat and dairy products used
 
8. Increase the eating of vegetables
 
9. Eat food in season and buy locally
 
10. Restraint on ordering food to eat
 
11. Eat all the food on your plate
 
12. Prepare only the amount of food you need
 
13. Put the Frigidaire in order regularly
 
14. Refrain from buying bottled water
 
15. Taking a shower put the water waiting for the hot water to come in a pail to use on plants
 
16. Save the water you use in  washing dishes,  brushing teeth and washing
 
17. Walk short distances
 
18. Use public transportation
 
19. Wise use of electricity 

We Need to Fight Fake News

In the  US presidential election (2016), the world was shocked by the fact that fake news was viewed on the Internet more than real news. Experts in the world at that time said the number of clicks would be directly linked to money, and that fake news would never disappear because of the "confirmation bias", people are looking for news that suits their tastes. They also predicted that this would only expand with the expansion of digital capitalism. So begins the column In the Eyes of the Believer in the Catholic Times by a media expert.
 
The English Oxford dictionary calls this the 'post-truth' era.  Pope Francis continues to point out the evils surrounding  "fake news," calling for countermeasures since fake news undermines community spirit and democracy.

Over the next few years, the problems will be magnified. The digital media platform has taken its place in people's everyday life and continues rapidly to develop and 'false truth' will also spread. Fake news is a malicious variant of hate content that is harming human society.

In March, 51 people were killed in a shooting incident in Christchurch, New Zealand. At that time, the perpetrator shocked the world by broadcasting the crime scenes through the Facebook streaming service.

Extreme and violent hate speech is mainly about race, nationality, religion, and sexual identity. In India, where societal and cultural conflicts are serious, fake news and hate speech is spread in social media,  assaults, and murders continue. It is no exaggeration to say that the general election in India, which took place on April 11th with the participation of 900 million voters (10% of the world's population) for six weeks, was a war against hate speech.

In Europe, anti-refugees and anti-EU right-wing extremists are raising their voices, and racial expressions of aversion are common. In Germany, foreign hate crimes and anti-Semitic crimes are increasing.
 
In Korea, we have the same problems. The number of requests for the correction of harmful information (hate speech, discrimination, abuse, and profanity) has increased from 1,982 in 2015 to 3,900 in 2018. When you enter YouTube, there is a lot of extreme hate speech about Yemen refugees, Chinese compatriots, social underdogs, and sexual minorities.

In this regard, YouTube is more dangerous. This is because it is tailored to 'taste and beliefs' rather than objective facts. Nowadays, media users are showing great use for YouTube, and Koreans are especially enthusiastic. In this respect, our country can not say hate and crime are not related.

The legal restrictions on the expression of hate speech don't come easy because they can violate the 'freedom of expression' ( almost sacrosanct in the United States). However, Germany, which knows the results of hate speech has enacted the Network Implementation Act and is implementing it strongly. Singapore and Australia, and a growing number of other countries are responding. In Korea, which has been dealing with defamation changes in the penal code, there are more opinions on cracking down on fake news, repulsive expression and the regulating of digital platform companies.

Above all, media literacy (education) is essential. Fake news became more and more urgent as it became a malicious variant of hate news. Like the old battle against illiteracy, media literacy education must be carried out by the government, as well as by various institutions and organizations. Reading the signs of the times we all need to confront hatred in the media. The church, which has no related programs yet, should also get involved in the work.

Is Poverty Forever?

Until now, the world has achieved remarkable results in solving poverty. The poorest people living below $1.9 per day in 1999 accounted for 36% of the world's population. It dropped to 16% in 2010, 10% in 2015, and to 9% in 2016 and predicted to fall to 3% in 2030. Since 1990, about 1.1 billion people have moved out of poverty. Especially in East Asia, the Pacific, Europe, and Central Asia, the number of the poorest has already fallen below 3%. But is the problem so simple? So asks a professional in development finances in the Catholic Peace Weekly.
 
When we include education, infrastructure, health and security we increase poverty by 1.5 times. Many are the difficulties in reducing the percentage of poorest people from 9% to 3%. Many of the countries suffer from disputes, civil wars, and disasters. Consequently, in no position to do business with a development bank or other organization. And yet we can't neglect 6% of the world's population

Currently, more than half of the poorest are in sub-Saharan Africa. Development in this area is slow and the number of the poor is increasing as the population grows. According to this trend, nine out of the ten world's poorest people in 2030 will be in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of these are young people under the age of 18, and most likely will not receive a proper education.

Poverty is not a problem for developing countries alone. Looking over the last 30 years the inequality in the OECD countries presently is the most severe. The top 10 percent hold half of the total wealth and the bottom 40% share is only 3%. The real income of the top 10% is 9.5 times that of the bottom 10%, compared to the 7 times in the 1980s. In these countries, children in the lower 10% of households are expected to take 150 years to earn an average income.
 
The situation, however, is not hopeless. It's not impossible to solve poverty in this world within a generation. First, while developing new business models through cutting-edge technological innovation, financial instruments that have not yet been tried in the developing world market should be used to improve the lives of the world's poorest 40%.  In addition, development agencies need new approaches, different from the past. In particular, it is necessary to invest heavily in human beings. Between 2000 and 2011, 24% of developing economies grew in health status. Investments that include health and education become critical issues in the digital age.
 
The writer mentions that many still confuse the Millennium Development Goal—8 goals, with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015 for the year 2030. SDG has 17 goals. It's a political declaration that the world governments want to achieve by 2030. Government policies have international significance: companies, private organizations, and individuals can participate directly in global development and see great change.
 
Pope St. Paul VI in his 1967 Encyclical Populorum Progressio concluded that the new name for peace was development. The writer hopes that the years ahead with technical and financial support for the poorest people in place she hopes that what St. Paul VI found in Africa and South America before becoming pope will have changed.

How Do We See Popular Culture?

Writing in Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Weekly a pastor reminds the readers that two of the representative indicators of Korean popular culture are the dramas and pop songs and  selects the BTS (Bangtan  Boys, Bulletproof Boy Scouts)  and one of the popular dramas on TV: 'Fiery Priest', which recently ended.  Bangtan K-Pop group has grown into one of the most famous of the superstars now on the world stage.

On the 'Love Yourself' World Tour, they were the first pop group to address the United Nations: "true love begins by loving myself" a message enthusiastically supported by young people. They are asking the young people to share their vision and be of one heart with those who are experiencing conflicts, anxieties, pain, oppression and living in uncertain and unfair circumstances; hoping their words will be a cause of healing and consolation. We share their ideals that become completed by the love of God and neighbor.

SBS TV drama 'The Fiery Priest' is an exciting hero drama, and it has recently ended with top ranking for its time spot. In the process of punishing evil and revealing the truth, the main character, the hot blood priest, is an active member of the National Intelligence Service, special team. In the drama,   the background is Catholicism—priests, nuns, and church, but used only as a prop to develop the contents. 

On the positive side, the drama has impact on giving a Catholic image for non-Catholic believers, and it is an opportunity for Catholics to see an image of Catholicism, however, to eliminate evil and establish justice by dependence on violence is not the Christian way.
 
Evangelical values pursued and practiced lead not to oppressive power and violence, but rely on the power of nonviolent resistance and love. Recently, dramas based on religion, and works based on Catholic themes have been mostly positive. There have been a  number of dramas appearing on cable with positive images of the church: reflected in the fight against evil, a  tempered life, self-discipline, and the conscientious clergy who live with the people in the world. There is always the real danger of using the church with distorted images of Catholicism.
 
Popular culture is a mixed bag, producing meaning with various behaviors and ideologies. Therefore, popular culture can provide new information, promote socialization, and play a positive role in entertainment and pleasure. On the other hand, it can play a negative and harmful role because it maximizes human desires such as money, power, and honor, and produces unethical and immoral content as a result. The church needs 'cultural evangelism' that recognizes the duality of popular culture, using the positive side, and filtering out the harmful side. 

Traditionally, the church has taken a negative attitude regarding popular culture as low, decadent, and harmful to its faith: attempting to transform the culture of death into a culture of life. Consequently, a  weak will to actively utilize the positive aspect of popular culture in mission or pastoral care.
 
Indeed, popular culture and Christianity have in common a desire to  seek meaningful life experiences. Communication between popular culture and Christianity can begin from experience and meaning in life. The spirituality of popular culture can play a role in helping to experience God, and Christian spirituality found in meaning experienced through popular culture. 

In conclusion, the writer would like to see a more effective use of the popular culture to revitalize the stagnant youth ministry within the church by using  culture to make our teaching more contemporary and to meet the young people where they are.

What To Do Finding a Fly in the Soup?

What does one do if one finds a fly struggling in the cold noodle bowl just ordered in a restaurant? The Peace column in the Catholic Peace Weekly asks the readers. For many, obvious, you call the waiter to take it back. If the waiter says: take the spoon and remove the fly, why do you want to change the whole bowl? The chances are pretty high that the restaurant would be rather noisy.
 
The waiter was not wrong. Since the fly was struggling to get out it just happened, so the whole bowl can be seen as not contaminated. Nevertheless, we think it is reasonable to give it back to the waiter. The human mind has an instinct to avoid contamination. For example, most people find rotten food disgusting and instinctively push it aside since it can pollute both emotionally and physically.

Nowadays, politicians are manipulating the human mind in the above fashion and making politics a mess. Granted that politics requires the use of power and strength to achieve goals but does it require crude words and non-human-like behavior to achieve these goals. Recently the rude words uttered by one of the politicians was top news on portal sites, each viewer taking sides. Many take the news to the social media and amplify the conflict and hatred in their own way.  The conservatives are old fools and the progressive are leftwing reds. Each sees the other as a fly in their noodles and wants to get rid of it.
 
The politician seeing the many 'thumbs up' response on the social network must have been pleased. He was in the big times. It spread to the other media outlets and YouTube and he must have been happy with himself with all the clicks.  

Looking over the political climate which helps to rally confrontation and hatred one is saddened. Instead of criticizing this sad state of affairs, the media jumps in and helps to stir it up. The writer doesn't know how much coexistence and integration is worth to them. Ideology in society that has gone to the extremes is a responsibility of the media and the netizens who go along with it.

Did you just comment in the digital world today with unkind and rude words? If so, it is the seed of division. Have you ever poured ideological biased content—personal opinion— without deep thought into the internet?  The devil is always there to encourage confrontation and to engage in violence. In fact, Korean society has not been able to get out of the 'demon trap' and two of the examples: Gwangju Uprising  (5:18) the truth, and the 'environment-friendly' policy debate.
 
"A community is much stronger if it is cohesive and supportive, if it is animated by feelings of trust, and pursues common objectives. The community as a network of solidarity requires mutual listening and dialogue, based on the responsible use of language." These words are in the message for World Communication Day, Ascension Sunday 2019.

"What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops."(Matthew 10, 27). Public institutions should be tools for encounter and reconciliation, not of division but facilitators of peace.