On Wednesday, April 10th, the Asbury Seminary team of which I was a part went to visit Yeo Sang, which is South Korea's best vocational school for girls. It is Christian school with a pastor and a chapel on the top floor of the facility. We were immediately welcomed upon arrival and sat through a presentation that gave us Yeo Sang's history, reputation, and programming. We then proceeded to visit several different departments in the building: the counselor, nurse, career center, teachers' lounge, and the computer lab. We then observed a demonstration of traditional Korean etiquette, with several girls decked out in full Korean garb. They had us wear some of the men's traditional clothing and taught us how to properly bow to honor our elders. Apparently Korean children do this in their families at a certain time each year, with the elders rewarding the children by giving them a treat. We then kowtowed before the principal of the school and our team leader, Dr. Tumblin. Good bows were met with oohs and aahs of appreciation; mistakes brought out some stifled giggles that sometimes erupted into full-on laughter.
Soo, one of our hosts, managed to tell the girls that my friends Chris, Phil, and myself were all "opa"s. If my understanding is correct, this word technically means older brother, but colloquially it means single and available. The atmosphere of the room changed as the awkwardness of teenage crushing began. I don't know if it was because the school is made up of only girls, or we had some sort of American cool factor, or we were simply attractive, but we suddenly became a lot more interesting after that. It made me feel a bit nostalgic - - it wasn't too long ago that I was a love-struck teenager who goggled over whichever girl had my attention at the time. Actually, not much has changed in that respect :).
We moved on to practice calligraphy and later went to chapel, which is on the top floor of the school, symbolizing its importance. Some of the girls sang and danced for us, showcasing the opportunities the chapel team provided them and the talents they had developed. We heard the administrator's testimony, which was very powerful. He came to Christianity through the influence of his wife, which eventually led to one of his parents, his children, and his grandchildren all becoming Christians. He has encountered and firmly believes in God's ability to raise up and use women in a powerful way, which led him to start working with young women at Yeo Sang. His own life is a testimony to how God used his wife to reach four generations within his family.
They served us the traditional American lunch of the McDonald's Big Mac. Once we finished our lunch, we left to the trumpets and percussion of a royal processional that was historically played for the Korean king. All of the school was part of the crowd that sent us off; you would have thought we were the Queen of England or the President of the U. S. - - it was over the top in an awesome and humbling way. The girls there were extremely nice to us, and it seems like they are getting a good foundation in Christ and a great education there. The experience was wonderful.
After our trip to Yeo Sang, we were driven to Kwanglim Methodist Church's Charity House, which functions as a nursing home for the elderly and has a special unit for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. They have some awesome art in the place they conduct funerals, an example of which you can see here:
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| Jesus silhouette with the cross tearing the veil of the Temple in the immediate foreground. Biblical scenes are depicted on the sides. |
We went inside Charity House where we were introduced to their history and work, and afterward we got to pray with several residents. It was a powerful experience. Some of them used to be elders and deacons in Kwanglim Methodist Church; now they can't talk at all. Some were simply existing, holding on by a thin thread, kept alive by the caretakers. We managed to utter out a few phrases from our limited Korean vocabulary as we passed by residents - - "anyeunghaseyo" for "hello", "chook bok hamnida" for "God bless you", and "kamsahamnida" for "thank you." All of these are very simple phrases, yet many of the residents received them as a precious gift, their faces all smiles and grace.
One of the residents in particular made a strong impression on me. She could not talk, or at least did not respond to my greeting; she simply stared at me sadly. My friend Zach prayed for her while I held her arm. After the prayer was over, I lingered for a brief moment. We were strangers who were praying for her in a foreign tongue and had no regular contact with her. She probably had no idea what we were requesting, and we'll probably never see her again this side of existence. I decided to follow a rising sensation and I gently stroked her head, looking at her in love for just a few more seconds. She looked back at me; it seemed that the faint mist of tears were shining in her eyes. I got the sense that something beautiful had just happened. I knew that we had communicated in a language deeper than words. I didn't even know her name.
Of all the people and residents we prayed for, it was her that I can't get out of my mind. I am reminded that Jesus was there, loving through each of us. He was giving through physical touch, and he was guiding through the look in the woman's eyes, a look that was somewhere between the fear of leaving everything behind and the joyful hope of our bodies being made new in Christ.
On reflection, the whole day seemed to highlight the disparity of the experiences of the two groups. Earlier we had spent time with girls who had their whole lives ahead of them. They were in a great school, had a solid Christian foundation, and had all their dreams and hopes for the years just beyond them. Later we were with those who had nearly all of their present form of life behind them; some of them did not even have control over their minds or the ability to speak.
I am somewhere in-between these two poles, though I am admittedly closer to one side than the other. The contrast got me thinking about the changes of life and how the call to be faithful to God is often shaped around those changes and life stages. When we are young students, the call to be faithful means growing in Christ, giving your best to school and work, and learning. As young adults, the call to be faithful means growing in responsibility, finding intimacy with God and others, and learning to love. Adulthood carries the responsibility of investing in your church, family, friends, and the next generation. The latter days of life hold the challenge of reflecting on and owning the life you have lived, righting wrongs, and preparing for death (check Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development for examples of the major developmental stages and dilemmas). Being faithful to God is shaped around the contours of our development, context, health, and calling.
Thinking on this churns up the desire in me to be faithful to God in every situation and circumstance that comes in life. I want to be faithful in the vibrancy of youth and in the painful surrender of old age. I want to be faithful on the good days and the hard days, in awkwardness and in confidence, in strength and in weakness, in life and in death. Yes, in all of my life, I want to be faithful and point to Jesus; I want to share his love. He is everything that is good, everything that is life and joy and peace and truth. Holy Spirit, help me, a sinner.
I think this is what God was bringing to my heart so strongly when I was looking at that woman at Charity House. Through our gazes, I think we both were being faithful. We were sharing a gift with each other, a gift that originated from the infinite reservoir of God's abundant grace. From one life stage and circumstance to another, through different means, we were sharing the gift that transcends everything: the love of God.
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