How Do we Build a Community of Kindness?

In the Theological Lecture Hall column of the Catholic Times a priest director of a Catholic Culture and Theology Institute gives the readers some thoughts on community.

 

The disappearance of a sense of community makes the world dizzy. Self-reliance has become the core way of life, and many individuals see  egoism as the new name of freedom. Freedom without responsibility confuses the world. Communal values disappear and interest in social things remains only as past memories. In fact, the emergence of modern subjects along with the establishment of democracy seemed to make a new world possible. However, after the establishment of the neoliberal system, today's situation is gradually becoming a world that has lost hope. In the huge capitalist system, the individual was fragmented and lost the power for change.

Even while realizing the climate crisis in everyday life and witnessing extreme polarization in the neoliberal economic system, people focus only on the material pleasures in front of them and express only selfish desires. It is easy to witness the absence of deep thinking and the failure to form social consensus. Is it no longer possible for individuals, influenced in the neoliberal system, to pursue communal wisdom toward the future and to act and practice as a community? It is difficult to escape from the overwhelming neo-liberal ruling order. It is full of lethargy and resignation.

The Church is the community of the People of God. The church is a kind of alternative community that sometimes adapts to the world, sometimes against the world, and sometimes transforms the world. The church is a community that participates in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The church is a holy community that follows the values and order of the kingdom of God, a community of hope, the reign and consummation of God. The church community does not give up hope even in the face of many challenges and difficulties in the world. 

 

In today's world where community is disappearing, the church must become the sacrament of community. "Christians should show the world that a completely different type of society is possible based on God. This, of course, becomes persuasive only through practice, not through teaching." (Gerhard Lohfink) What kind of community did Jesus want? Can people look at today's church and imagine community? The church has lost its community. A community can only start when you and I are equally acknowledged and differences are respected. If the sense of community is lost, the church also returns to an understanding of its physicality only, and becomes an object of growth and prosperity. By its very nature, the church is a community to serve the world, a community that proclaims the joy of the gospel, not the joy of the world. What kind of sacramental witness does the church community, as a society of antithesis give in today's world? 

 

External growth implies the risk of losing the sense of community. Community does not depend on externals but on internal communion. However, the expansion of the external weakens the inner intimacy. The external expansion of the church with the official recognition of the Roman Empire weakened the church's community. The monastic movement started from the personal dimension of spiritual training and concentration toward perfection, and the communal dimension of trying to preserve the identity of the church against the secular flow. At the bottom of the monastic movement is a spirit of resistance to the world, which seeks to find the source of faith and daily life not in worldly values but in the teachings of the Gospel. The spirit of the movement is not to escape from the world, but to choose a religious way of life for the transformation of the world. 

 

There are movements within the church in response to the neoliberal material civilization. American conservative Rod Dreher argues in his book 「The Benedict Option」 that the church must exist as an advance guard against counterculture in order to maintain Christian identity in the age of secularization. Dreher suggests that we should "return to the roots of our faith in thought and practice", change our habits of heart and way of life according to the rules of Saint Benedict, and "become the Church without compromise". "We work, we pray, we confess our sins, we show mercy, we welcome the stranger, we keep the commandments." It is a beautiful declaration. But there is a huge gap between declaring a principle and realizing it in reality. You cannot overcome and transform the world by creating a kind of ghetto and waging a culture war. Rod Dreher's conception only shows "the misfortune of traditionalism that ignores changes in the historical context" (Thomas Halick).

 

A new monastic movement is emerging from both Catholics and Protestants, centering on the laity. If the traditional monastic movement was a way of living together wearing a habit in a monastery, the new monastic movement is a way of practicing Christian values and practicing discipleship while living in the home and the world.

 

Efforts and attempts to live and practice the spirit of Jesus Christ as a community in the era of neoliberal material civilization are obviously important. However, there are many principles and must-have statements for community formation, but there are not so many community movements that have actually achieved what they wanted. Space-oriented community movements are still failing. In the beginning, it is maintained by founders with strong charisma, but it is easy to witness that it weakens and disappears after one generation.   

 

We live in an era where networks through the Internet overwhelm communities in the analog era. In the era of digital civilization, people's relationships are changing. The very way we feel intimacy and belonging has changed. The community of this era may depend on how to harmoniously coexist within this network of networks.

 

Where in our time can we find ways in which people can relate and form communities. "Things that didn't exist, when we are friendly for no reason, changes the plot of our lives" (Kim Yeon-soo's novel Too Many Summers) "Kindness recognizes the bonds that connect us and makes us realize similarity and homogeneity with others. It makes us recognize that the world is alive, tightly connected, cooperating and relying on each other." Olga Tokarczuk book of essays, Tender Narrator: Unprovoked kindness toward others resembles God's unconditional love. Friendliness is hospitality. But where does kindness come from and how can it be raised? Is today's church a friendly community?

 

 

 

 

World Youth Day 2027

 

The Catholic Times has an article on the recent news  made public at the World Youth Day in Lisbon: The next WYD will be  held in Korea, news joyfully received by the Korean Church.

In 2027, World Youth Day (WYD) will be held in Seoul, where Catholic youth from around the world will gather. Although the number of Korean churches is not large, it is expected that hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world will visit Korea as K-culture has spread world-wide. 

 

As seen in the recent  'World Scout Jamboree' incident, large-scale international events require thorough preparation. There are still four years left, but the article looks at the need to prepare for Seoul WYD.

   

The main schedule of the WYD main event consists of the opening Mass, catechesis by bishops, confession, Stations of the Cross, vigil, and the final  Mass. Before the main event, 'Days in Dioceses' are held for about a week, and participants stay in the host diocese and neighboring dioceses. The  pilgrims stay in family homes, parish or public facilities, so that they can have a real experience of Church, evangelisation and mission

of the host country. Korea is expecting more than the 350,000 who attended the WYD in Sydney, Australia in 2008.

 

The problem is that there is no suitable place in Seoul to gather so many participants. Gwanghwamun Square and Seoul Plaza, where the beatification ceremony was held in 2014, are being discussed, but the venue is narrow and requires long traffic control. Seoul Airport and Imjingak, a symbol of the division of the Korean Peninsula, are also on the list, but they are outside the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Seoul.

 

At a press conference, Archbishop of Seoul replied: "We will discuss with the bishops when and how to hold the event," to a reporter’s question about when it would be held. Since WYD is mainly attended by teenagers and students, it was held in July and August during vacation. An Exception was the 1995 Manila which was held in January to avoid the heatwave in July and August.

 

However, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare for outdoor activities that will follow. In the case of the Lisbon WYD, participants were provided with wide-brimmed hats to avoid sunlight and were provided with drinking water anywhere, anytime.

 

Local governments, and believers must cooperate. WYD is a Catholic church event, but it is also a national event. This is because cooperation and support from the government and local governments is essential to hold a large-scale event attended by the Pope, the head of the Vatican City State. Regarding this, the Seoul Archbishop  also said in a press conference: "We will prepare well for the event by cooperating closely with the Vatican City State, the government authorities of the Republic of Korea, Seoul City and local governments across the country, and the security authorities."

 

One of the priests from the  Sunshine Pastoral Center said: "Hundreds of thousands of participants usually have lodging and meals at schools, etc., and government support is essential as they move by public transportation."  He also added: "As many people gather and cause inconvenience to the general public, the church must strive to obtain cooperation from other religions and civil society."

 

Support from dioceses, parishes, and believers, for such events as home-stays at parishes, is essential for WYD to take place properly. It is necessary to recognize that this is not an event for young people only, but an event for the entire Korean church. "We will meet Lisbon WYD participants and listen to their opinions on the local atmosphere and home-stays to do all we can to prevent missteps in our preparation for the World Youth Day."

 

Towards A New Lifestyle

A priest director of a Human Rights research center gives the readers of the Catholic Peace Weekly some thoughts on one of the important issues of our era. 

Here in Korea, we suffered greatly from the heavy rains from June, the heatwave immediately followed and the typhoon blew harder than ever. He doesn't care to go outside when it's over 30 degrees in the morning. Hearing that wearing black clothes, which are looser than white clothes, is better for dissipating heat in the body, he becomes concerned about what he wears.

The struggle for survival between water and fire is harsh in every corner of the earth. Most people feel that climate change is real and very dangerous. However, I am still not interested in the way of life and behavior I should choose to live.

We now live in an environment with the highest carbon dioxide concentrations ever seen in the Earth's atmosphere in the last 3 million years. Carbon dioxide, a very small amount in the earth's atmosphere, accounts for more than half of the greenhouse gas composition and heats the earth by trapping heat in the atmosphere. If greenhouse gases continue to rise, along with carbon dioxide, mostly from fossil fuels, the global environment will lead to catastrophic disruptions unlike anything we've ever experienced. We and the ecological environment are connected and dependent on each other because we are in a mutual relationship. The misuse and abuse of human capacities and the ecological world threatens our lives. It is time to think beyond the vague fantasy of 'sustainable growth'.

As much as this is an era of crisis, it is also an era of answers and accountability. The pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the world has shown just how devastating the unequal divide between wealth and poverty can be, and it has also revealed that no one is safe if everyone is not safe. Structural social problems such as climate change cannot be solved by 'the sum of individual good deeds', but they cannot be initiated without an internal transformation to be born as an 'ecological citizen', that is, without ecological repentance and the formation of ecological habits. (Pope Francis Laudato Si 211-219)

What kind of 'lifestyle' I live is the measure of ecological conversion. Do you live with humility and simplicity? Are my benefits greater than the pain of the world? Is a big house, a nice car, a large piece of land your goal in life? The climate crisis poses serious existential questions for each of us. This crisis is also in the realm of politics, policy, science, and technology, but more fundamentally, it is a spiritual and ethical problem that humans constantly face in the history of crisis. Consumerism for comfort and the easy 'lifestyle' is at the center of this crisis.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa shows how our gluttony leads to all sorts of selfishness. The Apostle Paul teaches us to find rest in gentle relaxation. Do not indulge in a frenzy of pleasure. Don't make yourself a destroyer.
He is not saying to practice abstinence as we traditionally understand it. The word 'asceticism' comes from the Greek word 'askesis', which means putting theory into 'practice'. Rather than giving up something, it means constantly training and practicing. In the Gospels, all the disciples gave up their possessions, fasted, abandoned their desires, and sought to discipline themselves.

The process is difficult, but they did it all with great joy. Because it was the work of the kingdom of God. The world that Jesus hoped for is not a world of luxury, waste, and complacency. In the current state as it is, to fundamentally resist and challenge the lifestyle of the dominant system is the real 'lifestyle of asceticism'. It changes the world.

Violence in Society

 

The recent pandemic that we all experienced showed very clearly that we are all connected with one another whether we like it or not. 

A question heard often: Are we our brother's keeper? Has many varied answers but for people of faith the answer is not difficult to answer. It's Yes. 

This is not something we enjoying having to deal with in life but the physical, mental, emotional and  spiritual  situation of  others will in someway for the good or bad directly or indirectly in a large or small way make itself known to us to us in some form.

The Catholic Times in the  recent editorial gives the readers  some thoughts of the situation in Korea that is not much different from many other areas of the world.

Recently, the fear of indiscriminate violence that threatens the survival of ordinary citizens hovers over the daily life of our society itself. The many  murder notices are not something to be regarded simply as childish pranks by immature teenagers. This is because there is a real possibility of indiscriminate violence, comparable to the weapon riots that occurred recently at two of  the subway stations.

  

Appropriate and stern responses to individual criminal acts are absolutely necessary. However, it is also necessary to deeply reflect on the structural problems of our society that cause the prevalence of such criminal acts. This is often a social pathological phenomenon more than an individual deviation. Therefore, the government, authorities, and all members of our society must make efforts to take care of those around us who are frustrated, socially isolated, and have antisocial sentiment.

 

Above all, an active response from the religious world, including the Catholic Church, is absolutely necessary. This is because religious people are the ones who can show interest and consideration for the poor and the marginalized without any selfish concerns. Religion must practice and testify through example the values of the common good and brotherhood, which are increasingly fading in our society.

 

First of all, the Catholic Church, must pay close attention to whether there are those who are experiencing pain and alienation in our community. To this end, organizations and systems that can take care of the poor must be reorganized. We need to sincerely look back to see if the church and religious activities were not just contained within the  church's fence. The church has the vocation to live in the world and evangelize the world. 

Synodalitas in Politics

The director of an Institute for the Lay Apostolate in the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly wants to see Synodalitas in our politics.
 
In a democracy, political viewpoints can be different and when they are similar there are nuances however in Korea the writer sees the parties colliding at every turn. It's a bit subjective, but that's the behavior of the ruling and opposition parties as he sees it.
 
It is rare to find cases in which a party expresses agreement with the policies or proposals of the opposing party. It is like a railroad track running parallel to each other. While there are differences in the platform policies of the two parties, there are similarities. Nonetheless, the two parties seem to be putting all their efforts into confrontation, friction, and mutual criticism, as in a dog-cat fight.
 
In a word, the ruling party is in a hurry to notice the president and the opposition party is urgent to notice the party leader. There is no lack of self-examination and criticism internally, but it seems to have little results.
 
This kind of behavior is not only far from the people's hope for politics, and for the right future of the country, but also increases the people's distrust of politics. This is the shameful reality of our country, which has entered the ranks of the world's top 10 developed countries economically but is backward in the political field. Is there no way out of this backwardness?
 
It is often said that politics is the art of dialogue and compromise. All conversations start with listening to the other person. Listening is not about finding an excuse to criticize, but about trying to understand what the other person is saying. Listening should not be one-sided. There should be mutual listening. But in our political reality, such listening is seldom found. Only one-sided self-assertion or criticism of the other party is rampant. Without listening, there is no room for dialogue, and without dialogue, there can be no compromise.  
 
In the Catholic Church, the wind of 'Synodalitas' is blowing fiercely. The abstract noun ending '-tas', means 'spirit, state, quality', etc. Synodalitas, 'the spirit of the synod' is 'the journey together'.
 
This 'synodalitas' is a term not easy to understand even for believers, let alone ordinary people, but the meaning of this word is clear. Synodalitas is an essential and essential element in the life and activity of the Church. There are several things here. The documents (preliminary documents and handbooks) provided by the Holy See regarding the Synodalitas suggest 10 points. One of them is 'listening'. Listening is the first step on the journey of being with the People of God.
 
If the life of the church is a 'journey together' to achieve the kingdom of God or God's will, the life of the government and the ruling and opposition political circles can be basically a journey together for the happiness of the people and the future of the nation. The first step here is 'listening'. The opposition party should listen carefully to properly check and criticize the government and the ruling party and present reasonable alternatives. The same goes for the ruling party in the government. It is difficult to break free from self-righteousness if we do not listen to the opinions of the opposition party.
 
However, this 'listening' is missing from our political culture. If the voice is loud and the power is big, it is considered a victory. If this is the case, political advancement can never be achieved. The starting point for dialogue and compromise is 'listening'. We urge fierce self-reflection not only for the president and the ruling party but also for the opposition party.

Education for Life

 

In the 'Diagnoses of Society' column of the Catholic Peace weekly a philosophy professor in the Catholic University gives the readers his ideas on education.
 
What our society needs most now is to change the understanding and system of education. Infant abandonment is a problem, the disregard for life that is so widespread throughout society and culture is a phenomenon that occurs because the value and meaning of life are not properly recognized.
 
After liberation, Korean society succeeded in establishing a democratic society and achieving economic growth. Such success is worthy of praise, but the side effects and harms that accompany it are by no means small. The culture of death, which does not recognize the nobility and mystery of life, its meaning, and value, and considers life only as a means, is widespread. There will be no one who will not agree that we must create a culture and society that respects and saves lives. It is self-evident that the most urgent and necessary task in leading a culture of life beyond the culture of death is education for life.
 
Education that awakens the dignity and nobility of life is possible when the mystery and value of life are revealed. That education cannot be merely tautologically repeating that life is precious. The meaning and content of life should be deeply reflected on and education based on it should be conducted. This is why the philosophy of life is necessary. This is because when we understand the essential mystery and meaning of life, education based on it becomes possible.  
 
The philosopher Immanuel Kant, who founded the modern Enlightenment, argued that morality and ethics are possible only on the basis of metaphysics, which regards humans as the first principle of all values. In this respect, the understanding of life-based on the metaphysics of life is inevitably the foundation of life education. At that time, not only elementary and secondary education in our society but also higher education can be achieved through life education that achieves the essence of education and reveals the nobility and mystery of life.
 
The Catholic spirit was established by systematizing the gospel of Jesus on Earth into a culture based on Greek philosophy. The vivid kerygma of the early church met Greek philosophy and was systematized. After that, it was reinterpreted in a historical context and incarnated into the culture and society of that era. Despite their diversity, the foundation has always been the Gospel. It can only be that the core of education is the teaching of Jesus on earth, who is "the way, the truth, and the life".
 
This is why Catholic education is essentially the education of life and truth. In any case, church education should be based on life and the word of truth, not practicality. The early church fathers, who incarnated the Gospel Word, understood the relationship between man and God especially according to the spirit of Plato's speaking education, paideia.[The education of the whole person in the humanities] The idea that God is the one who eternally draws man into his being is entirely based on this educational concept. Compared to that, the perspective of understanding education in our society is too ignorant and blind.  
 
A while ago, the political debate over the issue of the college entrance exam ended in absurdly futile thinking of education as just a means without understanding the philosophical principles of education. The church also runs many educational institutions, but we must thoroughly ask if this education is based on the Catholic spirit.
 
Catholic education can never be conducted as entrance exam education or employment education without reflection, dazzled by the small achievements of the past that succeeded in modernization. Educational institutions run by the church must be based entirely on the Word of Life and Truth. Because otherwise, a culture that respects life and reveals its nobility and mystery would never be possible.
 

 

Educating for Wisdom

 

"Merchants exaggerate the value of their products. Doctors, lawyers, and businessmen pursue economic success without taking proper care of their families. Sometimes we discover that we are becoming that way, and even though we don't like it, we excuse ourselves by saying that we have no choice." So begins the column Light of the World by the priest columnist in the Catholic Weekly.

Just recently he mentions the flooding of an under pass where 14 died, the stabbing near a subway station in Seoul, and the news of an elementary school teacher who sadly passed away at the age of 24 giving him great sadness.  In particular, the falling status of the teaching authority sounded a serious alarm to the educational reality of today's Korean society and the current state of our perception of teachers. The ultimate goal of education is to develop character under the ideology of Hongik Ingan and to realize the ideal of common prosperity for mankind. (Article 2 of the Framework Act on Education)

 

['Hongik Ingan' is a philosophy, a guiding principle,  coming down from the  Korean past  based on the idea that individuals should strive to improve themselves and the world around them for the betterment of all humanity. It is principle that is meant to guide 

education and organizations in South Korea.]

 

However, now in the  field of education, in addition to

plutocracy, meritocracy, excessive private education, and ranking of academic backgrounds,situations not easy to solve any time soon, absurd situations are occurring in which teachers' right to live is threatened. For this purpose, correct identification of social issues and warm love for neighbors are important. This ultimately presupposes correct education.

 

Catholic social doctrine very often mentions the importance of education in relation to character formation, morality and spirituality, social development and the role of the family. Education is a necessary process for fulfilling one's moral and social responsibilities according to conscience  and the pursuit of truth and is the duty of all parents and adults.  Healthy individuals and societies cannot survive without it.  

 

Nevertheless, what do you think is the reason for the unfortunate situation of the fall of teaching authority? Did the student human rights ordinance introduced in 2010 to promote student human rights have an impact on teaching rights? Or is it because of the opinion that students should be embraced unconditionally? The human rights ordinance and the opinion that students should be embraced are not the essence of this situation. The fundamental responsibility lies with us adults who have lived only in pursuit of money and success.

 

The correct appearance of adults is important If you look at it coldly, today's education reality has been reduced to education by capital and for capital. On the other side of it lies the reality of being chased by competition and capital, and the dark shadows of our affluent but increasingly harsh society. Naturally, in today's society, the focus of education is on ownership, qualifications, academic background, and financial success rather than teaching people to be loving, concessional, and considerate. It can't be a big defeat.

 

However, the essence of education is people and love, and we must live it out and show it, starting with adults. So the Catholic Church calls for the special efforts of parents and adults. Parental love is fully expressed in the task of education, and parents, as primary educators, work together with other educational institutions to teach children the fundamental virtues of justice and love, dialogue and encounter, sociability, legality, solidarity and justice.  We all need evangelical reflection for a healthy educational field and teaching authority that must be urgently restored. 

 

The family has a completely original and irreplaceable role in raising children. The parents' love, placing itself at the service of children to draw forth from them (“e-ducere”) the best that is in them, finds its fullest expression precisely in the task of educating. “As well as being a source, the parents' love is also the animating principle and therefore the norm inspiring and guiding all concrete educational activity, enriching it with the values of kindness, constancy, goodness, service, disinterestedness and self-sacrifice that are the most precious fruit of love”(Brief Social Doctrine 239).