Learning From History

What can be learned from history? This was the theme of an article in the  recent Kyeongyang Magazine, written by a bishop with  a doctorate in  Church history. He recounts how he got interested in history while in the seminary, writing his thesis on the Protestant Reformation. He wanted to know  the reason for the reformation. This perked his interest in learning more about Catholicism and Protestantism.
 
Church history reveals a number of sad events, such as the Crusades, the Inquisition, and Galileo. The bishop  wanted to find out the reasons the Church took a path that was different from the will of God. He wanted to find answers to his many questions.

The questions were not easily answered. However, doing his studies in Rome, he began gradually to see things differently.  When you see the big historical picture, a larger understanding comes.

During his studies, he heard that a person without faith could not be open enough to study Church history. Church history is not just one part of world history or a study only of what humanity has done, but it allows a  place for  God's providence. History is a conversation with the past. From our present vantage point, we look into the past. However, doing so there are many things that have to be noted. We cannot  take our moral yardstick of today and condemn the past. One has to return to the cultural conditions of the past to correctly understand those times. Reflecting on the past from this vantage point and acknowledging our mistakes candidly will give us a  new horizon and hope for the future.

Pope John Paul II, the bishop reminds us, apologized in the name of the Church for the violence, persecution and mistakes of the past 2000 years at the beginning of the 3rd millennium. The Church has learned a great deal from history. In response many nations followed suit; especially of interest is the response of the Japanese Catholic Church in the  book What We Have Learned From History. The Japanese Church apologized to their Asian brothers and sisters for the crimes of Japan, but only a few in Japan are familiar with this  effort, which the bishop laments.

The article mentions that the aid to Japan from Korea after the recent earthquake was a sign of Korea's forgiveness for the crimes she suffered for many years at the hands of the Japanese.  

The bishop also mentions our own Catholic history and the incident of the only priest in Korea back in 1801. When three young men tried to save the Chinese priest by having one of them impersonate him, refusing to reveal his whereabouts, and moving him to different locations, they were killed. Learning about the killing the priest gave himself up to the authorities to stop the killing. 

These and many other historical incidents teach us a great deal and make  history  a valuable  textbook for learning what may lie ahead for us.            

Stopping Bullying Among Children

Recently there have been a spate of stories of children being bullied and sometimes taking their lives to escape from the abuse. What are we to make of this?  Remedies have been a topic of much discussion. The journalist writing on the subject in the  Catholic Times worries about his own school children.

Why have we not been able to put a stop to this? he asks. The specialists have introduced all kinds of solutions. With the emphasis we have put on achieving academic excellence, we have forgotten the importance of educating for character, for the whole  person. Our sudden progress in industrialization, finances, and knowledge has put the practice of virtue on a secondary level. Getting rich quick, pleasure-seeking, commercialization of sex, depiction of gratuitous violence in movies and in the news media, and a money-buys-all approach to life can't help but be a potent influence on our young.

And it will be our young who will be running the next generation. Our greatest help to them will be to understand them, determine what are their concerns and desires, their present internal conflicts, and to help them come to a proper appreciation of who they are.The columnist reminds us that the mass media is always talking about mutual understanding, dialogue; the magic wand that will cure all the problems. In most cases, working parents don't have the time to spend with their children, talking with them, trying to understand what is bothering them, just being with them. This is the reason for many of the problems destroying family life.

As part of the solution, the Church's effort to make parish life attractive to the young is on-going, making it a place where they are able to rid themselves of some of their stress and to recharge themselves for their life in society. Efforts made for  'one time big events' are no longer going to appeal to the young; they want and need to be listened to concerning the small but important to them daily events in their lives. 

Parents should not only teach about the faith life but be an example of this faith life in the home. The home needs to be a place where everyone will feel the warmth and intimacy of a shared life. Now is the time, he believes, for the older generation to begin solving the problems of the young by making their problems our problems. 





           

We The People

A columnist on the opinion page of the Catholic Times, who is also a professor and president of the teachers' pro-life movement of Korea, takes a look at some of the problems of our society, problems that he sees coming as we move from an underdeveloped country to take our place among the more developed countries of the world.  What should be our understanding of the so-called conservative and progressive viewpoints now dividing many societies of the developed world?  

Many have worked extremely hard for what they have achieved; it doesn't make much sense to have those who  have not made that effort to  ask those who have for help.This was seen recently in the election for mayor, where the central issue was whether free lunches should be provided for students. The columnist acknowledges that this was not only a welfare issue but was also intertwined with politics. The vote went in favor of the free lunches.

He reminds us that society has helped the wealthy to achieve their wealth. He also mentions that efforts were made in the recent election to distort information given to the public. There have been many efforts in the past, he said, when not all pertinent information on important issues has been divulged to the public. In a democracy, this should not be the case. Whether one is conservative or progressive, citizens have the right to have adequate information available to conscientiously elect those who will be running the country. 

To return to the question, why is it that the rich should give more of what they have to help the poor? Those who have received more, some would say, should give more because that is the uniquely generative power of a democracy.  Which can also be seen as a failure of democratic governments to provide full equality to its citizens. We have all seen from the history of the East and the West that those with wealth have often monopolized access to a country's material resources and have also become politically dominant to assure passage of laws that are predominantly self-serving.  

To act in a human way, our columnist reminds us, is to treat everybody the same no matter their background or their capabilities. Both those who give and those who receive should feel they are part of the same human family.  All agree the law of the jungle has no part of a civilized society. It would be a step in the right direction when all those who have also see the need to give, but the government also has the duty to see that all  achieve enough to live in a developed country.

The people, he muses, will soon have the privilege to act as 'king-makers' once again, as they gather this coming year to elect the 'king and his retainers.' It is important, the columnist says,  that the citizens in a democracy understand their role as kings.

Bishop Emeritus--Bishop Dupont

In recent months there have been a number of articles and a documentary on Korean TV on the bishop emeritus of the Andong Diocese, Renè Dupont, a member of the  Paris Foreign Mission Society.

Bishop Dupont was born in 1929, in France, was ordained a priest in 1953 and came to Korea in 1954. He worked for 12 years in the Taejon Diocese and was elected the local superior of the Paris Foreign Mission Society in 1967. Two years later, he was made a bishop, the first of the Andong Diocese. He retired as bishop in 1990 and has lived a very simple life since, giving retreats and lecturing. He has helped many to appreciate their calling as Christians, and is  respected and loved my many.

The Kyeong Yang Magazine had a long interview with the bishop.  He made it clear he was not much interested in the past or the future but was interested in the present moment. Asked about past failings in life, he said that though they are not matters for an interview, he remembers no serious infractions of his conscience but many  small matters, which he brings to confession once a month. He has for his motto ' In Christ' and stresses that the number one virtue for a priest should be humility.

He acknowledges  a sensitivity for beauty: in nature, in personal dispositions, and in the teachings of Christ. He considered  himself one who has been struck with admiration and love for Jesus and admires all those who try to live the beautiful life, the meritorious life, no matter what they believe.

He does not like to use the word fortunate or unfortunate,  for in God's providence all things work together for good. Asked about his favorite book, he mentions the book of all books, Scripture, especially Psalms 8, 23, 63, 131, 139; Mathew ch. 5; Luke ch. 6; Romans ch.12; Ephesians ch.4-5; Colossians 3-4. Mature, he says, are  those who are honest, genuine, prayerful, patient, and serving others.  He asks the  young to be positive, happy, and to strive for a clean conscience. Don't just follow what others do and don't be afraid to be ridiculed. At the end, those who live well are recognized.

To the question on the present condition of the country, he feels there are few countries that can  equate to Korea in their quick material progress. But sadly, the general lack of joy in the country shows that spiritual growth has not accompanied the material. He  introduces us to the mission statement of the Andong Diocese: 'We live on this earth with an open heart, simply; consider life precious, share and serve others; work in the overflowing happiness of God's life."

He admires the work of the Catholic Church of Korea in its zeal, in its genuineness, and in its search for social justice. The negative would be its becoming too worldly. Society should imitate the religious values the Church teaches, he said, and not the Church imitating the values of society. When money and comfortableness become our aim, not all is well. The salt and light spoken of in Scripture have to do their work. The reason we are to be different, he said,  is that the Church "is a sign to be opposed" (Luke 2:34).

Deepening our Spiritual Life

Spirituality is a vast subject and a columnist in the Catholic Times has worked with the subject for many months and now applies what has been learned to understanding the inclinations of the heart. Using the works of Adrian van Kaam and his perspective of seeing the heart as having four natural inclinations: congeniality, compassion, compatibility and competence, he proposes that following the movement of these inclinations will lead us to deepening our spiritual lives.  

By Congeniality is meant our  congruence to the  image of God within.  It is to look for the God within and to rest in him. It is finding out who I am, and what I am to do. We are to rest in God. And by remaining in God, van Kaam means that we are to keep on searching for him. We are continually in search of God's will. Continually in communication (prayer) with him. Until we come to an understanding of our ultimate mission in life, we will not be able to act correctly, he says. When we don't know the final goal, we lose our way and life becomes a maze.
 
Inclination to Compassion  means that though we are weak, incomplete, limited  human beings with many emotional scars, and because of the suffering, we can reach out sympathetically to others.  We  need to be healed. We must try to understand and forgive, and be understood and forgiven. As long as we are confined to our body and mental faculties, we will not be able to grow spiritually.
 
Compatibility allows us to make those we come in contact with feel comfortable, avoiding critical and judgmental words that will make others feel uncomfortable. When we are not in harmony with those we are living with, it is because, says our writer, of a failure to be at one with God's will and to consider his will in our lives. When we have congeniality, compassion compatibility guiding the movements of our hearts, then the fourth quality of Competence will appear in our lives, bringing harmony. An orchestra does not remain silent but gives us beautiful melodies; so also when we have the  harmony of these elements the music will resonate in our lives. 

These four inclinations of the heart are gifts, a grace. This way of living will not only melt the 108 troubles of life (a phrase from Buddhism) but will give us 108 answers in grace to  answer these  troubles of life. By developing these four qualities so they work together in ever greater harmony will help move us closer to living a more abundant spiritual life. 

Another Side of Mountain Climbing

Koreans love to go mountain climbing and the spiritual page of the Catholic Times has the columnist introduce us to a religious brother whose passion is mountain climbing. The columnist has climbed with the brother, but  because of his body-build mountain climbing is a drudgery; however reaching the top  and seeing the vista is a thrill, and appreciates the brother's attachment to the mountains.

Half of the brother's vacation is spent mountain climbing,  sometimes going with his community members but more often alone. For him, climbing has become a spiritual experience. Those who love mountain climbing can't be attached to vices, he says, the aliveness of the mountain works on the greatest energies of the person to empty and purify them.

When he returns from  climbing, he is concerned with the  mountain climbing gear and sleeping bag. All the clothes and gear are cleaned, washed, his sleeping bag freed from all the sweat and refreshed. The equipment  has had decades of use. Looking on the way the brother cleans and cares for his equipment, one can easily see the attraction the mountain has for him.

However, the personal account was only an introduction to what the columnist wanted to say about mountain climbing. The brother is able by his mountain climbing to recharge himself spiritually-- appreciating  the fullness that comes with emptying oneself and finding in the providence of nature the presence of God.
 
He was told that to stay at the mountain shelters overnight would cost about 8 dollars.  Everybody  is the same, all are treated as equals. Everybody is invited to the same oneness and peace. However, the columnist regrets that because the gear and clothing for mountain climbing has become so expensive the climbers using the mountain shelters are told to keep their gear beside themselves while sleeping.  The cases of persons greedy for what they see makes this a  regular warning at these shelters.
 
There is no difference in the hearts of the climbers who love mountain climbing, but the gear shows the disparity between rich and poor. The columnist laments that mountain climbing in many cases has not been a place to empty oneself in preparation for the 'heroic' ascent but rather a place to show off one's equipment.
 
He pleads to the lovers of mountain climbing to keep mountains as places where we can find equality, camaraderie, and the shared exhilaration of a meditative experience. 

Strength of Character--Fortitude

Our premier Catholic Magazine had an article on fortitude and education and how they relate to each other. The writer, a doctorate in cultural studies, mentions that a friend told him during a phone conversation that his son's bicycle was taken from him at school, and wanted to know what he should do. What did the son want to do? asked the writer.  The son wanted to go to the school to ask for the bike and the writer agreed, and if not returned should then speak to the teacher, he added.  But the father had problems with both solutions, worried that the son would be the object of bullying.

In this case, all worked out well for the boy. One of the worst things feared by children is getting known as squealing to parents: a big reason for bullying. The father was happy for his son but warned  that all does not work out  so nicely in life.
 
The way the father handled the problem was not the writer's preference. The writer would have liked to see more education emphasizing the need for courage and loyalty.  The reason for saying the one being bullied brings it upon himself, which is the common thinking of children, is not based on reality, he said. Children would believe that bullying is caused by a  lack of communication skills and living in one's own world. There is no way, he says, that this can be easily determined, and trying to rationalize what happens after the fact is, he believes, cowardly.  

He recalls Renè Girard and his theory about scapegoating. He saw it as the effort to shuffle off blame to another person to free oneself from guilt. He calls this the 'scapegoating mechanism.' Jesus, Girard says, fought against this, and did so by becoming the innocent baby lamb of the exodus. Jesus was the innocent scapegoat, and by accepting this freed all others who were being scapegoated. He should have put an end to scapegoating.

Jesus did not fight the injustice head-on but put an end to the scapegoating habit by his courage.  He put an end to the continuing reign of injustice and the rationalization of injustice by courageously facing it.
   
The writer asks what do we do in the Church when we are teaching our children? Do we encourage them to be courageous in facing difficulties and help them join others who are courageous? If the parish community  is not able to do it, are we  willing to introduce them to others who are?

The views expressed in the article are interesting since in the Catholic tradition fortitude  is one of the four  cardinal virtues. But care has to be taken not to fall into either of two extremes: rashness and timidity; virtue is midway between  excess and neglect; courage is a virtue  between rashness and timidity. No doubt our formation of character during our early years would tend to one extreme or the other. Hopefully, the way we have developed our personalities would enable us to distinguish between the two extremes. This would also be a reason why it is not easy to make a prudent judgement in the here and now on how to act in any particular situation. We do have, however, within Christianity those who we call saints who have given us examples of how to live, and, not forgetting our first textbook, the life of Jesus.