"Dialogue the Soul of the World"

An article on the opinion page of the Catholic Times by a university professor dreams of a world where dialogue was its soul.

Dialogue, is probably a key word to express the lives and activities of local churches in Korea and around the world. And at the end of next year's synod of local churches and the World Bishops Synod, we may be asking—feeling "the silence after the feast"— 'Is this the end of the conversation?' 'Now we just have to wait for the result to come down from the top?'

Is that really the situation? The conversation the professor experienced was actually not just a process of gathering opinions, but a  church beginning to live the life of Sinodalitas. Isn't dialogue a way of life that we should continue into the future in each local church and church community to which we belong?

In his opening speech of the second session of the Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI called the council's goal "the self-awareness of the church, the reform of the church, the unity of all Christians, and dialogue with the church and the modern world." The conversation was the basis of the topics covered by the Council and their activities. In dealing with the relationship of church members, the relationship with non-Catholic Christians, and the relationship with the church and the world, the teachings of the Council were established within a two-way perspective, not one-way.

 

While declaring the unique roles of priests, laymen, and religious, it was understood in their relationships with others and the world. In addition, the Council literature was formed in the process of free, intense, and orderly dialogue. Dialogue of the church is a way of life and its activities that the Second Vatican Council has vigorously proposed.
 

What is important to us living in the post-Vatican II era is the  spirit of Sinodalitas— how to talk 'well'. It is not easy to talk 'well' to people  familiar with traditional Korean culture. This is not about the 'skills' of conversation. Of course, technology is helpful, but more fundamental changes in outlook are needed to become a 'true' dialogue (conversation). Perhaps Pope Francis' suggestion in Joy of Love will help.
 

"Develop the habit of giving real importance to the other person. This means appreciating them and recognizing their right to exist, to think as they do and to be happy. Never downplay what they say or think, even if you need to express your own point of view. Everyone has something to contribute, because they have their life experiences, they look at things from a different standpoint and they have their own concerns, abilities and insights." (#138)
 

Keep an open mind. Don’t get bogged down in your own limited ideas and opinions, but be prepared to change or expand them. The combination of two different ways of thinking can lead to a synthesis that enriches both.(#139)

 

No one has a 'perfect' grasp of the world's affairs, or a 'perfect' solution. The word 'absolute' is reserved for  God. We talk and move forward together with our strengths and weaknesses, and when we do this, we can do things together that we cannot do alone. Don't people in the world  use the word 'synergy effect' derived from the Greek word "working-together"? Wouldn't our synergy as Christians be greater and more noble than that? The Holy Spirit is always leading us to a new future.