Faith Compass

 

These days, there are many more interesting things than the life of faith. In the Light of the World Column of the Catholic Times, the priest columnist faces the weakening and loss of faith. Attitudes towards life that take faith seriously and efforts to deepen faith life seem urgent. 

 

"Generally, if people say that they are believers, they may think that from the day they are baptized, all doubts disappear and their hearts be at ease. But there is no such thing. Everyone wanders the same and suffers the same. The only difference is that there is someone who remembers my wanderings and suffering." (Endo Shusaku 「My Jesus」)

Let us talk about our life of faith. Are you doing well in your faith life? Are you living with the Lord with the fervent heart you had at baptism? Or, conversely, are you too busy to go to church and have little time to pray? Is your faith life going through a crisis wondering what meaning the life of a Catholic has in the world these days?

 

If it is the former, I would like to advise you to cultivate your faith more with a humble heart rather than a complacent heart, as the dark night of the soul may come someday at which time to remember that life is difficult to predict and the problems may be a blessing in disguise for a deepening of the faith. And if it's the latter, I would like to tell you that just as our lives go through puberty, there can be such a process, and rather, we can meet the Lord through times of crisis. And whether it's the former or the latter, the most important thing is deepening our faith life.

  

What are you doing? To put it bluntly, these days there are many more fun things than faith, so faith life activities have decreased for many. 'TV, Internet, Sports, Videos, overseas travel, and delicious food' are all more fun than the church, prayers, and reading the Bible. In short, interest in faith has waned, and therefore, attitudes toward life that take faith seriously and efforts for faith seem urgent.

 

The social doctrine of the Catholic Church is not simply a knowledge of society. The social doctrine that flows from God's love is knowledge enlightened by faith. 

Faith fills us with fundamental power and grace. There are many things in society. Exposed to this, we discuss our thoughts and feelings. When a political issue appears on TV, we analyze it like an expert and give our views. What is often regrettable is the faith point of view is missing. Here, faith extends to the fruits of faith such as forgiveness and reconciliation, love of neighbor and brotherhood, kindness and consideration, and listening and respect. 

 

Society and the world will not change easily. Disappointments, stifling competition, conflicts, and divisions will not be easily resolved. But we must keep our faith. Why? This is because true faith is the power to save human beings and prevents the division of the community. Also, it is only through true faith that human beings and society do not lose their way, and the teaching and power that makes human beings true human beings is the very faith in God.

 

"From a liberating faith in God's love, there arises a new vision of the world and a new way of approaching others, whether the other is an individual or an entire people. It is a faith that transforms and renews life, inspired by the peace that Christ left to his disciples. Moved solely by this faith, the Church intends to promote the unity of Christians and fruitful cooperation with believers of other religions. Differences of religion must not be a cause of conflict; the shared quest for peace on the part of all believers is a vital source of unity among peoples" (Social Doctrine,516).

 

 

Complex Situations Need Complex Countermeasures-

 

In the Diagnosis of Current Events column of the  Catholic Peace Weekly a university professor provides his thoughts on the current crisis.

The writer has contributed to this page since June of last year, and looking at the articles there is some consistency. First, he tried to emphasize that today's world situation faces a complex crisis. Additionally, South Korea's diplomacy should avoid simple solutions based on partisan perspectives as much as possible.

To paraphrase German Chancellor Scholz, the world is at a turning point (Zeitenwende). The era of post-Cold War and globalization, in which optimism for peace and prosperity prevailed, is over and the ‘return of geopolitics’ is taking place. Strategic competition between the US and China is accelerating, and the war that started with Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues. On the Korean Peninsula, the risk of conflict is growing as North Korea is preoccupied with nuclear and missile development and  South Korea's  dialogue with North Korea has been cut off for years

The global economy, which was viewed from the perspective of globalization, interdependence, and international cooperation, now tends to be approached from the standpoint of security. So-called "economic security" has emerged as a significant area of contention in international politics. In particular, in key industries such as semiconductors and batteries, which will determine future national competitiveness and the world's balance of power, the global supply chains are being reorganized according to political logic. For the same reason, strategic competition surrounding cutting-edge science and technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computers, has also intensified.

Climate change and pandemics require international cooperation, but cooperation is slow and insufficient. Climate experts agree that a climate catastrophe cannot be avoided if global temperatures rise by 1.5 °C, but the prevailing view is that the 1.5 °C Maginot Line cannot be maintained.

Indeed, a complex crisis is something that we have to deal with presently. However, it was said that it was a transition of the times, but where it is headed is close to clueless. So some say it's an era of hyper-uncertainty. The need for a complex response has grown amid signs of crisis and challenges being raised simultaneously.

Of course, complex responses are not as easy to find. The logic of politics favors clarity. Politics is composed of the ruling party and the opposing party. Policy, including diplomacy, is often presented as a matter of choosing between two opposing sides. Public opinion knows this dichotomy. Even the problem of each choice is recognized as a matter of goodness and evil in connection with moral justice. In this framed question, an intermediate answer that is neither this nor that is immediately treated as a politically incorrect answer.

However, various gray areas cannot be grasped through clarity alone. Today's world situation is especially challenging for there are many shades of gray between black and white. While the escalating 'cold war' confrontations continue. The lack of clarity in foreign policy causes us to obsess over simplistic prescriptions.
 

However, this only hinders complex searches for solutions. Of course, it takes a lot of effort to find a combination of method and formulas. Not all good things are attainable, and some things must be sacrificed to get something. Therefore, it is critical to set goals and priorities through public debate and opinion gathering and establish and implement strategies to achieve them. Living in a period of uncertain transition requires patience and care.

What Does a Witness Do?

 

In the Catholic Times, a Research Fellow in the Catholic North East Peace Institute gives us some thought on what it means to be a witness.

After the season of Lent, we welcomed the Solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection with joy and are now heading to the Solemnity of the Ascension. Personally, during Lent, he participated in the Stations of the Cross every Friday evening with a religious group and was able to attend the Mass of the Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection. 

 

 One day while reading the Bible, he saw the words: "God raised him up on the third day and granted that he be seen not by all, but only by such witnesses as had been chosen beforehand by God—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead" (Acts 10:40-41). Why did Jesus appear to pre-selected witnesses rather than to all the people? Who is a witness?

 

Although they denied Jesus and scattered at a critical moment, the disciples who shared the joys and sorrows became witnesses of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Thomas, etc. Clearly, the disciples were different from many Jews who did not acknowledge miracles even though they had seen them. This is because, not only the Pharisees and Sadducees, but even many people in Jesus' hometown, did not believe in Jesus.

 

According to the dictionary, a 'witness' is a 'third party who testifies to the court or a judge about the facts he or she has experienced. 

 

The writer questions himself, having experienced reconciliation and peace in the Kaesong Industrial Complex—  ("On February 10, 2016, the South Korean government decided to cancel cooperation with North Korea in the Kaesong Industrial Zone, arguing that the income from the zone had been used by Pyongyang to finance its nuclear and missile programs. One day later, the North froze all assets, expelled all South Koreans, and declared the zone a military security area.) This was a space for inter-Korean cooperation, and the writer wonders if he shouldn't continue to witness it.

 

As a 'witness', he would be obliged to make this known. Since the meaning cannot be conveyed to all the people, it is natural for 'witnesses' to make known what was experienced. Just as the Church, the People of God, have the duty to proclaim to the world the salvation and grace of the Kingdom of God.

 

Rough words and actions continue to be exchanged between the two Koreas because of the violent conflict of interest between the great powers. The voices of our society are gradually becoming more rigid. To some, the effort to calm this rigid atmosphere is made by those who don't know what is happening in the world. Nonetheless, ask yourself: "If you are a ‘witness’, shouldn’t you speak out like a ‘witness’?"

 

Giving Hope to the Young

In the Catholic Times  a parish priest in the Eyes of the Believer Column wants the young people to find hope in this post Corona world.

Corona 19 paralyzed even the functioning of universities. For sometime now, universities have changed from ivory towers to pursue learning and knowledge to preparation for employment. The romantic times once enjoyed on campus have disappeared.  

 

These days, the economic burden of soaring prices and interest rates is felt, the ‘1,000 won breakfast’ project, which provides a hearty meal for 1,000 won to students who often have to  skip breakfast, is gaining popularity. This project, led by the government, put forward the promotion of rice consumption culture and the reduction of students' food expenses as its motivation.  

 

However, it is questionable whether the youth's anxiety can be properly resolved without more thorough and fundamental measures. This is because the young people are suffering from unemployment, high housing costs, and inherited poverty that adversely affects marriage and childbirth.

 

The practice of love by the early Christians was voluntary and altruistic enough to help the socially disadvantaged and the poor. This practice of love gradually changed and brought about a reform of the times and came to create a new system. 

 

A restaurant for young people operated by a Diocese opened last month across from a National University. The use of the cafe is free, and the menu is kimchi stew, which costs 3,000 won for one meal. The young priest, who runs the restaurant through sponsorship without government support, has been diligently preparing for the past year by conducting on-the-job training at a youth restaurant in the metropolitan area and at a free soup kitchen according to the bishop's direction. 

 

'The Road Between the Youth Dining Table' aims for 'a path that connects people of different generations each going on their own life journey'. He hopes this restaurant would become a warm table and a road where the young generation and the older generation, who are struggling for various reasons, can come to understand each other in accordance with this year’s pastoral direction of the parish: "Practice of Love".

 

Pope Francis emphasizes 'a culture of encounter, a culture of dialogue, a culture of hospitality' and even a 'culture of caring' in this era. The 'culture of meeting', the exact opposite of the the throw away culture, is the only way the human family can move forward. This is a culture that respects diversity, looks to the future, and lives with transcendence.  

 

Therefore, following the example of Jesus, we must work  for this 'culture of encounter'. Not just to see, but to look closely, not just to hear, but to listen, not just to pass by people, but to stop and talk with them. It is not just to say, 'Pity the poor!' but to be willing to embrace them with compassion. You have to come close to your brothers, touch him, tell him, 'Don't cry,' and give them some words that will cheer them up. If not accompanied by an act of self-giving, money will be a condemnation, not  salvation. What today's economy, the poor and the young need above all is respect, humility, brotherhood and hope in life. Money comes next.

 

In a society where young people, the future of the society, do not have hope, they can no longer find hope to spread the wings of their dreams. The generation suffering the most from COVID-19 is the youth who will lead the future. The dark future, which shows no sign of improvement despite endless efforts, is not their responsibility, but the responsibility of all society. He applauds the enthusiastic young priest.

 

A True Christian Believer

 

In the Catholic Times' Theological Lecture Hall Column, the priest director of the Catholic Culture Theological Research Center gives the reasons why we need discussion, meetings, experiences, and educational programs that are passed on to grow in the faith.

How are human traits formed? Can a person be fundamentally changed through acquired factors such as education and culture? Are people's emotional and cultural characteristics formed during elementary, middle, and high school days? Does a person change after becoming an adult? How does one person form his or her own thinking patterns, his or her attitude toward others and the world, and the way he or she chooses and performs something?

There is no clear answer to these questions. A person's characteristics will be shaped by internal and external factors. Some may be more influenced by internal factors, and others may be more deeply influenced by external factors. It is not known exactly by what factors a person's temperament and characteristics are formed and developed. It is a fact that the people a person meets and relates to in his or her life, and the educational and cultural environment in which he or she lives, will affect his or her thoughts, attitudes, and ways of behaving.

Depending on religion and denomination, the methods of performing our faith life and the religious characteristics are slightly different. Of course, even if you belong to the same religion and denomination, the way you express, confess, and practice your faith is different depending on your personality, temperament, and characteristics. This means that the characteristics of the way faith is carried out cannot be uniformly defined. However, from an overall perspective, it can be seen that the methods and characteristics of Catholic and Protestant faith behavior in Korean society are slightly different.

Although one shouldn't be making general statements, Catholics are used to following directions, being passive, and living a conventional religious life. On the other hand, Protestants seem to have a more active, and passionate religious life. It can be seen that the form of worship that emphasizes the Bible's words, values confessional beliefs, and elevates emotions gives birth to Protestantism's unique faith. Of course, there is another aspect of the Protestant faith, which is the dogmatism caused by excessive biblical literalism and the closed and exclusive appearance of militant religious confessionalism.

The characteristics of faith also have a profound influence on the way believers live. To be honest, he doesn't know what takes place in their churches and chapels, but there seem to be more believers on the Protestant side who confess and practice their religious beliefs in the workplace and in their daily lives. Of course, there are people like Sunwoo Kyung-sik in Catholicism. However, is it wrong to say that Protestantism seems to have a higher proportion of believers who confess and practice their faith in their daily lives, of course, we have the martyrs in the era of persecution. Sometimes there's a joke that passes among Catholics. On average, Catholic priests and believers look better. In light of many Protestant ministers and believers who are extreme, exclusive, and intolerant, the average level of Catholic priests and believers seems to be a little better. However, Protestantism seems to have a higher number of believers who faithfully confess and practice faith in their daily lives.

Although there is a risk of simplification, the Protestant faith can be defined as Bible study, dynamic worship, and a confessional attitude in daily life. The Catholic faith is also defined by the study of doctrines, Mass liturgies, and customary attitudes according to church laws and ethical norms. The appearance of the Protestant faith negatively shows dogmatic, literal, and exclusive tendencies, but positively reveals religious and devoted characteristics. The appearance of the Catholic faith negatively has formal and habitual characteristics, but positively shows a tolerant and inclusive tendency. Of course, this view is superficial and based only on impressions.

For Catholics, liturgical life is important but can liturgical education alone induce autonomous and active liturgical participation. It is not a question of the theological meaning and salvation effect of the liturgy. This means that there is a desperate need for consideration and reflection on whether today's liturgy is acting as a force for believers to live their faith in their daily life.

In addition to the liturgy, faith education in the parishes is often conducted passively and routinely. Lecture-oriented education is not a real education. There are times when lectures, as a transfer of knowledge and information can stimulate and motivate, are needed. However, unilateral teaching and delivery-oriented lectures do not foster the autonomy and dynamism needed.

A transition should be made to a study and conversation-oriented education method in which we participate together. The transfer of faith is not simply the transfer of doctrinal knowledge. The transfer of faith must be done in a personal way. It should be an educational method of conversation, meeting, and experience.

Faith must work in the head, mind, and body, in all areas. Today's Catholic faith education tends to teach only doctrinal knowledge and norms and emphasize only formal participation of the body. True religious beliefs can arouse the mind and move the body. Faith education should be conducted in a way that can elicit religious visions and beliefs, the passion of the mind and soul, and move the body.

Faith can only be transmitted in the manner of faith. The way of faith means the way of Jesus Christ and in a human way. Faith education conducted routinely in a hierarchical culture does not form true faith. It is necessary to reflect deeply on what it means to "educate in a Christian Way".

What Can't Change, What Can and What Needs to Change—

A Catholic Professor in the Humanities Department of Sogang University gives the readers of the Catholic Peace Weekly some thoughts on what can't change,  what can change, and what must change.

The word that is mentioned a lot in society these days seems to be ‘innovation’. Artificial intelligence, in particular, is almost always referred to as a "revolution." Now, if we don't keep up with these changes, it seems like we'll be left behind.

So what does it mean to be a Christian? In the midst of this, we ask this question because of our faith in Jesus, who died on the cross after living for 30 years in a small village in Palestine 2,000 years ago. Does our faith continue to look back? Moreover, the Apostle Paul says: "If we preach a different gospel than we preached to you, let us be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). The numerous local councils and 21 universal councils held during the past 2000 years speak for themselves.

So, in the Catholic Church, there are obviously things that cannot and should not change. They are the truths of faith passed down from the apostles, the sacraments, and the hierarchical system, the structure of the church. Then, should the church be like a museum, keeping these immutable truths safe for the next generation as it was at the beginning?

This question was posed by many theologians in the 19th and 20th centuries and was decisively confronted by the Second Vatican Council.  Pope St. John XXIII, in his opening address to the Council, responded as follows: "In order, however, that this doctrine may influence the numerous fields of human activity, with reference to individuals, to families, and to social life, it is necessary first of all that the Church should never depart from the sacred patrimony of truth received from the Fathers. But at the same time she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions and new forms of life introduced into the modern world which have opened new avenues to the Catholic apostolate."  This is the meaning of 'Aggiornamento', the phrase used often in connection with the Council. (Aggiornamento is an Italian word meaning "bringing up to date")
 
So why can the church talk about change? The answer to this question is simple. Because the Church is God's and at the same time a community of men and women who live within human history. This means that the church affects the world, but the world also affects the church and the life of believers. Some of the effects are beneficial and some are harmful. It requires acceptance and purification through discernment.  
 
Another motive for change is the mission of the church. We must confess, live and spread the faith we have received, but the problem is 'people'. Humanity in history, neither the consciousness nor the way of life of the people who make up the church remain the same at all times and in all cultures in all ways. Therefore, in order for the gospel to reach people more effectively and help them accept the gospel in a 'pleasing' way, we must always seek a 'method' that fits our place in life. It is similar to having to use different educational methods depending on the subject even if they live in the same era. Therefore, truth belongs to things that cannot be changed, but the way to live and express the truth belongs to 'what can change'. And if the old way is no longer suitable for living and spreading the truth, it now needs to 'be changed'.

The church is like a living organism. Cells of living things have 'borders' to protect their essence, but the borders, or cell membranes, are not closed, so a healthy 'coming and going' occurs. As a result, organisms can grow. The Church, walking toward God through history, must also discern what must not change, what can change, and what must change. In fact, everything that exists changes whether we like it or not. If so, shouldn't we change in the direction God wants? And this identification involves the Shepherd and the entire people of God.

 

Doubts and Questions About Our Faith Life

 

In the Catholic Times, the director of Our Theological Institute writes in the Eyes of the Believer Column of doubts and questions about faith life.

This spring, she is reading the book written by Father Thomas Halik from the Czech Republic before he arrives for his lecture in Korea in early May. Father Halik has doctorates in sociology, philosophy, and psychology, and worked as a psychotherapist during the communist regime, while secretly receiving priestly ordination and working in the underground church. Living as a priest in the Czech Republic, where there are more atheists than in any other country in Europe. He is also a theologian interested in dialogue with persons who are skeptical of their faith or claim to be atheists.

If you look at his own life journey, he makes clear that as a priest he had a period of darkness where he could not feel God. An adolescent boy who had doubts about the school education that imposed an atheistic worldview, saying that religion is the opium of the people, followed the spiritual longing to find the meaning of life and entered the Catholic faith. However, the passion for faith, which burned infinitely hot during the days of risk-taking but strange as it seems after the communist regime collapsed and freedom of faith returned, wandered as if lost in the face of the cold church reality in which God could not be experienced.

His book is a book for those who ask themselves what does it mean to have true faith in these times? He is asking those who have the same concerns as himself, that is, those who feel skeptical about their religious life, and those who seek spirituality but cannot find answers in the current church. He continues to seek out and talk to atheists who deny the existence of God. In such a conversation, we discover the paradox of faith that those who are sure they know the truth of faith are rather indifferent to meeting the true God, and those who constantly doubt and question whether God really exists can meet him first.

As she read and meditated on the various questions of faith raised by Father Halik, the Apostle Thomas comes to mind with his tenacious and stubborn attitude in today's Sunday Gospel. At first the words of Jesus, "Abandon doubt and believe," seem to be rebuking Apostle Thomas, who asks for clear evidence of faith, and "Blessed are those who believe without seeing." However, the recent documentary series ‘I am God’, which shocked our society, clearly shows what kind of danger blind faith that does not ask questions can easily fall into. ( A documentary exposing pseudo-religious cults to encourage followers to leave. It sheds light on four cult leaders accused of manipulating and exploiting their followers)

Not long ago, the results of a Gallup survey that surveyed 'religious orientation and perception of reality' in 61 countries around the world were announced. The number of believers was only 36%. And those who claim to be atheists have the second highest percentage in the world at 34%. Among young people in their 20s, who are atheists it was 51%. Another survey published by the Protestant Church also found that the religious population only accounted for 36.6%, while non-religious people accounted for 63.4%, a significant increase in recent years.

The reality is that there are more and more people in Korean society who doubt the existence of God. "I believe" they are baptized, so today’s believers live as if their faith has been completed but "What on earth do they believe?" Apostle Thomas was finally able to meet the resurrected Lord because he did not settle for uncertain faith until he personally experienced Jesus and made a passionate confession of faith, saying: "My Lord and my God!" Perhaps in our day, faith that doubts and questions what it means to live as a true Christian and witness to the resurrection is required.