We are enjoying material abundance compared to the past, but the deepening economic polarization and the appearance of young people without hope is not a good sign. We don't hear a lot about the climate crisis, but the fact is confirmed with the changes little by little in daily life. Everything is returning to the center of the metropolitan area, and the provinces are growing weaker.
He sees more older people than younger people, signs for Convalescent Hospitals often. An aging population and a marked decline in the birth rate leave him with some dark feelings. People are becoming selfish and the phenomenon of tribalism that seeks the interests of a minority keeps optimistic prospects for the future impossible. The trend of the world to value individual emotions and desires leads to a lack of solidarity and community. Others are merely competitors or objects of dislike.
Everywhere he looks, he sees only a gloomy landscape. The voices on the crisis of democracy are growing louder. Although the change of political power through democratic elections is frequent, the lives of the poor do not improve. We witness the sad truth that the world still revolves around people with power and money. News produced through the media is always sensitive to trends in power and money. The voices of the pain and suffering of the weak are still hidden. Even in the church press, we see only sympathy for high-ranking clergy and articles of people with political, economic, and cultural power. The stories of ordinary citizens and ordinary believers are only occasionally used in stories about helping the weak.
Normalization of education, formation of public discourse, the establishment of alternative culture—
People's consciousness and culture are formed in schools, religions, the media, and popular culture. But today all of these places don't look very healthy. In schools, churches, temples, the media, and public forums where public communication takes place, it seems that community values and culture are not being transmitted properly. Change and maturity of citizens are achieved through education, religion, and the media. Change and renewal of areas where the cultural foundation of society is formed are urgently required.
True education cannot be achieved through one-sided teaching, direction, and discipline. True education is achieved through empathy and acknowledgment, through dialogue. Learning together is education. As long as success and career-oriented education are the goals, change and renewal in the world are far away. There is a need for fundamental reflection and renewal on the purpose of education, as well as the method and attitude of education.
A healthy society is a society in which good public discourse is formed and flows naturally. Some public discourse must be formed that contains true values and spirit beyond rules and norms. Discourses about right values and life must be spoken in public and placed in people's minds. Unseen public discourse can act as a message to guide people. For example, the formation of public discourse about solidarity and caring can bring people closer together and arouse interest in and friendship with others.
We live in a culture. People create a culture and are formed in culture. Healthy values and spirit should not only remain at the level of public discourse but also spread at the cultural level. Social change and renewal depend on the construction of an alternative culture that embraces a new spirit.
The renewal of the education system, the formation of a healthy public discourse, and the establishment of a new alternative culture ensure change and renewal of the community. It is the same with the life of Jesus. Jesus was a true teacher, a prophetic proclaimer of public discourse, and a pioneer in establishing a new way of life and culture.
