Reputation And Reality

The word reputation has much included within its meaning: evaluation and judgment are two. We live with a reputation, make our reputation and listen to the reputation of others. The world values reputation and it determines success in much of life, often more important than ability. In the Word and Silence column of the Peace Weekly, a journalist gives his thoughts on the subject.

The success or failure of a company depends on its reputation. It gives wings to sales and can bring about a serious crisis in operations. Professional bodies research reputations and develop reputation indices. They advise, manage your reputation.

Politics is a fight over reputation. Elections are all mixed up with the rise and fall of reputations: rumors more than truth, perception more than facts, slogans more than content, and public relations more than reality. Each party hangs on its digital reputation They gather in their bags of comments and manipulate the search engine, and try to spread false news and dance when they succeed.

Reputation is ambiguous. My judgment is actually the reputation given to the world. They have never met the person but they know enough to like or hate, respect or despise someone. Most are superficial perceptions— virtual images conveyed by the media.

This is an era of reputation. Reputation is money and opportunity. Wealth, honor, power depend on reputation. Sometimes the seeds of destruction of oneself and family are sown. Reputation is hard to control.

Reputation is like money, without it, life is difficult but its pursuit leads to unhappiness. Become a slave to money and one loses its precious value. The same is true of reputation. The more you desire it the chances are it will destroy you and you lose your goal and direction in life.

Misery develops when dominated by reputation. The world's praise and tribute spoil one. The public wants idols and makes idols. Raise an ordinary person into a hero and they often are considered a prophet of the times.

Reputation is stronger than reality. If the reputation takes over, the reality is invisible. People trapped within a reputation rarely can free themselves. The cheers of the masses are like drugs, and gradually one becomes addicted. You cannot distinguish between what is real and the reputation developed. Life begins to imitate the reputation in which one truly believes. The tail shakes the torso. Reputation dominates behavior and consciousness.

An exaggerated reputation ruins a life. Even a noble personality is harmed. A double life can appear and lead to a life with a mask. The wise guard against a reputation. When an unbearable reputation comes, they run away from it. In particular, one refuses the place of respect and admiration by acting against expectations. Sometimes working against a supposed good is a greater virtue.

North/South Korea Unification

In the Bible and Life magazine a priest begins his article: "Tears came to his eyes" recalling the meeting of the two leaders at Panmunjom. From deep inside he felt great heat rising up. "Our desire is unification." Korea to be again one, overcomes us with emotion. The words of our Lord are the prayers of many: ...So that they may be one just as you and I are one" (John 17:11).

 What does this 'oneness? mean?  This is what we should be working and desiring in life. In Korea we all desire unification: some want dialogue, cooperation, but some shout 'Red', we need to overcome them and put them in their place. All want unification but the meaning of the word is different.

 For some unification means all the same—uniformity. North and South both with the same structure, way of thinking, lifestyle no difference. It's like going to a Chinese restaurant and asking for an order of noodle and bean sauce for all. Is that what is meant by unity? Is that even possible?

 We have been separated for over 70 years. The North and South have gone their own different ways. Is it possible to give it all up to become one? We are asking each to give up what they have become. When we shout out North/South Unity— 'Unification Jubilee', we are asking the Communist North to disappear for an iron-fisted type of unity.

 What is the unity that is possible? It is not the unity without differences but a oneness that accepts differences and yet lives together as one nation. This is the unity of the Trinity. Different but understanding one another, respecting each other, patiently influencing each other, compromising, and living together as one nation.

 We have not been able to do this for over 70 years. The reason is the way we understand differences. Differences bring about uncomfortableness. At times fear arises. Different thinking, appearances, personality, different behavior, which at times becomes a threat. Consequently, some see this as wrong and when it comes to living together with the North it means the absence of Communism.

 So what is demanded is both the North/South accept the differences. Jesus showed us the way in his life. He had no difficulty mixing with all kinds of people: the sick, poor, possessed, tax collectors, sinners, Samaritans, foreigners, etc. To the Jews, they were not different but wrong. Jesus saw what was different and what was wrong
and separated what was not according to God's will and accepted what was different and joined them and gave them life and did this with love.

 The love that we need is being separated by the 38th parallel in our hearts. This has to be removed and find ways to begin talking. God is calling us to do just that. "We are ruled by the love of Christ." (II Cor. 5:14) When we can do this all the barbed wire that keeps us separated with disappear and we will be one people again.

Korea/Japan Struggle to Live Together As Neighbors

A professor of political science gives the readers ot the Peace Weekly some ideas of the problems Korea is having with Japan. What is a rational response to the economic retaliation by the Japanese government? This is expressed in various ways depending on the viewpoint of the conservatives and progressives and the political intimacy with Japan. 

Korea's countermeasures vary depending on the political and social climate. At times with retaliatory or appeasement policies in light of the long-term relationship with Japan.  All the political parties emphasize the so-called 'diplomatic' solution, through a kind of political compromise rather than endless confrontation.
 
What is the "diplomatic solution" that  politicians of all stripes, and scholars desire? How is the Korean government attempting diplomatic solutions when the Japanese regime is refusing diplomatic dialogue? In the current Korea-Japan relationship, there is no reason for a passive, humiliating relationship hoping for a diplomatic solutions.

In order for a true diplomatic solution, both regimes must simultaneously express their positions clearly and at the same time concede what can be conceded and compromise. However, if diplomatic means are not used as a means to a solution the shortsighted approach to ending the current conflict will produce other serious problems. We have to find a cool-headed diplomatic solution.

First, multilateral diplomacy must be planned to publicize and support Korea's position to the United Nations and other international organizations. It is necessary to find and share common goals with friends who can actively inform and sympathize with the international community about Japan's tendency to glorify its colonial rule and overlook their mistakes unlike Germany. The professor looks forward to the keynote address of President Moon Jae-in to the 74th UN General Assembly.
 
Efforts should  be made in diplomacy outside of Japan. Japan should make known unbiasedly the harm down to Northeast Asia's security and environment. Fukushima's release of radioactive pollutants should be made known, and Korea should be in the vanguard of democratic forces actively responding to the delusions of the rightwing Japanese government to revive colonial imperialist remnants in the 21st century: allowing the use of of the rising sun flag for the Tokyo Olympics. (This was a symbol of Japan's imperialist past and reminds the Asian countries of the pain of colonial rule. Similar to the swastika in Nazl Germany).

Korea should stand in solidarity with the democratic forces of the Asian countries who actively accept and align with the common sustainable development goals and norms common in the international community.

True diplomatic solutions are not simply achieved with one-dimensional restoration of diplomatic channels. We must summon democratic civil society at home and abroad and solidify the democratic civil society in Japan. Abe's most feared political group is probably the politicization of anti-Abe civil society in Japan. Therefore, it is important to restore a social climate which allows Japan to brake the right-wing way of thinking that will allow the open communication between Korean and Japanese civil society.

These fights are likely to continue in the short term, until the end of Abe's regime, or in the long run until a true sense of democracy finds a place in Japanese civil society and politics. On the part of Korea first of all, the social consensus of the Korean people must be achieved,  unnecessary internal conflicts settled, and Korean society united in the way we see the  Korea-Japan issue.

Piety and Spirituality

Korean churches have piety but no spirituality. This was the subject of the Peace Column in the Peace Weekly this week. A subject that is well worth looking into not only in Korea but in the rest of the religious world.

The writer mentions how this was a topic often heard when discussing theological and pastoral issues in the Korean Catholic Church 20-30 years ago. The Korean church is active and energetic but lacks something, which we call spirituality.

What is 'spirituality'? The Korean dictionary describes it as 'spiritual character or temper'.  In the Korean Catholic Dictionary, spirituality is with many words expressed as "a living expression of the faith of a person or group of people who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is open to the love of God, oneself, neighbors, and the world through Jesus Christ."  Not easy to understand. Eliminating the long modifiers it can be reduced to "a living expression of faith"—living out the teachings of Christ in our daily lives.

Forgetting the dictionary definition, the writer personally understands spirituality as the "fragrance of life". Just as a coffee shop smells like the scent of coffee, and when you enter the butcher shop, it smells like a butcher shop, so a person with faith has a unique scent. A devoted Buddhist believer should be filled with the fragrance of the Buddha. The fragrance of Christ is what should be emanating from a devoted follower of Christ.

But this fragrance of life doesn't come overnight. With the passage of the years, it gradually develops linking one's heart, thoughts, and actions together. When this happens we have the spirituality of the person.

If someone has lived as a Christian for thirty years and one does not smell the fragrance of Christ in that person, he is a Christian believer, lived the Christian life but not internalized. In the same way, if one was a Buddhist believer for 30 years and the fragrance of Buddha is not experienced one has lived a life other than that of of the Buddha. So spirituality is a measure of a person's life.

Spirituality is often used in a religious sense, but it's not limited to religion. All areas of human life are connected to spirituality. External manifestations that are not connected to the roots of one's life are unrelated to spirituality. If the fragrance of life soon disappears or changes, it's not the fragrance of true life, true spirituality.

The writer hasn't heard much lately, on the topic of piety and spirituality. He doesn't know if it's the writer's lack of knowledge, whether the Korean church has grown spiritually, or whether there is no interest in this topic any longer within the church.

The writer has been a Catholic believer for 30 years, as well as a Catholic media reporter. What kind of fragrance did the articles and columns he wrote in the 'Catholic Peace Newspaper' emit? He hopes the scent wasn't bad.

Not the Possession but its Use

Christianity talks a lot about voluntary poverty and detachment. This is the other side of attachment to God. In the recent Catholic News Weekly, a counselor of a psychology center gives some answers to the problems that many have with possession and our relationship to them in the spiritual life.

  She introduces the readers to the YAWNS: Young and Wealthy but Normal, a movement that was introduced to the public in the British press in the 2000s. It refers to people with great wealth but who do not live extravagantly but a frugal life and donate to charity and are socially responsible. They are in their 30s and 40s, made the money with their own efforts but pursue ordinary life.


 On the other hand, you have also acronym YOLO (You Only Live Once), which means making the most of the one life that we have. The slang word was made famous by the Canadian singer Drake in the 2011 song 'The Motto'. This has spread all over the world. Those mainly in their 20s and 30s value money to increase the quality of life. No one should hesitate to spend money on traveling, hobbies, expensive eating, shopping, etc., present happiness is what is important and without sacrificing for the future or for others.

 Whether you belong to the YAWNS or YOLO group the writer feels that young people are more concerned about spending money in the here and now. Even the YOLO family are not spending money foolishly. We no longer have images of those who become rich overnight. The young have found a way to satisfy their desires with what they will receive from their parents. Since most will find it difficult to be rich in reality they may have come to an understanding of what the future will hold for most of them. The job market looks bleak and this will have a great deal to do with the way they look at the future.

 She relates the Grimm tale 'Happy Hans'. The hero Hans has worked for seven years and receives payment for his work with a lump of gold. He begins his journey back to his mother and puts the gold in a handkerchief and becomes tired. He sees a man riding a horse and decides to exchange his gold for the horse. Happy with the exchange he gets on the horse and rides off. He falls off the horse and exchanges it for a cow, but the cow does not produce what he thought and meets a butcher who gives him a pig in exchange, and this time exchanges the pig for a goose and later the goose is exchanged for a grindstone. He is now short of money for food and thirsty he stops to drink from the river and the grindstone falls into the water and is lost. He is happy to be rid of the heavy grindstone and free of all trouble and returns to his mother telling of his great fortune. Moral of the story—happiness comes from the mind, not the possession.

Of course, we know how unreal this story is. But if Hans hadn't changed the lump of gold for a horse and what followed he might have ended up losing some really precious things and not being happy. The last vestment we wear after death has no pockets.

If we know the true value of money, it's time to think about how valuable it will be in life, rather than focusing on its ownership, of the material itself. Regardless of how much you earn, isn't it how we spend it that makes it truly mine?

The Poor are Leaving the Church

A priest writing in a bulletin for priests, mentions a talk given by a professor to a group on Christianity in Korea. He cited the worship of idols as a problem in the Korean church. According to a Christian Yearbook, the largest church congregations in the world many of them are Korean churches.

Growth in the materialization of the church does not find a place in the teaching of Jesus. The bigger, the more the better are not necessarily Christian values. Also, the issue of handing down the leadership of the church to the relations is a problem we see appearing in Korean Christianity. This is said to be the practice in over 300 churches and mostly in rich churches. Idolatry of the golden calf instead of God. No matter how developed the economy, materialism does not bring happiness, and the less developed, with true Christian values pursued, a good society will come, said the professor.

One of the Apostolic Delegates of the past pointed out the lack of a spirit of poverty as a major problem of the Korean church. Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan said that the Korean church is like the rich man in the Bible. It is about a young man who refused the call of Jesus because he was rich.

If you are tied to matter, you cannot follow Jesus. In fact, the church is far from the poor in society. Surveys show that the percentage of farmers and poor people coming to church is very small. The situation of the poor is difficult, the church doesn't intentionally alienate them, but they are alienated. Poor people may be blamed, but the church lacks the spirit of poverty and instead of feeling comfortable within the church they feel burdened and alienated.

In many of the churches in the West, we see the numbers decreasing. There are many reasons for this, but it is important to keep an eye on this process of alienation. In the course of the decline, the poor and workers left the church first. Then the intellectuals left criticizing the church, and finally, the believers left, emptying the churches.

It is a real problem that the poor can't find their place within the church and are leaving. Jesus sought out the poor and was with them and since the church is not finding room for the poor is this not telling us that something is wrong with the way we are living the Christian life?

Throughout the Bible, we are taught not to worship idols. And from the beginning of history, one of the biggest idols has been riches. Even now people keep on racing towards materialism. Years ago statistics showed that 85% of Koreans set their standard of happiness on wealth. Finding God in such a climate is difficult. Material matters are precious and necessary, however, believers are never satisfied with the material but need to go beyond the material to our brothers and sisters and God.

"How happy the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5, 3).

A World Without Memory

A religious sister who writes a weekly column in the Peace Weekly tells the readers about her experience a few days previous, teaching a class of middle school children about the spirituality of the young. They were all happy to see her and listened with great curiosity and attention. They seemed to be concentrating on her talk and nodding their heads to the sister's words. She was very happy with the presentation and gave the students an activity assignment at the end.

The problem appeared after the talk. When the group instructors asked, "What did you learn?" "What activity did you receive?" They had a blank stare on their faces and to questions, understood little of what the sister said. Another Sister, who accompanied her, found the response of the students weird for the students seemed to be following the talk, asked good questions and worked hard at the activity. What in the world happened? One person said: "There was no test to follow no reason to remember." "Aha," the group nodded.

This is sad but the reality. The gap between meaning and meaningless is enormous, the difference in doing something with meaning and without meaning has tremendous consequences. Neuroscientists say that seeing things without meaning activates only part of the occipital lobe responsible for vision. The memory does not work at all. But when you listen, see, and read something with meaning, your brain opens up new pathways and doubles or triples your brain's neuronal activity, extending one's memory.
 
They answered wisely in class and worked on their workbooks, but they couldn't extract anything from their memories. No, rather nothing even entered their memories.  At that moment they are understanding just by feeling. No reward was expected, nor was any test envisioned, the talk was for the moment. But if you think about it, is that not true of all of us? She listens to many sermons at Mass and some are very good but she remembers very little of what was said. Memory of the priest's expressions, gestures and, a good feeling from hearing the sermon remain but later looking back at what was said it was bottom-side up.

She remembers William Stafford's verse, "I closed my book, and I left my head in the book." One may read a book very zealously, enjoy the book but little will remain unless the information is translated into meaning.

Moreover, in the screen world in which we have entered, when you ask 'what is it?' the hand is quickly on the smartphone. No need to think or remember, your smartphone will take care of it for you. We are leaving our heads in the computer.

Without memory, there is no past or present. "I have a memory of the past, so I have a present, and I am conscious of my existence." But her memory capacity is getting smaller and she is somewhat nervous. A distracting media environment makes continuous attentiveness to what we are doing difficult. Nothing is remembered by itself. More urgent than ever to process interpreting what we read, see and hear trying to perceive and recognize its meaning to us and others.

How much do we remember from the experiences of today, what we have heard and read today? It would be very painful knowing that the temporary memory system is all that is operative like our middle school children.

What is the Reason for the Church?

What is the Church's understanding of its existence? This question, more than in the past, is a question she asks very seriously these days. A university professor who received her doctorate in Rome in dogmatics gives us her thoughts on how we are to walk in the way given us at Vatican II with an article in the Kyeongyang magazine.

In 1789 the French Revolution caused a great upheaval in Europe and brought great changes in the relationship of the world and the church. The world no longer wanted to be controlled by the church and wanted her own autonomy. The world wanted to be ruled by the power of reason, and the call of freedom was the reason for the collision with the church which had other priorities. The Church needed to clarify for itself what was her place in this new understanding of the world.


Obviously, the Church's understanding of the problem did not begin in modern times. In the 14th century began the full-scale study of the pope's authority and that of the emperor because of the conflict that arose which helped to clarify the authority of the pope. But this understanding did not extend to the whole church and in these circumstances, the church had to face the Protestant Reformation. The authority of the emperor confronted the pope and the ordinary understanding of the hierarchical order with Luther's concept of the 'priesthood of all believers' was a big challenge. The Catholic understanding of the priesthood as coming from Jesus was denied very clearly and gave rise to a new church.

Catholicism and Protestantism consequently were working with two contrary ecclesiologies. Protestantism was lead by the Holy Spirit, living with the word of God within a hidden church. On the other hand, the Catholic Church in reaction emphasized the visible hierarchical church and the structure which came to its climax at the first Vatican Council.

Consequently with this view of Church, the clergy and religious were seen as church people and the laity as passive obedient followers that connect the church with the world. The understanding of the common priesthood of the laity had almost disappeared from the church—a great part of the problem. The common priesthood was very much part of the Scriptures but because of the reaction to Luther almost disappeared. This was influential in forgetting the roles of the laity within the church and helping to make a division in the ranks.

Since the church considered itself a perfect society and received authority from God than this made for an increase of the division within the church and divided the church more into classes. It was precisely this problem that the Second Vatican Council attempted to bring back to a right balance. The church is not controlled by a small minority but is made up from bishops to the laity of all the baptized who make up the people of God. All the baptized have received the mission and all are to be active members. From the Council's teaching, we are all the people of God, with different roles. We are all equal members of the church. All kinds of varieties within the community of the church but not divisions and exclusions.

 "By divine institution, Holy Church is ordered and governed with a wonderful diversity. For just as in one body we have many members, yet all the members have not the same function, so we, the many, are one body in Christ, but severally members one of another. Therefore, the chosen People of God is one: one Lord, one faith, one baptism; sharing a common dignity as members from their regeneration in Christ, having the same filial grace and the same vocation to perfection; possessing in common one salvation, one hope, and one undivided charity. There is, therefore, in Christ and in the Church no inequality on the basis of race or nationality, social condition or sex, because there is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all 'one' in Christ Jesus" (Constitution of the Church # 32).

We have all at baptism been anointed with oil and the Holy Spirit and joined to Christ and share in his threefold mission as a prophet, priest, and king.

The Church is not in the hands of a few but is the work of all. Each has a special calling to work toward the common goal. This is the answer to the question of what does the church think about itself.  We are all walking the way of Christ together. We are the Church the body of Christ.

Forest Fires In the Artic

For many of us hearing about forest fires in the Amazon is a sad event but understood;  hearing  about forest fires in the Artic is shocking. We have had them regulary in the past but we are told this year it was an abnormal year. A member of the bishops' committee on ecology gives us some interesting things to remember.

The BBC reported that the North Pole this June  was the hottest on record with 100 wild fires since early June. The Arctic, is a thermostat  for the planet that maintains global homeostasis, (constant and stable environment) ruined by wildfires. Smoke from the fires fills the sky and the carbon dioxide emitted by the burning wood affects global warming. The amount of CO2 emitted during the month of June was more than the last nine years.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) estimates that the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the recent fire in the Arctic Circle is 50 megatons, equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide that Sweden emits during one year.
 
Going to the lungs of the earth, the Amazon, they are burning black. It is no exaggeration to say the fire on the other side of the earth, which has been burning for the fourth week, is destroying the earth. Amazon produces 20% of the earth's oxygen and is home to one-third of Earth's species. So the destruction here is a disaster that threatens everyone in the world.

The size of the Amazon is 55 times larger than that of Korea, and it has already burned an area 15 times the size of Seoul. Amazon's fire threatens human breathing. If the Amazon, devastated by fine dust day by day, disappears, the earth may encounter abnormal temperature changes and more frequent natural disasters.

According to the Brazilian National Space Research Institute, 73,000 fires broke out in the Amazon this year, an increase of about 84% over last year. Why is Amazon burning so much more than in the past? At present, the burning Amazon is regarded as a man-made disaster. Most of the causes of forest burning are due to corporate farmers pushing out rainforests and planting soybeans and raising cows, because the current government encourages development and neglects its destruction.

Companies and individual countries have begun to put pressure on Brazil, including withdrawing their investments or not importing their products. In addition, netizens around the world are campaigning on social media that the Amazon fire needs international attention. "To save the planet, we must show responsibility," "The Notre Dame Cathedral can be rebuilt  but the jungle can't." 

"Oceans contain the bulk of our planet’s water supply, and also most of the immense variety of living creatures, many of them are threatened for various reasons.
Creation is a project of love given by God to humanity.
Our solidarity with the “common home” is born from our faith. Let us pray this month that politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world’s seas and oceans." Pope Francis prayer intention for September.

Amen!

Looking for the Blessings of Old Age

"If only I was a little younger... ." A religious sister who is in charge of a center for spirituality begins her column in the Peace Weekly with this reflection.

Tomorrow  Korea celebrates Chuseok, the Autumn New Moon Festival one of the biggest holidays in South Korea. The family clans will gather, give thanks, remember the deceased, pray, chat and enjoy each other's company with a memorable meal that ties it all together. Many will remember the past and bring up their sadness and joys. The recent Typhon and great damage will be very much in the talk among families as will the the topic of death.
 
Sister remembers chatting with a friend and uttering the  statement wishing she were younger without much thought. Her friend who was listening quietly said loudly: "Right, I would be able to do much more if I were 10 years younger." And they both burst out laughing.

They both knew they were talking nonsense, saying things without meaning. With a tickling sensation in her throat: “Maybe we will be saying the same thing in ten years." Her friend's face suddenly expressed great sadness.

"The days, weeks and months change so quickly. It's too fast. Life is short? My mind is impatient. All goes around and continues to go around. One thinks they will be around forever but the time is limited and this brings sadness."

"What makes aging uncomfortable and sad? I imagined a lot of things would get better as I got older, but that is not what happens. I thought I'd be freer and more generous as I got older, but it is so different from what I hoped for? I thought I would get over worrying about the small things but that is not the case. I don't know why I am faced with so many uncomfortable thoughts."

Yes. As we grow older, many of us think that we will grow into nicer adults, know more, become wiser, more accepting and leave much behind. But is that what happens? As you get older, pretending seems to increase. Pretending to be okay, but it's not really. Even though they say "understand" to their juniors, they are pretentious... "I don't care about that," but they do care. We pretend and play it cool that age means little but that is also a lie. Getting old is scary.

One day the sister saw an older and a few years younger man, arguing. The older man said quietly: "That is not the way you speak to an elder." Then the younger of the two shouted loudly: "If you are an adult, you should act like an adult." The older person muttering to himself and pain showing on his face quickly disappeared. She concluded that both wanted to be recognized and accepted. This is the desire of the elderly and the reason in most cases for feeling uncomfortable and sad.

She reminds the elderly not to struggle to have others show respect for old age. Rather than spending time looking to see if the eyes of others are directed towards you, it would be better to spend time looking into your own heart. As you grow older, even if there is nothing that stands out it's a good idea to look at yourself. Looking into the good and not so good, but accepting yourself.  Taking things as they come with a peaceful heart is this not a great blessing? We can give thanks for accepting dissonance and limitations. Would it not be wonderful if we could thrill with excitement for the beautiful days ahead?

Local Values in Global Times

Nowadays, one easily knows what's happening in the global village. In the markets, you can find shampoos and groceries from multinationals in Africa, the Himalayan, you can buy handicrafts made by a tribe of the Amazon jungle in American shopping malls. In the Peace Weekly, a university professor gives the readers something to think about.

Targets for the multinational corporation, mostly from the developed countries, are the whole global village. The market is not only the wealthy countries with most consumers but underdeveloped countries with less economic growth and giving them simplified products, with less capacity and cheaper prices. As a result, it is necessary to understand the people's way of living and to make their products to fit the consumer's needs and values.

McDonald's, for example, changes their menus to meet the needs of the host country. In India, they use instead of beef, beans, and other vegetables. In Japan, burgers are made using teriyaki sauce. In China, in their stores, they use a lot of red and the color gold that Chinese people like. In the US, Coca-Cola's commercial is a white bear playing football, in South America, the soccer field is in the background and in China the panda.

Globalization is not only beneficial to large industrial companies. Local values and culture also spread to the rest of the world. Vietnamese food has emerged as a global food connecting Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican foods by word-of-mouth as healthy food for consumers in developed countries who were worried about obesity and adult diseases. Luwak coffee from Indonesia made in a very unappealing way and its scarcity is sold at high prices in developed countries. Increasingly people are going to the polar regions, jungles, and deserts exploring these far off places and experiencing indigenous life.

One thing to note here is the exchange of culture and values that occur in the process of exchanging people and goods. As with the flow of goods, the cultures and values of developed countries usually affect first the third world—their way of life, relationships, and standards of beauty, etc.

Universal values like human rights are now taken for granted in almost all countries. As individualism replaces collectivism, individual freedom and achievement emerge as more important values than group harmony and order. In Asia, Western traits such as white skin, small faces, big eyes, high noses, and long limbs are taken as a new standard of beauty, and the market produces many goods and services that sell this image.

Korea is not free from this influence. Many of the things we understand as natural trends may actually be things we are accustomed to without recognizing where they have come. Imagine a woman who enjoys coffee alone at Starbucks and a young woman who eats miso soup alone at a restaurant. This is still awkward but changing. Eating, drinking and traveling alone are gradually accepted as natural changes.

If so, what culture values are we informing the global community and how are we influencing that community? Are our local values arising in the global village as much as kimchi, healthy food, drama, and smartphone exports?

Obedience and Dependency in Life

What is meant by history? Is it the repetition of conflicts between humans? History begins in time and develops and spreads into space and is recorded— the continuation of challenges and responses, attachments and victories and confidence in the future. Is that the way we see history and the way we should see it? An article in Kyeongyang magazine by a psychiatry professor in the field of anthropology gives us his thoughts on the subject.

Dependency has a negative connotation. We speak of dependency on drugs on the internet etc. We have a gut feeling for freedom and dislike dependency. The word itself carries a lot of negativity and those who are dependent we feel have problems but is this the reality?

We are all dependent. What we eat, drink and wear have been made by others. When sick we go to a doctor, learn from teachers, children depend on their parents and married couples depend on each other during their lives together.

Our complicated structures of society and the variety of our cultures demands dependence. We talk and proclaim freedom and independence but no one is living that kind of life.

Humans appeared on earth about 6 million years ago, for hundreds of thousands of years lived together cooperating as equals. They learned from the previous generation, trades, and the wisdom to deal with their difficult environment. The tribes that hunted and gathered their food were able to live a relatively high living standard with equality among the members. There was little difference among the sexes, roles and functions were accorded to the sexes according to their experience and age but there was equality.

During the early stone age, there was no conflict of rank. No war between tribes. Conflict arises when something is lacking. When something was missing they would move to a different location, no reason to lose life in a war. About 10 thousand years ago in the new stone age, this changed. No need to go into the reasons but people began to live in smaller spaces and we have the appearance of classes, discrimination, divisions between those who had and those who didn't and the beginning of social standing from birth, determining the way life would be lived. Conflicts arose and trust in the group began to appear.

In the new stone, age population increased but life was impoverished and diseases increased: cholera, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, rubella, bubonic plague, and the like. Children born, half would die within the year and 40 percent of the adults would die in war. The harder the life the more conflict between the different groups.

People were dependent on one another but it became dangerous when this became extreme. When people use each other this is no longer innocent dependence and many problems arise. The word obedience has more positive aspects than dependency but in modern society, this is not readily seen. The opposite of obedience when it is successful often brings great material benefits to the person. In Christianity, obedience has great value but today it has a rather ambiguous response in society.

Psychologically dependency is when a person has the intention of getting help from another. When one does passively what another asks we call this the 'good child response'. When this is extreme we call this a dependent personality. One does not make his own decision but does what another wants. The only time he is active is when looking for someone to depend on.

Obedience is different. One is not looking for concern from another but has concern for the other. Since we have little knowledge of the future the wise thing to do is search for the wise person and listen and do what is suggested. This is what the Scriptures teach.

Following the wisdom of the ages and listening to advice and continually reflecting on life rather than the opposite, is healthy. Humans are always discerning what is gain and what is loss. To shut our eyes and ears and do what we are told is not wise.

Independence and freedom will come with obedience. After much thought, once you decide and believe what you do is correct this is obedience. What is precious is not achieved quickly. No matter how anxious one is about the autumn harvest, once you believe, wisdom requires you wait.

Accountablity and Common Good

In the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times, a sociology professor gives the readers his thoughts after seeing one of the most popular domestic movies of all time: The Admiral: Roaring Currents. 

The movie reveals the unyielding spirit of Admiral Yi Sun-shin against the Japanese in the Imjin war during the Joseon Dynasty (1592). Selfless devotion to one's country, and working for a cause bigger than self-interest, often expressed by presidents and politicians as our goal. However, in many cases, they have worked to maintain their vested interests. Consequently a country's need for accountability and working for the common good.

Accountability is a moral obligation explaining important issues raised in society. The Gwangju Democratization Movement in1980 and the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014 have taught us the value of accountability in our history. No innocent people should be sacrificed by immoral and irresponsible leaders.

A prominent sociologist Robert Bella says accountability is the test of a healthy society. The writer wants to look at the meaning of accountability at the different levels of society.

 First, individual moral accountability is an obligation that requires each citizen to live up to their moral conscience or religious truth. The question: Do you live up to your inner conscience? The answer is the foundation not only in your personal relationships but also in your healthy political participation as a citizen.

 Second, the accountability of the organization is an obligation to meet face-to-face, and be responsible for human rights issues, losses, and unfair decisions that arise within community. The organization's operations should be directed toward the good of all members. If the leader of the organization prioritizes personal tastes or personal interests and makes decisions that go against laws and common sense, the community becomes sick.

Third, public accountability is an obligation to provide explanations and countermeasures in a democracy where constitutional order is violated by abuse or misconduct of power, or when public safety and civil rights are seriously undermined. Public accountability is a top priority for public officials, lawyers, politicians, and journalists who must pursue the common good.

An individual's conscience and moral life is not only an intimate holy sanctuary known only to God but also influences the culture and practices of society. As Hannah Arendt pointed out, however, evil is always with us— the banality of evil— privileges, and shortcuts have been used without conscience as long as they have been in our society.

The principle of public accountability today no longer supports the "normality of evil"! On the other hand, the principle of accountability should not be reduced to a tool of struggle using all means to fight what one doesn't like.

History has developed through dialogue in the conflict between vested interests and those alienated in society. For Christians, this dialectic is not a materialistic interpretation of history but a pilgrimage that embodies justice and peace on earth in God's providence. Public officials and politicians must keep in mind that our society becomes healthier and more just when we lay down our vested interests and do our public accountability in the spirit of selfless devotion to the  country and it citizens.

Green Martyrs of the World

From time to time in novels or dramas, you meet characters as attractive as the main character. Such is the case with the parish priest of Torcy, in the French novel, Diary of a Country Priest (written by Georges Bernanos). In the Peace Column of the Peace Weekly the writer gives the readers his thoughts on the book.

Torcy's pastor is an old priest who tasted the bitters and sweets of life. The experiences of age and failure are embedded in the rough words thrown at a young priest who is appointed to a country church, the hero of the book. The insights he has on the younger priest are right on. The words he uses to encourage the weak hero's courage sound like words without feeling.

It was the older priests way of telling the younger one to not succumb to intellectual vanity but bear witness to the Word of God by an exemplary life. Priests are human beings. One can be puffed up with less than a handful of knowledge which can show in authoritative ways. Repetition of disappointment and failure without success results in resignation. When these feelings keep piling up, one falls into indolence. If you're idle, you're more at risk of succumbing to evil. "Every single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand" (Romans 7,21).
 
The older priest's advice is not to fall into this trap. In the meantime, he must stay awake. The young priest is convinced that the church is moving through times like an army marching through an unknown land without any munitions supplied. Marching troops are uneasy without knowing what danger is in front of them. It is no different than religion pushed to the periphery of society in these unfavorable times with little knowledge of the scale of future challenges.

The situation being such: "Grasp the red hot iron" these words are enticing. This is the advice to all Christians who value the  Word of God. The question is what kind of being do you have to be to grasp the iron? If you grab it with your hands, you're going to be burned. However, doing nothing is a lukewarm faith. Picking up the hot iron with thongs is a form of pragmatism.

The answer is fixed. The only way to grab it is with your bare hands. Courage and determination are needed.  It is not Christian to be consciously neutral given the many problems in society. Say “Yes” when it's “Yes” and "No" when it's "No".

If the church stays in the fort of comfort, corruption cannot be avoided. Evil is indeed evil. The purpose of evil is to destroy good? It's a naive idea. Evil regards it victory to "transform" good into evil. You must throw off your listlessness and begin to act. In this context, Pope Francis' words speak loudly: "I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and which then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures" (The Joy of the Gospel #49).
 
September is the liturgical month of the martyrs. The martyrs are those who grabbed the iron. We try to build a bridge between the past and the present. To witness the truth of the gospel in daily life, one drop of blood and one drop of sweat is the green martyrdom. (Green Martyrdom - Living the ascetic life in the place and position where God places one)

Reappraisal Of Godparents in Catholicism

In recent years looking at the yearly statistics coming from the Bishops' Conference of Korea we see the signs of serious problems within the church. The attendance continues to drop and we have the search for pastoral programs and alternative ways of giving life to the community.
 
A pastor writing in the Peace Weekly recommends to the church-at-large to look again at our tradition of Godparent and to strengthen the bond between the newly baptized and the Godparent. In Korea because of the relatively small number of Catholics they usually have one Godparent, the same sex as the person being baptized. The tradition served well its purpose to guide the newly baptized to spiritual maturity.
 
The reason for the reappraisal of the beautiful tradition within Catholicism is that at present it has become a formality and meaning lost. When this is done out of custom this leads to apathy and weakness of the community of faith and departures from the parish community.
 
Godparents have the responsibility and duty to care and guide their Godchildren on the road to spiritual maturity. They pray for their Godchildren, and to do this they need to grow closer to God and become channels of God's grace to their Godchildren. Nowadays, the whole system is losing its importance and the meaning turned into an empty custom.
 
The spontaneity to become a Godparent is disappearing. When qualified: those with a devout spiritual life, exemplary members of the community are asked to be Godparents often they respond with a shaking of the hand, and refuse. They have already too many to take care of or feel not fit for the job. Often the priests and sisters have to beg the Godparents to assume the task. The second problem at present is the connection between the Godparent and Godchild is weak and after baptism, they very quickly become separated. At the baptism, they were only formally present and lacked responsibility as Godparent. Often after baptism, they forget who the Godparent was. Eventually, the apathy and departure from the community are made easy without the mentoring of a Godparent.
 
Some Protestants have implemented a mentoring system to care for the new believers. They are spiritual guides and counselors to the new believers. This is very similar to the long tradition in Catholicism. Our great treasure has become a mere formality and its meaning lost.

The relationship is one in the Holy Spirit and should be lasting and have a positive impact on the Christian child's religious life. There are many ways to maintain the relationship between Godparents and Godchild. First by regular meetings, secondly be with them as they become catechumens and attend some of the classes. Thirdly, have events for the Godparents in the parish and remind them of their relationship with their Godchild. Fourthly, use their smartphones to connect with their Godchild and lastly attend Mass with the Godchild once a month.

 
He recommends programs for the Godparents to remind them of their relationship and need for prayer. He concludes the article with the example of St Paul the apostle and his spiritual son Timothy as a good model of what a Godfather should be.