Learning to Live with Diversity

In the Salt Jar section   of the Bible & Life magazine, the writer reminds us of the mystery of community life. In religious life, members do not choose who they will live with; their companions are selected for them. What joins them together is their commitment to imitate the life of Christ and, following his teachings, to grow spiritually into a vibrant community with all its diversity. They follow the evangelical counsels and become enraptured with the desire for unity in the Lord.

This ideal is not always achieved, the writer reminds us. There is the stress of dealing with each other's failings. And the failure to sublimate our differences brings immature behavior. In minor manners this can be overcome; in serious matters this will work against the attainment of the goals of the spiritual life that the members want to achieve.

A Korean religious sister mentioned an incident she found instructive while living with a community of nuns in Switzerland. Sister A of the community returned from a walk and  put a flower in front of the statue of the Blessed Mother.  Admiring the flower the Korean sister standing  before the statue was approached by sister A  and asked: "Beautiful is it not?" She tells the Korean sister she was so impressed with the flower, she regretted that she was the only one  to see it and  took one of the  flowers from the field and placed it before the statue for all to see.

Shortly after, sister B came by and reprimanded sister A for cutting the flower and preventing others from seeing the beauty of the flower in  its original environment. This brought other sisters to the statue and they began quibbling over what had been done. The Korean sister, half laughing and embarrassed, left and began to reflect on our differences.

Because of these differences, we often have conflict and misunderstandings. She reminds us that differences are not always errors or mistakes. There are different ways to climb a mountain, and notes that though in the Korea of the past there was only one brand of coffee, today there are many different types to choose from. We also have the Synoptic Gospels which present the same Jesus seen by three different sets of eyes, which enable us to get closer to him.

In many of our big meetings and chapters of  religious organizations, it is not rare to have a facilitator, a member not of the community, invited to help the organization or group to work more effectively. They do not take sides but work to help the group accomplish what they want to do.They are servants to the community to help the group work through some of the areas of conflict, resolving the differences by coming to a mutual understanding that will enable the group to reach their goal.

With the many different personalities and theologies, the cultural influences, and our personal failings, to come  to some understanding of what we are to be as Church is far from easy. The facilitator is just one way to help us work within the Church to be more open to Jesus and his call to mission.

Laity of the Korean Catholic Church

The Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Korea has recently made known its white paper after 40 years of growth. The sleeping giant within the Church has reflected on its work over the past years and sees where it stands today within the Church. Both Catholic papers had articles and editorials mentioning that the Lay Apostolate Council is not content with the results they have achieved  and will continue to work for a greater  role within the Church.

They will build on the foundations laid down during the past 40 years. They acknowledged that at times  they have acted in a similar way to  clericalism, and  fallen away from a legitimate role of the laity into what could be called 'laity-ism,' which has brought them into an unnecessary conflict with the teaching authority of the Church.

The Apostolate Council has also not been relating well with the different lay groups within the Church.Mentioned was the lack of a systematic pattern of programs, instead of  attention being directed to taking care of emergencies. Evangelization has not been concerned with the direction of society or following the lead of the president of the Lay Council. They have been weak in both welfare programs and evangelization and, because of a lack of capability, have been slow to work in the international arena and in reconciliation with the North.

Listed are a number of areas on which they intend to expend more effort in the years ahead.

First: They will  become familiar with the social teaching of the Church and work for justice--an important point of departure. In  the political field,  finances, society,  life issues, environment, and so forth, they will work for the common good, and sound a warning bell when necessary.

Second: They will endeavor to strengthen the educational programs for lay people in order to generate more expertise and capability.

Third: They will be more selective in assigning work to the laity. In the past, it was difficult to differentiate between the work of priests, religious and laity. They will work to understand subsidiarity and solidarity in the work of the Church. And the laity are not only to serve the clergy and religious but to have their own area of expertise and activity. Stressed throughout the white paper was the importance of evangelization.

Fourth: the place of the laity in work for the weak and poor in society: in coop programs,  helping the unemployed, and  in  welfare programs etc..

Fifth: Work for the reunification of the country,  help in programs of relief  for the North and  prepare for the day when they are  able to help in the evangelization in the North.

Lastly: To make the infrastructure of the Lay Apostolate Council able to take upon itself this work in the future, it  will be necessary to strengthen the bonds with the different diocesan pastoral groups, and setting up a  'think tank' to help guide the work of the Council.









                                                         

The 386 Generation of Korea

Born in the 60s they are called the 386 generation (named after the PC model of that time). In the 1980s they were of college age and active in the democracy movement of the 80s. They are now the elite of our society. They were brought up not experiencing the poverty of their parents, but they did experience the financially difficult times when the country received funds from the International Monetary Fund. They saw that the societal safety net was not in place, which helped move the generation to the right.

Writing in the opinion column of the Catholic Times a priest calls them the smart generation, having grown up in the digital world we live in today.  They were prominent in backing the politically independent mayor of Seoul last year. The priest wonders if they are not again coming to center stage.

The priest in his experience with this generation sees them concerned for the future. They are realistic. They come  quickly to terms with the new and at the same time inwardly feel uncomfortable about the future. There are those that say they will be the last generation to live with their parents and the first to be left behind by their children. They will be the bridge between the young and the older generation.

Our columnist feels that the way this 40-plus generation works at bridge-building between the generations will make a difference in the future. The problems pending are becoming more acute and diversified. He has no way of knowing the future but would like the Church to start communicating with this generation.

To speak to this generation it will be necessary, he says, for the Church to change both the content of its message and its current methods of communicating. This generation has already been instrumental in changing society so any attempt at one way  authoritative communication will meet with rejection, and make the transmitting of the Gospel message difficult. Engaging in a more open dialogue, he feels, will bring a sympathetic response.

What they want, he says, is genuineness, understanding and hope. They want more Christians gathering to discuss the Gospels, to pray and be a part of devotional groups, natural and spontaneous groups that can feed their desire for a better future, for them and for the country.

If the members of this young and influential generation, especially those showing leadership qualities  are able to grow spiritually in the varied  communities of the Church, he has no doubt that they will play a key role as bridge builders, and be a valuable resource for a healthy Church and society.  
  

The Joy of Life

A columnist for the Catholic Times wonders where is  his standard of judgement. How much does his Catholic belief affect his life? He suspects that the values of the world have an inordinate influence on his life: the desire for peace and security.

He reviews the many different ways we wish each other well. We often say: good health to you, become rich, meet a great partner and marry, hope you get a good job soon, study hard and get the school you want, and so on.

Shouldn't we as Christians, he asks, have a different set of greetings? Shouldn't we be saying: Follow God's will, be faithful in your life of faith, I will pray for you, be true to the Scriptures, I will pray that you be filled with grace and  peace, and so on. 

Most of our worries and troubles come, the columnist says, from our judging according to a worldly value system, from not seeing from a Godly viewpoint but seeing from our own self-interest and personal desires. This is true even though we believe that everything moves according to God's providence. Many fail to turn their worries and problems over to God but work as if everything depends on them, becoming lost and facing life with difficulty.  It is when one turns everything over to God that peace and joy can come into our life.

As a baby grows daily we also in our faith life should grow in maturity in a healthy way. In the same way as we expend our efforts and passions  on our dreams and hopes, shouldn't we, as believers, be expending the same kind of effort in having a mature faith life?

Our earthly life is short, the columnist reminds us, and it will soon disappear. As a believer we have values that go beyond this life; shouldn't they also deserve our efforts and passion? This transitory life, he points out, can be faced in many ways. The hedonist says "since I will die, I will eat drink and be merry." The nihilist says "life is empty," and the existentialist says "life has no substance and our plans are useless." The columnist asks what is the proper disposition of a person of faith facing an unknown future?  Human confidence on our continual health and possessions can lead to pride: We don't need God; we can do it alone. For the Christian, this is not one of our options. We want to live doing the will of  God.

When we look at our faith life, we can see many reasons for thanks. This gives us joy; we have maturity and a grace-filled life. This joy results not from giving thanks for the joy of life, but rather it is the thanks that gives joy to life. When I can truly give thanks for what I have received, then joy will enter my life and the desire to respond joyfully will be there.

Many Faces of Poverty

'Rich with assets and yet poor.' In the past this assertion would be difficult to comprehend, but it's no longer the case. The concepts of rich and poor have become more abstract and confused.  Our complicated financial arrangements  and present realities have led to a confused understanding of the words.

We have those in society who have a house but are called 'house poor.'  Their house is often an obstacle in receiving financial help; despite the house, which is often a financial burden, they may need more help to live well but are  prevented from receiving this help because of the house they have. And then there are the 'retired poor' who have to take care of the education of their children and are not able to prepare for their own retirement, thus becoming the 'living poor.'

We also have the 'job poor' who in order to find a job spend a great deal of money getting  accreditation, preparing for exams for different licenses, and acquiring the qualifications for landing a skilled job; it's a serious problem in our society.

The 'baby poor' are those who have difficulty in raising their children. This poverty will also affect the next generation. This is the poverty that young couples face in our society. And there are the 'working poor' that the Free Trade Act helps to exacerbate. They are working but faced with a diminished income. The young, especially, have to work for lower wages.

The many faces of poverty today are seen everywhere, and the word 'poverty' itself is losing the meaning it once had.  

Compared to this secular meaning of the word, the Church tells us of a spiritual poverty, which can be understood in two ways:  God is the owner of all we possess. We are only stewards, managers, of the abundance we enjoy. The second meaning is to use what we have wisely, sharing with others. To use what we have only for ourselves, not seeing what is happening around us, is to misuse, the bishop says, what has been given.

Writing in the Catholic Times, he presents us with these many faces of poverty, and asks, which one are we wearing? What kind of poverty am I living?

In Search of our Dream

In Korea like many other countries the daily papers have horoscopes that are a must-see for many. The four pillars: year, month, day, and hour of birth are the foundations for the zodiacal house that determines, it is said, our future.
 
In the mission station bulletin, the writer tells his readers that the pillars do not make a house. There are many other parts that are necessary to have a house to live in. The future is not determined by one of the parts, he stresses, but by the efforts we make in life to prepare for the future.

Whether the four pillars say something good or bad, it is of little importance. It is all in the eyes of the beholder, he says, and the attitude one has in seeing life.

We can't retrieve what has passed. We can't practice for the future but we can prepare for it. We should not live like the mayfly that has no understanding of the morrow or the cicada that doesn't understand what will occur next year.

Jesus gave us an example of what it means to live by following his way. The writer, using the words of an ancient Chinese philosopher to corroborate the teachings of Jesus, outlines ten ways to live without regret.
 
1) If we don't respect our parents after they are dead, we will have regret. 

2) If we are not kind to our relations when near them, when separated we will have regret. 

3) If we don't learn when we are young, when old we will have regret.

4) If we don't think of failure when all is going well, we will have regret.

5) If we don't save when we can, when poor we will have regret. 

6) If we don't plant in the spring, in the fall, we will have regret.    

7) If we don't fix the lock on the front gate, when the thief comes we will have regret.  

8) If we don't take care of the body when healthy, when sick we will have regret.   

  
9) When we drink to excess and say something stupid, when sober we will have regret.

10) If we  are not hospitable to guests, when they leave we will have regret

Water that doesn't flow putrefies, air that doesn't circulate suffocates; there is no aroma from an old tree and dry earth doesn't produce flowers. We are more concerned for today than yesterday, and for tomorrow than today. The thoughts of most  are not in the here and now but on dreaming a new and better tomorrow. What is my situation  today? My fate is not determined by the stars nor determined, as some would have us believe, by our genes. Where should we turn, the writer asks, to realize our dream? We should turn to God  and  go in search of the  dream.                                                                           

Is it the Head or the Heart?

On the opinion page of the Catholic Times, the columnist recounts a meeting with his son, a diocesan priest, and his  wife's brother who is a religious brother. They met at his house and were discussing the spiritual life. The columnist decided to be the 'dignified on-looker," but that was not to be the case.

Since he had made the 30-day Ignatian Retreat, he joined the conversation by saying that during the exercises he had a new appreciation of the power of the imagination in reflecting on the activities of our Lord. The religious brother did not accept the columnist's idea that the imagination could serve as an approach to God. He didn't pay attention to what the brother was saying and maintained his contrary opinion.

The columnist acknowledged the difficulty they both had in accepting each other's opinion.  Since the columnist was a poet, refuting the power of the imagination seemed an impossibility, while yet understanding the brother's difficulty.  He explained briefly what he meant by using Catholic philosophy and Jacques Maritain as support for his opinion.

The brother said that the only way we can approach God is by intuition. Because the columnist got involved in an exchange of  pros and cons, it made for an awkward situation. The meeting with his son the priest, and his wife's brother, ended on this note, and they left.  Without  any decision, the curtain came down on this particular event. This is life.  Most of  life goes on without many of us agreeing to most things, except, perhaps, agreeing to disagree.

The priest later gave his father an understanding of what happened that evening. The mainstream of Catholic thinking goes along with Thomas Aquinas and St. Ignatius of Loyola. They both acknowledge the intellect and the imagination but the Franciscan school: St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, St. John of the Cross, and others, see the way to God by the intuition and distrust the other ways. This  made the relationship with the Church a delicate one.

 
When the columnist later went to a restaurant and ordered a blow fish, he saw the discussion in a different light. The blow fish, he says, as we all know, has a poison that can kill, but once controlled the fish is a delicacy.  There are  those who stay  away from the fish because of the dire possibilities; they want to play safe.

The way of the imagination is a place of splendor but can be the devil's playground when indulged in to the point of aestheticism. Writers such as Baudelaire, Edgar Allan Poe, and Oscar Wilde would be of this school.  Just hearing the names of these geniuses we know what is meant. Like the blow fish, poison is lurking in their writings.

...Yes, not to eat the blow fish is the safest way but, the columnist tells us, he is accustomed to its taste.