Korea after a hectic political campaign selected their new president. Many words were uttered. Each house received the campaign promises of each candidate. Catholic Times' columnist in View from the Ark tells his readers he didn't bother to read any of them for him they lack sincerity as did the TV debates.
Citizens see them as incompetent preachers, little tipsy drinking elders, school children. It's a feast of words, like a banquet where much is eaten and the stomach full. In the TV debates, all that the writer remembers are a lot of grave words but lack of policies.
He remembers hearing a news bulletin on the radio which mentioned that President Trump had within his first 100 days made 488 false or misleading statements, the only days without them were the days on the golf course. He will end his term as a Pinocchio-like president says many of his detractors, the standard for others in elections.
Those that feel that politics needs a strong man will accept the bluster and the acts of a man like Trump. They will tolerate irregularities, vices, and corruption because of the desires they place in the strong person. This we have seen in the drive for material prosperity in recent governments.
Those who show off their strength are considered capable populists. Although the word derives from the word people, in fact, they have little concern for the feelings of the people but only on strength.
During the campaign they kowtow to the voters but once elected they have little concern for the vision of the citizens but only their own.
Politicians who incite the public and show an interest in what the citizens' think is limited to the election season. There is no consideration or vision for others. They do not have the empathy of the Samaritan when they see the sick person lying on the roadside. The uncomfortable body sensation that I feel when I see someone who is hurt is a gift. On Easter Sunday Christians gathered to remember Jesus' death but were also reminded of the Sewol Ferry tragedy. But for self-centered populists, that uncomfortable gift was not received.
"Small people" in the Christian tradition are God's poor. When the world is morally blind and unjust, people can not look elsewhere except to God. They are the ones who can not protect themselves and help themselves, the only thing left is the cry to God.
Jesus lived a thoroughly popular life. Jesus was a thorough populist who saw God's kingdom among the people and proclaimed the kingdom of God. The hope of Christianity was always on people from the beginning.
A new president was elected in Korea. He expects the new president to be sympathetic and uncomfortable with the pain of the citizens. Because of the inconvenience of the president, all public action for justice and freedom can begin.
Korea's work days are the longest compared to other countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). An article in the Catholic Times visits the topic of leisure as a time to be renewed. It mentions a woman, working in a department store, who has only one Monday off a month.
With the economic development of the country, the importance of leisure has come to the fore. The nation has also taken an interest in rest and leisure for the citizens. In May of 2015, a law was promulgated to find a balance between work and leisure and show the importance of leisure in the life of the citizens, guaranteed by law.
In a word, the nation is telling the citizens to rest. Citizens have a right to leisure and they have made this the policy of the country. With a proper balance between work and rest, we have better working situations. Without rest work suffers.
Rest and its place in Catholic teaching begins with God's rest on the seventh day of Creation. It is part of our makeup as human beings needing to alternate between periods of work and rest. Jesus finds time to rest with his apostles in the Scriptures.
"Rest is something 'sacred' because it is man's way of withdrawing from the sometimes excessively demanding cycle of earthly tasks in order to renew his awareness that everything is the work of God. There is a risk that the prodigious power over creation which God gives to man can lead him to forget that God is the Creator upon whom everything depends" Encyclical, Dies Domini (St. John Paul II #65).
A spokesperson for the Bishops of Korea has mentioned that a precondition for leisure is not receiving leisure for the sake of leisure. Often leisure is a reason for more stress, another occasion to do more work.
Leisure is a time to grow as a person and discover who they are and this requires harmony in oneself. It's a time to look over our way of living not only to recharge ourselves but to examine the way we have lived our lives.
"Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life", Catholic Catechism (# 2186).
Among the 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), South Korea ranked 27th, unchanged in its perception of corruption. A college professor writing in a diocesan bulletin gives the readers an example of a country with a higher corruption index and what the private sector is doing to help overcome the problem.
Low levels of happiness and satisfaction invites corruption.Transparency International is an organization that tracks the victims and witnesses of corruption and makes their results known to the world. They work to stop the abuse of power, bribery and business irregularities. They want a world free from corruption. This organization compares a country with the rest of the world and not only with the 34 members as does the OECD. In this ranking Mexico ranks 123 out of 176 countries. Korea is 52 out of 176.
Each country in its own way attempts to overcome the corruption within the country with a variety of results. Our professor gives us an example of a private entrepreneur who has tried a rather novel way of conscientizing the citizens.
There are many sightseeing tours but Mexico has a corruption tour and for the present, according to the professor it may be unique. Usually, tours go to beautiful spots or historical landmarks where the sightseers admire with open mouth amazement what is before them. However, in Mexico, these tours are to 10 places of irregularities and corruption. During the trip, they discuss and make plans to bring about change.
One of the favorite spots is the gorgeous house of the president which is said to be built with the bribes received. When something is done repeatedly over time it becomes the ordinary way of acting. Mexicans are not surprised at the corruption and don't get angry. They have become accustomed to the evil.
Obviously, this is not going to change what has been done and is being done but it's an effort on the part of citizens to bring change. It is a beginning to change the way corruption is seen.
Korea is somewhat better than Mexico in the perception of corruption and the professor hopes the election results will see a change in the way government is done.
Ora et Labora is the motto of the Benedictine Order. To pray is the first work of the order, Opus Dei--God's work. Nothing is more important in the Rule of St. Benedict.
Why is prayer called work? A Benedictine priest in his article in the Kyeongyang magazine tells the readers when you are called seven times during the day to pray, you can call it work. Sometimes you go without emotion as you go to the workplace, often in a trance.
Life of a monk according to the rule of St. Benedict is prayer, work, and study. Those who enter the monastery at times find work difficult and find ways to avoid it. When they are not the subject of the work they do it as slaves and without joy. The Benedictine Monastery to which the writer belongs has a large tract of land set aside as a pear orchard and the work is difficult.
Work always gives way to prayer. When the work is difficult and takes too much time prayer is given the place of honor even if it means less income, the expenditures are decreased. In #48 of the rule: "Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading" (1). "When they live by the labor of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did, then they are really monks" (8).
"If anyone is so remiss and indolent that he is unwilling or unable to study or to read, he is to be given some work in order that he may not be idle" (23). Brothers who are sick or weak should be given a type of work or craft that will keep them busy without overwhelming them or drive them away" (24). All this is to help in the search for God, (Quaerere Deum).
Prayer and work are a cause of grumbling at times. Too little is as bad as too much. The monks last year attended the demonstrations in Seoul, monks who only knew prayer and work. The monastery life did suffer but they were all united in wanting the president impeached. Why are the monks joining the demonstration? Isn't that going a little bit too far? The writer does see the reason for the surprise but thinks it was a good thing to have the monks leave the monastery for the occasion.
Since the monks have only been concerned with the prophetic calling in a conceptual way they have now experienced it on the front lines. The results were that the bond to the community became stronger, work and prayer also improved. They have also attended a festival where they were involved in fishing which was thoroughly enjoyed. They cooked and ate the raw fish with a glass of Korean vodka. The era of prayer and work has passed and we have prayer and play.
When the monks joined the demonstrations there were those who saw them as followers of the North, leftist and now the writer says those in the future will come and say monks are to work and pray why are they playing? We are a family who in God do not know the world and enjoy play and living happily as a family.
Korea in education is seen as a leader in comparison studies with other countries. The educational program in the Korean system is intense. They have high achievement goals, are leaders in the educational results achieved, students, however, do not have the time to live as children.
In the Catholic Times, an article and editorial addressed the need for education in personality traits of sociability and cooperation. A meeting of the presidents of Catholic-affiliated universities has agreed to work together to implement this in their course of studies.
Looking over the situation in society today the movement of the college presidents to expend effort in making the human qualities a part of the program of educating the whole person is deeply felt by many in society.
Korean students in their mastering of the textbook have few peers. The participation of parents in the educational role is high. Parents even before elementary school prepare the children in private educational programs in English, math and other subjects. The time and money spent on private education are enormous and the results are easily seen, what is forgotten is the price the children pay.
Student's goal of a good academic record during their pre-college years continues in the college years. The interest in character building will not be easy, faced with unemployment and the search for specifications in finding a job. Personal achievements and individual concerns will be difficult to dislodge.
The editorial gave examples of students from the best universities verbally harassing fellow female students in SNS chatting rooms and medical students accused of sexual abuse. These are signs that something beyond the intellect has to be brought into focus.
These are signs that something is missing in our programs of education. Once a person makes the universities all is permissible is a result of concern
only for grades.
Teachers and students in Catholic universities will work together in a coordinated effort to incorporate character along with the search for knowledge. The editorial hopes these efforts bear fruit and be a leaven spreading to other universities.
Easter is the beginning of a new creation. Both East and West have the same names for the days of the week. In the Christian tradition, the first day of the week was the first day of creation with the separation of light and darkness. The last day of creation was the sixth and the seventh was the day of rest-- Saturday the sabbath. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week the beginning of the new second creation.
A time to sing a new song. On May 9th Korea will choose a new president after the impeachment of the former president over a corruption scandal. The hope is to have a new beginning but presently the threat of nuclear war is very much in the thinking of the Korean people because of the actions of the North and the way it has been played up in the mass media.
A medical school professor sings, in the View from the Ark in the Catholic Times, an ode to the Easter Season and the new life. We are all invited to a new beginning and new life with Jesus in a new creation, who accepted death to bring us new life.
God's love allows us to see all the disharmony, pain, conflict and death itself in the light of the Resurrection. How do we live this Resurrection Life? We are freed from sin, abandon skepticism and the feeling of loss and frustration. With love, we overcome hate, conflict, and disharmony in the manner of the prodigal son.
The Empty tomb suggests to us that we have a job to do in building up Christ's kingdom. All our relationships take on new meaning and life itself takes on a different value. Not possessing but sharing, not ruling but serving, not imposing but listening. Heading for the lower place and remaining in a place of poverty. Christians enjoy the freedom that comes thru the Resurrection. No matter the difficulty or crisis, we have the strength to live the new life.
Our society is now waiting for the resurrected life, the extended hand of trust to overcome the lack of trust and the crevices that exist because of disharmony. The moratorium we experience needs to be filled with a responsible leader. We are praying for a wise choice of a new leader.
It doesn't all rest on our human efforts. With God, in humility and wisdom, we will be led on the right path. It will be a journey to the light together. We will be healing one another and returning to better times for we are all part of the tree of life, filled with new growth.
