Lessons We Can Learn From the Novel: The Plague

In the recent Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, the writer introduces the readers to the novel: The Plague by Albert Camus, written in 1947 about a plague that swept through the French Algerian city of Oran.

He was about to throw the book out but with the recent coronavirus, epidemic read it again. He wanted to revisit the various aspects of human response to major disasters. The two most interesting characters, according to the writer, are Dr. Rieux and Fr. Paneloux. Both of them have different ways to counteract the plague that struck the entire city and imposed quarantine.

The doctor is the projection of the author Camus an existentialist who sees the absurdity of the whole situation. Human existence is absurd: innocent citizens dying helplessly, including innocent children. All is absurd, meaningless but we have to fight it with all our hearts and not silently look up to the heavens. For Camus, all ends with death.

On the contrary, Fr. Paneloux is transcendent. The pestilence is God's punishment for evil with which the citizens have accepted. Added is the traditional interpretation that pain purifies sinful souls and draws them closer to God. "Today the plague is involved with you because the time of reflection has come. The right people need not be afraid." This was the priest initial understanding of the situation.

Paneloux's first understanding of the tragedy was similar to some believers on the sinking of the Sewol Ferry tragedy, "the warning of God calling for repentance." We need to remember Fr. Paneloux was a fictional character the Sewol tragedy was reality.

The novel culminates when a young son of a trial judge who dies in the plague and struggles with pain. The priest drops his transcendental attitude. He recognizes the plague, not as the punishment of God but a part of the human condition. Afterward, he participates in the fight against the plague more intensely than anyone else.

In the way he addressed the people it was no longer you but we. He did not think of himself separated from the citizens as they were all together combatting the plague. The plague kept the hospitals filled with patients and he spent all his time at their side. It's a perfect age when we don't distinguish you from me. He eventually suffers from the alleged plague, but dies alone, refusing treatment. "We may have to love what we do not understand." It sounds like a confession of surrendering ourselves to an incomprehensible God's will.

He mentions one more character to make a point. He is a journalist, Raymond Rambert, who was trying in every way illegal and legal to get out of the country and back to France. He wasn't concerned with the fate of the citizens but only to get out of the country. The columnist sees him in someway similar to those who try to make money on the suffering of others: the price of masks going up and the way lawmakers change the quarantine areas in the country. However, Rambert did come to a change in conscience, to an allegiance higher than himself.

The absurdity and injustice of the world are not God's work. Plagues and viruses, major accidents… This human condition existed in Oran in the 1940s and in 2020 here in our world. Human beings cannot escape these conditions.

Compassion for pain and our solidarity, this is the power to overcome the absurdity of human existence. Also, believers are to seek out the providence of God as they do what humans need to do. The deeper your anxiety and fear, the louder you should sing of hope. That way, like in Oran, people can gather and dance in every square and advance the day of liberation when the blue golden sky is filled with the sound of bells ringing.

All Have Dignity: Made in the Image of God

A few years ago the movie Public Enemy was popular in Korea. Brave detectives punished wicked men who cleverly searched for the loopholes in the law. These criminals on the high ground were celebrating their easy life of leisure when finally they received their well-deserved punishment, a relief to many who had despaired of justice. A lawyer writing in the Eyes of the Believer in the Catholic Times begins his article with these words.

But the problem is not so simple. Good and evil are often not so easily distinguished. Not uncommon to ignore the rule of law, like the police in the movie and achieve justice with abuse and violence resulting in other evils.

Even now, if you go to certain areas of Seoul you will find placards asking for the release of the past president Park Geun- hye who they maintain is unjustly in prison. Although the Constitutional Court has declared that she is a criminal they refuse to accept the judgment, but rather make the judges the criminals.

Most Japanese think that during the Japanese occupation the comfort women and workers were not forced and believe that Korea is being absurdly unreasonable. During the Crusades we have the Christians and Muslims praying to their God to destroy the other. In the Second World War, we have the English and German soldiers showering each other with bullets and praying to the same God for victory.

Who is good and who is evil? It is impossible to establish absolute and objective standards because each has different ideas and different understandings. Even in the same family, husbands, and wives, parents and children have different thoughts and understandings bringing about family squabbles. So what are you going to do? Gender, class, geography, political orientation, religion, and nationality make this world a constant struggle. We are all different and destined to argue with each other.

Nevertheless, through history, many teachers of religion have gained insights that transcend the limitations of the individuals, and have continued to make institutional efforts to reduce the pain of conflict among individuals and groups.

In that sense, the Constitution is the fruit of an institutional effort to rationally reconcile different "thoughts" and "interests." Article 10 of our Constitution declares that "all citizens have dignity and value ​​as human beings." No more than a declaration of principle, it is the highest standard that everyone and the nation must follow. 'Even though each one has different ideas and interests, everybody is dignified and valued without exception.'

The wicked one in "Public Enemy" kills his mother for money, but according to the declaration, the man has dignity and value as a human being. Communists, people saying crazy things, the proud, chaebol families, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians the Cults and their followers have dignity.
 
In fact, the phrase 'of all citizens' Article 10 of the Constitution should be changed to read 'everyone' and the contents of this article should be defined as Article 1 of the Constitution—a higher concept than the declaration that "Korea is a democratic republic." Everyone's acknowledgment of "the dignity of all", is the basic starting point in reducing conflict.

The Constitution is the norm that embodies this Declaration that 'Everyone is Dignified' the basic principle of a country. Therefore, it is clear that someone who denies these constitutional principles is wrong.

The wise teachers of religion, over the centuries, have shown us the way beyond conflict experienced by our individuality. Each personal entity has to go beyond the fence of the individual 'I' to the other 'I's in love and compassion for we are all the children of the same Father.

Who Is Taking Care Of Whom?

In the Catholic Peace Weekly column on Various Things, a spiritual psychologist considers who we are to be concerned with, not surprisingly—oneself if we want to be one for others.

He introduces us to a new over 60-year old woman, Caecilia, always smiling, living a life of sacrifice and service for others. This woman's philosophy of life was to be "everything to everyone." She considered the purpose of life to be like a rotten grain of wheat that would reproduce hundreds of times by its dying to self.

Caecilia was always ready to help others both at work or in the church community. As long as she was able to move she was prepared to sacrifice and serve others which made her happy. If acquaintances asked to borrow money she was always willing and if she didn't have it, she would borrow from others to solve their difficulties. When she would have a cup of coffee or a meal with her acquaintances, she without hesitation would be paying.

She was well aware that others did not have her values. There were always persons to help when tasks were attractive, but when the expenditure of time and money was involved there were plenty of excuses. She was not happy with this but was able to sublimate the disappointment with gratitude.

However, Caecilia suddenly began to feel depressed, helpless and crying. Not only was she having difficulty in serving, going to Mass, eating and sleeping but problems both mental and physical. She didn't know why she had to suffer this pain. Not once or twice was she surprised to see herself saying, “I want to die.” In this situation, she wondered if it was just depression or the work of the devil.

Caecilia had not been in touch with her feeling until she reached 60. The memories from the past were there but the feelings only vaguely felt; when negative were suppressed or avoided. If you think about it, not easy to admit negative emotions in ourselves. We try to live with concern for others, which makes it difficult to acknowledge the fact this is returned with depression, anger, and lethargy.

No one expects that living by gospel values we will have only joy and peace, however, also we know it doesn't cause depression or anger. Caecilia began to feel something wrong in her life. It raised serious questions about what was a true gospel life and how to live it in the future.

Is it possible to be everything to everyone? If this altruistic life is possible is it through one's efforts? Caecilia tried to live this kind of life, but she realized that she excluded herself from 'everyone'. She came to realize that the Gospel life was more than what she believed and began to give it more thought.

The Latin proverb says, "Nemo dat quod non habet." You can't give what you don't possess. Real love for others may begin with the experience of being truly loved. At this time, the experience of being loved by others is necessary, but above all, a will and heart to care for oneself can be the basis of a love that goes out to others. It's not necessary to explain that care and love for oneself are distinguished from selfish love that only thinks of self. For we are mature enough believers that such discernment is not difficult.

The Elderly Walking the Conservative Road Together

The different political parties are competing to recruit young talent ahead of the April 15 general election. The campaign aims to target the 19 to 30-year-old age groups. Since the age of voting has been lowered from 19 to 18 it will include 140,000 new voters. Although the character of a 'show' before the election is strong, it still feels refreshing. Every time they bring in recruits, they look closely at their profile and life's journey. In the Peace Column of the Peace Weekly, the writer expresses his view as a responsible older person.

The aging rate of the church is much faster than in society. Compared to 2003, in 2018, the number of teen Catholics decreased by 33% from 54,3529 to 36,3333. On the other hand, believers in their fifties increased by 77% from 61,52 to 107,9084. Needless to say, the 60, 70, and 80 believers have higher rates of growth.

People, as they grow older, tend to become more conservative. This is also true of religious believers. According to a 2015 comprehensive newspaper survey on religion and political propensity, Buddhists, Protestants, and Catholics all tended to be progressive in their 40s, but conservatives in their fifties. The gap widened in the sixties. However, Catholics tended to be more progressive than other religions. Moreover, the economic strength and social status of Catholics exceeded the average of others in Korean society. The ratio of Catholics is known to be higher in wealthy areas of Seoul. The better the living conditions the more Catholics you have.

Concerns about aging and the middle-class positions of Catholics in society has long been raised. Consequently, the more difficult to make a first choice for the poor and the socially weak. Also a tendency to be negative in the church's social participation and forgetting the young as socially weak.

It is often said that young people are the first generation to live harder than their parents. Their difficulties come to mind when it comes to competition, lack of jobs, the increase of irregular jobs, skyrocketing home prices, late marriages, low birth rates and the cost of children's education.

Young people are underrepresented in the church. The mass attendance of the young is only about a quarter of all believers. Pope Francis, in a follow-up to the bishop's Synod for Young People, published in March 2019—"Christ is Alive"  the words: "A substantial number of young people, for all sorts of reasons, do not ask the Church for anything because they do not see her as significant for their lives" (#40).

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation last year, a Protestant Leader said: "The reason why Korean society turned away from the church was that the church turned away from society." This can be understood as the church turned away from service to the world.

Catholics are people who are on a pilgrimage to God. The Vatican International Theological Commission stressed the need for laypeople, monks, priests, and bishops to walk along together on a pilgrimage. History moves forward in the long run. Human society has evolved beyond the age of fierce competition and survival of the fittest to an era of empathy based on cooperation and equality.

Progress is a matter of how much weight is given to altruism. Progressivism is also defined as a voluntary interest in the welfare of others and providing the necessary resources for it. The progressiveness of the Catholics may be due to altruism. Altruism connects with the love of Christ. Consequently should not old age be a time to listen to the voices of descendants: children and grandchildren, and reflecting on what they say?

Too Much Talk About Money In Churches?

The Korean Catholic Pastoral Institute recently published the Korean Catholic Church's statistics. The outlook for the new year is not bright. The media have chosen a common title for the content. "The numbers of believers are increasing but the Mass attendance continues to fall." Reasons have not been investigated.

In an article in the Catholic Times' column: In the Eyes of the Believer, a retired newspaperman was reluctant to speak about his own behavior. He also wondered why this was happening. Since he found to his surprise he was one of those who were not living up to his commitment to the community which he joined by not attending Sunday Mass. For a while, he was going to other parishes and finally just gave up going to Mass.

They were building a church and from this point on, the priest's sermons on Sunday Mass was a matter of "contribution." In the parish bulletin, the names and amounts of those who contributed to the building fund were listed. Not only the building fund but also the general offering. Sermons based mainly on money. Dividing the amount given into Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A believers separately praised for their generosity. In this atmosphere, more and more believers went to neighboring churches to attend Sunday Mass. The pastor criticized these believers harshly.

"This was not what it should be..." It was really painful.

What is Sunday Mass? It is a time to escape from the competitive battlefield of survival for a time of rest, reflecting on the word of the Lord and looking to shake off the dust from the world. But the church atmosphere is more secular than the world. On Sunday mornings, first, my feet hesitated and finally stopped altogether.

The new church was built and a new pastor came. I started going to the parish Sunday Mass again. The tone of the sermon has changed. However, the back page of the weekly bulletin was still used to announce the name and amount from the donors in repaying the debt. And even though he was joking, he would often emphasize the offerings and gifts. The obsession with money was rooted in everyday life.

It is not difficult to imagine the difficulties of priests who with faith and enthusiasm have been assigned to build a church. How painful it is to try to encourage more participation by revealing the amount and name of the donors. Should that be the case? How much more money can be raised by this method. Is it really necessary to replace the values that Jesus handed down?

“I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on."

Why doesn't it matter if you have a lot of money to put in the basket? Rather, he said that people are more important than money and that human faith and devotion are more important than the amount of money. In terms of money, this widow has no place in our faith community. This is why Jesus said, “Let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing,” and take care of the poor and the marginalized.

On Sunday the church says "Money, money…" We forget the poor, disobey the word of the Lord, His commandment to keep holy the Sabbath. The trend in the city towards money, quantity, and efficiency have entered the churches, keeping pace with neoliberalism and polarization prevalent in society. 

According to reports, the church is taking measures to reduce the rate of absence from the Sunday Mass. But there is no precise solution. The newspaperman thinks there is. The words of Jesus are the countermeasures, and the Ten Commandments, many people are leaving because they don't see the community of faith following the Word of God.

Death Lost Its Meaning

When do we use the words it lacks meaning or has meaning? When does meaning exist and when does it disappear? If we look closely, when we use these words it will be evident. So begins an article in the Kyeongyang magazine by a university sociology professor on death's loss of meaning.
 
An example would be doing something that has lost its utility or connectedness, we say it has lost its meaning. In contrast, when unexpectedly a word or action becomes useful or connected to something, do we not say it becomes meaningful? Meaning ceases to exist when we have no relationship or ability to form a relationship.

The heart of culture is meaning and the heart of meaning is a relationship. When we have a relationship we have meaning without a relationship we have no meaning. Presently in our society, the meaning of death is damaged. It has become taboo. It can be inferred that the society in which we live has difficulty understanding death and its cultural meaning and relationship. Death's relationship to the culture is missing.
 
We remember the song from the past: "100 meters before meeting her" the professor uses this song to explain her thesis. To the protagonist of the song, 100 meters has great meaning since he will be meeting his love. However, let us suppose that she is not there. The meaning of 100 meters disappears. It is that woman that gives the sentence meaning.
 
The reason the meaning of death is difficult to express is the loss of its transcendence and its lack of connectedness with life.  As the secularization and scientification of society continue, the tendency to understand death as the end of life and not in relation to the beyond is increasing. Life is the end, isn't it? Gives us the understanding of many.
 
When death is seen as the complete end of life, it is not easy to understand death in any relationship. Logically this is the result. When death is seen as the end of all— what do you have? Nothing, consequently, relationship and hope cease.
 
Death has lost its meaning, and the road that leads to death becomes empty. Logically this is what is happening! Walking the road to meet the woman who is not there. Logically one step follows another we don't mean to glorify pain but for many facing death the accompanying bodily and mental pain and attempt to see it in a positive way is blocked and gradually life itself becomes murky.
 
Even though those who are relatively young and healthy are not conscious of the situation; when old and sick the reality of their situation becomes present, this is no small matter.
 
When death and life do not have a satisfactory relationship in our society we meet up with difficulties especially when old and sick. We are not able to give meaning to life.  And no one is able to escape the inevitability of the process.
 
Historically, religions have answered the questions surrounding death. In the province of transcendence, precedence should be given to religion. Not only within religion as an institution but placing death in a relationship with transcendence must be at the heart of our society's understanding of death. The human person is a transcendent being fundamentally orientated to the ultimate spiritual reality. The writer is anxious to see what answers religion will give to our generation on death.

Beyond Populism Dreaming of Community

The Z Generation (1995—) that followed the Millennium Generation 
(1981-1996), in a survey that was made, attracted attention because of the lack of trust in Korean society (74.3%).

A social critic in the Peace column of the Peace Weekly gives the readers some thoughts on the subject.

Generation Z has strong individualistic values, independent, and considers economic value important; different from the generations X and Y (1981-1996) that pursued idealism. They have the notion that our society is not fair and expect little from political change, no matter the efforts. They have little hope in the future and will be the future leaders in Korean society.

Generation Z also pays attention to populism, which is happening around the world. The uncertain reality brought about by inequality, globalization, and the information society is expressed in their disappointment and anger towards the older generations who are incapable of solving the problems. Anti-immigration policy, the rejection of social minorities, and Brexit have emerged as a result of populism. In our society, the influence of populism is expected to grow even more because of distrust and dissatisfaction caused by inequality. Consequently, it is difficult for society to rule out hopelessness and indifference in the future of the young.

The new year 2020 (Lunar New Year) should be opening up new expectations and hopes. But the tasks that should have been resolved last year remain unresolved which does little to energize society. The social welfare community also has many challenges to solve. Social welfare critics point out that even if it takes time, accurate analysis of reality has to be preceded otherwise we have only short-term solutions.

Pope Francis is concerned about populism that results from state supremacy. Populism is a risk factor in our society that has brought Nazism and Fascism into world history, an attempt to make everything uniform works against the integration of society The Pope emphasizes the importance of dialogue and listening as a driving force in the fundamental process of solving problems relating to populism. Starting from the values ​​of "self-identity", Christian and Human values, ​​ the division can be healed by working together for the underprivileged,  children, the elderly, the sick, and young people deprived of hope.

The welfare policy for 2020 should be preceded by the establishment of a good delivery system to escape the stigma of wasting welfare spending. Accurate identification of beneficiaries and delivery can help ensure that people in need will receive the benefits.

In this context, dialogue needs to be a part of the populism emerging from the current political and economic situation. When attitudes and behaviors communicate, problems are solved, integration achieved.  Innovation takes place when positions are harmonized. To overcome divisions and conflicts and for a better welfare system rather than an inconvenient symbiosis, the welfare community needs to work together for change.