Lesson from the Tower of Babel

Pieter Brueghel, a Flemish painter of the 16th century, is famous for his genre paintings of rural life, such as “Peasant Wedding” and “Hunters in the Snow,” as well as his “Tower of Babel,”  based on the Bible.

The Tower of Babel, appearing in Genesis 11 of the Old Testament, was built by arrogant humans in an attempt to reach the sky. The Creator mixed their languages, making it impossible for them to communicate with each other, and the tower's construction was never completed.

Brueghel’s “Tower of Babel” is a masterpiece that expresses the foolishness and limitations of humans who try to challenge God's realm. Let’s think about the “Tower of Babel.” As science and technology evolve rapidly, isn’t it possible that humans are forgetting the lessons of the past and building another Tower of Babel under the pretext of industrialization?

In November 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasted that the El Niño phenomenon that occurred that year would continue until April of the following year. In fact, many parts of the world suffered from record-breaking heat waves caused by El Niño in 2024. In Xinjiang, China, there were places where the surface temperature exceeded 70 degrees. In 2024, the number of tropical nights in Korea was 39 in Seoul, and the average temperature from June to August was 25.6 degrees, the hottest summer since meteorological observations began. 

El Niño means little boy in Spanish. El Niño occurs due to the weakening of the trade winds blowing from the equator and is a phenomenon in which the water temperature in the Pacific Ocean abnormally increases. It changes to La Niña, an abnormally low sea temperature phenomenon, over 1 to 2 years. El Niño causes a decrease in fish catch, an increase in precipitation, and flooding in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and increases the frequency of droughts and forest fires due to the formation of high pressure in the western Pacific Ocean. In particular, wildfire damage was severe in Indonesia and northern Australia this year.

La Niña, which means "girl child," occurs when trade winds become stronger, opposite to El Niño, causing increased rainfall in the western Pacific Ocean and drought and wildfires in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The WMO predicted that La Niña will begin in the second half of 2024, causing cold waves in winter to hit many parts of the globe. El Niño and La Niña cause climate change, which has a major impact on the global ecosystem, agricultural productivity, and economy.

There are two leading causes of climate change: natural causes, such as changes in the Earth's orbit, changes in solar energy, and volcanic eruptions, and human causes, such as increased greenhouse gases due to excessive use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, urbanization, and deforestation. In particular, human causes such as excessive resource consumption and environmental destruction in modern industrial societies are the main culprits in accelerating climate change.

As human intelligence has advanced and technology has become more sophisticated, engineering technology has developed more than ever, and humans armed with advanced genetic knowledge have reached the level of artificially processing the mysteries of life phenomena in laboratories and industrializing them. If humans become intoxicated by these results and cross the line they should not cross, they will become the protagonists of another Tower of Babel that will meet an unfortunate end.

Scientific progress without philosophy is like building a castle on sand; technological development without humanity and love for humanity is like drinking from a poisoned cup that gleams. Religious and philosophical reflection and reason must serve as red lights to prevent industrialization due to scientific and technological progress from becoming a runaway train heading toward a dead end without brakes. And right now.

Searching For Peace on the Peninsula—

In an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly on the worsening situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Special Committee for Reconciliation of the People of the Bishops' Conference urged that the current confrontation should be resolved by "putting yourself in the other person's shoes" rather than by physical force.

In the appeal, the bishops’ committee stated: “The Korean Church should keep a close eye on the tensions on the Korean Peninsula and earnestly hope that no armed conflicts occur on this land,” and “The world is concerned about the news of North Korean troops being dispatched to Russia, which is at war, and our government’s arms support to Ukraine.” They continued to express concern that “there are many people who complain of discomfort and anxiety due to the proliferation of hostile waste balloons and loudspeaker noises day and night.”

The committee emphasized to leaders, politicians, and policymakers in the South and the North that “the first duty of the state is to ensure the safety of the people” and that “they should consider the suffering caused by the tragedy of war as their own.” In particular, they appealed: “The role of the newly elected American leader is also important,” and “Diplomatic efforts by countries related to the Korean Peninsula, including the United States, are urgently needed so that military tensions can be eased and dialogue can be restored between the South and the North.”

The Committee also urged believers with a mission for peace and all those who pursue the common good to “avoid Military conflict under any circumstances” and “Let us all urge political leaders to choose peaceful methods.”

The committee stated, “Although it is difficult to hope for peace now, the church that believes in Christ who overcame death and was resurrected never loses hope,” and “This hope gives us the courage to overcome fear and allows us to choose the path of love and reconciliation even in moments of conflict.”

Usefulness of Uselessness—

The Preciousness of Faith Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, written by a University priest professor, meditates on gratuitousness and its necessary place in life. "We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty" (Luke 17:10).  

This phrase gives us much food for thought, not only for those who serve in the church but also for our society, which values usefulness as one of their highest values. A good way to begin the new liturgical year is to be mindful of the meaning in our daily lives.  

How difficult it is to serve without selfishness. We move only when there is a reward and sad when there is no reward. But isn't the happiest time when we serve willingly, even though no one recognizes it, rather than when we receive a reward?

Parents are happy to see their children growing up. They don't shower their children with love, expecting a reward. All the pain and hardship of raising a child, the anxious moments, the struggling hearts, the long, painful nights, all that hard work and effort, melt away with just one smile on their child's face. There is joy when you give freely and without expecting anything in return. That joy cannot be exchanged for anything in the world.

As someone involved in forming priests, the happiest moment is when seminarians complete their seminary training and are ordained as priests. He thanks God for the students who have grown up.

Gratuitousness, giving without expecting anything in return, is the value and virtue our faith needs today to take a leap forward. Today, everything is judged by the yardstick of economics. As a result, not only everything people do but even themselves are judged by economic logic. If I receive something, I must return it, often with interest.

However, let's think about it. We realize that what keeps our lives humane is not economic logic but the logic of love and gratuitousness. What warms our hearts and gives vitality to our lives are minor considerations, small concerns, and small words from the heart. They do not cost money, but they have the power to make people happy, heal the wounded, and bring them back to life. What makes us human is love and giving with a pure heart without expecting anything in return.

This is also connected to our relationship with God. As we grow older, we become weaker and less capable of doing things and must rely on others. When we see ourselves becoming useless little by little, we lose our motivation and become depressed. However, God never judges us by our usefulness. Instead, God values ​​our lives because we are his sons and daughters. He blesses our complicated lives and washes away our lives stained with sin. 

Perhaps, as we experience being useless, we can yearn for God's love more. We can gain eyes that can better perceive what God is doing. God needs useless people because He can work with greater power in them. Those who consider themselves useful cannot open their hearts to that extent. Those who recognize their uselessness are always open to God and willingly share and give what little they have. This is why God loves useless people.

The Usefulness of Uselessness. Isn't this the value we, who live today's complicated life, should open our eyes to? We are not valuable because we are useful but because we belong to his creation. Then, can't we now look at everything around us with a new perspective and try to see through God's eyes? 

Synodality in the Military

Both Catholic Papers had articles on the military and Synodality. The following are briefly some of the points that were made in the articles.

The Military Ordinariate was the first among the dioceses nationwide to hold a ‘parish priests’ meeting for the Synod.’ The 100-member military priests pledged to practice ‘a journey together’ (Synodalitas) as a faith community that responds to the spirit of the church and the demands of the times in the special and complex pastoral environment of the military.

At the meeting in one of the dioceses, the priests achieved dialogue (discernment) in the Holy Spirit through meditation and reflection. They acquired the ‘attitude for listening and dialogue’ presented in the Synod Handbook. They had a spiritual conversation with a heart to learn from and serve each other, focusing on where the Holy Spirit led them.

What does it mean to practice fellowship, mission, and participation in a military organization based on hierarchical order? The priests shared their answers in the first theme group sharing, reflecting on ‘How should the church that realizes the spirit of Synodalitas move forward?’

“I believe that practicing Synodalitas in the military is not about giving unilateral orders, but rather a process of discovering the ‘joy of being together.’ The power of fellowship comes from conversations and cooperation that go beyond the division of roles.”

Another article mentioned the meeting in Rome last year on the Synod. “At that time, none of the 193 priests from 99 countries were elites of the church,” and “Pope Francis also listened to and encouraged the words of ordinary priests and told priests to listen to the voices of the faithful and live Synodalitas."

The priests who participated in the meeting were divided into 10 groups and discussed the priests’ attitude toward Synodalitas. They used an hourglass to prevent abuse and monopolization of the conversation. They also had a time of meditation to record the stories that came up during the conversation. During the group discussion, the priests in charge of military chaplaincy shared their grievances. One priest confessed, “When I had to focus on training as a soldier rather than church ministry, I sometimes felt confused about my identity as a ‘military chaplain’ or a ‘priest chaplain.’”

Nevertheless, the priests shared in-depth discussions such as, “We need to put down our sense of authority and listen to develop our ministry” and “We need to get closer to the soldiers.” One priest said, “We have been used to talking more than listening,” and “Reviving the attitude of empathy and listening with  our hearts will become true synodalitas.”

Nevertheless, many military chaplains doubted whether they could realize the synod spirit while serving in the military chaplaincy. Demonstrating the synod spirit is difficult in the special military field, where hierarchy is important.

After completing the group discussion, the priests experienced the meaning of conversation between senior and junior priests in the military chaplaincy and hoped that such synod meetings would continue. One  priest  said: “I hope there will be more opportunities for senior and junior priests to talk in a horizontal relationship.”

The Vicar General of the Military Ordinariate said, “We organized the annual general meeting in the form of a synodal format so that the priests of the Military Ordinariate can acquire the synodal spirit of listening and dialogue,” and added, “I hope that they can feel and share how the Holy Spirit approaches them while listening to each other.”

Loss of Humanity

The Catholic Now/Here news site used an article translated by a German professor who is now retired but continues to reside in Korea, translating and teaching German. The article from an Israeli Daily was published on their website, and below is an English translation.

Gideon Levy, a reporter and co-editor of the Israeli daily Haaretz, has watched with horror the fundamental changes in morality and values ​​that the year-long Gaza war has brought about in Israeli society. On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other armed groups in Palestine attacked Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, and Israel responded with an unprecedented military operation in Gaza. The number of Palestinian deaths has now exceeded 40,000.

The massacres and targeted killings of civilians, as well as the unimaginable destruction on the part of Israel, are justified by three basic arguments: First, the October 7 massacre was a result of the bloodthirsty, innate brutality of the Palestinian people living in Gaza, without any specific context. Second, all Palestinians are complicit in the crimes committed by Hamas against Israelis, and therefore all Palestinians are collectively responsible. Third, these two arguments lead to the conclusion that Israel can do whatever it wants after this horrific massacre, and no one has the right to stop it. This right of self-defense applies only to Israel, not to Palestine.

In Levy’s view, this power granted to Israel to exercise unlimited violence and to ignore all norms of international law and human rights has resulted in the legitimization of barbarism both in the actions of the Israeli military and in Israeli socio-political discourse. He says that Israel has lost its humanity by glorifying the power of killing. Any expression of compassion or humanity for the suffering of Palestinians has been erased from public discourse, and such views are censored on social media, Levy says. Even Israelis are treated as criminals by the authorities in such cases. Yet the horrific and miserable inhumane conditions in Gaza are rarely reported in the Israeli media, which is instead full of hatred and racism against the Palestinian population. 

Levy sees the Israeli media’s response to the killing of the Hezbollah leader in Beirut as ethically abysmal. For example, a journalist on a popular TV channel handed out chocolates to passersby on the street during a live broadcast, while another journalist wrote on X: “the leader was crushed in his bunker and died like a lizard... a fitting end for him,” Levy said of the report. “The Nazis called Jews rats, but the Hezbollah leader  was a ‘lizard’ in the eyes of the Israelis.” A few days earlier, there was a similar euphoric reaction when hundreds of pagers and radios were detonated in Lebanon, killing dozens and injuring thousands. This act, which could be interpreted as state terrorism under international law, was instead praised as a stroke of genius by the Israeli Secret Service.

Shockingly inhumane statements can be found not only in the media but also in academia.  A professor of history at Tel Aviv University, is known as one of Israel’s most popular Middle East experts. He sees the starvation of civilians in northern Gaza, who were unable to follow Israeli military orders to move south, as a natural consequence. In a TV interview: “Anyone who stays in the area will be considered a terrorist by law and will be subject to starvation or extermination.” Another professor has called for the Israeli military to now occupy Gaza, and a prominent historian, has even openly advocated dropping a nuclear bomb on Iran. These individuals appear to be far more radical than the current leaders of the Israeli military and security services. 

In addition to their work defending potential war crimes and the Israeli occupation of Gaza, they are also engaged in a campaign to demonize Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims. A  university lecturer said Israeli academics have been trying to rally public support for the Israeli military’s destructive actions in Gaza. To do this, they openly call for ignoring valid international law. For example, one scholar believes that the rules that work in the West do not apply to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying, “If you try to solve the Middle East on Western terms, you are doomed to failure.” People with this mindset believe that Israel should be proud that it is not a liberal Western democracy. “These scholars want Israel to follow the same path as other Middle Eastern countries,”  “That means Israel will also adopt an authoritarian order in the region. They believe that is the only way for Israel to survive in the region.” 

A prominent Palestinian human rights lawyer, expressed his fears in an interview with the Guardian that Gaza is in danger of becoming a “graveyard for international law.” 

Sourani founded the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in 1995 and was part of a team of South African legal experts who brought charges of genocide against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, 2013. He lived in Gaza until October 2023, when Israeli authorities detained him six times and charged him with terrorism. That month, a 900-kilogram bomb completely destroyed his home. 

This happened after he was interviewed by Amy Goodman, founder of the American left-wing television-radio-internet political magazine Democracy Now!. Fortunately, he escaped safely with his wife and son, but he is convinced that Israel targeted his home. He vowed never to leave Gaza, but the threat of being killed led him to seek asylum in Cairo. He was a sharp critic of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) inaction in response to Israeli abuses. 

He recalls a conversation with Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the ICC and the predecessor of the current prosecutor, Imran Khan, who said that Ocampo told him that he could not take action against Israel without the permission of the US government. Incumbent Imran Khan, who in May 2024 filed an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu and the recently dismissed then-Defense Minister Galland for allegedly starving civilians in Gaza for their war-mongering and targeted killings of civilians, believes Khan is also being overly cautious. Sourani believes that if the ICC had intervened sooner to protect Palestinians, the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, could have been prevented. Instead, Israel has been receiving a steady stream of signs from the US and Europe that “Israel is untouchable and will not be held accountable.” The Netanyahu government has now gone one step further in its mockery and disregard for international law, launching a direct military strike on UN agencies in Gaza this October.

A Transcending Love—

Copernicus overturned the conventional idea that the Earth is the center of the universe and argued that the Earth and the planets revolve around the Sun. A Catholic University priest's 'Preciousness of Faith' Column in the Catholic Peace Weekly reminds us of this transformation, which changed many people's vision.

Although this change in thinking was difficult to accept then, no one now thinks the Earth is the center.

The reason why Christian faith is difficult is because it requires a kind of 'Copernican revolution.' Pope Benedict XVI said, "If I were to summarize the entire Christian faith in one word, it would be love that has achieved a Copernican revolution." In other words, if until now the center of the world was 'me,' and everything revolved around me, for Christians, the center now becomes  God, and everything revolves around Him. He has bestowed overflowing love and grace through Jesus Christ upon us.

However, real life does not seem easy. It may seem impossible because we realize we are selfish and weak humans. The writer remembers a language school teacher who said he hated putting himself in someone else’s shoes while studying abroad in France. He meant that although he spoke from someone else’s perspective, he could only think, experience, and speak from his own perspective and could never understand someone else’s perspective.

One of the humans' greatest limitations is that we cannot completely make someone else’s situation our own. The writer's mother once said this when she was alive: “Oh, it’s so hard. What can I do? I can’t be sick for you.”

But if you think about it, we also know how to be sick for someone else. When a child gets sick, parents can’t sleep and stay up all night with their eyes wide open next to the child. What happens to a friend, acquaintance, loved one, or someone we love feels like our business. Can we really call ourselves human if we just pass by someone dying? Passing by someone who is mugged or assaulted on the street may be the best way to avoid harm, but people who listen to their conscience act immediately without concern for their safety. This is because they consider it their own business, not someone else’s.

When the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred in the United States, a French seminarian friend of the writer said that he could not eat for several days. He said it was because of the shock of the terrorist attacks. Isn’t it true that someone who realizes the misery of those on another continent is related to me and sharing their pain is truly human?

 We believe that Jesus transcended the limitations of others. He experienced the pain, sorrow, and suffering that people experience. He made everything that humans experience, even death, his own. He sweated blood and suffered in agony before death and confessed that his heart was so troubled that he was ready to die. He suffered all kinds of insults and ridicule during his suffering and death on the cross; he became someone abandoned by everyone.

But that was actually a sign of God’s love for us. It is a love that goes beyond the boundaries and gives everything without leaving anything behind, a love that ‘gives’ even the last breath.  (See John 19:30.)

The Copernican shift of love is difficult, but it is definitely worthwhile. It fills this barren world with humanity, as Jesus did, and allows people to have hope for one another.

A Gaza Child's Will And Last Testament

 

In the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, the columnist examines the tragedy of war, not the least of which is what it does to those who experience or hear about it and have to live with its effects on our ability to empathize— "One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic."

"I read the will of a young girl who died defenselessly in the ravages of war. My heart ached, and I was so angry that I cried all night." This article is titled "A Gaza Child's Will," published in Al Jazeera, a leading media outlet in the Arab world, on March 3. 

The protagonist is Rasha, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed on September 30 after being bombed by the Israeli army while staying at home. Why would a child who should be pampered by his parents and play with her toys write a will? The will contains the trauma and helplessness of war and the purity of family love.

The main character is Rasha, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl who died on September 30th from an Israeli bombing while at home. Why did a child who should have been with her parents and playing with toys write a will? The will is filled with the trauma of war, helplessness, and the purity of family love.

“If I become a martyr or die, please don’t cry for me. Your tears will make me suffer. Please give my clothes to those in need. Give the accessories to OOO, etc., and the bead box to OOO. 50 shekels a month’s allowance to OOO, storybooks and notebooks to OOO, toys to OOO, and please don’t scold my brother Ahmed. Please follow my wishes.” (Rasha’s will)

Rasha and her 11-year-old brother Ahmed’s house were first bombed on June 10. They barely survived that time and lived in fear of war and hunger, but three months later, on September 30, their house was bombed again, and the two siblings lost half of their faces and eventually died. No one in the family knew about Rasha’s will until she was buried in the same grave as her brother. The person who made the will known was Rasha’s uncle.

Since the surprise attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on October 7 last year and the retaliatory attack by Israel, the number of innocent children has continued to increase over the past 13 months. 16,700 children were killed and 17,000 lost their parents. Al Jazeera reported that the apocalypse (end of the world) is unfolding in the Gaza Strip. The UN Secretary-General is appealing to “stop ethnic cleansing,” and an Israeli historian criticized, “What has Israel learned from the Holocaust?”

As Pope Francis warned: “War is a defeat for everyone, with no one winning.” In particular, the killing of children in war is a destruction and abandonment of the future. The Pope appeals for an end to war, asking what children and families, the first victims of war, have to do with war.

Parents who have lost their children in war are not alive. Can there really be a future for parents who cry while holding the bodies of their young children? There is only fear and dread. The Pope said: “There are words for those who have lost a spouse or a parent, but there are no words to comfort parents who have lost their children.” No matter how good the words are, they cannot comfort the pain of the bereaved (the loss of a child before their parents or grandparents)  can only make it worse. The Pope recommends we listen to their words, approach them with love, and take responsibility for their pain.

For whom is the war taking place around the world? It is a tragedy caused by the greed of a very small number of powerful people. Those who started the war are criminals. Countless children’s wills are still buried in the ashes of war, and children are writing their wills in fear of darkness.

Anyone can write a will. However, we must prevent countless children like Rasha from having to write their wills out of fear of war. The ones who should be writing wills are war criminals. Instead of writing wills, we must beat our hearts as sinners who will stand one day before the Lord. 

"It is regrettable that the anger and prayers of humanity, yearning for peace and calling for an end to war, go unheard. As adults coming to the end of the month of remembering the dead, instead of writing only a personal will for the distribution of inheritance, how about writing a will that reflects and shares our social responsibilities and roles in the face of the crisis of human extinction?"