(written in 2008)
"May I join in your special lecture on ecology spirituality?"
"Sure, why not? Please do come!"
"Thank you so much for your generosity."
Thus I began to visit Aewha School once a month under the generous grant of a Benedictine principal sister. Fortunately, it only took about 20 minutes on foot, from our Congregation to Aewha School, founded by the Benedictine missionary sisters in 1976 for students with hearing difficulties.
While visiting the school, I learned that there are four Catholic schools in Seoul, but Aewha is the only school dedicated to physically challenged children.
In fact, it is not easy and even inconvenient sometimes to welcome outsiders for their special education. But I braved a chance to listen to their special lecture on ecology, much needed in our apostolate.
Their principal was supposed to provide teachers with two meetings a month and made use of one of these meetings to enrich the spiritual education of teachers. So this year she invited Dr. Whang Jong-ryul to talk about ecology spirituality.
I really appreciated Dr. Whang's timely lectures on ecology, given with deep intuition and sage contemplation on nature and the world. He, a representative of the Ecology Spirituality Institute in Wonju, presented various issues of ecology to around 35 teachers.
Meanwhile, looking around the school, I noticed Aewha's vision of ecological education emphasizing a friendly and intimate relationship with nature. This focus on the school's education impressed me and helped me ponder on life's spiritual value.
While meeting together and also in the lecture hall, teachers were using their own cups instead of paper cups. They bring their own large bowls to the store when they order rice rolled in the dried laver. They avoid using foil, despite the inconvenience In their daily lives they save energy and respect nature. They put into practice what they have experienced and learned.
Like a pelican sacrificing itself to feed its breed, Aewha school is doing its best to give a brighter and hopeful future to students who communicate with sign language. It's beautiful to see the dedication to those with hearing difficulties.
'Aewha' means a dialogue of love, or talking with love. The school's vision is now oriented toward realizing ecological spirituality. With this spiritual vision, Aewha helps students talk and grow with love. It helps them live with hope as invaluable and precious people.
At present, it has seven pre-elementary classes, nine elementary classes, six middle-school classes, and six high-school classes. Supporting students with hearing problems is a long process, but helping them to adapt to challenging circumstances is surely worthwhile. Just as the forsythia, the school flower, symbolizes joy and hope, the school pursues positive and optimistic perspectives for the future. It strives to be green and vital like aromatic trees.
As it works toward unified education for students with hearing problems, Aewha is doing its best to help students lead happier and more dignified lives.
The world is filled with various people, some weaker and some more talented. Some people have no problems with the five sensory organs. Some do. It may seem unbalanced and unfair, but the natural world flows with flexibility and limits.
What the world needs is not judgment and distinction, but rather compassion and collaboration. We need to understand and accept each person as the unique person that he or she is. We need to help and collaborate with one another. We are not islands. We are living in a spiritual age of integration beyond the intelligent age of information. We should live with ecological spirituality, beyond supreme technology.
Let's consider those who are alienated, encourage them to overcome their limits, and thus prepare ourselves for happier and more abundant spiritual lives.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2008/12/137_36198.html
The
Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Dec. 17, 2008
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