BIBLE STUDY AT UCC GENERAL COUNCIL
Welcome and thank you for coming to this Bible study today. Let us start with prayer. Lord, as we gather to look at the world, especially the Korean situation, in the light of Scripture, please fill us with your Spirit and wisdom. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Have you ever had an important decision made for you against your wishes or without begin consulted? By parents or spouse or boss ? How did it feel to have your wishes disregarded?
This was what happened to Korea 70 years ago. What was happening in the world 70 years ago this year (1945)? It was the end of the Second World War and the Allied Leaders (Churchill, Truman, and Stalin) made a decision about Korea. They decided that Korea could not rule itself and should be divided.
With the division, families were divided. When the armies came, people fled, often getting separated, parents from children, siblings from siblings. One of the sad consequences for the UCC is that the place of the UCC mission in the north was lost, so when the missionaries came back to Korea after the war, they could not go back to Hamheung, but joined the thousands of refugees in Seoul. They heard sad stories of many Christian friends killed and many churches destroyed. At the same time, many people went from the South to the North, appreciating certain aspects of the socialist society, like the land division carried out by Kim Il Sung. Many of them, however, were arrested as spies.
This is the dilemma of a colonial victim, to have such decisions made without any consultation. It has frequently happened in Africa and other places, that borders have been set in ways that have grave consequences.
Korea had not even been a colony of the Western powers. It had, however, been a colony of Japan for 35 years. Japan had tried its best to assimilate Korea into itself. Koreans were given Japanese names and not allowed to use their Korean names for any official purposes. Koreans were taught in Japanese, and were punished in school if they used the Korean language. What part of Canadian and UCC history does this remind you of?
In 1945, we were liberated from this colonial power, but as I said, the Allied Powers decided to resubjugate us under new powers. The idea put forward was to prepare us for unification and one eventual government, but perhaps they never meant to. Certainly Russia and the United States very quickly found themselves at odds about the way the world should be, and the first active conflict of the Cold War was the Korean War 1950-1953.
There are Christians and people of other faiths in North Korea. The Protestant groups are united in the Korea Christian Federation (KCF) and PROK and NCCK has continued to work with KCF. It is difficult, because every time we want to even contact people in North Korea, we have to get permission from the Ministry of Unification in the South Korean government. However, occasionally we have been able to have official church visits to the North, and we have continued to send humanitarian aid to the North when there is need (even if we are not given permission by the government, in which case our money goes to our partner in China, Amity Foundation, and they buy and send flour). Since 1996 NCCK and KCF together have prepared joint prayers and worship for use twice a year, at Easter and at Liberation Day of Aug. 15. Since this is our week of Liberation, I ask that we join together in the prayer used throughout Korea and the world this week:
2015 Easter North-South Joint Prayer
70 years since the joys of incomplete independence were reduced to the pains of separation
On this morning when we reminisce of the jubilance of resurrection
The voice of forgiveness and reconciliation resonates in our hearts
70 years, but still a broken culture rages among us
In the face of the rule of the dead powers of the military industry
We repent for our feeble faith that confessed words instead of actions
We see ourselves frightened to meet even before considering forgiveness
Such is rooted in our distrust
We confess that no love and faith for each other had ever existed
No blame was put upon the crowd that cried for the cross.
Following Jesus who has revealed the path of salvation through forgiveness,
After 70 years of separation, we pray that the fire of forgiveness and reconciliation kindle in every nation of the world. Lord, lead our way
Before we fault others,
Help us purify ourselves, as we are filled with hate, anger and violence
Grant us the inner courage to reflect back on our true past
Face the hidden truth
And reunite with those who suffered unrighteous death
Give our weak selves the Holy Spirit
Let us not give up on our pursuit for forgiveness, reconciliation and unification
Amidst the despairs of death, you have shown us great hope through resurrection
Bring the new life of resurrection to this dying land
In the same way that Jacob, after crossing the Jabok River embraced Esau and danced,
Armed with forgiveness, let us cross the river of hate and enmity to unite, North and South
Wash away the agonies of separation
To give our sons and daughters one, living nation.
We believe that the road of this journey would save people and give hope to mankind
In the name of Jesus Christ who never ceases to call
Into the world of resurrection,
We pray sincerely, Amen.
National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and Korean Christian Federation (KCF)
We have not been alone. There are many global partners who support us. Ever since the inauguration of the World Council of Churches in 1948, the World Council has been aware of Korea, especially since war so soon followed the division of Korea.
Do you know about Tozanso? In 1984, the WCC Commission of Churches on International Affairs held a consultation at Tozanso in Japan, bringing together a wide range of member churches with Korean Christians, to discuss the issues raised by the division of Korea. The ongoing support by the WCC has been very important.
So has support from many Christian bodies throughout the world. Can anyone tell us about the UCC relationship with North Korea and Canada’s recognition of North Korea?
In 1988 the National Council of Churches passed an important Declaration of Korean Churches for National Unification of the Korean People and Peace in the Korean Peninsula, setting 1995 as the Year of National Jubilee for the churches in North and South, and affirming five principles to work towards: 1) self-reliant unification, 2) peaceful unification, 3) national unity through trust and cooperation, 4) democratic unification by people's participation, and 5) North-South relations based on a humanitarian approach.
PROK has never withdrawn from its desire for reconciliation and eventual reunification of our Peninsula. Of all the denominations in Korea we are the most committed to this. We take for the basis of this faith the text Ephesians 2:14“For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” We look forward with faith and confidence to the new work that God is bringing about.
PROK was instrumental in bringing the reunification voice to the WCC 10th General Assembly that was held in Busan, Korea in 2013. In bringing Discussion Document #17 to the floor, we shared our faith statements and hopes, and thus this spiritual rationale was adopted by the Assembly:
“Division, war and suffering contradict God’s will for the fullness of life. Therefore, we call upon the churches of the world, and upon those holding social, economic, political and governmental power, to pursue a lasting and sustainable peace with justice that will reunify and reconcile the people of Korea.
The central theme of our assembly is a simple prayer, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.” It is our prayer that the vision and dream of all Koreans, their common aspiration for healing, reconciliation, peace and reunification may be fulfilled.
As a global body of believers in Jesus Christ, we confess our sins in having given in to the powers and principalities of the world in their wars and military conflicts full of hate and enmity, armed with nuclear arsenals and weapons of mass destruction targeting humanity and the whole of God’s creation. Also we lament our failure to adequately acknowledge the Korean people’s long suffering, caused by external powers fighting for colonial expansion and military hegemony.
We hereby join the Christians in Korea in their confession of faith in Jesus Christ, who came to this world as our Peace (Ephesians 2:13-19); who suffered, died upon the Cross, was buried, and rose again to reconcile humanity to God, to overcome divisions and conflicts, and to liberate all people and make them one (Acts 10:36-40); who, as our Messiah, will bring about a new Heaven and new Earth (Rev. 21-22).
With this confession, we join in firm commitment with the Christians of Korea, both North and South, especially in Korean churches’ faithful actions to work towards peace, healing, reconciliation and reunification of their people and their land.”
For a long time, presidents and governments of South Korea would have nothing to do with the North. Finally in 1998 the government of Kim Dae Jung was elected. His main platform was to seek reconciliation with the North through a policy called the Sunshine Policy. He and Kim Jong Il held a Summit in which they talked of economic cooperation through the establishment to projects that were mutually beneficial to North and South. From that time came an industrial park (Kaesong) using South Korean investment and North Korean workers, as well as Keungang Mountain resort. They promised regular family reunions and stimulating cooperation and exchanges in civic, cultural, sports, health, environmental and all other fields.
The present political situation for the last two Presidential terms is that unfortunately there has been withdrawal from Sunshine Policy and resumption of the hard political line.
Undiscouraged however, the PROK, in Lent of 2014, made a promise to pray weekly for peaceful reunification of Korea, so every Monday since then we have had a prayer meeting. A few hours ago, this gathering the 70th Monday Prayer Meeting, took place this evening in Seoul. Let us join our hearts with theirs and conclude our time together by holding hands and singing a wonderful hymn from your Voices United that truly reflects our hopes - the first verse and chorus of Walls That Divide.
Though ancient walls may still stand proud, and racial strife be fact,
Though boundaries may be lines of hate, proclaim God’s saving act!
Walls that divide are broken down, Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside, Christ is our liberty!
[이 게시물은 관리자님에 의해 2016-11-03 21:39:53 총무 칼럼에서 이동 됨]
