'Blessing of the Rainbow'

Many years ago after surgery, I was hospitalized for several days. At that time, I was wondering if I could continue my work as an editor. I was losing hope and confidence little by little. One day, my sister visited me with a new book titled "Blessing of the Rainbow" written by Fr. Cha Dong-yeob.

While taking a rest in bed, I read it and found hope. I recovered and I became more confident and hopeful than before for my future. I was so grateful for his optimistic vision. At the same time, I realized the power of reading books.

Fr. Cha Dong-yeob Norbert passed away on November 12, 2019, due to liver cancer at the age of 61. He was a passionate evangelist of absolute hope but he struggled with himself over the past several years.

He was born on May 31, 1958 and grew up in an impoverished area; he had to deliver newspapers, briquettes and rice to earn money during his childhood. Nevertheless, he graduated from the Department of Engineering at Seoul National University in 1981, and he served in the Navy. In spite of all the hardship, he never thought of his situation in a negative way. He always dreamed first and adjusted his reality to his hopeful dream.

He entered the Catholic University in Seoul in 1984, and after being ordained a priest in 1991, he studied at Boston University and Universitat Wien (University of Vienna) in Austria. He earned an MA in Bible theology and a Ph.D. in pastoral theology. Then, after serving in several parishes (Ganghwa, Gocheon and Haseong) in the Diocese of Incheon, he founded the Future Pastoral Institute to prepare for the future and to deliver the bright objectives of the pastoral ministry. At the same time, he taught at Incheon Catholic University.

"Everything you do will go well." With this firm belief, he published 40 books including the "Blessing of the Rainbow," first published in 2006, revised in 2012, and translated into five languages. In this book, he emphasized the seven principles of the rainbow: "Think positively; Sow the seeds of wisdom; Dream big; Trust in achievement; Control the words; Tame habits; and Never give up." This book has become a bestseller among Catholic publishers.

His philosophy of enduring hope is revealed in other books such as "Deeply Rooted Hope," "The Return of Hope," "Forgotten Questions," "Fool Zone" and "Creed," among others. He also translated "Hi, Mr. God," "Agape," and "365 Thank you."

"Forgotten Questions" deals with 24 questions that the late President Lee Byung-cheol raised including the existence of God. Aside from writing, Fr. Norbert gave lectures over 600 times a year. To make everything possible, he sometimes slept on a simple bed in his office.

He firmly believed in the words of the late Cardinal Kim Su-whan: "There is hope even when there is no hope." The testament of Fr. Norbert left to the Bishop of Incheon is also about hope: "Have hope always!" "Love and forgive!"

His message of enduring hope is most timely and appropriate in our society and the world is in dire need of hope and dreams.