A Church Always Reforming

  To be a church means to walk the journey of life with the Lord and with people, and to share not only sadness but also joy. The Catholic Times in its column: 'Reading the Times with Theology' gives the reader a look at Church and what it should be in the words of a director of a Catholic Culture and Theological Research Center.

■ Sad memories of the word church

He confesses the word 'church' is often remembered for its cold, authoritative feel rather than warmth. As a seminary student, he felt uncomfortable when he heard church as a holy place was ultimately a church choice and felt a slight resistance to the idea. In seminary life, the word church was often related to the act of judging and disciplining. Perhaps that's why, sadly, the word church came easily nuanced as negative. 

Even as a priest, the word church did not have an attractive connotation. Or maybe, the people who used the word church used the word in a way that made you feel its negativity. They were usually powerful or authoritative people in the church. Rather than being used in the context of loving, forgiving, and embracing the word was mainly used in the context of defining, judging, and excluding. It was hoped that more people would use the words 'evangelical' and 'faithful' than the word 'church'. Of course, the adjectives evangelical, religious, ecclesiastical, and doctrinal are closely connected and may mean the same thing.

■ We live in a church

The core concepts of modern theological explanations of the church are 'God's people and 'fellowship'. The church is made up of God's people, and the purpose and principle of operation is friendship. The church, which aims for friendship with God and friendship between people, is naturally a community of equal people in the presence of God. 

 

Of course, the core of the church is a visible religious system. We live with institutions and laws in this world and they need to be respected. But institutions and laws must aim for higher ideals that are invisible. The religious system exists not for itself but for the sake of God's people and friendship. The community of God's people is always a relationship of love and equality. The church's friendship is a trinity. The Trinity is not the order of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, but the diversity of roles and relationships. It is a mystery of diversity that shows the breadth and depth of the Lord's love for man.

 

The church exists in the journey to the Lord. The church always means 'becoming church'. We are on a long pilgrimage to the Lord. In the journey, we should always ask and reflect on what it means to be a church, to live as a church. In a world where gratitude and contrition are culturally worn out and disappearing, I must ask what it means to live as a church?

■ Warm and intimate church

We live in a relationship with others. Today's world has changed from a modernist world that emphasized individual freedom, autonomy, and reason to a postmodern world that emphasizes emotions, desires, and a sense of community belonging. Movement from an interest in subjects to interest in others. (Michel Maffesoli "The Age of Tribes") We live in a world where belonging, intimacy, emotions are more important, than concepts and intellectualizing.

From a sociological point of view, there are three reasons why people belong to a religious community: existential comfort, security, self-confirmation, and recognition. In an uneasy world where all values and ideologies are shaken, belonging to a religious community gives psychological stability. In a world where fierce competition and inequality are intensified, religious communities can provide social connections, social power and religion can work as a kind of social safety net. In a world where one is judged and discriminated against by one's abilities, status, and property, the healthy recognition system of the religious community provides a place to breathe.

Today's church should be able to provide a healthy sense of belonging and warm intimacy. It should be able to share the right religious orientation and give a healthy sense of belonging that comes from sharing religious practices. In the church, believers should be able to feel the true intimacy that comes from honest and equal solidarity, not the order of rank and difference. 

■ Church of sorrow and joy

We are already a church, and always becoming a church. To be a church means to walk the journey of life with the Lord and with the people. In an individualistic and selfish age, it is not easy to walk through this life with someone. Being a church is training on how to live together.

Living together means sharing sorrow and joy. At first glance, it seems easy to sympathize and unite with other people's pain and sorrow. We don't find it difficult to sympathize with other people's grief. Not many people are cynical and mock others for their pain and sorrow. It is a beautiful act of a human being to grieve together. In fact, what is more difficult is sharing joy. It is very difficult to share the joy of others with my joy. It is always hard to overcome feelings of envy and jealousy in the struggle for recognition. Being a church is not only about sadness but also joy.

Isn't the person who becomes a church to someone probably a person who is always wishing and praying for the best for the other? (Benevolent). Do we live a life of being 'church' to others?

War and Human Rights

The Column on Reconciliation on the Peninsula of the Korean Times examines the issue of war and human rights.
 
Todd D. Whitmore of Notre Dame University in the U.S. believes that a theologian's mission to serve the underprivileged is more important than writing a book. Whitmore, who values life as it is lived, and deals with theological issues using the ethnographic methodology, (relating to the scientific description of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences).
 
He was active especially in northern Uganda and South Sudan from 2005 to 2013. And such activities in the disputed area led him, a "Catholic peace activist", to reflect more deeply on the relationship between justice and peace.

In his paper: "On the Actual Spot", Whitmore introduces an original report published by the 'Refugee Law Project at Makerere University in Uganda called "Peace First, Justice Later". The report contains interviews in several cities in northern Uganda in 2005 from various classes of people, different cultures, and religious backgrounds, impressive in their arguments for justice and peace at the scene of devastating violence.
 
The people interviewed showed surprising agreement on the order in which things should be done. In other words, the war must end first, and only then can it be determined what kind of justice mechanism should be implemented. Unless the situation changes, when people's safety cannot be guaranteed, people living amid conflict do not have the time or inclination to focus on rebuilding after the conflict.

Whitmore, who explains that in sub-Saharan Africa, with its poverty, the Catholic social teaching as seen in Europe cannot be applied as it is. He emphasizes the need to carefully consider the special environment and specific situations, particularly in discussing the 'strategic priorities' of justice and peace. In the long-term context, it is natural to pursue active peace when justice is achieved, but in some cases, in situations where conflicts have continued for decades, passive peace, which immediately stops violence and threats, can be prioritized.

Recently, the media made known the "2020 Human Rights Report by Country" released by the U.S. State Department which pointed out not only North Korea and China but also South Korea's human rights situation. The U.S. State Department does not directly criticize individual countries but makes it clear that it is interested in improving their human rights, which in fact raises controversial issues for both progressives and conservatives in our society, not just 'anti-North Korean leaflets' and scandals of politicians. Admitting that wars, where violence is justified, have always been disastrous abuses of human rights, we should urge the Korean authorities to make careful and serious efforts to improve the human rights of those living in the land where the war is still ongoing.

Where Does Something Begin To Go Wrong?

 
A spiritual psychologist gives the readers of the Catholic Weekly some thoughts on how to grow in wisdom.

Everyone faces some kind of serious difficulties in life. We wonder about the reason for the pain. "Why am I suffering like this?" "What did I do wrong?" We ask these questions, but rarely find a clear answer. This is because most of the pain in life is transmitted through a process that is difficult to pinpoint.
 

However, except for questions related to the conditions of life, such as the reason for being born, for being a man or woman, born of certain parents, the answers are mostly found. The fact is that my small decisions and choices have brought about the present results.

Callisto and Regina divorced after 38 years of marriage. After the marriage of her three children, Regina asked her husband for a divorce. Callisto couldn't understand what happened it was a bolt from the blue. Not only no reason to be divorced, according to the husband she continued to be a supporting wife all along.

In fact, it was during her first child's pregnancy that Regina was convinced she would not be able to live with her husband for the rest of her life. Early in pregnancy, Regina suffered from anemia with vomiting and dizziness. In addition, the smell of soup made her sick and wasn't able to eat properly. She was concerned for the child in the womb and malnutrition. Regina, who rarely called her husband while at work  had no choice but to call him that day. She  asked him to get some strawberries after leaving work because she  had not been able to eat properly for several days. Callisto answered yes, but he couldn't resist the temptation of his friend that night and stayed out drinking until late. He completely forgot his wife's request to buy strawberries and returned home empty-handed.

Regina recalled the memory of that day and said she felt that she had no choice but to break up with her husband. Her husband, had forgotten her request and returned home after drinking, he was actually more concerned about another person then the wife who was pregnant with his precious child. But Regina tried to understand her husband. However, the idea that she would never be able to trust and rely on this man for the rest of her life hardened into a strong  conviction. After raising all the children, Regina decided to divorce because of this very small and trivial life experience but for her was unforgettable.

 

In the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu we have the following words: "The most difficult thing in the world begins with what is easy, and the biggest things in the world come from the most humble." Also, in another Chinese classic: "People don't trip over mountains: they trip over ant hills"  Everything we experience in life is the result of small choices and decisions. It's just that we don't know how the choice and decision led to the results. Whether it's good or bad, there's actually very little that hasn't come from oneself.  All things of merit and demerit have come from us. We just don't understand how and why.

As such, the trials and pains of life occur mostly from the  small choices and decisions we have made. Based often on selfishness and personal desires not love for others, even though small they can return to us pain and trials at some point. Remembering this simple fact will avoid a life of regret. As Benjamin Franklin said:  Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

Korea's Post-Corona Era

 A college professor in a column of the Catholic Peace Weekly expresses her opinion on the post-vaccine Korean situation.         
 
As the supply of vaccines to respond to Covid-19 has begun, the world is preparing for the post-vaccine era. The new era requires members of society to have different attitudes and values.  It has been shown empirically that what we took for granted through direct face-to-face meetings, such as classes, meetings, and social activities, can be fully realized in a non-face-to-face manner.

Now, it is rare to question various social activities that take place in a non-face-to-face manner.

While the word "post-corona" emphasizes the disconnection from the pre-Corona era, post-vaccine has a more active and future-oriented meaning of continuing to cope with the social risks of Corona 19. The new changes that have emerged throughout our society triggered by Corona 19 will become the driving force for the changes we will experience. In other words, changes are made continuously through constant dialogue and reflection with the previous era, not through a break from the previous era.

If the process of preparing for a new era takes place disconnected from the past, all that is necessary is to clear up past mistakes and failures. However, in the post-vaccine era, both past successes, errors, and failures can be precious lessons needed to prepare for the future era. 

Then, how do we prepare for the post-vaccine era? The media has the role and responsibility to set important agendas and form public opinion in our society. Therefore, the media should help form the attitudes and values demanded by the new era. For past successes, failures, and difficulties to become assets for the future, objective and sometimes serious critical evaluations of past experiences must be made. If we try to find the cause of the failures and social crisis only in the external situations that exclude oneself there is little hope. If things go well, it's my virtue, if they don't, the other is at fault-thinking will increase polarization by the media, but it can also be a nutrient that cultivates tolerance and inclusion toward others. 

Humans tend to perceive and judge social issues based on their collective identity. For example, if the media deals with conflicts of interest among various groups in society, viewers are likely to classify themselves and make judgments based on group identity. Self-centered thinking bias can strengthen self-group-centered attitudes and behaviors that strengthen support for the inner group that I belong to and antipathy to the group I do not belong to. The criteria used for objective and rational judgment cannot vary depending on the object, otherwise, the standard cannot be called objective or "standard". The efforts of both the media and the public to escape self-centered and group-centered thinking begins by evaluating oneself objectively.

Today, Korean culture, K-pop and K-drama, played a significant role in changing public opinion at home and abroad more positively. The government's preemptive action against Corona 19 has created another new sign of K-protection. In the pre-vaccine era, Korea's behavior and attitude have followed the world standard, Korea can present a new indicator of "K-class", a new standard of behavior and attitude in the post-vaccine era. The first step would be to check our individual actions and attitudes in the new era.
 

Who Owns the Land?

 

A Catholic University professor in economics has an article in the Kyeongyang magazine on Who owns the land? One can not consider ownership of man-made goods the same as ownership of land.

 In 1879  Henry George  an American  political economist wrote Progress and Poverty which became  very popular. He describes how prosperity from technological advances increases rather than alleviates poverty. Adam Smith, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill and the other classical economists considered land important but not in the degree seen by Henry George. He was considered to have completed their ideas on the importance of land.

Henry George found despite the growth of material prosperity the cause of poverty was the increase of the land rent, and the periodic  speculation on land value. Even after 140 years this holds true even today.

In what would be the  seventh chapter of Progress and Poverty he considers the justice surrounding the ownership of land and the problems that arise when using the  word real estate. According to him, it prevents us from distinguishing between buildings produced by human labor and land that exists independently of human effort. The land and buildings are two different entities but the same name is used for both and both are treated in the same way.

According to George buildings are the result of man's labor and those who build have the right of  ownership; land  is not the work of our hands and is independent of humans and we do not have absolute right over the land. The recognition of a right to the land, as the same as the right to a building that is the product of human labor, results in the denial of a legitimate right of those that labor.

In the last few years real estate prices have skyrocketed and we have the serious problem with unearned income. The logic that people who have enjoyed a lot of profits from rising real estate prices oppose the return of unearned income is the principle of private property. The constitution in Korea recognizes private property, real estate was bought at a fair price, so it's all mine! 

Is this kind of thinking justified? They consider this a 'golden rule' but does it fit into the principle of  private ownership. Don't be swayed by self interest that are bound to accompany us in our thoughts. Let's try to be rational.

What is the reason for the the price of real estate to go up? Did the price of the building go up? If it was not inflation or the cessation of the building boom,   the price of the labor has not gone up. Look at the price of a second hand car the price of any thing made with labor the longer it is used the price goes down.

The price of real estate goes up because of the value of land goes up. In an apartment in the the wealthiest part of Seoul if it was built in the same way in the  country you don't have an increase in the price. It is precisely the location of the building and the demand that raises the price.

The land in itself has nothing to do with human labor  and the good location has nothing to do with the owner. Therefore, the recognition of absolute ownership granted to general products of labor that are transferred to land and location directly violates the principle of private property. Consequently landowners who make no effort, earn what other producers deserve in return for their efforts and sacrifices. In truth a person who respects the principle of private property the unearned value that arises from the land should be used for other who don't have use of the land.

Consequently the use of the private property is not absolute.What does the Scriptures say about this? God made the land. If we deny this we are not Christians. God is the owner of all the land.

In Leviticus chapter 25:23, "Land must not be sold in perpetuity, for the land belongs to me, you are only strangers and guests." 

There will be Christians who will sit back and earn 1 billion to 2 billion won due to the recent real estate craze.Even if one did not actively participate in speculation, it is a Christians' right attitude to think strange the phenomenon of a huge amount of money entering their possession in a short period of time without any effort.That is, if you oppose the government's policy to block and redeem some of the unearned income by supporting the principle of private property, we are denying our true identity. Are Christians not those who believe in God's creation and the cross of Jesus?

 

 

Facing Death Calmly

 In the Catholic Times column in Theology Looks At the World, a priest director of a research Institute gives the readers some thoughts on growing old.

■ Looking at the aging body
 

He becomes more and more conscious of age and thinking about death; finds signs of extinction and death in everything. The excitement of starting the new year has disappeared, and it is doesn't help his spirit to see the calendar days go. Hope and expectation for the future disappear. He is  always the same age in consciousness, but the  body has to  endure the weathering of time. The physical strength to study is not the same as before, and the body begins to revolt all over. However, he is  grateful and proud of his body for dragging him through  life. Even an old body that becomes uncomfortable in the eyes of others and the world, he continues to love and appreciate.

Old age means  the body ages. It is regrettable that reading is no longer what it was, the general weakening of the senses, and the decline of the body's balance and control ability,  prevents one  from doing what he used to do. The old body is excluded from the gaze of others. It is sometimes an object of disgust. Of course, today's world is becoming a little more tolerant of old age and the old body. Still, it is a sad state of life.


■ Living is a feast for the senses 

As we grow older, we realize the importance of our bodies. It is often said that the spirit and soul are more important. Philosophy and theology have emphasized spirit and soul more than body. But at least in this life, the spirit and soul do not exist without the body. The body is the place and foundation of the spirit and soul.

The body contains all  the senses. We see,  hear, taste, touch, and smell. Our lives feel  alive through the senses. More than the sense of desire but of vitality. Death means the loss of this sense. Death  is sad because one no longer sees, hears, tastes, touches, and smells.

A Korean poet in his recent collection: "Even if it's just for one day," is full of regret that the joy of sensation disappears with death. The sense that the poet loved was, above all, the joy of hearing and sight. Inside the collection of poems, there is still a lot of joy in listening to music, gazing at the landscapes of various places in traveling in his car and the scenery of objects encountered in daily life.

We are alive as long as we have sensation. It is lonely and sad to grow old, and there are fears of death. However, walking on the path of old age in faith is the path to completion.

■ To grow old in faith

Old age shrinks the body and mind.

He gets rid of many outer artificiality and sometimes tries to pose as other-worldly but realizes it's just a fleeting bluff. It is still difficult to embrace old age calmly and with grace. A believer is a person who relates daily life to the story of Jesus as one's starting point. However, it is not easy to find the implications of old age in the story of Jesus. In the tradition of faith, one has no choice but to learn from the good people of faith who have wisely faced old age and death.

Romano Guardini emphasized internal and religious acceptance of aging. Whether young, middle-aged, retirement age,  or old, every generation has its own style and value. It is hard for a generation who plans for life and prepares for the future to think about God. At the end of life, we think of the whole context of our lives. Old age should be a time to look back on the context of life with courage and honesty. And most of all, it should be a time to face the meaning and value of death. Death means extinction in this world, but on the other hand, religious completion. We  hope that walking on the path of old age in faith is the way to completion, and determined to live with joy. 

■ Facing death the way you have lived

Still, growing old is lonely and sad. We are afraid of extinction. Reason and Will give meaning and value to old age and death, but emotions don't easily follow our rational reflections and willpower. Memories of the past come to mind like perfume.

But I don't want to live with memories of the past. If youth was a time with five talents, old age may be a time of only one talent. I don't want to live in the way  of the foolish servant that envies five talents and hides the one talent in the ground without doing anything (Matt. 25,14-30). He hope that the time of old age will also have its own role and meaning.

You should study, reflect, and continue your daily routine until the moment you die. If life is not beautiful, death will not be  beautiful. A man will die in the way and manner he has lived. Life and death are always connected. If you live today with faith, you will live with  faith tomorrow. Even if tomorrow is the day of death.

The Strength of Faith

 

An article in the Catholic Times considers the situation of many believers who are enjoying a vacation from their Sunday attendance and participation in parish societies. Many have regarded their faith life as a burden and these days they feel relieved and relaxed because of the Corona 19.

The priest columnist in his article hearing these words of a believer felt great sadness. The faith life is a burden. Even if it's not because of Corona 19, he has heard a lot of similar difficulties from believers. There are times when religious life is burdensome and annoying. "If I hadn't known God, I wouldn't have the Sunday observance, time and effort spent in the community, able to overlook the dark side of the world and make more comfortable choices. That's right, it might be exactly as she expressed it. When there comes a time too burdensome the writer recommends we remember the contents of the pledge we made at Baptism.

+ What do you ask of God's church? ● Faith

+ What does faith give you? ● Eternal life.
 
You should be able to trust God with your whole heart, entrusting your life to God every day. This is the way of faith. Christ will lead you to love so that you can have eternal life which begins here and now.

There must be many people who don't remember well because it was a long time ago. But what's clear is that our faith began with this response. Once again, let's slowly meditate on the priest's prayer. The way of faith is to trust God every day, with our lives, and all our hearts. Of course, it's not an easy path. It's a long path, a path of the pilgrim. However, the prayer is not a lonely road that has to be walked alone, but rather that Christ will "lead you to love" and lead us on to life eternal.
 
When our lives are happy, it is not easy to realize the joy of walking on the path of faith. The sweet joy of happiness that I feel now is a self-fulfilling experience. When life goes smoothly without big problems, many people forget God. But there is no life full of joy. Pain and sadness, frustration and betrayal, despair and anguish are also part of life. When the dark moments of life come, what keeps us from falling into despair? To those who want an answer, he wants to tell you the story from one of the Korean poets: 'Thanks Stone'.

In some villages in Africa, there is a river that is not deep but has a very strong current. People in the village cross the river carrying heavy stones. It must be hard just to get through the strong current, but why in the world do they also carry a heavy stone?  It's very puzzling, but there was a reason for their behavior. Because if you misstep and stumble and get swept away by the current, the heavy stone will take the center of gravity and protect your life.

Maybe it's the same with our faith that sometimes feels burdensome. As you go through various paths in life, there are days when you encounter problems that cannot be dealt with by your own ability and strength. At that time, faith is the motive-power that gives strength so that we don't get swept away in the dark. Faith teaches us that God is with us at that moment, that he is walking along the painful path with us, so cheer up.

Parents are crossing through the high seas of life holding onto the little hands of a child. Taking precarious and small steps. One may lose their balance for a while become distracted, the child's hand may slip away. A moment of carelessness may come when you are in danger. If one possessed the heavy stone of faith, one would never be washed away by the current of the harsh world. Adults need to put the weight of faith in the arms of the children so that they may move easily in the world.

At this moment, he hopes that the words of Chapter 43 of Isaiah will encourage those who are struggling on the path of faith and help parents to continue to present this path to their children.

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine. Should you pass through the sea, I will be with you; or through rivers, they will not swallow you up (Isaiah 43: 1-2).