Zero-Waste Lifestyle

This is the time of year when we look over the past so that we can live the future with greater hope. Looking over what we have amassed during the year we have more than we need. Throwing it out difficult, but the chances of it being used are slight. A member of the Bishops' Committee on the Environment in the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers some interesting thoughts on the subject.

Is it possible for us to live during this new year lighter and with simplicity? She introduces us to Bea Johnson and her family who are dedicated to living a Zero Waste Lifestyle. Bea Johnson was recently here in Korea. Her practice of zero-waste can be summarized with the five Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot. She shatters misconceptions, proving that waste-free living can not only be 'stylish', but also lead to significant health benefits, and time and money savings.

 Refuse what is not needed; Reduce what is used; Reuse, avoid using disposable items; Recycle (only when it can't be reused; Rot, put in the compost pile. Last year what the family of four needed to dispose of fitted into a small jar.

The first key to solving the rubbish problem is to reduce the volume itself. The decision to reduce little by little is the most important and it starts with me. Reduce free plastic bags, shopping bags, paper business cards, and wet wipes, courier boxes and disposable food containers. 

Every January, overseas training is planned for global eco-leaders who have practiced eco-life for one year and have a good influence on their family, friends, and neighbors. These elementary, middle school students gave up the use of disposable items such as paper cups and plastic bags, giving hope to the older generation. 

Next, there's a way to cycle thrash so it can be used by those who need it. A family in Australia who visited this year said they bought a new home and bought the used goods in the house of the past owners. They also sell or donate what they don't want to bring to the new house on SNS, or donate it to OP SHOP (Opportunity shop). It is hoped that such transactions and donations will become part of our Korean culture. 

Anything thrown-out should be properly separated helping the recycling process. Remove tapes from taped cardboard boxes, and rinse food delivery containers with water which will require a little more attention. 

In the past, when the economy was not doing well we had the habit of being frugal. In the new year let us remember that we are borrowing the earth and should want to preserve it for future generations. Let us get started.

Dreaming of A Revolution of Love

The Catholic Peace Weekly in the Peace column gives the readers a heartwarming article proper for the Christmas season. A 30-year-old unemployed father was caught stealing food with his young son at a large market.

The owner of the market, recalling the Jean Valjeans of the world, keeping tears from his eyes, had no problem with the hungry father. A policeman on duty took the father and son to a restaurant for a meal; a man seeing what was going on, withdrew 200 dollars from the ATM and went to the restaurant to give it to the father. Other citizens in their own way joined the parade to the father and son.

The good deeds of the participants were a sign of their compassion. Compassion can be translated as sympathy or pity. Compassion is far from cheap sympathy. It is also the opposite of indifference. It is the desire that springs up in our hearts to give help.

The goods of the world keep growing day by day, and the poor continue to increase, what is going wrong? Their sighs of despair are not diminishing. Wealth and poverty are very difficult problems. The Fourth Industrial Revolution does not have any quick answers.

This is not the kind of problem that is easy to deal with. Reckless efforts to bring about equality of possessions will give rise to dilemmas difficult to imagine. The last century witnessed the error in the cheers and failures of the communist-socialist revolution. That one-dimensional method is not the answer. A society that is equally owned and lived without the rich and poor appears in Thomas More's Utopia.

But in our society, if you try to compete freely and live to the fullest, you'll face even greater contradictions. Modern capitalist societies are in terrible conflict because of the irrationality of the neoliberal economic system, where lions and rabbits compete for survival in the same pasture. Look back at history. The principles and traditions of the revolution that rocked the world were not great. One can no longer witness the poor eaten up by the lions and expect the rabbits to do nothing. We have the start of a  revolution; what was regarded as insignificant was the start. Socio-economic contradictions arise from human desires and result in conflicts that rupture at reaching the critical point.

Pope Francis also cautioned against the danger by citing Father Primo Mazzolari a few months ago in a talk on the Third World Day of the Poor. The marginalization painfully experienced by millions of persons cannot go on for long. Their cry is growing louder and embraces the entire earth. In the words of Father Primo Mazzolari: "the poor are a constant protest against our injustices; the poor are a powder keg. If it is set on fire, the world will explode."

The solution is in the gospel where the rich and the poor live together. To do this, the rich man must not turn away Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31), who waits at the door to fill his hungry stomach, even if it's the food that falls from the table. The face of the Lord is found in the hungry, thirsty, and naked. Only then can the solution be seen. We need to act like the market owner and police. Compassion for the poor and giving them what you have so you can live well together. The wise see this as mutual help the 'poverty of conviviality'.

The writer dreams about the 2020 year as one of sharing and doing good; a love' that will bring peace and joy of life. There is no shortage of food, clothing, and places to sleep. Our efforts to satisfy our greed is the problem. As he hung the new calendar on the wall he kept on repeating the words: "Give them food" (Mk 6:37).

100 Year Old Era and the Baby Boomers

In the Catholic Peace Weekly, a professor at a Catholic University writes about the generation between 1946 and 1964  called the baby boomers. 6.5 million baby boomers in Korea began more than a decade ago to retire and live as seniors for the next 30 years.

Most of the baby boomers received higher education, are prepared for retirement, have accumulated assets, and have homes. A generation with family-centered values ​​but aware of their own needs as individuals and are prepared for psychological reasons to maintain a certain distance from married children.

What is the 'silver market' situation for baby boomers, who will be the main consumers for the next 30 years? According to various data, the baby boomers' market use is still very weak. Currently, the capacity of the baby boomers, whose wealth compared to other generations is the largest, the market still has no visible evidence of their participation.

Consider the age groups of consumers in their 20s and 30s, where department stores, shopping complexes, underground shopping malls, subways, cinemas, and cafes are crowded. Even the premium durable goods market, the travel industry, and the leisure sports market target young consumers.

Baby boomers have assets, but they can't open their wallets because of different burdens and concerns. First of all, the double burden of supporting parents and children— financial support for marriage and housing of an adult child and helping older parents.

In this situation, the blessing of a long life in the 100-year-old era is burdensome. In fact, statistics show that spending in the 70s households (the percentage of total disposable income spent on consumption) has continued to decline over the past 20 years and is currently the lowest of all ages.

In addition, our society is a worrying society. According to Hofstede, a cultural psychologist, Korea belongs to a culture that is concerned not only about the current problems but also about the future, about the future of children and grandchildren, and even about life after death. It is also a society in which money is more closely linked to the concept of security. Growing up in a worrying culture, baby boomers tend to seek excessive economic and social safeguards for their future. In this situation, no matter how good a product or service, it is hard to open one's wallet.

The activation of the market may not be a concern at all for baby boomers who believe in the value of saving and moderation. However, as the aging society progresses, the recession in the 'silver market' is likely to lead to the recession of the entire market and industry.

The recession of the entire market can turn into a boomerang that threatens the security of life and pensions. Baby boomers know how to save money, but they also need to learn how to spend their money properly. Without changing the values ​​of life and family, consumption patterns will not change. The vitalization of the 'silver market' should begin with serious consideration of what is a happy and meaningful life.

It's Alright to be Honest (New Year's Resolution)

The new year is about to begin. The writer in her article in the Kyeongyang magazine on Its alright to be honest is involved with teaching young people in her diocese about education in character building. She tells the readers that the new year has less emotion for her than in the past. It could be, she says, because in Asia as a Christian she enters the new year on three different dates: the first week of Advent, Jan.1st and the lunar New Year. She also admits it may be simply that she is tired.

She has decided to be more physically active in the new year. She has big plans, buying a new sports outfit and start taking vitamins and supplements. The body has given signs to the writer that something is wrong and she will listen and start to change even if her resolution will be quickly forgotten.

How is the soul? Are we as interested in helping the soul as well as the body? The soul is also sending us messages. In social media, we see all kinds of beautiful landscape pictures, foods, and when she sees herself it's depressing. When she hears someone utter that the going is rough she wants to chime it with she also is finding it tough and sighs. When she gets the courage to express what is in her heart as soon as it's done, instead of feeling relieved she regrets showing her weak side.

Her inner self is telling her to take a break and direct her attention to her needs but she doesn't want to listen. So today she makes believe all is well. She is doing as well as everybody else and gives a weak forced laugh. She quotes the lyrics of a song: "Say you are lonely, let everybody know. You can say it's hard, it's not something stupid. Everybody is the same all trying to laugh. You are strong but at the same time weak. No one knows which makes it all the harder. Many live sadly and without tears but you let them flow; difficult but don't raise your hands to wipe the tears, let them flow and go far away."

We put on our mental armor and urge ourselves on. We may lose the battle but we have not lost the war. These are the suggestion in the lyrics of the song Consolation but to us still awkward. To show our weak side is a question of doubt. We are afraid of being the only dropout. But Jesus showed us another way. "My Father, he said if it is possible, let this cup pass me by, Nevertheless, let it be as you, not as I would have it" (Matt.26:39).

Jesus the Son of God also asked that the coming suffering that was awaiting him be taken away. He also confessed that "My soul is sorrowful to the point of death." Jesus was not only honest and straight forward with his feelings but spent time with these thoughts. His words and actions have spread throughout the world and many have come to join him. If he had said in his prayer: I am ready may it begin, it would not have been the same for his followers.

At the start of the new year let us like Jesus be open and honest as he was. When lonely to express it, when difficult to say so, don't be afraid to cry, when we need to be alone, resolutely do so. When I try to show my strength to the world and hide my weakness at that time heal me. When tears come to our eyes instead of rushing to wipe the tears away is it not proper to ask the others to give them time to regain composure and a feeling of rest. Nobody will feel insulted.

Happy New Year and Many Blessing.

St. Nicholas de Flue's Message

Is it possible to have a world without conflict? Recently on and around the Korean peninsula, we have political division and social unrest that worries many.  We have different values and convictions but we all love  Korea. A psychiatry professor in an article in Bible and Life introduces the readers to Saint Nicolas de Flue (1417-1487). He is the patron saint of Switzerland and also called Brother Klaus.

St. Nicolas de Flue (1417-1487) was born in Obwalden, Switzerland. He was the eldest son of pious and well to do peasant parents; the patron saint of Switzerland, who lived the ordinary life of a boy of his time and at the age of 21 entered the military and became the focus of attention.

At that time the cantons of Switzerland were in conflict. He joined the war against Austria and was known as a brave warrior. During a brief respite in the war, he went home and at the instigation of his parents married Dorothia Wyss a farmer's daughter and lived in the area of Sachseln. As an officer, he returned to the army and it was reported that with a sword in one hand and a rosary in the other fought in such a way that word spread of his bravery and heroic deeds.

He was a man with no schooling, couldn't read or write but because of his leadership qualities and judgment, they made him a councilor and a judge in the canton.  His reputation continued to grow and they wanted to make him governor of the canon which he refused. Here is an example of where education was not proportionate to what makes for a good leader.

It was at this time that he receives a vision that changed his life. A horse eating a lily which indicated to him that his life was swallowing up his spiritual life and decided to devote his life to contemplation. The writer mentions another Swiss citizen, Carl Jung, the psychiatrist, who showed an interest in studying his life.

At fifty he left his family with ten children and for most, it would seem a very selfish move on his part. However, he did leave them with enough wealth to live on and with his wife's permission began living the hermit's life. His hermitage was close to his home. According to a canonical process, he survived for nineteen years with no food except for the Eucharist and was giving advice to the many who came to see him.

He was considered by the Swiss like the Koreans consider Admiral Yi Sun-shin. He has left us a prayer which is not easy to say and mean. "My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you. My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you. My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you."

Whether we think important the miracles associated with the life of Brother Klaus we have many wondrous happenings. His counsel prevented a civil war between the cantons meeting at the Diet of Stans in 1481.  

Brother Klaus was born in a time before democracy at the end of the Middle Ages. Switzerland was divided, poor and behind in many areas of life compared to other countries. We have a man illiterate whose feats have been passed on to later generations and in the eyes of many a reason for the peace that the country enjoys. The wife was also an admirable part of this reality. Very much different from the woman in the lives of Socrates and Tolstoy.

He gave up the chance to be a governor and the wife whose life would have been very much different also went along with his choice of life. Switzerland was different from other countries for they remained in peace during the World Wars. Brother Klaus was considered to be involved in the disputes that the country experienced in his life with wondrous results. He entered popular Swiss tradition as one of the earliest champions of arbitration as a method for resolving disputes.

Whenever we have danger coming many so-called patriots are ready to want to crush the enemy. But St. Brother Klaus trusted in God and by the process of arbitration sought to solve the disputes.

Wouldn't it be great wisdom to respect the beliefs of others 

and to aim for the highest good (summum bonum)

without neglecting the reality of the conflict and our own 

dark side of the inner world?

Reasons Not to Die

In his column in the Catholic Peace Weekly, a priest psychologist recalls the parents who brought their son, in his early 30s, to see him. The father said that his son attempted suicide a number of times since his first attempt in his mid-twenties and still seeks the opportunity to end his life. Both parents have to keep their eyes on him continually. There is no time to relax because of the tension and anxiety they have about the son.

The father turned to his son telling him to ask the priest whatever he wanted. However, his son was silent and often look out into space and sighed. The mother sat next to the priest with a sad expression and seemed unable to say anything. The three of them came for counseling, no one said a word.

Nevertheless, the priest did not feel the need to be the first to step in and change the mood. He knew that at times silence has more meaning than conversation, the silence is saying more than any words.
 
Parents were burning up insides with the long silence but the young man and the priest were getting to know each other. The young man seemed to realize that the priest was not someone who was ready to teach or admonish. And the priest made the discovery that the young man really did not want to die.

It took thirty minutes after the counseling began for the young man's perusal of the priest to be completed. He  began speaking with the following words."Father, please tell me why I should not die. If I hear it and fully understand, I will not die. But if the reason is no different from what I've heard so far, I will commit suicide."

This young man's question reminded the priest that suicide is not giving up on life, but choosing death. This young man's life was pain and emptiness. Hence, living seemed to mean nothing. He found no comfort and hope in life. It would be much harder to explain to this young man why he shouldn't die than to explain why he should live.

The priest could not offer any word of advice for he knew they would mean little to the young man. Such banality was not what he was looking to find. The young man's request to tell him why he should not die was, in fact, asking the priest to understand his pain. The priest firmly believed that the young man wanted someone to sympathize with him.

Since the first meeting, he has met the young man more than 20 times. Now he is preparing for a test to find a new job, and when he is filled with feelings of hurt or scared he does come to see the priest. This did not mean that his life pains were reduced. The idea that there was one man who could share the pain seemed to lead him to take a step back from despair.

In fact, the priest  would say that "Want to die" is another expression for "Want to live."

Suicide is a serious issue in Korea and has been for many years. A sign that something is not right; pressure and gloom which usually is the lot of the poor is a concern of the country which continues to look for answers.

Merry Christmas

Christmas is here the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Here in Korea a national holiday. Both Catholic papers had editorials on the meaning of Christmas. For the Catholics along with others, a day of rest to enjoy. For the believers, the celebration is a day to meditate on the reasons Jesus came to earth. We don't celebrate the day in the way the non-believers do.

The situation in Korea is not much different from other parts of the world. The bishops of Korea have given their Christmas messages to the nationwide parishes. We are divided into many different camps. Opposition and accusations abound. The ruling and opposition parties, labor, and civil society all try to protect their interests. The North/South situation seemed rosy with the inter-Korean Summit and the United States and North Korean talks but all hope quickly disappeared.

Christmas shows us how in the form of the lowest in society humanity's values of peace, reconciliation, and love are made known. The true meaning of Christmas is seen in the humility, peace, reconciliation, and love shown by the baby Jesus lying in the eating trough for animals.

The church needs to continually remind itself of the connection between the Gospel and Love. It was because of love that he came and died on a cross. The constant practice of the Gospel and the practice of love is the reason for the existence of the church. Consequently the need to check to see if these values continue to be the center of every activity.

The age of grace was opened. Christmas is always after the winter solstice the longest night of the year and the need for light is the symbolism that is associated with Christmas. Christ is the light of the world. The bishops of Korea, each's in their own way urged the believers to be a bridge of peace to the world as children of the light who share the good news of the Christmas message. In particular to imitate God's humility in love of others.

Are the Christians a sign of this love?  Embarrassingly this is not difficult to answer and a tragedy this is what it is. The bishops urged reconciliation and forgiveness, and we be a means of healing and gift-giving to each other. We need to be a source of nourishment to others for peace.  The reality is far from what we dream and hope for.

"The true light that illuminates all has come into the world" (John 1,9). As Christians, if we do not follow Christ who has come as the "light of the world," we cannot illuminate others in darkness. May we Christians who are trying to live the light of life in celebration of the birth of Baby Jesus be able to see the contrary signs and the dark shadows of nationalism and conflict among the powers of vested interests.

Merry Christmas and may the graces help us all to be open to the ways we are called to be the children of the light.