지난주간 월요일부터 3박4일 동안 밝은미래복지재단 김옥수 사무처장과 유기태 문수실버복지관장을 비롯해서 다섯 분의 기관장들과 정천석, 문병원, 김영삼(중앙신협전무) 이사님들, 모두 9명이 동행했습니다. 그리고 우리 기관 외에도 청주와 대구, 경산에서 각각 오신 복지시설 기관장들이 함께 했고 이 일을 주선한 고명길 원장부부와 안내와 통역을 맡아주신 류영기 선교사님이 함께 일본에 있는 기독교계 노인복지 시설과 호스피스 하우스를 돌아보았습니다.
일본의 기독교 인구는 우리보다 훨씬 떨어지지만 복지 전반에 관해서, 특히 노인복지에 관해서는 우리보다 잘 운영되고 있었습니다. 맨 먼저 성 누가 병원을 둘러보았습니다. 일찍 미국 성공회가 전적으로 지원해서 설립한 곳으로 호스피스 병실을 갖춘 기독교 종합병원이었습니다. 상당한 크기의 병원이었는데, 인상적인 것은 병원 안에 예배실이 두 곳이나 자리하고 있었다는 것입니다. 그리고 비록 원장은 비기독교인 이었지만 설립한지 오래되고 기독교적인 정신으로 운영되며 원목이 책임 있는 자리에 있었고 일본의 문화에 어울리게 환자들에게 비공격적인(?) 선교활동을 펼치고 있었습니다.
다음으로 킹스가든 복지타운에 있는 두 시설을 살펴보았습니다. 그 첫 번째 시설은 기독교 양로원이라고 볼 수 있는 곳이었습니다. 비록 빌딩이긴 했지만 개인공간이 분명하게 주어져 있었습니다. 다만 식사는 모여서 식당에서 함께 해야 했지만 다른 사람의 큰 도움 없이 혼자서 움직일만한 분들이 입소해서 지내고 있었습니다. 실내 수영장을 비롯해서 여러 가지 부대시설이 있었습니다. 거기서 멀리 떨어지지 않은 곳에 위치한 또 하나의 시설은 혼자서는 생활이 불가능한 분들, 직원들과 자원봉사자들의 도움이 절대적으로 필요한 분들의 삶의 공간이었습니다. 심지어는 생을 마무리하는 곳까지 혼자서 지내도록 배려하는 것을 보면 이것 역시 일본문화와도 무관하지 않는 것 같았습니다.마지막으로 둘러본 곳은 ‘평화의 집’이라는 이름의 호스피스 시설이었습니다. 병원, 양로원두 곳, 그리고 호스피스 시설까지 차례로 둘러보고 온 셈입니다.
그리고 하루의 공식탐방이 끝나면 우리 법인식구들은 따로 모여서 법인의 활성화 방안을 두고 모임을 가졌습니다. 화요일 밤에도 밤 10시 반까지, 수요일 밤에는 11시 반까지 공식적인 모임을 가졌고 그 뒤에도 분임토의를 하듯이 새벽 1시 반까지 모임을 가졌습니다. 일본은 여전히 배울 것이 많은 나라였습니다. 자연친화적인 시설이나 과거와 현재와 미래가 이어지는 사역들이나 복음을 전하는 것도 상대방에 대한 배려를 중요시하고, 심지어는 자원봉사자들의 자격을 규정하면서도 ‘어르신들의 등을 살짝 밀어 들이는’ 정도의 마음만 있으면 된다고 하던 말이 기억에 남습니다.
For four days and three nights starting last Monday, a delegation of nine from our foundation—including Secretary General Ok-soo Kim of the Bright Future Welfare Foundation, Director Ki-tae Yoo of the Munsu Silver Welfare Center, five other facility directors, and board members Cheon-seok Jeong, Byung-won Moon, and Young-sam Kim (Executive Director of Jungang Credit Union)—traveled together. Alongside directors of welfare institutions who joined us from Cheongju, Daegu, and Gyeongsan, Director Myeong-gil Ko and his wife, who arranged this trip, and Missionary Young-ki Ryu, who served as our guide and interpreter, we visited Christian elderly welfare facilities and hospices across Japan.
Although Japan's Christian population is much smaller than ours, their overall welfare system, especially concerning senior care, is remarkably well run. First, we toured St. Luke’s International Hospital. Founded early on with the full support of the American Episcopal Church, it is a Christian general hospital complete with dedicated hospice wards. Despite its considerable size, what struck me most was finding two separate chapels within the hospital. Even though the current hospital director was not a Christian, the institution has long operated under a Christian ethos; the head chaplain held a position of significant responsibility, carrying out mission work in a gentle, non-intrusive way fitting to Japanese culture.
Next, we visited two facilities within the King’s Garden Welfare Community. The first could be described as a Christian retirement home. Though housed in a multi-story building, each resident was granted a distinct, private personal space. While meals were shared together in the dining hall, the residents living there were relatively independent and mobile without needing major assistance. It was equipped with an indoor swimming pool and various other amenities. Not far away stood another facility: a living sanctuary for those unable to live independently, whose daily lives depended entirely on the help of staff and volunteers. Even for their final moments of life, private rooms were thoughtfully prepared, a practice that seemed intimately connected with Japanese cultural sensibilities. Finally, we visited a hospice facility called the "House of Peace." Thus, our journey took us systematically through a hospital, two types of senior residences, and a hospice home.
Each evening, after the day’s official tour concluded, our foundation team gathered separately to discuss strategies for revitalizing our work. On Tuesday night, our discussions carried on until 10:30 PM, and on Wednesday, our formal meeting lasted until 11:30 PM, followed by small-group deliberations stretching until 1:30 in the morning. Japan remains a country from which there is much to learn. From facilities built in harmony with nature and ministries seamlessly connecting past, present, and future, to their deep consideration for others when sharing the gospel—it left a lasting impression. I was particularly moved by their definition of a volunteer’s qualification: possessing simply the heart to 'give an elder a gentle nudge forward from behind.'
Vanaf verlede week Maandag het 'n groep van nege lede van ons stigting—insluitend Sekretaris-generaal Ok-soo Kim van die Bright Future Welsynstigting, Direkteur Ki-tae Yoo van die Munsu Silver Welsynsentrum, vyf fasiliteitshoofde, en direkteure Cheon-seok Jeong, Byung-won Moon en Young-sam Kim (Uitvoerende Direkteur van Jungang Kredietunie)—saam vir vier dae en drie nagte op reis gegaan. Saam met hoofde van welsynsfasiliteite wat uit Cheongju, Daegu en Gyeongsan aangesluit het, Direkteur Myeong-gil Ko en sy eggenote wat die reis gereël het, asook sendeling Young-ki Ryu wat as gids en tolk opgetree het, het ons Christelike bejaardesorgfasiliteite en hospitiums in Japan besoek.
Hoewel Japan se Christelike bevolking heelwat kleiner as ons s'n is, word welsyn in die breë—en veral bejaardesorg—merkwaardig goed bestuur. Eers het ons St. Luke's Internasionale Hospitaal besoek. Dit is vroeg reeds met die volle ondersteuning van die Amerikaanse Episkopale Kerk gestig en is 'n Christelike algemene hospitaal met toegewyde hospitaalsale vir palliatiewe sorg. Alhoewel dit 'n aansienlike groot hospitaal is, was dit treffend dat daar twee afsonderlike kapelle binne die hospitaal was. Alhoewel die huidige hospitaaldirekteur nie 'n Christen was nie, word die instelling reeds lank vanuit 'n Christelike gees bestuur; die hoofkapelaan beklee 'n verantwoordelike posisie en bedryf sendingwerk op 'n sagte, nie-opdringerige wyse wat pas by die Japannese kultuur.
Daarna het ons twee fasiliteite in die King's Garden Welsynsdorp besigtig. Die eerste fasiliteit kan as 'n Christelike ouetehuis beskryf word. Alhoewel dit in 'n gebou gehuisves is, het elke inwoner 'n duidelike, privaat leefruimte gehad. Etes moes wel gesamentlik in die eetsaal geniet word, maar die inwoners was mense wat nog selfstandig en sonder groot hulp van ander kon beweeg. Daar was verskeie bykomende geriewe, insluitend 'n binnenshuise swembad. Nie ver daarvandaan nie was 'n tweede fasiliteit geleë: 'n leefruimte vir diegene wat nie meer selfstandig kan klaarkom nie en vir wie die hulp van personeel en vrywilligers 'n absolute noodsaaklikheid is. Selfs vir die laaste lewensfase is daar sorg gedra dat hulle hierdie tyd in privaatheid kon deurbring—'n benadering wat klaarblyklik ten nouste met die Japannese kultuur verweef is. Laastens het ons 'n hospitium genaamd 'Huis van Vrede' besoek. Ons het dus agtereenvolgens 'n hospitaal, twee ouetehuise en 'n hospitium aangedoen.
Nadat elke dag se amptelike besigtiging afgehandel was, het ons stigtingslede afsonderlik byeengekom om te besin oor maniere om ons eie bediening te versterk. Dinsdagaand het ons vergadering tot 22:30 geduur, en Woensdagaand tot 23:30, waarna ons in kleiner groepe tot 01:30 die nag voortgegaan het. Japan bly 'n land waaruit daar baie te leer is. Van omgewingsvriendelike fasiliteite en bedienings wat verlede, hede en toekoms saambind, tot evangelieverkondiging waarin bedagsaamheid teenoor die naaste vooropstaan—dit het my diep geraak. Ek onthou veral die woorde rakende die kwalifikasie van vrywilligers: dat al wat werklik nodig is, die gesindheid is om 'die bejaardes net 'n ligte steuntjie in die rug te gee'.