Korean Perception of Beauty

If we see the Church as a  lamp, its oil, its spiritual energy, would be art, says a professor at the Inchon Catholic University. Writing in the Peace Weekly, he goes on to say that no matter how much oil is in the lamp, without being ignited by the flame from the world of art, we will not have much light in the Church.

Religion is in pursuit of reality, of an encounter with the deepest part of the self. Humanity in its search for this ultimate encounter, the professor maintains, cannot do without  symbolism. We need symbolism applied to inanimate things to express the living truths of religion. And when we open to these truths deep inside us, we will experience, he says, the symbolism of art as a fragrance that brings us closer to our ultimate encounter. Art, when employed in this manner, in its pursuit of beauty, can lead us to experience the transcendent, and in such an encounter with universal truth, the professor believes we have the illumination that comes from the meeting of art and religion.

All of us have an image of God but not having seen God, we can only express our images, he says, in symbols, and it is these symbols that are put into words. 

What do we understand by Christian art? What do we mean by Christian literature? It is the professor's understanding that whenever the artist has the Gospel vision portrayed in his work, there is Christian art. The way the Gospel message is integrated within the work of art--whether the vision is  present or absent, true or false--is the criterion in deciding whether it's Christian art or not. When the work of art transcends time and place and speaks to everyone, it can, he says, be called a great work of Christian art.
 
Christian art in Korea because of the early history of the persecuted Church took time to develop. Lack of understanding and of a feel for the culture by Church leaders resulted in building churches and in decorative art that were simple copies from the West. The beginning of Church art, with Chang Bal and others, in1924, was greatly influenced by the West, but in 1954 with Chang Bal as the leader, a creative Korean art began to take form, putting aside the attempts of the past to imitate the Church art of the West. 

With the large number of churches being built, and the starting of the Catholic Artist Group, there was a great development in Christian art, with many young people becoming enthusiastically involved. It was during this time that inculturation and Koreanization entered the Korean Catholic art world, a blending of the visual arts with the traditional cultural elements that appeared in their works and in the theology of the Church. The Second Vatican Council was the impetus for this development.

When we have a Koreanized Church, we will have a Koreanized Christian art, the professor says. The more particular (more Korean, in this case) and original we become, the more universal it will be, he says, borrowing the words of Goethe. Without the inculturation of our art, its message will be incomplete. What is Korean will of course always be ambiguous, but nonetheless the artist who is genuinely in touch with his or her cultural roots can't help but be Korean. We have to go beyond imitation and its limitations to create new artistic expressions that will make inculturation possible, and a Church that will be both truly Korean and truly universal.

 

Consciences Are Not Always Correct

In the daily meditation booklet on the Gospel of the day, the German war criminal Adolf Eichmann was given as the example of a civil servant who was an exemplary father and husband, who did his work well, but more, as the meditation points out, was expected. The Gospel passage is from Luke (14:25-33), where God is put before family. The point of the illustration was  that much more is demanded of a Christian who wants to be a follower of Christ than being a good family man and doing your job well.
 
Eichmann was apprehended in Argentina by the Jewish secret police and brought back to Israel to stand trial as a criminal against humanity.15 criminal charges were leveled against him, he was found guilty on all counts, and hanged in1962. Eichmann in his defense said that he was just following orders. He followed the law and was loyal to the government officials, which he was sworn to do. He had no remorse and died thinking that what he did was simply being a loyal German.

Expecting to see the face of a monster, those who witnessed the trial saw, instead, an ordinary, timid man. One of the Christians, after reading the meditation, didn't think the meditation booklet was the proper place to speak about Eichmann. After all, a military man has to follow orders whether he agrees or not. That, he thought, was basic. The Christian idea of what is demanded of a follower of Jesus is not something that is easily apprehended.

The  parishioner gave the example of the famous general, Gyebaek, of the Baekje kingdom. They were  invaded by a force from the  Silla kingdom that was 10 times larger than the general's forces.  Gyebaek is said to have killed his wife and children so they would not influence his actions and cause him to falter in battle. His actions are known by all school children of Korea. 

We as Christians have no difficulty in seeing the actions of Gyebaek as wrong headed and morally to be condemned, but in history there are those who  have  considered him a patriot who would even sacrifice his family for the love of his  country.  Catholic values that we have accepted are not seen the same by all.

We often hear the words "do good".  But what does this entail? we are asked in the meditation. Is it to do your best in whatever you do? Be a good family person, a good father, mother, a good worker, a good friend? This is not everything. There are times when even these relationships have to be sacrificed for something higher. Eichmann felt doing his job, supporting his family, following the law and being obedient to the ruler was everything.

Eichmann's code of conduct was as wrong as Gyebaek's and more morally objectionable but this he did  not acknowledge  and died without remorse.  This is not something easily understood, as the parishioner shows with his disagreement with the meditation. What tends to complicate the issue is that in over 90 percent of the cases there is no conflict between what is right and what is obviously immoral. A few cases where  there is a conflict between an informed conscience and  action, the decisions do not come easily, for the results will frequently cause pain.

Finding Solutions for the Suicides in Society

In the desk column of the Catholic Times we are  introduced to the book by the Finnish writer Arto Paasilinna, who wrote the tragicomedy A Charming Mass Suicide. Two people who have decided to end it all go to a countryside location where they meet in person for the first time. After failing in their attempt to kill themselves, though in the process cementing their friendship, they decide to recruit others with the same intentions, rent a bus and stage a mass suicide.

They advertise and successfully assemble a group of 20. Their plan is to travel to Norway and have the bus go over one of the cliffs there, but they end up going through Switzerland to the ocean side cliffs of Portugal. During the trip, which they all knew could end any day, they began to form close relationships with one another, finding solace; two of them falling in love. Life, they discovered, had become attractive and now, their thoughts of suicide put aside, they were looking forward happily to a new beginning.

Finland's problems are the background for the novel. They are the first country in the world to make the prevention of suicide a national project. In 1983, after bringing together 50,000 specialists and making a study of 1,337 suicides, they inaugurated, in 1992, a program of prevention. The results have been noticeable, with a reduction each year in the number of suicides, moving them from the 3rd country with the largest number of suicides to the 13th. A good example that efforts made in this area will bring results.

Korea for the last 8 years has been number one in the world in the number of suicides. What is the reason? Those who have studied the problem say it is the importance the Koreans give to economic betterment and the competition this requires. Behind all this, says the columnist, is the lack of importance that life has for many Koreans.

The Church in Korea has given the subject much concern and study.  The recent symposium in Korea attended by specialists of Japan and Korea concerned with solving the problem is a good example of the importance and vision of the Korean and Japanese Churches. Interest in preventing suicide stems, of course, from the importance the Church places on life.

As important as is the  medical treatment for those who have attempted suicide, the connection with society and the feeling that there are persons concerned with their welfare is also important for those who are having suicidal thoughts, and they need to  feel this, the columnist says. The teaching that suicide is forbidden is the Church's position but it has to make efforts to be close to those who have attempted or are thinking of suicide and work to prevent it. In the novel A Charming Mass Suicide there is the word 'together' which she found emotionally moving. It is when we have a deep connection with others, she feels, that we will have the will to want life.

"Crying for the workers"

Both Catholic papers had articles on a seminar sponsored by the Justice and Peace Committee of the Korea Bishops Conference. "Who will cry for the workers"  was the theme of the meeting.

"I wanted to live an ordinary happy life and that is what my life has been. But suddenly, because of a strike my family seems to have fallen apart. I am too much of an   ordinary man and yet thinking of death--hanging myself." These words begin one of the articles by a Ssangyong worker who was fired. There is great desperation among fired workers, and many have committed suicide.

Because of this dire situation, the bishops feel a need to pay closer attention to the problems workers are now experiencing. One participant said that the Church should be on the side of the weak and poor, as their first option, and workers certainly fit the description. Our leaders, he said, should find ways to give strength  to those who have been fired, helping them to look forward to the future with hope.

Another participant mentioned that the first official concern for workers by the Church came in the first years of the 1980s, when a member of a foreign mission society and other members of religious orders were involved, but he says this interest was not continued.  He feels there should be a committee sponsored by the bishops devoted to the pastoral concerns of all workers in the country. This should spread to all the dioceses, as we renew our  understanding of the dignity of the person  and of work.

The keynote address by a bishop mentioned that we in the Church are not upset enough when we see the  mistreatment  of the worker; he considers this the number one problem that needs addressing by the Church. The problem should be examined deeply, he said, in order to find effective solutions.  We as Church need to be concerned for those who are alienated from society. As Christians, we are not only people of faith, he said, but members of society who must make our understanding take flesh in society to help it to change.  We can not abandon our duty or expect others to do it, we have  to be concerned for the problems in society.

When we remain comfortable and not concerned in following our Lord's example we are not being his disciples.  We are ignoring the needs of justice. We have to see how the Gospel is lived out in history and use all our strength to respond to the pain and suffering we see.

Loving in the Manner Acceptable to the one Being Loved

On the spiritual page of the Catholic Times the columnist recounts what an older priest told him about a couple with whom he had spent many enjoyable hours, and has known for many years. Hearing they were not on the best of terms, he invited them to join him at a restaurant for dinner. All seemed as it had been in the past, with the husband, during the meal, showing affection for the wife.

At the end of the meal, however, while the husband went to the restroom, she told the priest that the next time he visited she wants him to meet with them separately. The meal ended with the wife's bitter words ringing in the ears of the old family friend. He told the columnist that no matter how long a couple have been together, and how many good things were done, just one serious incident that one of the spouses hated would be enough to cause a great deal of trouble.

The columnist notes that when loving someone, we always want to do good by that person, to make them happy. And when the person loved enjoys the same things as the person loving, then great blessings come to both. However, he reminds us that, more important than making positive efforts in doing what the loved one enjoys, is to refrain from doing what they dislike. Such efforts, he feels, will enable one to show more interest and care for the loved one.

Though it is understood that the lover usually loves in his own unique manner, it is important to love in a manner, the columnist says, that is acceptable to the one being loved. When one knows what the loved one dislikes, great effort must be made to avoid doing what the other dislikes, which will develop trust and foster love. 

If there is someone we love now, he suggests that we refrain from doing what they dislike. But it must be mutual. When only one party to the relationship makes the effort to refrain from doing what the other dislikes, the lack of trust will take its toll and the relationship will break down.

The breakdown of marriages and the attempts to strengthen family ties are common themes in today's world. They are likely to continue if we cannot master our emotions, direct our loving thoughts toward others in a manner they can appreciate, and put into practice the old-fashion idea of living a virtuous life. Intentions to live such a life are well and good, but will accomplish little of permanent value if they remain in the head and fail to become a part of who we are.  
                                        

Confucianism And Christianity

There are a number of similarities between Christianity and Confucianism, the tradition that has greatly influenced Korea since ancient times and continues to do so. A seminary professor, whose discussion of these similarities was picked up in a recent issue of the Peace Weekly, focused on three areas to compare: morality, the historical perspective, and human nature, as understood by more recent Confucian interpreters.

What is our goal as humans? Confucianism asks. To be the person we were meant to be. And, more important,  to know who we are. We have been given the  possibility of living virtuously and are meant to realize what we have been given. Many Confucian scholars have considered this the way to become saints.  One of the scholars tells us the reasons we don't achieve this goal is our lack of intention and knowledge. Achieving our goal is only possible, he says, if we have a clear idea of what the goal is. Another reason  is the lack of effort and sincerity.

St, Paul, to the Philippians, said: "I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ."
 

The attitude of being merciful to others is strong in both traditions. Confucianism has the negative expression of the Golden Rule: Not to do to others what you don't want  them to do to you. Also, that we must begin with ourselves and our families before society can change.

In Confucianism the idea of the after-life and the soul is missing. How could they so passionately work on disciplining themselves and practice the virtues? the professor wonders, if there is no belief in an after-life. Because of their view of history, he says. For the Confucian, humans did not just come from nowhere but broadly from heaven or narrowly from the ancestors. One's personal life was not managed arbitrarily but was connected: What has been received from the ancestors needs to be managed well and passed on. This is the reason, he says, for Confucian filial piety and loyalty to the king.
 

The article goes on to some thoughts of recent interpreters of Confucius. He selects one telling phrase: The heart has two concerns, one for the individual and one for the community. To have harmony between these two seemingly conflicting inclinations will require a great deal of discipline, with the ultimate goal of matching the interior with the exterior, words with actions, knowledge and practice.
 
Mencius describes two ways of combining knowledge and practice in his advice on studying well: one way is with our whole being, which requires training to go into the deep recesses of our minds. The second way, also requiring training, is to concentrate our minds on what we are studying to develop interior strength. The first way is the way of the scholar, the second way is the cultivation of the mind which everyone should strive to achieve.

The above brief description of Confucianism, despite its necessarily simplistic treatment here, was able to determine--relying only on the natural powers of reason and on one's own direct experience--societal rules and a way of life that have been influential for many centuries. What the Christian sees as the natural law has been well developed within Confucianism without the help of revealed religion.

Working for Unity Among Christians

 

The World Council of Churches (WCC), which meets every seven years, have done so this year for the tenth time, in Pusan (Oct. 30th to Nov. 8th), with the theme "God of life lead us to justice and peace." The largest number to ever attend these meetings (8,500) are here, and 4,630 are from Korea.

The World Council of Churches is an inter-church organization founded in 1948. Members include most mainstream Christian churches, except for the Protestant churches who  say the World Council  of Churches represents:  inclusiveness. Many Korean Protestants believe the Council is going against Bible teachings, and staged a protest in front of the building where the delegates are meeting.

The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council but  sends delegates to the meetings. 12 Catholic theologians are present in the religious faith committee and over the years the Church has kept in close contact with the WCC. Both Catholic papers are reporting on the meeting, as well as the visit of Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who is attending, along with a delegation from Rome. The Cardinal, quoted in a secular paper, said "All the Christian denominations with the same belief in Jesus are brethren. God desires that we become one, without unity we will not be able to receive the world's trust."

After the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church has taken ecumenicism and the search for unity as a serious mission. In keeping with this mission, the Cardinal visited with the Anglicans and the Orthodox and had a meal with the heads of other Protestant groups; Buddhist and Confucian groups will also be visited--all efforts to foster a new way of "being world and society."The  Cardinal hopes the meeting of the WCC will have some influence on solving the country's North/South problem.

 

The  Peace Train, which left Berlin some 22 days before, arrived in Pusan two days before the start of the meeting. They were hoping to get permission to fly to Pyongyang but it was not given, so they took the ferry from China to Inchon, and from there by bus and train to Pusan and the WCC meeting.

The goal of the meeting is not only to break down the walls between religious groups but also to work for unity among all people of the world. With more societies becoming secularized, the existence of God and the moral order and the realization of love is being shaken with relativism, a formidable obstacle that religious people in the world today must face. The imperative to be open to a deeper dialogue and cooperation is more urgent than ever before. The editorial stressed the hope that the WCC meeting will help foster a greater appreciation of the Gospel of Life and be a catalyst for spreading this message throughout the world.