Crisis Can Bring Change

The writer of the column on reconciliation and unification in the Catholic Times mentions a time when in high school, on a cold wintry day, she was going to an after-school academy for study. She was wearing a jacket and hat. As she exited the subway station, a young man coming from the opposite direction, their eyes met, as he passed, he quickly grabbed one of her breasts. She was confused not knowing what to do: call the police, yell —attempting to put it all together—she gazed in the direction of the young man and he gave an ugly smile, turned around and disappeared.
 
This was an incident in her life. How do we cope and overcome the problems that arise? Here was a case of shame added to unbecomming moral behavior. She seriously thought whether she could continue to live as if nothing really happened. For some time she began to realize it was terrible. Did he realize what he did was not just a mischievous little trick but could seriously leave scars for life?
 
The #Me Too movement is in full swing. If you asked any Korean woman and include serious assaults along with minor sexual harassments the containers would overflow. If we look closely we pass over much of what has happened, much has been covered over, secretly cultivated and defined as minor.
 
The church was no exception. We look towards the church when in difficulty. We have great faith in the church and when we see it break down the believers and the devout workers feel great pain and sorrow in their hearts. The efforts to remove the offenders remains but the way the Korean Church responds to the crisis will influence the believers and non-believers and give hope for the future.
 
God often permits the darkness in our lives and we are faced with pain and humility. We again go in search of God. The most dangerous moments become an opportunity for great change.
 
Recently we have seen the corruption in the government of our leaders and the errors of respected people in all levels of society. Which enabled us to see the values and basic morals that have been ignored and abused.

The Republic of Korea at this point is full of opportunities. Only when the crisis reached its peak between the North and South did we see the opportunity for dialogue for the first time since the rule of Kim Jong-eun.
 
The weak and oppressed who hid in silence lifted their heads one by one enabling others to come forward and prepare for change. She concludes the article with a prayer that during this Lent the church which is on the side of the marginalized and poor will look forward to the resurrection of Jesus and the new life of the church, the Korean peninsula and all of us.