We are witnessing a huge change in an era. It is difficult to predict where the development of artificial intelligence and life science technology will take our lives, or where changes in the Earth's ecology caused by climate change will push us. Meaning, values, and communal ideals no longer work in an economy-centered capitalist social system. It feels like our future is moving in a dehumanizing direction. What will we do in this era of great transition?
There is a need for a general reexamination of the way we have lived so far and the operating system that makes the world work. Bruno Latour diagnoses the greatest threat as a "lack of adequate preparation for the coming civilization." Latour suggests that we create hypotheses about the future and design new modes of existence and operating systems. He calls the act of seeking and exploring specific ways of implementation through negotiation 'diplomacy'.
A person of faith is a person who lives an awake life now, waiting for the Lord's second coming. A Christian is a person who lives a life of Advent, a life of waiting and preparing for his coming. Christians, by their very nature, are always prospective human beings. It is often misunderstood that religion focuses on the past, that is, tradition and history. However, "religion has been both retrospective and prospective from the very beginning."
Christianity is rooted in sacred tradition, but at the same time, it has always sought eschatological completion. It is a time when everything is shaking. "We will no longer be able to liberate ourselves in the way we functioned in the past. It is a completely new situation." (Bruno Latour)
Today’s world urgently requires vision and prospects for the future rather than fidelity to tradition and history. It's a difficult road. "The past and present can theoretically be measured, but the future cannot be measured. "The past is causally intertwined with the present, but the future is not." However, to prevent catastrophe and explore possibilities, we must re-adjust the way we think, act, and live according to the outlook for the future. And we have to change it.
Today, everyone talks about the crisis of the church and faith. It is increasingly difficult to find youth and younger generations in the church. However, this does not mean that new methods for the elderly generation are being found and implemented. The way faith is lived, the way pastoral care is realized, and the operating system of the church still follow the existing ones. There are church members who are working hard toward change and renewal, but the overall trend of the church feels like they are just watching helplessly. Although the outlook is grim, there are also glimmers of hope.
He mentions several examples of life within the Korean Church. They were minor traces of faith, but to him they seemed like proof that the desire for faith exists in every corner of the world. People still want faith and community (church). It's just that today's church is not fulfilling that wish and nurturing it. A new way of believing and a new church operating system are required.
There is a need for fundamental reflection and renewal of the existing way of religious life and the existing church operating system. Some people argue that the crisis can be overcome through a return to tradition. It may be a solution, but it is not a fundamental solution. Starting from the present, the past and future are always connected. However, in an era of massive paradigm shifts, what is more needed is an outlook toward the future and reflection on the present rather than nostalgia for the past.
Forecasting the future does not simply mean making a fuss about predictions and inferences. It may be uncertain, but it means reflecting on the here and now and preparing for the future through future vision and prospects. This does not mean living a life of anxiety and confusion, but believing in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and living a life of wakefulness and preparation here and now.
We need a new way of living. Not just critical reflection on the present, but unable to come up with concrete alternatives. How can changes in the way we live our faith and renewal of the system that operates the church be realized? A political revolution that seeks changes in structures and systems, a cultural revolution that promotes changes in thinking and behavior, what is more suitable for change and renewal in the church?
The way we live and our operating system are closely connected. Synodalitas aims for both changes in the way faith is lived and changes in the church's operating system. Proposing an alternative does not mean proposing a specific program. There is no groundbreaking program that solves everything at once.
The Christian revolution is a revolution in daily life through changes in beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles. A true revolution must be premised on a change in perception, new imagination, and a change in lifestyle and attitude. Of course, ideas, culture, laws, and institutions influence each other. However, the general sequence is that changes in thinking and perception lead to changes in culture, which then lead to changes in laws and institutions. The church has a strong tendency to pursue change and renewal through education and culture rather than political revolution. Culture means a way of living in a broad sense. Faith must also become culture.
Believers must achieve a “courageous cultural revolution” in this turbid world (Laudato Si, paragraph 114). Fundamental change begins with dialogue, asking new questions, and sharing honest thoughts and reflections. A conversation is not a debate. This is not a fight for logical superiority. It is an act of seeking personal change through sharing honest words. Conversation is not aimed at change in others, but rather at change in oneself. Synodalitas begins with listening and dialogue. Let’s allow a culture of dialogue where honest words are shared and flourish within the church. A revolution in faith begins through honest dialogue, not struggle.
Let us form a new culture of faith. Let’s create a unique culture of faith, even if it’s only with a few people. Let’s find a new language and a new way of acting rather than the given language and existing way of acting. Let us reframe the questions ourselves. Let's create a culture of life that focuses on the breadth, and depth of faith and spirituality rather than power, status, accomplishments, and achievements. Let’s create a culture of discovering and loving the 'saints next door' who provide religious inspiration rather than those in power and imaginary beings. The revolution in faith is achieved through education (study) and culture (way of life). There is an urgent need for an overall review and reconstruction of the church's religious education and religious culture.
