하나님 아버지, ‘아버지’라는 단어를 거부감 없이 부를 수 있는 좋은 가정에서 자라게 되어서 감사합니다. 새삼 이렇게 말씀드리는 것은 캠핑 여행을 하면서 밤마다 모닥불을 피워놓고 나눈 라이프 스토리, 특히 힘들게 자란 분들의 이야기 때문입니다. 아내만 해도 매 맞고 자란 어린 시절의 기억을 갖고 있지만, 어떤 분들은 정말 힘든 가족관계 속에서, 은혜로 살아남았다고 말하는 편이 어울릴 것이기 때문입니다. 그러다보면, 하나님 ‘아버지’라는 호칭대신 ‘주님’이란 호칭을 더 선호하는 처지가 되기도 했을 것입니다.
여정의 순간순간 세밀하게 개입해주신 선하신 인도를 인해서 감사합니다. 주님은 우리의 캠프 일정을 책임지신 매니저처럼 환상적으로 개입하셨습니다. 특히 금요일 오후에 퀵킹호스령을 지나 요호에 있는 무인 캠프장으로 인도하신 일은 아직도 기억에 남습니다. 존스턴계곡 캠프장에 텐트를 칠 장소가 없다는 말을 들을 때 조금도 불안하지 않고 요호공 원으로 가기로 했을 때 오히려 기대감을 갖고 나아갈 수 있었기 때문입니다. 마치 다윗이 기뻐했던 것처럼! “사람이 내게 말하기를 여호와의 집에 올라가자 할 때에 내가 기뻐하였도다”(시 122:1) 또한 모닥불에 둘러앉아 라이프 스토리를 나눈 순서에도 놀랍게 개입하신 하나님을 찬양합니다. 화요일 밤에 정지훈 목사, 이영은 국장을 시작으로, 또 제가 너무 시간을 많이 사용하여 뒷날로 밀려서 하게된 아내, 그 다음 날 김 집사, 양 목사로 이어져서, 마지막 박 목사에 이르기까지 완벽한 배열로 인해서 감사합니다. 장엄한 로키산맥도 아름다웠지만 역시 창조의 걸작은 사람입니다. 다만 자연계는 심판으로 파괴되어도 아름다운 흔적이 남아있지만 사람들의 상처는 그리스도 안에서 회복될 때만 아름다울 수 있습니다. “모든 사람이 죄를 범하였으매…” 라는 말씀이 “모든 사람이 상처를 가졌으매…”로 들리는 모닥불가의 교제였습니다.
첫날 캠핑을 하고 아침에 일어나서는 텐트가 추웠다는 말을 듣고도 나의 슬리핑백은 따뜻했다는 말을 하기 미안했던 것처럼 어린 시절의 상처를 들으면서도 좋은 가정에서 따뜻한 어린 시절을 보낸 것이 오히려 미안하게 느껴지는 시간이었습니다. 다만 그들의 상처가 그리스도 안에서 찬란한 별들이 되기를 기도합니다. 우리 주 예수 그리스도의 하나님, 자비의 아버지, 위로의 하나님께서 그들을 위로하셔서 환난 가운데 있는 고린도 성도들로 하여금 “하나님께 받는 위로로서 모든 환난 중에 있는 자들을 능히 위로하게 하시”듯이 상처받은 사람들을 치유하는 일에 귀하게 사용하여 주십시오. 그리하여 더 이상 상처들(scar)이 아니라 하나님의 치유하심을 밝히 드러내는 별들(star)이 되게 하여 주십시오. 예수님의 이름으로 기도합니다. 아멘
Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to grow up in a loving home where I can call You “Father” without hesitation or resistance. I find myself offering this gratitude anew because of the life stories shared each evening around the campfire during our camping trip—especially the stories of those who had painful childhoods. Even my wife holds childhood memories of being beaten, yet for some, it is more fitting to say that they barely survived through sheer grace amidst deeply troubled family relationships. Growing up in such homes, one might naturally find oneself preferring the title “Lord” rather than “Father” God.
Thank You for Your good guidance, intimately intervening in every moment of this journey. Lord, You intervened wonderfully, just like a seasoned manager overseeing our camp itinerary. In particular, I still vividly recall how You led us through Kicking Horse Pass on Friday afternoon to an unstaffed campsite in Yoho. When we were told there was no space to pitch our tents at Johnston Canyon Campground, we felt no anxiety at all; instead, we set out toward Yoho National Park with a sense of quiet anticipation. It was just like David’s joy: “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1). I also praise God for His wondrous providence in the very order of our life stories shared around the campfire. Starting Tuesday night with Pastor Jihoon Jung and Director Youngeun Lee; my wife, whose turn was postponed to the following day because I took up too much time; then Deacon Kim and Pastor Yang the next evening; leading all the way to Pastor Park at the end—thank You for this perfect arrangement. As magnificent as the majestic Rockies were, humanity remains the true masterpiece of Your creation. Yet, while nature retains a trace of beauty even after being marred by the judgment, human wounds can only become beautiful when they are redeemed and restored in Christ. Around that campfire, the verse “For all have sinned...” resonated in our hearts as “For all have been wounded...”
Just as I felt a bit apologetic on the first morning of camping to say my sleeping bag was warm when others mentioned how freezing their tents had been, listening to their childhood wounds made me feel somewhat apologetic for having spent a warm, secure childhood in a good home. Yet I pray that their wounds may become radiant stars in Christ. May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, comfort them—just as He enabled the Corinthian believers in tribulation to “comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God”—and use them preciously to bring healing to other wounded souls. Grant that their wounds may no longer remain mere scars, but shine forth as stars that brightly declare God’s healing grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Hemelse Vader, dankie dat ek kon grootword in 'n goeie gesin waar ek die woord “Vader” sonder enige huiwering of teensin kan uitspreek. Ek spreek hierdie dankbaarheid opnuut uit na aanleiding van die lewensverhale wat ons elke aand om die kampvuur tydens ons kampreis gedeel het—veral die verhale van diegene wat onder baie moeilike omstandighede grootgeword het. My vrou self dra herinneringe aan 'n kinderjare waarin sy lyfstraf verduur het, maar vir sommige sou dit meer gepas wees om te sê dat hulle bloot deur genade te midde van uiters pynlike gesinsverhoudings oorleef het. Deur sulke omstandighede sou 'n mens makliker die aanspreekvorm “Here” kon verkies bo God as “Vader”.
Dankie vir U getroue en goeie leiding, waardeur U elke oomblik van hierdie reis fyn ingegryp het. Here, U het wonderbaarlik ingegryp soos 'n bekwame bestuurder wat die toesig oor ons kampprogram gehou het. Ek onthou veral nog hoe U ons Vrydagmiddag oor die Kicking Horse-pas na 'n onbemande kampeerterrein in Yoho gelei het. Toe ons hoor dat daar geen plek meer was om 'n tent by Johnston Canyon op te slaan nie, was daar geen angs nie; toe ons besluit om na Yoho Nasionale Park te gaan, kon ons eerder met 'n gevoel van blye verwagting vorentoe beweeg. Net soos Dawid hom verbly het: “Ek was bly toe hulle vir my gesê het: ‘Laat ons na die huis van die Here gaan!’” (Ps. 122:1). Ek prys God ook vir Sy wonderbaarlike beskikking in die volgorde waarin ons lewensverhale om die kampvuur gedeel is. Dit het Dinsdagaand met leraar Jihoon Jung en direkteur Youngeun Lee begin; daarna my vrou, wat na die volgende dag verskuif moes word omdat ek te veel tyd in beslag geneem het; die volgende aand diaken Kim en leraar Yang; tot by leraar Park heel laaste—dankie vir hierdie volmaakte rangskikking. Hoe asemrowend die majestueuse Rotsgebergte ook al was, die ware meesterstuk van U skepping bly die mens. Maar terwyl die natuur selfs ná die verwoesting van die oordeel nog spore van skoonheid behou, kan die wonde van mense slegs mooi word wanneer dit in Christus herstel word. By daardie kampvuur het die woorde “almal het gesondig...” geklink soos “almal dra wonde...”
Net soos ek ná die eerste nag se kampering skaam gevoel het om te sê my slaapsak was warm terwyl ander gekla het dat hul tente yskoud was, het dit my eweneens amper verleë laat voel om na hul kinderjare se wonde te luister terwyl ek self 'n warm, koesterende kinderjare in 'n goeie gesin geniet het. Tog bid ek dat hul wonde skitterende sterre in Christus mag word. Mag die God van ons Here Jesus Christus, die Vader van barmhartigheid en die God van alle vertroosting, hulle vertroos—sodat hulle, net soos die gelowiges in Korinte te midde van verdrukking, “in staat kan wees om diegene wat in allerhande beproewings verkeer, te troos met die vertroosting waarmee God hulle self troos”—en gebruik hulle kosbaar in die genesing van ander gewonde siele. Laat hul letsels (scars) nie meer bloot wonde bly nie, maar sterre (stars) word wat die genesende genade van God helder verkondig. In die Naam van Jesus bid ek dit. Amen.