Hearing the Voice of the Earth

Today, every breeze, blade of grass, branch of the tree seems to be taking a deep breath as they pause for a moment. At the same time, they are looking over countless microorganisms in the bosom of the earth in this continuous cycle of life. So begins the column on listening to the sounds from the earth column of the Catholic Peace Weekly. The religious sister columnist is the gardener for the House of Ecological Spirituality.
 
Every year in early spring, they cook a pot of rice and go to the back mountain. Make delicious rice as if you were preparing a ritual meal, put it in an onion net, put it on the soil, and cover it with fallen leaves. If you go after a week or ten days, you will see white flowers in the onion nets. These flowers are the microorganisms and fungi that save our land. If we help them become friendly with our soil, all living things will live healthily. Countless microbes live in a handful of soil.
 
We need to do something to make sure these microbes are well established in the soil. Not spraying pesticides on the earth. Microorganisms cannot live in the soil sprayed with pesticides. Plants cannot grow properly in soil without microorganisms. So the farmers fertilize the land.
 
Fertilizers are growth promoters, earth absorbing more and better than it can absorb originally, you get a good-looking crop. However, the earth on which the  plant rests is broken and becomes hard soil. Farmers plow the fields with tractors to farm on hard soil that even a hoe cannot enter. In the past, she wondered how farmers would have done that when they farmed only with cows and plows, but she thinks that it would have been easier since you could use less labor for the soil was soft and alive.
 
The soil where microorganisms live does not have to be cultivated with a tractor, the soil is soft because the earth and microorganisms are creating space to breathe. Microbes and roots provide each other with what they need to live. Isn't that amazing? The fact that microbes invisible to our eyes cooperate with the roots to save the earth and other life…. She sees traces of God in this great cycle. Because this little microcosmic life reminds us again of the participation of God in our life— Koinonia.
 
Humans too quickly forgot these traces of God that nature remembers. Pesticides, fertilizers, and tractors prove it. And this is her feeling on the reality she has described. When we can see the soil properly and are conscious of the countless living matter that lives in it our eyes are opened to a new reality. It is like the disciples at Emmaus. We know that our current structure of thinking does not allow us to see reality as it is although we pretend to know.
 
The 'way to life is not the way for me to live alone, but the way for other lives to live'. Thich Nhat Hanh the Buddhist monk says that what we need to do to save our world: "Is to hear within us the sound of the earth crying." Only when we hear the cry of the earth within us will true healing be possible in our time.

What do we need to remember in the cycle of life? What choices should we make in this cycle?  Let's stop and listen to the countless sounds of life on the earth. It is really new the act of putting a pot of rice on the ground in the early spring in the back mountain like approaching an altar today. Come to think of it, the earth is the altar of the universe, and the farmer is the priest of the earth. I pray that many people will regain the preciousness of this work. Listening to the cry of the earth today....

When Enough is Not Enough

 

In the Catholic Peace Weekly a priest, spiritual psychologist, in his weekly column On Various Subjects treats the subject of "possession and use".

The human desire to possess seems boundless. A strange era to have a company that is selling land on the moon and Mars. The company, Lunar Embassy began on the say-so of one man, in 1980. More than 6 million have paid money for acreage on the moon and the planets.

 

They say they own the moon for fun, but they purchased land as an investment, preparing ahead for the age of space development.

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants is a legendary U.S. baseball player who has set a single-season best of (73)home runs and a career-best of (762). 

 

When he hit his 73rd home run ball in San Francisco in 2001 it was caught by Alex Popov with a glove but because the crowd rushed towards him the ball fell from his glove and fell into the hands of Patrick Hayashi. Popov was so upset that he filed a lawsuit claiming that he was the owner of the ball. As a result, it was admitted that he had caught the ball first for 0.6 seconds, so he earned half of the ownership. The pair decided to sell the ball and share their income, the home run ball was sold for $450,000 Popov had to pay legal fees, with a loss of about $240,000.

Watching the rise in apartment prices in Seoul day by day, he wonders about the extent of people's desire to possess land or material goods. The root of possessiveness is the desire for survival. To survive, humans must possess the goods they need. However, when this possession arises to satisfy a need other than survival, we may suffer from greed. Even though we know that the cause of suffering is desire, why can't we get rid of it? Is possession the only way to satisfy human desires? 

  

When he goes for a walk in nature, he sometimes thinks: "Don't all these beautiful mountains, fields and valleys have owners? But what are they doing now?" The reason why this question comes to mind is dialog from a movie he watched a long time ago that impressed him and often comes to mind. The film features a scene in which a father, who is about to die, and his beloved daughter come out to the front yard of a hospital and have a conversation while looking out at the distant mountains. 

 

"My dear daughter, I have been climbing that mountain every day, and I have lived my life with that mountain all my life. Now I have to say goodbye to the mountain I lived with."  

 

"Father, there must be many unnamed landowners of that mountain you have been climbing. You have been climbing someone else’s mountain and think as if it belongs to you." 

 

"Yeah, that mountain must have owners. But how many times do you think they've been up and down that mountain in their lifetime? Perhaps they went there once or twice to see the location and shape of the mountain? After that, they may have lived with a satisfied expression for the rest of their lives, looking at the land documents they owned. But every day, I have lived by drinking the fresh air provided by the trees in the mountains and the freshwater of the valley. Nature received me unconditionally and healed me without any conditions when I entered the mountain after being hurt by people and the world. If it wasn't for that mountain, I probably wouldn't have lived this long. So who did the mountain really belong to? Wasn't I a happier person because of the mountain, feeling the benefits of nature with all my body, than those who owned that mountain only through documents?” 

Wouldn't it be great if you could change the desire to possess into a heart that enjoys? Rather than buying moon land, would it not be better to feel the mysteries of the universe once more while admiring the soft moonlight. Rather than finding and purchasing the things of a player you like, you are able to enjoy the player's game to the fullest. Instead of buying a mountain would it not be better to make the body and mind healthy by hiking. It seems this is a time when we should be able to see the beauty of flowers without the desire to want to pluck the flowers and bring them home.

Discerning Between Conscience and Greed

 

Fairness in the workplace is a serious issue that divides. The Catholic News, Light of the World column brings up some of the main ideas on the conflict. 

Traditionally, one side puts weight on results, competition, and competence, the other side places emphasis on equality of distribution and care. The two have to balance and harmonize, but differences in positions and conflicts are inevitable. Is it because many people feel deprived, lost, and not happy in this harsh world? The debate over fairness is hostile and confrontational.

It began last year, with the transition to full-time jobs at Inchon Airport which spread the conflict. Many job seekers opposed the airport's transition to full-time jobs. Opinions of non-regular workers (temporary workers), who were treated unreasonably while working the same job were opposed to the airport authorities. There is constant controversy over the process not only in employment but also in areas such as entrance examination, admission, housing subscription, and tax payment. Furthermore, the loopholes in policy and the system, the neglect of the regime, and airport authorities make the reality worse.

Competition is inevitable in a society where we live together. But the writer doesn't think it should be all about competition. Care and concern for others must be activated and eventually, the two are forced to co-exist. The key is whether they function properly in our daily lives. Fair competition is impossible if inequality is flagrant. We need to make it a fair competition.

The same goes for caring. It's beautiful in itself, but when abused, its original purpose changes and harmful side effects occur. Both competition and care need morality and ethics. With the limited amount of resources in society, competition and care need to work properly in a healthy society. Care for someone weaker than myself should be the foundation of society. It's not that we don't know about this. However, the conflict grows because we can't take care of ourselves, let alone take care of someone in a difficult situation.

Justice is a value that accompanies the exercise of the corresponding cardinal moral virtues. According to its most classic formulation, it "consists in the constant and firm will to give to God and neighbor what is due" (#201 Catholic Social Doctrine). Despite this direction, it is very difficult to clearly adjust our interests to the reality we face. This is because the system and policies are limited, and everyone wants to enjoy a better and more comfortable style of living, and what we think is for our personal benefit.

Improving the system and policies is important to solve social conflicts and problems. Fair and effective policies must be implemented. But at the same time, changing the consciousness of the members of society is essential. Furthermore, we need to identify greed and try to eliminate it. In fact, the difficulty of fair debate lies more in the division and hostile antagonism resulting from differences of interest and position. There is also a reason for the current situation, which has nourished benefits and wealth and made us dependent on this lifestyle. 

Clearly, in the pursuit of God and his kingdom, we need to stop the hostile arguments that are hidden in the debate about justice and fairness. He apologizes to the people who can't buy a home even when they worked hard for decades, the young people who can't find a job, the elderly who suffer from loneliness, and countless numbers of citizens who feel ignored. For these people, the state, society, religion, and neighbors should help them both materially and spiritually. 

 

Nevertheless, the distinction between conscience and greed, the consideration for those who are in more difficult circumstances and life that aims to love and share is the kind of life we are being asked to live. People and society become healthy and peaceful when they pursue essential values rather than wealth or worldly greed.

 

"A society that wishes and intends to remain at the service of the human being at every level is a society that has the common good — the good of all people and of the whole person — as its primary goal. The human person cannot find fulfillment in himself, that is, apart from the fact that he exists 'with' others and 'for' others" (#165 Catholic Social Principles).

Listening with the Ears of the Heart

 

We are all familiar with the game of Telephone. It was used in celebrations of the parish community when two teams were formed and competed for points in various activities. In the telephone game, each team was given a sentence to pass on to the teammates by whispering in the ear of the person behind them in a line each team formed. The team that was closest to the original words would be the winner and get the points allotted.

Even when one knows the object is to listen carefully and pass on what has been heard the results are often hilarious. Because of distractions, thinking you understand and do not, emotions, boredom, and hearing difficulties, what is passed on is not what was intended.

To hear it is necessary to listen and a priest member of a diocesan research team gives the readers of the Catholic Digest some thoughts on listening.

He recounts an incident in his life as a child. On a rainy day, his father called home to ask his son to bring the father's umbrella to the bus station. The son knew the way his father would come home after work and thought his father would be very happy if he were at the subway station to give his father the umbrella before he took the bus. However, there were so many coming out of the subway exit that he did not see his father and had to return home with the umbrella.

When he arrived home he saw his father's shoes at the entrance to the house and before he took off his shoes his father appeared. "Why did you go to the subway station when I told you to go to the bus station?" his father asked somewhat upset. He answered crying: "I thought that I would make you happier if I was able to give you the umbrella before you took the bus." The father put his hand on the head of the child and said: "I told you to go to the bus station didn't I?" No matter what you think may be better, what you have promised to do is what you need to do. In the future you will keep the promise that was made won't you?"

As a child, he wanted to make his father happy but ended up doing the wrong thing. This incident has always stayed with him. He was somewhat upset when his father scolded him but after some thought, he was able to understand his father's situation and feelings. In dealing with others we often fail to understand the situation and judge incorrectly.

His thoughts in the article turn to Jesus and how he felt after his many teachings and the way they were received. We sometimes think what we are doing is pleasing to Jesus when we do what he has told us not to do. What I think is the right thing to do can be the opposite of what Jesus wants. The dynamics involved in the spiritual life should be present when speaking and listening to others. To listen to others with complete attention and with the ears of the heart is difficult.

Hear means that sounds come into your ears whether you want it or not, while listening means that you consciously pay attention to what you hear. When our mothers told us to do something we wanted, we listened when it was something we did not like, it went in one ear and out the other.

Listening attentively is not something that comes naturally. When we are talking to another person we need to listen with our whole being to what is being said. When Jesus speaks to us in the Scriptures this should be our attitude to be attentive giving our undivided attention to what is being said.

It requires that we put aside our worries, anxiety, stubbornness, prejudices, and sit at the feet of Jesus in the way Mary of Bethany did. In the way, the two disciples listened to Jesus on the way to Emmaus. When we in our daily lives can experience the presence of Jesus and open ourselves to his words we will be open to the great gift of grace.
 

Our Attitude Will Determine How We Live

 

In the Catholic Times' Theology in the World Column, the priest director of a theological research center writes about identity.

Who is the "I", whose life I am supposed to be living? Who do people define me as? Am I the same person I think I am in the eyes of others? Identity is the perception of "I" and the way others accept me. How do I define myself? Who am I? Furthermore, am I always the same when I am expressing myself to others in real life? The subtle differences between the person I think I am, the way others see me, and the way I project myself to others brings about a crisis of identity.
 
The question of identity is fundamental in one's life. It's a question of who I am and who I'm perceived by others. Identity is not fixed but achieved in time. Identity consists not of one element but has various and complex aspects.

In general, identity consists of relationships with others. "What we become depends on the interaction we share with others. It depends on the environment and culture in a broad sense." Identity endlessly raises problems with the other and contains fundamental gaps and differences between me and others

Who is the other for us? Who is the other person with whom I have a relationship? God as the Other, the people as the Other, and myself as the Other. Our identity is defined and constructed according to the relationship of these three.
 

A person's social identity consists of several elements: gender, ethnicity, national and racial elements. An individual lives with a variety of social identities. Within one individual, there is a combination of identity as Christian, a woman, and as Korean. And these identities don't collide with each other. However, there is an identity that needs to be considered further in any choice and decision-making position. Is Christian identity always a priority? Does Christian identity, a kind of religious identity, take precedence over sexual identity, ethnic identity, national identity, racial identity, class identity? If not, for that person, faith does not play a primary or central role in life, and it works as secondary, or as an ornament in life.

Christian faith is the work of knowing, experiencing, resembling, Jesus Christ. Faith, above all, makes us resemble Jesus Christ, in a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ on this earth. The identity of a believer is based on the resemblance to Jesus, not on the familiarity of religious practices and customs. Today, many people speak with faith and act in the name of faith, but it is said that it is increasingly difficult to find a resemblance to Jesus Christ in their appearance and attitude. The external identity is Christian, but the actual identity is often not Christian. Although life is externally religious, it is not with faith but with a secular logic (the logic of capital and power).

Identity is also uniqueness. How am I living? What is my way of thinking and acting? Am I honestly looking, understanding, and reflecting on my thoughts, emotions, and desires? Does my life have its own color? Where, what, and how do I live? How do I describe my life? What nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs do I use. It doesn't matter what noun (status) what verbs I relate to (action and work), or what adjectives (characteristics) I modify. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives do not sanctify me. What makes me holy is how I perform my duties and work (adverbs). How we live determines our holiness.

The way you live is your identity. Your attitude and behavior towards life are your true identity.

Vegetarianism In Korea Since 1988

 

In the Catholic Here/Now Blog a Jesuit priest's article on Vegetarianism was published. It first appeared on the Jesuit Human Rights Research Center website.

He recalls Dr. Lee Sang-goo a medical doctor who talked about the importance of eating vegetables, fruits, and grains back in 1988. Many who took meat for granted were shocked at the remarks. The doctor was excluded from appearing in rebuttal discussion programs and even confessed that it was difficult for him to live in Korea because of the opposition to his remarks.

At that time it was a popular opinion that eating meat was necessary for human metabolism to receive nutrients. But now all has changed not only do we hear talk of vegetarianism but also veganism not only abstention from meat but all animal products: eggs, cheese, and milk. Today even in the military we have the opinion that a menu for vegans is necessary.

Now, there is a consensus that a vegetarian diet is directly related to health. The word vegetarianism comes from the Latin word 'vegetus' meaning healthy, lively. Here we can see that from ancient times vegetables were seen as connected to health and vitality.

It is important to know that there are different types of vegetarians as the public's interest in a vegetarian diet has increased. (1) Pesco does not eat meat and poultry but eats fish. (2) Lacto-ovo does not eat meat, fowl, or fish but will eat dairy and egg products. (3) Lacto does not eat fish or eggs but does eat dairy products. (4) Ovo they don't eat dairy products but eat eggs. (5) Vagan not only does not eat meat and fish but all animal products including honey. These detailed classifications are indicators of how much interest in vegetarianism and the will to practice vegetarianism has increased.

It is not that humans have not eaten meat in the past. However, the development of distribution networks and science and technology induces many people to consume easily more meat. An issue is the livestock factory farming methods that prevail to meet the huge demand for meat.

Factory farming brings about more environmental harm than one may think. Forests around the world are being cleared at an incredibly fast rate for this mass livestock breeding. Remembering that feed must be grown in addition to the deforestation for livestock, and we have a vicious cycle that is getting worse.  

We have not only the destruction of forests but the existence of huge amounts of methane gas emitted by cattle. As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the number of forests to absorb it decreases, which inevitably poses an environmental problem.

In addition, we have human rights violations arising from the threats to the basic right of survival of the indigenous peoples living in the tropical rain forests. In addition, wild animals living in these areas lose their habitat and face death. What is more serious is the fact that the more the forest is destroyed due to the excessive expansion of the livestock industry, the more the probability of contact between wild animals and humans increases. This increases the risk that an unprecedented lethal virus from animals can be transmitted to humans. Since too many livestock are densely raised for cost-effectiveness and efficiency in factory-operated livestock sites, there is a very high probability that they will be exposed to the spread of these viruses.

A vegetarian diet could mitigate the rapid changes in the global climate crisis. It would be unreasonable to say that everyone should be vegetarian, but for many, even a small reduction in meat intake can reduce land reclamation for mass livestock production. And it must be kept in mind that greenhouse gases, especially from beef and lamb production, are overwhelmingly large.  

To prevent deforestation, to protect the indigenous people and animals living in these forests, and finally, for our own healthy life, having a vegetarian diet, once a subject of surprise and rejection, is no longer so.
Everything in this world is interconnected. One piece of meat we eat harms forests and soils and causes great harm to the planet due to the increase in carbon dioxide. Our small gestures can be like the 'butterfly effect' shaking the Earth. There is a reason that rain or snow that falls from heaven falls on this earth so that it bears fruit and benefits people, rather than returning to the sky as it is.
 
Eating meat is a natural phenomenon and an option for anyone to choose, but promoting the livestock industry and consuming more meat is a different matter, making it an act of human selfishness that pollutes the land, and monopolizes food. We should face up to the fact that excessive meat consumption and more aggressive vegetarian recommendations are beckoning us not to leave the planet in a state beyond repair.

Why the LIfe and Death Struggle Against South Korea's Culture?

 

Recently, North Korea is amid an executive ideological revolution, with replacement and demotion of the ranks of high-ranking officials. So begins a column by a member of a 'think tank' on Asia Far East Issues in the Catholic Peace Weekly.

 

On the front page of a recent North Korean Labor Newspaper, a long editorial was published: "Let's further strengthen revolutionary discipline in the party." The editorial called for unity of ideas and strengthening the role of executives, emphasizing "unprecedentedly severe challenges and hardships" such as sanctions, prolonged corona 19, economic difficulties, and deepening citizens' hardships. In particular, they have been concerned with the weak loyalty of the so-called "Jangmadang generation" See Movie (https://www.nkmillennials.com). The editorial stressed the need for thought education for young executives. 

 

The North Korean authorities have been isolated longer than ever before due to the coronavirus quarantine. In this situation, if the party officials, the basis of the system's maintenance, is weakened due to a generational shift, they could have foes on all sides.

 

In fact, it has long been the case that not only many party officials but also young people in North Korea are attracted to the pop culture of the South. North Korean authorities are working hard to crack down on the South Korean way of speaking, language, grooming, clothes, and behavior that have recently spread among the younger North Koreans. 

 

The National Intelligence Service's recent report to the National Assembly for example mentions that hugs between men and women on the streets are banned as "enemies of the revolution," and even the way young people speak is controlled. You should not call your husband 'oppa' or boyfriend 'boyfriend' in the South Korean way. Also banned are expressions such as "disgraceful" and "glossy" that are commonly used by young people in South Korea. Chairman Kim Jong-un ordered major meetings such as the party's Central Committee and the party cell secretariat to launch the socialist war more aggressively, and authorities are cracking down on young people's clothes and South Korean accent.

Last December, North Korea even enacted the

"Reactionary Ideas Eradication Act," which calls for the death penalty for the distribution of South Korean films and TV dramas, and for viewers to be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. North Korea has a life and death commitment to thought control wanting to focus everything on economic construction and stabilization of the lives of its people. 

 

As North Korean media always say, "It is a time when we desperately need a strong revolutionary spirit that moves forward the revolution and unfolds a new era of homeland prosperity. 

Like the previous generations, we need to create a new way from nothing and turning what is impossible into the possible." Ideas are a very important factor in the self-reliance of the North Korean regime. In a capitalist society, money determines everything, but in socialist North Korean society, ideas determine everything. Stressed over and over again the most powerful weapon in a socialistic society is thought.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the head of the Vatican's State Council, told National Assembly Speaker who visited the Vatican on the 9th that Pope Francis wanted to go to North Korea. However, after the failure of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam in February 2019, Kim Jong-un's thoughts changed 180 degrees. Considering the recent movement of thought control, the outlook is not bright.