In the Social Gospel Academy column of the Catholic times a priest in charge of the Justice and Peace committee of a diocese helps us to meditate on a serious problem in society. He begins telling us of a trip in the subway where he was scrutinizing the faces of his fellow passengers. Most of them were intent on the smartphones they were holding. In the small world of the subway car in which they were in, all seemed lonely islands.
Many older people who gave their youth to the world are dying without care. 'It's okay if it's not me'. Many young people do not show the passion and excitement of youth, dejected and head-down, 'it's okay, it's not me'. Thousands are fighting illegal layoffs on the streets, some are deprived of living due to excessive government projects, families live a life like death, we have the women who were sexual slaves of soldiers, now grandmothers-- as long as it's not me it's okay.
These islands are scattered here and there and make one beautiful spot in a archipelago in the southern dream land. As long it's not me no problem. Is this not the line we continue to recite as in a poem, while the world like these islands continues to float?
It's said the world has become dreary. In order to survive competition has become part of life. "Why do we live?" "What's life?" "What is true life?" We have abandoned these questions. I am alive because I breathe and I die when I stop breathing. There is no tomorrow. Life is difficult but we don't ask why, we don't even have the energy to ask why. I don't look at you because it's too difficult. Why do I have to live this way? I don't even ask because it will retard my 'progress'. Why don't we get rid of the word "Why"? Is this not a pathetic way to save ourselves?
We are all walking different paths. However, we can make two big divisions in life. The writer has done this with Cain from the Old Testament (Gen. 4: 1-6) and the Samaritan from the New Testament (Lk.10:29-37).
The Good Samaritan helped the dying victim of a robbery, interrupting what he was doing to be with the hurting person. Cain on the other hand, for selfish reasons, killed his gentle brother. The contrast between the two is simple and clearly made: 'together' and 'alone', 'sympathy' and 'contempt', 'coexistence' and 'competition', 'sharing' and 'monopoly', 'serving' and 'oppression', 'life' and 'death'.
Our consciences tell us clearly what path we should take. However, knowing and walking the way are two different actions. What path, he asks, are we taking now? We have the 'Good Samaritan Way' and the 'Cain Way'. Even though the Cain way is always present in our world have we taken the way of the Samaritan, the way of peace and joy? Or could it be that we have deceived ourselves in thinking we walk the way of the Samaritan but in reality the way of Cain? Let's us walk courageously the way we know is correct.
For some time the phrase in English, 'well-being' was popular in Korea.
Even commercial products received the name. Followed shortly after with
'healing' to a point where it became sickening to hear. We all desire
to live well and receive healing but with the over use of these words, a
university professor writing for the Peace Weekly, wonders if it will
not have a contrary result.
'Well being' and 'healing'
both have for their goals happiness and good health. For the professor,
she wonders where does death fit into the picture. In life we have many
situations where the beginning is important but the end is more so.
Birth is important but not less important is death.
In
sports and studies there is nothing like repeated practice to achieve
proficiency, true also in life. To live well we need to learn
about life and since death is a part of life we need to naturally learn
about death. Where is the place of death in our lives?
Since 'well being' is a part of life we can't separate it from death:
'well-dying' should be a part of 'well living'. Talk goes on about the need to
extend the life of the incurable and the palliative care of the sick in
hospices and related policies.
She
feels that we are falling behind in education for death. We have some
small groups doing it with difficulty. Education to be
successful needs to be consistent, systematic, and adapted to the person's age. We need to learn how to live well and learning about death is part of the course and makes the end of life a beautiful chapter.
Visiting a hospital recently
she remembers overhearing the talk of two interns in front of the
emergency room. Apparently one of them was to
determine the time of death of one of the sick persons and was finding the
situation unnerving for it was his first time. If we have those who
are specialists in the field with difficulties, easy to imagine how others would feel in a similar
situation.
It is urgent that we make efforts to
learn about death. It is all very natural to have a fear of
death. Well
being and healing, important as they are, needs some of that passion turned towards death.
If the new government is to raise the
quality of our lives we have to begin education in death a need in order to live well.
"More than anything will power is necessary, isn't it? No need for
treatment in hospitals. I will stop drinking on my own." A family of an
alcoholic brought him to the treatment center of a hospital where he
expressed his feeling that he can stop without treatment. The family
heard his words with dismay for it was not the first time they were
uttered and a return to drinking shortly after.
Refusal to accept
help is very common. Sadly there are not only a few who have this
understanding of alcoholism as something they can control on their own.
Words by the head of a hospital alcoholic center written up in the
Catholic Times.
Aime Duval a French Jesuit priest
(1918-1984) who in the 1950's and 60s was a singer and song writer, famous not only in Europe, but
traveled all over the world with his guitar giving concerts. The stress that came with his success took a
toll on his mental health. He couldn't sleep and began drinking and ended up in a hospital for treatment. He needed help.
"Courage
was useless. Will power, strength, hate for the situation,
encouragement, knowledge, money, glory, credentials, diplomas even
prayer which I tried was useless." When he acknowledged that he failed
in everything he tried, change took place. He put down his
self-righteousness and stubbornness and saw his alcoholism for what it
was and receiving help from others was on the way to health. He
joined a self-help group and went on to assist many in France and
Europe to find sobriety.
Many think that the abuse of
alcohol, drugs, gambling is simply a lack of will power. "Why do I go in search of a doctor and medicine when the
problem is my lack of will power?" With this kind of thinking the
alcoholic blames himself and his lack of will power. This is a serious obstacle to treatment which drives the person even more into darkness.
Alcoholism is a sickness and not a lack of will power. When a person is
alcoholic the control of the will becomes difficult.
Consequently,
thoughts that follow addiction are frightening. Often we have the
feeling of being victimized and blaming others, anger is not controlled
and unhesitatingly becomes violent. Those around the sick person don't
realize this as a characteristic of the disease and quarrel with the
sick one, hate one another, reproach and often give up on treatment.
Those
who are involved in the treatment of addiction make known the
poisonous psychological foundations surrounding addiction.Despair is the
the worst point from which a person has to drop for hope to appear. At this time the person will willingly grasp at any straw that is offered and
all the strength is mustered for the healing.
Know-how, medicines, the treatment and the
rehabilitation facilities are all available for a return to normal life. The only thing in
the way 자구책is biases, misunderstandings which blocks the path to recovery. Necessary is the urgent desire on the part of the sick one for help.
Living without desires was a line in a poem by the Japanese poet
Sansei Yamao which a religious uses in the beginning of his article in
the Kyeongyang magazine to give the readers some idea of his thinking on
the subject. He liked what the poet was saying and found himself
praying: "If I die now it will be alright."
He makes
clear that it is not that he has arrived at this stage in the spiritual
life but he wants to examine his heart when he says these words to see
what his feelings are. It's a help in his prayer life. When there is a
agreement with what he says and what his heart feels that is a good
sign.
The article quotes Boethius (480-525 AD) The Consolation of Philosophy: "Nunc fluens facit tempus, nunc stans
facit aeternitatum." (The now that passes produces time, the now that
remains produces eternity.) In other words the duration proper to the
eternal Being must be conceived as everlasting while temporal being is
open to a succession of states distinct from one another. We are not
able to grasp the 'now' for it quickly becomes the past. Rarely, however,
we have moments that are filled with great joy that last, moments of
ecstasy.
Most of us lose the present moment because we either live in the future or past. We can see our present as a stepping stone to the future
or what is worse to see us heading towards some future obstacle.
The possibility is also to live in the past because of unhealed scars, sins and the like, that
cast a shadow over our present now.
We need to be
present to the eternal now where we are in God's presence. The past nor the
future are what are important but the now and in the Scriptures we
are continually invited to the present. The miracle medicine is trust:
Matt. 6:25-34. Trust leads us to the ever present now. We are not given
a cross that is beyond our strength to carry. We follow Jesus in the present.
The only way we are to
view the problems, sins, and negativity of the past is with mercy, and
with its experience. St. Paul asked God to remove the 'thorn in his flesh'
2nd Cor. 12:1-10 but God did not, and he began to see it with different
eyes: "My grace is all you need,for my power is greatest when you are
weak."
The future is taken care of by trust, the
remorse of the past is taken care of by mercy, and both of these can be
assumed under gratitude. It is with this gratitude that we enter the
present moment and from which we have peace and joy. According to the
tradition of our elders in which they were right on: when one is
content all goes well. Rather than you give thanks because you are happy
you are thankful and consequently happy. Isn't this the way to have
nothing to wish for or to live without regrets?
A seminary professor, working in pastoral work for the bishops writes in View from the Ark of the Catholic Times of his thoughts regarding two popular books by Yuval Harari, translated into Korean: Homo Sapiens and Homo Deus. From the books' point of view we go from the 4th industrial revolution, artificial intelligence and into the age beyond God-belief into the superman age that Nietzsche ardently desired.
During the middle ages in the west God was the focal point in society. Christianity was its history with the discovery of the new continents in the fifteenth century we had the Renaissance, the humanist movement, the religious reformation, the enlightenment, and the modern challenge from atheism etc. which couldn't ignore the place of religion: God's existence and transcendence and the teaching of the Church. Briefly, the Church's belief in Christ took their mission seriously: "Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples... and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19).
The tradition and order of the 'teaching church' and its authority was challenged. Believers must listen and learn from the bishops and priests of the Church to preserve God's revelation if not, sanctions and punishment. After the French Revolution of the 18th century and rationalism and liberalism of the twentieth century the Catholic Church defended the Church's secular authority wanting it to be the ark for the people in a turbulent world.
At the First Vatican Council (1869-70) the primacy and infallibility of the pope was emphasized in a way to offset the loss of secular power and attempted to expand the influence and authority of the papacy and the teaching authority of the church.
The world has changed. Pope Francis reminds us that in order to become a 'teaching church" with authority it must first become a "learning church". The first principle of conversation, to maintain human relationships alive, is to listen but the church has always been more interested in speaking and teaching rather than listening.
As in the time of St. Francis when he went up against the secularism of the times, Christians began to regain the joy of the Gospel as they lived the life of poverty. In our times we have the currents of secularization that come from capitalism and selfish individualism. Pope Francis attempts to return the power of the papal authority to the Gospel of Christ by going out to those who are hurting. He wants to listen to them, extend his hand, hurt with them and give a voice to their situation. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) which tried to adapt the gospel to modern society is the background for the efforts of Pope Francis in renewal and reform.
Looking over the Korean situation even if we don't examine the statistics we know that not all is going well by listening to the priests working in pastoral situations. In the past the church was able to teach believers who listened and longed to learn but today there are many things the church needs to learn from those in the world.
The era of dividing the clergy into a 'teaching church' and laymen into 'a passive church' is over. Still more believers are leaving the church because of the attitude of the clergy who are soaked in the nostalgia of the past but there is hope, in the young and enthusiastic priests and religious who listen and sympathize.
We do not know how the future world will change. But no matter what world comes, the truth of the gospel does not change. Only the way the church understands the world and adapts to the world will change. The real task of the church is to "read the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the gospel."
Satirically addressing our political situation four syllables are combined which mean: when I do it it's romance when others do it it's immoral.
After nine years we have a change of government. The progressive government when it does something the old government did we often hear this sly dig at the ruling government. A journalist writing in the Kyeongyang magazine begins his article on dialogue with these words.
In the appointment of the new cabinet members, the opposition lists all the mistakes and faults committed and asks for their names to be withdrawn. Since the government is now in power they do their best to defend each one and usually get their way.
'When I do it it's OK, when you do it is wrong' has now entered the world of big business, organizations and the individual. The phrase has entered daily parlance. Each one uses their own yard stick to judge. Our egoistical human nature shows itself clearly. We have a tendency, he says, to use our own measurements to judge and act to benefit ourselves. If this was not true competition would find no place in society.
To live in society we have to realize that others like myself have this self love. Socrates tells us to know ourselves. We need to objectively examine ourselves. We have to go beyond this self-love, we are not the center of the world and need to accept our place in society.
In June there was a forum that considered the position of religion in the work of justice and reconciliation. Two of the speakers concluded with the same emphasis on dialogue which surprised many.
A Buddhist monk mentioned that the meaning of the word justice is not the same for all. The word used in North Korea does not have the same meaning as in the South. In the 21st century with peace and conflict attempts are made to have a win/win approach to dialogue. Buddha did not refuse to dialogue even with the devil. It is the way to perform miracles. He mentioned 9 conditions and the first is to see the other as a companion.
A priest who was the head of diocesan peace and justice committee expressed himself somewhat differently. The dignity of the person and the common good is central to justice, and dialogue is important and went on to explain. He gives the example of man who lost everything and prays to God for help in winning the lottery: no luck this week and the following week. He goes into the church and with anger in his voice asks God to give him the winning ticket in the lottery.
As he was leaving the church he hears a voice from behind. "Hey, before you pray to win the lottery for heaven's sake buy a ticket." Prayer is not a monologue. He feels the relationship is very much like the above person asking God for help without doing what is necessary.
Pope Francis in Laudatio Si reminds us we are all living in a common house. The president of the United States to protect the industry and workers of his country decided to leave the Paris Climate Agreement.
Our life is a series of choices. My choice will influence my neighbor. The harder it is to find the correct answer the more we need to listen to the opinions of others, discuss and look for a reasonable solution. We invite God with our prayer, make the right judgement an act accordingly.
How do we bring different segments in society
together? In the Kyeongyang magazine a priest writes about the desire
for unity within the country. With the new government in place this
desire grows and is fostered with the easy going style and concern for
the common person shown by the present government.
What
is necessary for this uniting of the citizens? All the previous
governments desired and worked for this unity among the citizens.
Progressives, conservatives, and regionalism would not allow the change
to take place. At times the government even helped to ferment the
conflict.
"The Church values the democratic system
inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political
choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing
and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them
through peaceful means when appropriate. Thus she cannot encourage the
formation of narrow ruling groups which usurp the power of the State for
individual interests or for ideological ends. Authentic democracy is
possible only in a State ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct
conception of the human person. It requires that the necessary
conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through
education and formation in true ideals, and of the "subjectivity' of
society through the creation of structures of participation and shared
responsibility” (Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching # 406).
One
of the natural tasks of religion is to work for the
unity of society. Every society has a mix of unity and conflict.
Without the removal of force, control, discrimination and the like from
society we will not rid ourselves of conflict but the need continues. We work towards the goal of unity within a conflicted society.
What
should be the first thing to do? The need to understand the reason for
the conflict and upheaval. It may be economics, poverty, the
inequality in society. These are all good examples. One daily
newspaper in a recent survey of a thousand men and women 35.9 percent
thought it was the rich, poor divide.
Secondly the
political forces can be a probable cause for unrest. When the government
subjugates by force a large segment of society you will get resistance
which was what we saw in Korea recently with the candle light revolt of
many of the citizens.
Thirdly we have the cultural and
ideologically resistance. The young people revolting against the
conservative authority of the older generation. They are in search of
freedom, and look upon the stress from
the consumer society negatively.
The president quickly
after inauguration made clear he wanted a just nation, a united
country, regulations and common sense that is understood by all the
people... a president of all the people even those who did not vote for
him.
There is a need to rid the country of all corrupt
practices and work for a fair distribution of the material goods. A need
to work for open communication, dialogue and negotiation. The problem
of slow development, income and polarization within society, the lack of unemployment of the young are all government concerns. A desire for fair competition, guarantees for opportunities and the improvement of the living
conditions of the citizens are all dreams of a more united society.
