The Korean Church and Cyberspace

There are a few difficulties for the foreigner living in Korea and one of the least trying is the inability to register on the internet when it is required. We all have a 13 digit registration number. When it is used to access Korean websites most of them do not accept the alien registration. The government keeps on saying this will change and it probably has changed but the websites have not.

Even if this is true Korea has a wonderful internet system. In my understanding they have the world's fastest internet connection speed which will be getting even faster. It is a pleasure to work with the internet in Korea and the after service is just exceptional. All one has to to do is call KT and within a few hours he is at the house and no charge.

The Catholic Church in Korea has a great technical tie up with all the other dioceses for exchange of data but they are not in the forefront of using the internet for communication within the diocese between the Christians and the Diocese.

The Suwon Diocese has taken a lead with the starting of an internet newspaper. It will facilitate the mutual communication of the Christians and the Diocese. Since they are limited by the funds they have: a lot of people involved are volunteering their time and know how. Congratulations are deserved. Hopefully this will be a priming of the pump for the other Dioceses to follow.

ONE PLUS ONE IS NOT ALWAYS TWO

This is “pumasi" time in Korea (품앗이). Life without it would be very difficult. This is a word that is used to signify exchanging labor. It is not easy to find laborers to work in the fields so the farmers lend their hands to others to be repaid in kind when asked. This is partnership where the results are easily seen.

In the district in which I live there are usually 6 families that group themselves to help and be helped during the busiest times of the farming season. That means that with the husband and wife it usually is 12 people. Here in our district they are presently getting ready the rice seedling beds.

When I first came to Korea I remember seeing 3 farmers with one shovel working together. The one in the middle would hold the shovel and you would have one man on the right and the other on his left with a rope that each held that was tied to the shovel handle. It was like a dance. The man in the middle would take the lead with the shovel moving it from the earth that he was digging and letting the dirt in the shovel fly off in the direction that he chose. The other two with a similar rhythm would go back and forth helping the man with the shovel. It seems that they could do more work doing it separately but it would not be as much fun.

The word synergism can teach us a lot. I have heard it over and over again that two horses, pulling in unison, can pull more than three times the amount that each horse can pull separately. You hear this

so often that there has to be some truth to what is being said. I would like it to be true also in our human society. This would revolutionize everything. I also believe this is the reason Our Lord sent his disciples out in twos. One plus one can be more than two.

It has been said that “the society we are living in has set the task of making it

unnecessary for one human being ever to ask anything of another in the course of going about his daily business” This is certainly not Christian nor very human either. Would it not be better to do nothing alone that could be done better with another? The Korean pumasi is a good lesson for us.

New Catholic Website "HERE AND NOW"

A group of Catholics in Korea have launched the first "independent" Catholic news "Here and Now" website.

It is an attempt to focus on the poor and socially underprivileged ; it desires to stress the justice of God. It wants communication between the Church and the World. They do not desire to just follow the ways of the world but do not want to ignore it either. The group wants to take the Second Vatican Council seriously and attain its ideals. The priests, religious and laypeople as equals in communicating will make for a stronger Church.

The group wants two way communication between the Church and the World and within the Church. The group says the Church must not be like other groups that just selfishly think of themselves and become like a big business. They feel that the Church must search for ways to heal itself and overcome laziness.

The head of the Korean bishops' Committee for Social Communication admitted that existing Church media mostly highlights the clergy. He hopes that the new website "would help the Church mature by addressing laypeople's voices in various ways"

It was reported that over 3500 visitors a week visited the website even before it was launched. May it be a blessing for the Church in Korea.

Message for the Day for Persons with Disabilities

On the occasion of the 29^th National Day for Persons with Disabilities, to be held on April 20, 2009, the Most Rev. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe, Episcopal Vicar for the Social Ministry of the Archdiocese of Seoul, issued a message with the theme of “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13,34).

In his message, Bishop Kim stressed that our neighbors with disabilities are same human beings with dignity and rights as I am. He said, “A person cannot be valued by the degree of his/her physical or mental disabilities, but by his/her human dignity.” Then he emphasized that we, human beings, are invaluable beings because we are loved by God.

Then he added, quoting the Encyclical of Pope John Paul II Laborem Exercens: “They too are fully human subjects with corresponding innate, sacred and inviolable rights, and, in spite of the limitations and sufferings affecting their bodies and faculties, they point up more clearly the dignity and greatness of man” (n. 22).

He concluded the message, saying, “I hope that this Day for Persons with Disabilities gives all the people in this land an opportunity to realize our Lord’s love for all of us with or without disabilities.”

"WHO? WHY? THIS EVIL DEED?"

There was an article in the Catholic Paper this week mentioning that the Catholic Church
in Jeon Jyu Diocese was defaced by graffiti. The Church is the Jeon Dong Church which was the oldest Romanesque Church built in the Honam district on the site where the first martyrs Yun Ji Chung (Paul) and Gwon Sang Yeon (Jacob) where martyred. This Church has been designated by the government as a place of historical interest.

In Korea it is rare to hear about the defacing of monuments or public places and Churches of any kind. I do not remember having ever heard of such a problem although there must have been situations where it has occurred. The article's big print had : "Who? Why? this Evil Deed?"

The understanding is that it was a deliberate act of at least 3 persons. It was done during the night and discovered in the morning by the Sisters of the parish. The writing was in three colors, blue, white and red. The words were ANTI CHRIST, PSEUDO and FUCK and similar words. There was also an upside down cross.

It is sad to see this type of defacement especially when it seems to be religiously motivated.

Conflict of Values

We are replacing presently an old fence behind the Church with a block foundation and a new fence. The property was surveyed. We are not claiming all the land that we own but trying to keep close to the line of the old fence. I thought this would be appreciated by our neighbors. Well, when the contractor started to work we had all the neighbors there complaining about the drainage. I thought that since we were so generous and were also interested in handling the drainage problem correctly all would be well. The contractor has his own views on what should be done. He was involved in the initial conflict and doesn't want a problem with the neighbors.

Even the Catholics and not only our neighbors are guided by the traditional Korean values. I am a Westerner with a more individualistic appreciation of my rights. The Korean Culture emphasizes group awareness, over my personal concerns. They are much more sensitive to the feelings of the others, and they on the whole do not like conflict.

These traditional Korean values seem to be more Christian than the values that I have been brought up with and consequently the conflict. I have decided to stay out of it for my own peace of mind but it is difficult.


We Need 3 Different Set of Eyes

This Korean e-mail was received yesterday in my e-mail and thought it worth sharing even though it is a poor translation.

First we need eyes to see ourselves. What do I want?
I need eyes to see truly what I need.

Secondly we need eyes to see the other.
To know what the other expects of me.
Not losing the core of what one is...to live in harmony with the other
is forming a healthy personal relationship.

Thirdly Eyes to see the world.
How is the world changing?
I need eyes to see what I can do for the world.
If the society that I am part of does not grow then my growth will be limited.
We need to see ourselves and others with the eyes of wisdom to discern the society to which we belong.
When we have these eyes we can cultivate our will and strengths to positively change the society to which we belong.
First see myself, see the other and then extend to seeing the whole of society.
It is then that our ideal and the real world begin to come into harmony.
The person with these 3 set of eyes will walk firmly in the real world: the head and heart in the direction of the ideal.

What the Business World Want?

All of us who work in Korea know how strong the desire for education is on the part of parents.
I can recall when the family would raise a bull for the future education of the child. The times have changed but the sacrifice made on the part of the parents for the child is as strong as ever.
They strive to send them to the best schools and take the means to do this. The cost at times is very high.

Over the years the Country has made some big changes in their education policy. Many thought that the system was too rigid and the system did not produce flexible, creative people with the human touch. This has improved a great deal. However, I was surprised to see an article in the Chosun Ilbo ( 3/30/2009) that had many in the the business world saying that the students come out of college standardized . They were all too similar according to one manager. Another mentioned that a person loses his individuality. Another mentioned that they have the language ability and the technical expertise but they lack the creativity for the job. The statement that surprised me the most was a personnel manager who said that companies are looking for candidates who do not just have high scores on the Toeic and generally high marks in their studies but "they are looking first for people who can sacrifice for others but they are difficult to find."

Even if this was a statement of a very rare type of personnel manager it was rather surprising to see. It is a good sign that our Korean world of business is still influenced by the traits that we have come to see as important for a good life. And there are those who are not embarrassed to make it known publicly.