For the past couple of weeks in Korea, people have been blaming Sarang Jeil church, Gwangwhamoon protest by far-east people for causing massive transmission of Coronavirus. The world we live in does not seem a rational place. When we listen to horrible news from the world, when we face difficulties that were given by other people, or when we experience disasters from nature, then we usually blame on someone or something or some supernatural things, such as universe or God.
But here I ask you, who do you think is responsible for these problems of the world?
Last month one of my friends introduced me with one book. The title was "Seol Joen". Seol stands for snow, and Jeon stands for a battle. This book is the conversation between Monk BeobJeong and Monk SeongChoel which occurred very rarely. The conversation is mainly lead by Monk BeobJeong with questions and followed by the answers from Monk SeongChoel. The conversation between the two respectful great monks who had lived in contemporary society with us, contains abundant meaningful messages for us, no matter what religion we have.
In the book, I found Monk BeobJeong asks the same question to Monk SeongChoel as follows.
" Where from these problems of the world have begun? The world where Materialism is getting stronger and the dignity of human nature is getting weaker so that maleficence, 'the evil-doing', is getting increased."
If you were Monk SeongChoel, how would you answer for the question?
Some of you might think it is an easy and clear question to answer, and some of you might think it is not, as I did. It was hard for me to answer immediately.
Monk SeongChoel said to Monk BeobJeong.
" What is responsible for the problems of the world, who we have to blame on, I think it must be the people who are religious leaders. If someone commits a sin, like murder or robbery, It is not only him who should take the whole responsibility. The fundamental responsibility is on the religious leaders because they did not give decent teachings and did not give good examples themselves. I do not think he should take all the blame."
Monk SeongChoel agreed with him and said, " A single happening does not exist itself. I think there is responsibility in the contradiction of social structure. We religious people also must take responsibility."
Then Monk SeongChoel, like scolding at him, insists again saying this.
" Not 'we religious people also must take responsibility ', not 'also'! It is 'religious people', 'religious leaders'! no one else."
When I first read this part I could not totally agree. I felt it was too exaggerated and based on a narrow view from a religious person. There are so many components of society. It could be politicians, entrepreneurs, singers, teachers and so on. Why only the religious leaders.
However, after a while, I was surprised. Because I found that I began asking myself this question, 'how much responsibility do you feel for the problems of the world?'.
I am a priest. I am also one of the religious leaders in the Catholic church. I felt like God said to me through what Monk SeongChoel said in the book, "Richard, how sincerely, how deeply, how heartfully do you feel your responsibility on this matter? Are you fully aware of the weight of your position, as a priest, in the church?" It led me to reflect on my life, and I found I had not been taking my priesthood seriously as much as it deserved, and I had been neglected on what I should have done for the world.
Monk SeongChoel was right, indeed. The more I thought about it, the more I felt it was right.
Blaming on someone for murder or robbery and criticising something for the disastrous things in the world at the dinner table is not what only religious people are doing, but everybody else is also doing. Hit your chest saying 'my fault, my fault, my grievous fault' during the Mass is not what only priests are doing but every other catholic believer is doing. But not much of us including me, feel a great responsibility from the deep heart for the problems of the world and confess like this, "It is my fault for the many problems which are the pains of the world. It is my fault that I have not behaved properly, It is my fault that I have not shown the good examples, It is my grievous fault that I have not guided church people justly.
That confession was what the religious leaders, religious people have to do first, and most of all, I was the one who should do first more than anyone else. I should have felt sorry for the world, before blaming anyone or anything else.
I would also like to invite you to this confession.
As a son or a daughter, as a father or a mother, as a friend, as a neighbour, as a student, as a business person, we all respectively live in a tremendously important position in society. Even though it seems our individual position is small and not important, as a decent member of the people of God, who makes The Church, it is extremely important and valuable to recognise how important position we live on and how much responsibility we have to feel for the problems of the world.
Wherever we are, whatever we do, by standing still on our position giving decent teachings and giving good examples to people around us, I believe we can make this world a better one. The changes I can make could be small, but the changes we can make will be huge enough.
So the answer to the title of today's homily, "Who is responsible for the problems of the world?" is, I think and I also suggest to you, is me and you and all of us.