"This life is ruined." The present craze of many of the young people: I don't have a good head, not pretty or handsome, don't have parents with lots of money or status in society... The world is tightly centered around vested interests, no dreams for the future. My life is ruined. So begins an article in the Catholic Times by a lawyer.
Is there any guarantee that the next life will be any better? The word 'next life' has its many meanings. This person that I am, this me, depends on my parents' genes and everything is decided on their looks and abilities. Even if there is a next time, I will be born with genes of different parents. I will be a different person.
It is only this one life for us. So even if you think you are not going to have an easy time and live well in this life, don't lift your hands in surrender but make the most of what you have been given, don't say you have been ruined but work to change the odds.
The writer has given much thought to the lives that people have lived. His father came alone to the South at the time of the Korean War. He did not earn big money nor did he have a name in society. But every morning, in his later years he would shine his son's shoes and left the son with some bottles of 'soju' that he was not able to drink. When I was a child, the flower garden that he cultivated with his father went along with him even though he moved a few times.
During the Korean War, a lieutenant in the so-called North Korea's Army was imprisoned by South Korea for 36 years refusing to give up his beliefs. After he had finished his prison term he went to an island in the South and hanged himself on a pine tree. "I am leaving the world on November 24, 1990, at 4:10 am. I have made countless mistakes hurting my party and my country, and I have to make amends for my life. I have tried to be sincere in life but left nothing but a blurry trace." We in the South can see his position as wrong but he was a communist to the marrow and gave his life to bring about what he believed was a just society. We can't say he ruined his life for he was true to himself and his beliefs for a better world.
We have the life of my friend from our school days. After he passed the government exams, he became a public prosecutor. Shortly after he was diagnosed with liver cancer from overwork and died. My friend before he died was quoted as saying: "I didn't know what life had in store for me when I became a prosecutor if I had the opportunity to live my life over again, I would be a lawyer defending the weak and the poor in need."
A few years ago, a grandmother in her old age came from her nursing home to see the writer. Both parents and siblings held high positions both in the South and North. She was able to earn a great deal of money from her business skills. She became the second wife of a college professor and raised her husband's children from the previous wife for 50 years. But now the children are asking for all her money. It developed into a great sadness. She gave all her money to the unification movement of the North and South which was her dream from an early age. As a woman, her life was not happy but neither was it ruined.
Karl Rahner says that the resurrection of Jesus does not mean that a person's soul and body will be raised again with this world's history, but that your "personality and interests" in pursuing the Kingdom of God will be developed and see fruition in the resurrected life. We should not just eat well and live well in this life, but we must consider what are our interests in this life and what we are doing to pursue the kingdom of God as a follower of Jesus. With this way of looking at life, it will never be a ruined life.
In the globalization era, we live in a global village. The internet and social media are bringing us closer than ever before but the unstable international situation and the trade wars are establishing barriers between countries. In the meantime the meeting of the South and North and the US president in Panmunjom gives us hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world. So begins the article in the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Weekly.
Since the colonial struggle' and the 'Cold War' in the 20th century, society is undergoing tremendous changes with fierce resistance of people to obstacles against the sovereign independence of the nation. Instead of 'political and military domination', which seeks to take the land of another nation and rule it directly, as the Japanese imperialism made Korea their colony, it now takes the initiative in 'economic and strategic hegemony'. For example, the trade war between Trump and Beijing, China's economic sanctions against the missile deployment on the Korean peninsula, and the economic retaliation against Japan, all reveal complicated hegemony conflicts in political, military, diplomatic and economic relations.
On the other hand, today's neoliberal economic systems led by WTO (International Trade Organization), IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank have been promoting FTA (Free Trade Agreement). In particular, when foreign reserves are scarce and the country becomes bankrupt, the rescue has forced the domestic market to open up to foreign investors and even enforced surveillance.
With Korea, the IMF asked for more than 100 requirements for a large-scale restructuring of the labor market. Korea was incorporated into the international (financial) market, the discrimination clause for growth and employment-related to large companies was strengthened to attract foreign capital.
The common national strategy to cope with the rapid globalization in the global village seems to be the proliferation of populism and support for transnational corporations. Politicians in the grip of populism tend to attract by their extreme expressions the 'popularity' and 'approval' of their fans to win elections. Politicians who ignore the values of the common good and cultivate their positions are 'false agitators' who are not interested in the citizens. Prime Minister Abe, who is ahead in the general election, his strategy to boost the approval rate is to stimulate the right-wing nationalism. In Korea, politicians who are opposed to social integration and the common good are criticized by healthy citizens.
Second, individual nations gain enormous lobbying and political backing from their transnational corporations and support companies that have grown up like mushrooms after the rain. Also, large companies in Korea have been striving for short-term profits by sending certain functions outside the company instead of handling them in house. More and more companies have long neglected long-term investment in technology.
In the course of globalization, competition and peace among nations and peoples, conflicts and cooperation, exclusion and inclusion are all mixed; we have to study the word 'peace' to coexist. The Second Vatican Council proclaims the essence of peace as follows: "Peace is not merely the absence of war. Nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies. Nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called 'an enterprise of justice'. Peace results from the harmony build into human society by its divine Founder, and actualized by men as they thirst after ever greater justice." (Pastoral Constitution, Article 78)
We must pursue peace with coexistence beyond the logic of competition and power! Peace does not justify unilateral domination, factions, bullying business practices, and does not exclude the poor and the weak, coexistence of mankind and the development of all peoples. It is a way of pilgrimage pursuing the "common good" and just relationships.
In the column 'Learning by Living in the Peace Weekly, a religious sister recalls a man, without a wife, who was raising his son alone. He was a good obedient son, graduated from college, had a good job; the father was proud of his son and proud of himself because of his son. Everything seemed to be going along smoothly.
One day, however, the father appeared as if the world had collapsed. His son came home late, drunk, wobbled around and the father without thought expressed anger at the son's behavior. His son, in turn, looking directly at the father: "What have you done for me that justifies your anger" screamed the son. "Tell me?"
The father was shocked by the gleam in his son's eyes, his anger, he was out of breath, his whole body seemed paralyzed. "It seems that the years I have spent raising you have all disappeared into the darkness. How did I raise you?" Shaking, he wondered whether this was a betrayal. All the love and trust that was once there all in a moment, disappeared.
The words of Neil Postman came to mind. "When expectations are too clear and vivid they are the only things seen. Nothing else is on the horizon." The father in this situation was confined by his expectations. They were reflected back to him from the mirror into which he continually looked.
Betrayal is an emotion that can only be felt by a loved one. When the person I believed in turns against me in gossip, when siblings fight over property given by parents at death, when a lover turns against the one loved for another, this we see as a betrayal.
Expectations for the son turns into a betrayal moment. "What did the father ever do for me?" In these words, the father's world fell apart. Fortunately, the father was able to open his heart and talked with his son.
His son missed his mother. He endured all the troubles for his father who raised him. When he was a child, he remembered the mothers of his friends waiting at the gate of the school, and running to the arms of their mothers. Or when he saw mothers walking in the streets with their sons he had to swallow tears for there was no way to suppress his memories of long ago.
In the end, longing became sorrow, anger, and returned as a grudge against his father. The son may have wanted to ask about his responsibilities: Why was he born? The repression and the resentment that piled up poured out due to the liquor.
The father found it difficult to understand the son with his head but in his heart, he realized that it was not a head problem but one of the heart. It may take time for the grudge and suffering of the son to go down to his father's heart. He knew, however, the day would come when his expectations would retreat to the background.
Often heard is keep your expectations low and be an overachiever. There is truth in this saying but better still is to hope even when our expectations are not realized for hope is a desire in a future good difficult to attain that is not possessed but wanted and for a Christian trust in God.
A few years back we began hearing the phrase 'Dangjin Jam' (use up, spend) meaning the fun that comes from shopping and wasting money on small things. This seems to be a consumer trend. According to a survey of workers, 70 percent of respondents said they enjoyed doing just that. A professor in the field of consumer science in the Peace Weekly gives the readers some ideas on the topic.
Areas where the money is spent are clothing, shoes, cosmetics, restaurants, entertainment, and liquor. Consumption of 'Dangjin' is mainly focused on items that are not expensive, and since it helps to relieve stress, becomes a compensating gift to oneself, many people fall into the habit without guilt.
This trend relieves the stress of the unemployed and the young workers attempting to solve their many stresses. This trend spread rapidly because people who do not have the finances to buy what they want can shop at Daiso, (Japanese discount store) and similar stores forgetting the drudgery of daily life.
However, this small rebellion by small people against society began to change the values of consumption. If consumers are more or less focused on getting fun through shopping, chances are they will become addicted to shopping. Consumers gain two important psychological rewards: respect from others and perceived control over spending. Consumers who do not have a way to satisfy it elsewhere are likely to be attracted to 'Dangjin Jam'.
Consumers regardless of the size of their wallets, have an absolute position in the market today, and suppliers and salespeople reward consumers for their purchases and show appreciation and respect. Also, by choosing what to buy in a market with many alternatives, consumers have a sense of perceived control over their actions difficult to get elsewhere.
Besides the danger of addiction, we have other problems that may arise from shopping. The first is the possibility of excessive shopping. 'Many a little makes a mickle' this is not limited to saving. The monthly consumption of those who indulge in 'Dangjin Jam' spend a little over 200 dollars a month.
Secondly, it's another stress. Fortunately, 42.3% of the workers say it improves their feelings, but 40.3% answered the stress recurred immediately. The effect of stress relief through shopping is very temporary. On the other hand, the credit card statement for 'Dangjin Jam' is another long-lasting source of stress.
The third problem is the distortion of consumption values. It is undeniable that shopping expresses self and brings emotional satisfaction. However, there are other ways to grow, enjoy emotional abundance, develop oneself—through good human relationships, and find happiness doing meaningful work for society.
We should be concerned with this trend towards 'Dangjin Jam' which is spreading in the market. According to the statistics, 40% of respondents in their 50s enjoy 'Dangjin', it's no longer the problem of young people.
A retired journalist writes in the Eyes of the Believers column of the Catholic Times on the nonsense that comes from the mouths of politicians. They fear to be unproductive in the eyes of the citizens so the continuance of the nonsense, one type of nonsense gives birth to another and it becomes a parade.
This nonsense talk just flows without much thought. Words in politics can give life and can also kill. That has been the case both in the East and West, past and present, and it is just the way things are.
What is the reason for this kind of talk on the part of politicians? Low-level thoughts in the minds of politicians come out of the mouths without checks. Thoughts are the house from which our words come forth. Of course, there are a lot of cases in which politicians with the slip of the tongue cause consternation. But such statements also come from a lack of refinement in speech.
Secondly, they often intentionally speak nonsense. Politicians have to gain access to the minds of the citizens. In polls, "popularity" (support) and "awareness" are clearly different in character, but this comes first before the work. It's necessary to make themselves known to the public, be seen and heard.
Intentionally calling attention to oneself with nonsense often comes after the start of new political programs or before important events such as the general election or the presidential election. This is because it not only increases the awareness of politicians and political forces but also is effective in the mobilization of support groups.
The third is due to the problems arising in human society recently based on the above two causes. It is a rapidly changing media environment. Social media as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. (as well as SNS in Korea) are all subject to more subjective 'customized' approaches than traditional media such as newspapers and broadcasts. Tastes and beliefs are more important than objective facts or truths.
The writer has mentioned a number of times in this column a fact we may tend to forget and that is those who are presenting us with the information are often more interested in getting clicks for that means more profits. And digital media users more than facts and truth are looking for what pleases them and looking for what will confirm them in their bias. England's Oxford dictionary calls this period as the era of post-truth.
YouTube is subjectively customized and global users will be focusing on YouTube in the future since it is the strongest of the internet giants. With the expansion of digital media, we will have more abuse of the media with false news and hate news
Digital media, a representative model of digital capitalism, brought new worlds to mankind with creativity and technology, but side effects came along with the expansion, fake news, and hate news. The adverse effects of digital expressionism surrounding race, religion, ideology, generation, and sexuality have already caused many conflicts, violence, and polarization in many parts of the world.
Politicians' nonsense talk grows like poisonous mushrooms. In the past, we used to say people made books and the books made the people. We can change it today: we make the digital media and the media makes us. Today we make some efforts to complement and control the adverse effects of digital media, among which the consensus among experts is the need for media literacy, especially for the users. It corresponds to efforts working for world peace. And the writer concludes with the hope that the church sees the need for media literacy and gets involved with programs in churches.
A few days ago a column was used on this blog to give the thoughts of a journalist on the movie Parasite; this time in the Catholic Peace Weekly a critic on welfare policy gives her thoughts on the same movie on the current situation in Korea.
The movie without any filters shows the breakdown of the middle class and the contradictions of society and the anxiety that follows and difficulties of coexistence because of systems that have developed. Both the wealthy and the poor are living together but a lack of understanding and even the existence of the other is hidden. The poor do not have any status in society, they lack the education, the competence the capitalist society demands and consequently 'losers', not helpful to society.
The poorest people in society are forced to live in the poorest sections if the city we call them the slums. These neighborhoods have one room accommodations without toilet facilities for about 200 dollars a month without deposit. One study showed that from 2005 to 2015 the number of those living in unsafe housing has increased 7 fold.
Of course, the municipal government has policies to reduce poverty, such as environmental improvement policies and rental support projects but they don't always end up helping all that need it. The owners of these rentals in most cases are not sensitive to the inhabitants of these neighborhoods and are only looking for profits.
Human dignity, the fundamental right of everyone, depends on socioeconomic conditions in society. Some classes monopolize profits, while others have to deal with the inequalities in society. This situation is readily seen by those who want to see it. More. then ever the government has to take measures to guarantee that all have an opportunity to live like human beings. One of the surprises is that you have Christians who see this kind of talk as unChristian, a mystery of the highest order— little sympathy for efforts to help the poor.
Pope Francis has criticized the neoliberal financial system of society. He would have great difficulty with the so-called trickle-down economics, which excludes others with indifference and without knowing it we end up being incapable of feeling compassion for the poor. He considers capitalism another form of dictatorship where the poor are not seen only profits.
Everything is competition and the weak become the food of the strong. They take away hope from the poor. What has to change is more than possessions but sharing, win-win instead of competition, a new economic approach.
In conclusion, she wants a change in the way we look upon the poor. We need a culture with an emphasis on solidarity, cooperation, and subsidiarity. In addition to housing welfare policies, the government needs to play a role in changing the way we think about the poor. We need a culture where all are respected and the weak feel like members of society and helped to live as human beings.
A diocesan priest writes about the spirituality of the elderly in the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times. He begins by telling the readers of a 92-year-old man who was a member of a pilgrimage abroad. At the start, all were concerned about the grandfather but amazed when they saw he was able to keep up with the young people in all that was scheduled.
A growing number of elderly people live to an advanced old age: "Not when their legs tremble, but when their hearts tremble." A professor emeritus at one of the universities is living a busy healthy life at the age of 100 and is still giving lectures. He has said: "The golden age of my life was as a 65 to 75 year old." Would not this be a word of hope for people in this age group?
In the ritual for the funeral Mass it's comforting to say a person who passed away at 70 died too early. More elders are conscious in living their lives positively and actively.
Quality of life in old age will depend on consciousness and attitude. Desiring to enjoy eternal youth, life will be immature and empty, when we can put everything aside and be more concerned with being than doing we will begin to enjoy life fully.
Fr. Anselm Gruen the author of Twilight of Aesthetics (?) 2015, says in ceasing doing the 'what' then we have entered the world of spirituality. He also emphasizes in another book the spirituality of old age should be oriented to freeing oneself from wealth, honor, power and health, and furthermore, from the obsession of anger and vengeance.
Especially interesting that a Korean writer mentions in his book the novel Count of Monte Cristo written by Alexandre Dumas, and he points out the hero failed to win the heart of the woman he loved because it was filled with hate, although successful in revenge against those who framed him. The attitudes of old age should be reconciliation, forgiveness, generosity, and mellowness.
In the twilight years and the way death will be faced will depend greatly on the way life was lived. The writer of the article mentions during the diaconate year he had an experience of working in a hospital as a chaplain. He was in a ward in which most of the patients were at death's door.
He was present at the death of a number of patients. Some patients died calmly and at peace. On the other hand, some patients moving their whole bodies refused to die. One man refusing to die, he threw the crucifix away and was filled with complaints and grudges against others. The writer meditated on what he saw and thought a lot about what people should do to meet death with peace.
We can before death actively welcome death. We are not just waiting for death but we have entered the kingdom of God at baptism with faith and now looking for the completion of our journey.
Death completes life and is in search of meaning to the present life. One who realizes deeply the meaning of the present experiences the eternity of God and is always being born again. Therefore, aging is accepted with a calm heart, gratitude, and vitality. The elderly person experiences the closeness of life to death and living more fully the life of the spirit and the resurrected life. Is this not the spirituality of old age?
