Is Lyrical Poetry Possible?

The Catholic Times in its 'Vision' column has an article on the place of  lyrical poetry in our world today.

The priest writer was introduced to a book by a close friend which left a lasting impression on him. This is the novel “Snow”  by French writer Maxence Fermine. This novel was concise, like reading a prose poem, but it left him with a wealth of thoughts.

 

Set in Hokkaido, northern Japan, this novel tells the journey of the main character, Yuko, who wants to become a poet against his father's wishes. The contemplation of nature, which is as beautiful as human relationships, is as thrilling as it is human. For Yuko, who lives in a snowy country, snow is special. His poems, which flow "as if laid down on silk paper",  are solely about snow. Snow is the main subject of his poetry, that  comes from the hand of God.

 

The conversation between Yuko and his father, who is opposed to his becoming a poet, is interesting. The father says. "Snow is white so it lacks existence. Snow preserves nature by freezing it. It dares to idolize the world. Snow keeps changing. So I can’t trust it. Snow is slippery. Do you like slipping on snow? Snow turns to water. That’s why floods occur during the thaw season."

 

Yuko gives response: "Snow is white. That's why it's poetry. It’s pure poetry, snow preserves nature by freezing it. It is the most delicate picture of winter, it keeps changing. So snow is a form of calligraphy. There are thousand ways to write the word ‘snow’. The surface of snow is slippery. So snow is made for fdancing. Everyone on the snow will think you’re an acrobat. Snow turns into water. Snow makes music. When spring comes, snow turns rivers and rapids into a symphony of white notes."

 

For the father snow makes for a harsh winter and for the son lyrical poetry. If the pursuit of unity between the self and the world is called ‘lyrical,’ for the father snow is merely a display of  emotion upset with his son, and for the son, they become a projection of who he is.

 

The columnist forgot the novel was by a Frenchman  who was born at the foot of the Alps, this novel also seems to be an expression of his lyricism.

 

Clearly, there are various reasons that the subject matter of nature evokes strong feelings. He thinks of literature featuring not only snow, but also rain, sea, wind, mountains, sky, and the earth. Someone’s memories of what they enjoyed in what we call ‘nature’, untouched by human intentional touch, sometimes become literature  sharing its hidden meaning with the world. But will this  romance with nature continue in the future? 

 

On August 24th, Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, prompting a furious outcry from many."Children born in Pacific countries after today will not remember the Pacific Ocean before it was mixed with nuclear wastewater."  It is no longer the sea it used to be. It is different from the sea in which the whale “Moby Dick” swims in Melville’s novel, at least for some.  

The reality is that attitudes toward nature are quite different. Snow can now remind us of snow drifts, the rain and wind remind us of storms, the sky of fine dust, and the mountains and land remind us of development and real estate.

 

Philosopher Adorno said:"It is barbarism to write lyric poetry after Auschwitz." How deceitful must it have seemed to write lyric poetry after so many human atrocities? So, can we continue to write lyric poetry in the face of the natural crisis caused by human hands? 

 

Social Gospel And Spiritual Maturity

 

Gandhi was once asked for a message to the American people. Mr. Gandhi replied: "Why should I send any message? My life is my message." So it is with us—our lives become our message. In the Catholic Times, the priest columnist in Light of the World gives the readers some ideas on how to make our lives our message.

 

Even among non-Christians, there are many great many who can serve as role models for the world. Among them, we have Gandhi the father of India who said: "I am a poor mendicant. All I have is a spinning wheel, a rice bowl used in prison, a can of goat milk, six shabby bedclothes, a towel, and a not-so-great reputation." I consider him a great person. Gandhi, who was selected as the Person of the Year by Time magazine in 1930, presented many precious teachings to the human family through the ideas of non-injury, non-violence, and non-possession against British colonial rule.

"He who seeks the truth must be humbler than dust." "The more educated a person is, the more he should travel in the third class." "Non-violence is the most powerful force that humanity can utilize." "There is no path to peace. Peace is the way." One of the people who best practiced Jesus' teachings to love God and even love one's enemies was Gandhi.

 

Life with God—It is said that Gandhi earnestly hoped that India's independence and the dignity of its people would be preserved, but that he did not wish anyone to die because of it. He also lived a frugal life, working in solidarity with his poor neighbors, and was a man of prayer. Throughout his life, he sought to implement justice and tried to become a sincere and truthful person. This is the life that God taught us.

 

Of course, his life was difficult, many good people in India suffered under the oppression of powerful countries. But Gandhi and his efforts to preserve goodness preserved what was most precious. This is life with God.  

 

The Catholic Church also emphasizes through its social doctrine that people are righteous before God (#260 of the Brief Social Doctrine), and that peace comes from the fundamental relationship between humans and God, a relationship characterized by righteousness. (#488)

In the face of widespread hatred in society, a life lived with God, is the purpose of social doctrine. What is needed for that is a life oriented toward love, prayer, labor, frugality, and charity toward neighbors, as shown by Jesus, numerous saints, and Gandhi. We emphasize that it changes society. Moreover, these virtues are urgently needed by leaders and politicians. Being hostile towards those who have different opinions telling them to fight, and showing hatred and anger, only creates a vicious cycle.

Laws and principles are also important. However, there are many things in the world that cannot be solved with just that. Dialogue, compromise, tolerance, are often necessary. So, Gandhi proposed seven vices, and among them are ‘politics without philosophy’ and ‘economy without morals.’ It is the biggest factor that makes our society difficult today. I must first live a life that pursues God's teachings, a life that pursues spirituality rather than just material things, and a life that practices reconciliation and forgiveness.

 

 "Only through the mutual activity of individuals and peoples sincerely working for the good of all human beings can true universal brotherhood be achieved." (Summary of the Social Doctrine, Paragraph 145) 

Called to a Life of Joy

In the Catholic Peace Weekly a Catholic University professor gives the readers his thoughts on the joy of the life of a child of God. 

"When we meet Jesus, our lives change into a joyful feast." It is a phrase that beautifully expresses the Christian life.
 
The Gospel of John announces the beginning of Jesus' public life with the story of the wedding feast at Cana.  This may be to convey that because the Word became human and lives among us, our life with Him becomes a feast that cheers the heart like wine.
 
Just as alcohol cannot be left out at a banquet, if Jesus is missing from the life of a Christian, it will be as dull and sluggish as ‘steamed bread without anchovy’. Faith is a life with Jesus and a joyous feast. This is the core message of the New Testament. In fact, Jesus lived his life like a feast and invited everyone to that life of joy.
 
The 'Sermon on the Mount' contains the core of Jesus’ teachings—an invitation to a life with God. Jesus taught us how to live joyfully, not through old-fashioned teachings or commandments imposed as obligations but the life of a child of God who knows God and calls Him 'Abba, Father!'  

The God Jesus taught us is a merciful Father who creates and cares for all things in the world and generously provides for his children.
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11).
 
The life of a child who calls God their father can only be one of joy and delight. It is the comfort, consolation, and reassurance that one feels in the warm embrace of one's father, free from all the cares and worries of the world. So there is no need to worry, Jesus says. "So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about tomorrow. Enough are the troubles of each day!"(Matthew 6:34)
 
Of course, human life is full of hardships, trials, and worries. Everyone's life situation is different. There are times when we are poor, times when we are sad, times when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, and times when we are persecuted. There are times when the world ridicules us because we are gentle, merciful, pure in heart, and dream of peace. However, God's children see God the Father's great will and plan beyond what the world sees, and we believe and hope in the kingdom of God promised to our children. And although everything in the world will pass away, he is confident that God the Father's promises will be fulfilled in His children, and that His justice and mercy will ultimately triumph.
 
The joy of living as a child of God does not come automatically. It is a series of spiritual battles that fight against despair and discouragement without giving up hope in the face of the hardships that come with it every day. In order to win that fight, we must believe in the presence of God the Father, who is always with us, and place our hope in His promise that He will care for and protect us until the end. In order to do so, we must listen to the voice of God who always speaks to each of us anew, and open our eyes to the love of God who gave everything for us through his Son. 

But it is also a battle of joy. No matter what situation we are in, when we are confident that God is with us with infinite love and will protect us until the end, we will overcome many situations for which no human solution is possible, and we will experience true happiness as children of the Father. Because you will taste it here and now.

Overcoming Conflict in Society

 

The Diagnosis of the Times column of the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers some background on the relationship between the Wisteria and Arrowroot plants and problems that may arise.

The priest columnist was born and raised in the city and consequently has little knowledge about plants and animals. When he climbs a mountain near Seoul or goes to the countryside he is amazed to see how much people know about the different trees and flowers.  Nevertheless, there is one tree that he knows well, and that is Wisteria.

When he was a child, there was a bench made of rattan in one corner of the school playground and in a vacant lot of an apartment complex. Wisteria, which climbs iron pillars and provides cool shade, is a familiar plant even in urban areas. The Kudzu plant is similar to the arrowroot plant and they both cling to what they come in contact with in their growth.

When watching TV programs that mainly introduce the lives of people living in remote mountainous villages, scenes of digging up roots of kudzu trees often appear. The plant whose roots can be drunk as juice or dried and used is similar to the arrowroot plant.

Wisteria and kudzu are both stem plants and are said to grow by climbing up other trees. However, it is said that when these two plants meet each other, it becomes difficult to separate them.  As the kudzu  grows, it wraps itself around the other tree in the right direction, while the wisteria grows in the left direction, so if these two plants meet, it will be impossible to untangle them. The word in Korean that comes from this contact is 'Conflict (葛藤,)', he thinks it is a good name.

When he looked up the Korean word conflict in the dictionary it was defined as: 'hostility or conflict between individuals or groups due to different goals or interests'— labor-management conflict, generational conflict, regional conflict, etc. 

These words complicate our minds, like two intricately twisted vines, like a twisted skein of thread that we don't know where it begins and where it ends. Efforts to calmly unravel each tangle quickly reach their limits, and the urge to chop down the plant with an ax or cut off the tangled parts. Not only do we need to think about social and political aspects, but conflict is one of the things that everyone wants to avoid, but cannot avoid. We have to deal with others with whom we are in conflict, misunderstand, and distrust within families, the workplace and society. So, is there an easy way to resolve the conflict?

Recently, conflict on the Korean Peninsula has been increasing. On August 18, President Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister announced the ‘Camp David Principles, Spirit, and Pledge’, which contains the joint vision and partnership of Korea, the United States, and Japan. Evaluations continued that it raised security cooperation between the three countries to a new level and formed a collective security system that effectively keeps China in check. Some argue that security has become stronger due to strengthening ties between value alliance countries, while others argue that security has become more unstable due to the breakdown of balanced diplomacy between the United States and China

He doesn't know how the outcome will play out, but it seems difficult to deny that the conflict structure between Korea, the United States, and Japan versus North Korea, China, and Russia has become more solidified. Right now, North Korea's arms trade with Russia is increasing, and its dependence on China is also increasing. The conflict between North and South Korea was difficult to resolve just by coordinating the positions of the parties and restoring trust, but it is being sucked into a confrontational structure even further within the international situation.

Let’s pay attention to the definition of 'conflict' again. If you cannot cut down or burn the other side's trees, the conflict should be managed rather than escalated. Care must be taken to prevent it from developing into a bigger conflict. This is by no means a cowardly act, but a wise one. It is relatively easy to speak harshly and act aggressively. It is much more difficult to come up with a solution to resolve the conflict. Although it is difficult, he hopes we can take the path toward peace. That's why politicians exist, and isn't politics necessary for the community?

"I am Having a Hard Time"

 

One Mind One Body Suicide Prevention Center priest columnist of the Catholic Times mentions the society where it is difficult to say: “I am having a hard time.” He is the director of Spirituality in the Department of a Catholic Hospital.
 
A famous broadcaster publicly revealed that he suffers from panic disorder. Until then, panic disorder was unknown to the public and was only seen as an excuse for people trying to avoid social responsibility, but after that incident, the columnist became interested in what panic disorder entailed and the pain experienced.
 
As a result, awareness of panic disorder changed and patients who had previously been unable to reveal themselves in public were able to reveal themselves one by one. They say that although their situation has not changed, people's perception has changed and just being recognized can provide comfort.
 
The number of suicides in our society exceeds 13,000 every year, and this number has steadily increased since the IMF. The pain of suicide does not end with the death of the suicide but has a huge impact on those left behind. When a person commits suicide, there are about 20 family members who are emotionally connected around them, and these people are called 'suicide bereaved family members'.
 
It is estimated that about 200,000 suicide bereaved families will occur each year alone, and looking at the cumulative number each year, it can be inferred that the entire Korean society is becoming a huge bereaved family society. However, despite this large number, it is difficult to find suicide-bereaved families. Suicide is not something we can easily speak about in our society.
 
Family members bereaved by suicide are unable to recognize the pain of someone close to them and feel shame and guilt about not being able to foresee the death, which makes it difficult for them to reveal it to those around them. There are cases where the death is not even made known within the family.
 
At the same time, conflicting feelings of betrayal and anger arise towards the deceased who caused such pain, and these complex and contradictory feelings make it even more difficult to bring the subject up in conversation. Moreover, there is an added social stigma that sees suicide survivors as problematic people, causing them to experience the pain of enduring everything alone. Even family members hesitate to approach each other after a suicide and their relationship becomes distant, and this isolation also puts the bereaved family in further danger.
 

In English-speaking countries, survivors of suicide are called 'suicide survivors'. However, these days, many people appear to be fine to others, but inside they feel an unbearable loneliness, and the pain repeats over and over again, They become numb and find it difficult to even utter the words, “I’m having a hard time.” I even worry that if I say it's difficult, I might make things difficult for the listeners.
 
Then, after facing great difficulties, there are so many people who cannot find anyone and endure everything alone, collapsing and having to make the final decision alone. Has it become a courtesy and a virtue in this era to pretend that it is not difficult even though the situation is already unbearable?
 
 Even if it's difficult to solve it right now, how great would it be if we could create a social atmosphere where people could just say: "I'm really having a hard time," and those around them would listen carefully to those words? If we can’t even do that, we might all be ‘suicide survivors’.

'Peace On Earth' Encyclical's 60th Anniversary

The Secretary of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Bishops' Conference in his column of the Catholic Times reminds the readers of the teaching of our recent popes on War. 

Last March, a forum was held at the University of Notre Dame in the United States under the theme, ‘New and old wars, new and old challenges toward peace.’  Cardinal Robert W. McElroy proposed 'a true renewal, restructuring and expansion of Catholic teaching on the legitimacy of war'. He emphasized choosing active non-violence and explained the meaning of Pope St. John XXIII's encyclical "Peace on Earth" as follows:

 

 "The impact of ‘Peace on Earth’ not only on the Catholic community but also on the international community is enormous. This encyclical, written in the midst of the Cuban missile crisis, was based on the conviction that the Church, with its rich tradition of peace, must speak strongly on peace issues, especially with deep concern for the signs of the times. Pope John XXIII not only provided a deep reflection on the meaning of the existence of the international society that emerged in the 1960s but also outlined the basic human rights that can create lasting peace, laying the overall framework needed to establish true world peace."

 

Since "Peace on Earth", all succeeding popes have strongly condemned the "evil of war". In particular, Pope St. John Paul II also raised his voice against the military operation in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. On January 17, 1991, when U.S. and multinational forces launched Operation Desert Storm, the Pope said: "I strongly assert that war cannot be an adequate means of completely resolving the problems that exist between nations. It has never been the case or be the case in the future." 

 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine appears to be inciting a global arms race. Among European countries, Finland and Lithuania, which border Russia, have increased their military spending significantly, and military spending in Sweden and Poland has also increased significantly. According to the ‘2022 Global Military Expenditure Trends’ report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), last year’s military spending in Central and Western Europe exceeded in real terms for the first time that of 1989 during the Cold War. The institute also assessed that China and Japan are leading the military expansion in Asia.

 

The dark cloud of the ‘Cold War’ is gaining ground again. Today's church must more boldly proclaim the teachings of Pope St. John XXIII, who emphasized: "Everyone, however, must realize that, unless this process of disarmament is thoroughgoing and complete, and reaches men's very souls, it is impossible to stop the arms race or to reduce armaments, or—and this is the main thing—ultimately to abolish them entirely. Every one must sincerely cooperate in the effort to banish fear and the anxious expectation of war from men's minds. But this requires that the fundamental principles upon which peace is based in today's world be replaced by an altogether different one, namely, the realization that true and lasting peace among nations cannot consist in the possession of an equal supply of armaments but only in mutual trust. And We are confident that this can be achieved, for it is a thing which not only is dictated by common sense but is in itself most desirable and most fruitful of good." (No. 113 of Peace on Earth).

Season of Creation Sept. 1st to Oct. 4th

The director of a Theological Research Institute gives the readers of the Catholic Times another reminder of what is a constant theme in our society: the weather change and consequences in the Eyes of the Believer column.

Although the midday sun is still hot, the breezes in the morning and evening feels cool. She is  glad that it is fall now. As each year passes,  the summers become more difficult to endure, this year there were many days with oppressive heat which  reduced  energy. Maybe it's because she is getting older, but she also thinks it's  because the average temperature of the Earth is rising and our country is gradually turning into a subtropical climate.

 

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the Earth's surface and sea surface temperatures in July of this year were the highest ever, and that it was close to the 'temperature rise of 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels', which is considered the Maginot line of climate change. In addition, it was predicted that there is a 66% probability that the temperature will exceed 1.5 degrees within the next five years. Seeing this, the UN Secretary-General warned that the era of ‘global warming’ is over and the era of ‘global boiling’, in which the Earth is boiling over, has arrived. One scientist even said that “this year will be the ‘coolest summer’ of the rest of our lives,” as future summers will become increasingly hotter

 

Even without looking at scientific data, we are all already feeling the climate crisis. Last summer, as the extreme weather changed with continued scorching heat followed by sudden heavy rain, the number of deaths and patients from heat-related illnesses increased significantly compared to previous years, and many casualties  of heavy rain occurred, including the Osong underground car disaster.  

 

As seawater temperatures rise, subtropical marine life is being discovered one after another in the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula, and the cultivation of subtropical crops is also increasing in rural areas. Some people are watching these changes closely and feel a serious sense of crisis, but most are just indifferent and ignore the warnings sent by nature.

 

When it comes to choosing an ecological life, it is said that deciding to live an eco-friendly life for one's health or for economic benefit does not last very long. It is a task that must be continued despite the inconveniences  so when conditions change, the body quickly returns to a familiar and comfortable life. However, it is said that actions that come from a heart of empathy, compassion, deep love and solidarity for suffering lives do not easily change. This is why Pope Francis emphasizes ‘ecological conversion’ in Laudato Si’ and why it is said that the religious community must take the lead in this ecological crisis and move and change people’s hearts to live a life of moderation and sacrifice.

 

She was curious about ecological activities in other religions.  Buddhism proposes the vegetarian culture as an alternative in the era of ecological crisis, and is said to be carrying out activities to encourage vegetarianism, such as holding a vegetarian campaign on Dog Day. In order to respond to the climate crisis, Won Buddhism is said to be carrying out activities to create small forests by planting trees equal to their age, and is increasing the number of ‘Sunshine Churches’ that convert the electricity used in churches into renewable energy. It is said that Protestant churches provide a lot of ecological spirituality education through publishing ecological education materials and environmental campaigns. 

 

In particular, this ‘Creation Season’, when all Christians pray together in solidarity, is called ‘Creation Festival’ like Lent or Advent, and we pray and act to take care of this world created by God.    

[On September 1st, the Feast of Creation, also known as World Day Of Prayer For The Care Of Creation, kicks off the 2023 Season of Creation under the theme 'Let Justice and Peace Flow.'To celebrate, Pope Francis calls everyone to listen to the 'victims of environmental and climatic injustice' and to 'put an end to this senseless war against creation. Feast of Creation Care of Creation concludes on October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.    

In our Catholic Church, there are many dioceses that encourage people to practice sacrifice and self-control in the spirit of green martyrdom during this creation period, which overlaps with the Holy Month of Martyrs.

As today’s Gospel says, “If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Christians and religious people who love the world are taking the lead. She  sincerely ask that prayer and action can flow like a river of justice and peace and change the ecological crisis that is a mountain of injustice