INTERCULTURALITY, A WAY OF WITNESSING PROVIDENCE TO A BROKEN WORLD

Sister Maria Youngmi Kim

Our congregation, up until today since its foundation, has developed as an international religious institute, striving to live out our charism of “trust in and openness to the Providence of God” throughout its history.

We have done our best to respond to the needs of the times following the footsteps of Bishop Ketteler, our founder, as reflected in the congregational Mission Statement and the Chapter Directional Statement.

As interculturality has been specifically one of the major topics of the congregation for several years, at the Chapter in 2022 we decided to achieve intercultural growth among us by deepening cultural understanding through conversations and to fulfill our mission by establishing intercultural living communities.

How can we grow interculturally and furthermore to accomplish our mission as an intercultural congregation?

We have tried to have a basic understanding of interculturality and stressed intercultural living, but in reality many of us are still unfamiliar with the concept of interculturality. Most of us think it is nothing to do with us.

As four international commissions are formed according to the decision of the Chapter, and three of them are closely related to interculturality, I have spent more time in reflecting on interculturality. Now I have an awareness that we should explore intercultural living and mission as Sisters of Divine Providence. That is, interculturality itself is not the goal but only one of the means (or the most efficient means) to carry out our mission, based on our spirit and charism at present as well as in the years to come.

mutual respect and understanding.  We are not the same even though we are born in the same ethnic group in the same country.  Even our siblings are different.  Then how different are those who belong to different cultures?  As we have different cultural backgrounds – we are from Germany, North America, Peru, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Korea, we are intrinsically diverse and different.  Nevertheless, we pursue oneness as we belong to one religious congregation.  We have continued our mission for more than 170 years since we share the common legacy of the same founders, founding spirit, and charism.  We have strived to make God’s Providence visible based on these commonalities.  What kind of efforts should we make in order to exalt God’s Providence in this rapidly changing and challenging world? And how can we transmit our legacy to the coming generations?  What witness can we give to a broken and conflicted world where we are easily influenced and closely interconnected?  As described in the Mission Statement, we should “be God’s loving face to all creation” united in Providence and live like Jesus, who is Providence Incarnate.  Jesus did not exclude anyone.  He was open to everyone and embraced even strangers, sinners and pagans at his table.  I think one of the ways of resembling Jesus is to try intercultural living and mission.

In order to appreciate difference and to embrace all, we should gather together around the table as Jesus did with his followers. When we begin conversations and come to know one another, we can find something common or different in us.  Then we can continue to strengthen our commonalities – our shared spirit and charism – and improve our understanding of others who are different from us, resulting in embracing others with appreciation and respect.

One benefit Covid-19 brought to us is enabling us to meet virtually beyond time and distance.  Why don’t we meet more frequently “through creative ways, particularly technology”?  The more frequently we meet, I believe, the warmer we welcome each other beyond the language barriers. Hopefully many of you Sisters will want to join in these conversations! 

In ancient days, people tried to “build a tower with its top in the sky and so make a name for themselves and the Lord made them confused with their language and scattered them all over the earth” (c.f. Genesis 11, 4. 7-8).  Now, however, it is time for us to be reunited in God, according to His will as Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, may they be one just as we are.”(Jn 17, 11)

Let us be Providence women/persons who give witness to the world that we can be one by appreciating those who are different from us with understanding and respect coming from our loving hearts.

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