저희가 울산에 온 지도 벌써 이십 년이 다 되어갑니다.그동안 울산교회에서 함께 섬겼던 목사님과 사모님들도 한 분 한 분 다른 곳의 교회에 담임 목회를 맡아 가셨습니다. 그렇게 다른 지역으로 이사를 가신 분들이 줄잡아 한 이십 가정 이상 되는 것 같습니다. 짧게는 이삼 년, 아니면 십수 년을 한 교회에서 함께 섬겼었지요. 해마다 여름이 가까워 오면 한차례 전체 모임을 갖습니다. 한 교회에서 함께 섬겼던 것이 인연이 되어 서로 잘 알 뿐만 아니라 한동안 안 보면 보고 싶어 하는 사이가 되었다는 말입니다.
목사님들은 목사님들대로 함께 일하며 동료애를 키워왔고 사모님들은 사모님들대로 매주 금요일 오전에 함께 모임을 가질 뿐만 아니라 주간에 수시로 서로의 형편을 살펴가며 교제를 가져왔지요. 나이도 차이가 나고 생긴 모습이나 성격도 제각각이어서 어울릴 것 같지 않지만 저희들은 잘도 어울립니다. 그러다가 서로 정이 들어버린 것 같습니다. 이렇게 다른 곳으로 이사를 가도 서로 연락을 하며 지내는 걸 보면 말입니다.
지난 7월에도 모여 대구를 방문했습니다. 대구에서 목회를 하시는 두 분 목사님 가정과 교회를 방문하고 나서 고령 쪽에 있는 펜션 두 동을 빌려 목사님들과 사모님들이 따로 쓰게 되었습니다. 물론 낮 동안은 함께 근처의 문화 관광지를 방문하기도 하고 그동안 미뤄두었던 얘기 보따리를 풀어놓기도 하고 했습니다. 모여 앉으면 울산교회에서 사역하면서 있었던 이야기들이 나오기 마련이라 재미있었던 일들을 얘기하면서 배꼽을 잡기도 하고 혹은 현재 목회 현장에서 있었던 얘기들을 나누며 서로 정보를 교환하기도 합니다.
그런데 무슨 이야기를 하든지 서로를 아껴주고 격려하고자 하는 마음이 눈에 들어왔습니다. 어쩌다 한 교회에서 만난 것 같았지만 그게 아니라 우리를 한 교회에서 만나게 하신 하나님의 인도하심이 있었다는 것을 새삼 눈치를 채면서 우리에게 만남이란 또 하나의 선물이요 축복이라는 생각이 듭니다. 서로 전혀 다른 배경에서 다른 성격을 가지고 살다가 만난 배우자도 그렇고 내가 결정한 것도 아닌데 부모와 자녀로 만난 남다른 만남도 그렇지요.
오늘 아침 산에 오르면서 문뜩 친정 엄마가 떠올랐습니다. 나와는 유난히 다른 성격을 가진 엄마이지만 그리고 천국 가신 지가 벌써 이십 수년이 지났는데 도 문뜩문뜩 보고 싶기도 하고 좀 잘 해드릴 걸 후회하는 마음도 들기도 하며 옛날 어릴 적 장면들이 떠오르기도 합니다. 뿔뿔이 흩어져 살고 있는 형제자매들, 남편을 만나면서 인연이 된 시어머님과 시댁 형님들, 이미 먼 곳에서 잘 살고 있는 우리 아들들 생각을 할 때도 있습니다.
그리고 수십 년 전에 함께 신앙 생활했던 분들의 얼굴과 그 때 장면들이 생각나 슬며시 미소를 짓기도 합니다. 일전에는 고등학교 2학년 한 해 동안 한 반에서 지냈던 친구들이 찾아와서 만나는 반가운 일들도 있었지요. 지금 현재도 울산이라는 한 지역에서 서로 만나면 좋고 보고 싶은 분들이 우리 주위에 계신다는 것이 얼마나 행복한 일인지 모릅니다. 그렇게 만나고 헤어졌던 사람들, 서로에게 힘이 되어주고 아니면 서로에게 훈련조교의 역할을 하기도 했던 사람들, 이 땅을 살아가면서 만나게 되는 것을 인연이라고들 하지요.
우리를 사랑하시는 하나님의 우리를 위한 배려라는 생각이 듭니다. 어떤 때는 서로가 이해가 되지 않아 티격태격할 때도 없지 않았지만 함께 시간과 공간을 공유하면서 서로를 품게 되고 결국 끔찍이 사랑하는 관계로 나아가게 되는 것은 우리에게 사랑하도록 아니 사랑하라고 말씀하신 하나님의 인도하심이 있었지요. 우리를 사랑하시는 하나님께서 우리를 이 땅에 보내면서 서로 사랑하고, 힘들 때 서로 돕고 살라고 가족으로, 친구로, 동역자로, 이웃으로 허락하시면서 이웃을 네 몸과 같이 사랑하라는 계명을 주셨으니 그 말씀을 잘 준행할 수 있기를 소원합니다.
Nearly twenty years have passed since we first arrived in Ulsan. Over the years, the pastors and their wives who served alongside us at Ulsan Church have moved on one by one to take up senior pastoral ministries in other churches. At a conservative estimate, at least twenty pastoral families have relocated to other regions. We served together in the same church for as short as two or three years, or as long as well over a decade. Every year, as summer draws near, we hold a gathering for everyone. Serving together in one church became a precious bond, so that we not only know each other deeply, but truly miss one another if we go too long without meeting.
The pastors have nurtured deep camaraderie by laboring side by side, while the pastors' wives have gathered every Friday morning and continually looked after one another’s circumstances throughout the week, building warm fellowship. With differences in age, appearance, and personality, it might seem unlikely that we would fit together so well, yet we blend with wonderful harmony. Along the way, genuine affection has grown between us. The fact that we still keep in close contact even after moving to different regions is proof enough.
This past July, we gathered once again and visited Daegu. After visiting two pastoral families and their churches where they minister in Daegu, we rented two vacation cabins in Goryeong—one for the pastors and one for their wives. Of course, during the daytime, we visited nearby cultural and scenic attractions together, unpacking long-deferred bundles of conversation. Whenever we sit together, stories of our days serving at Ulsan Church naturally pour out; we laugh until our sides ache over humorous memories, or share our current pastoral experiences and exchange helpful insights.
Yet, through whatever we discussed, a genuine heart to cherish and encourage one another was clearly evident. It might have seemed like we simply happened to meet at one church, but I realized afresh that it was God's guidance that brought us together in that place, and I felt deeply that every encounter is yet another gift and blessing for us. Just as a husband and wife—who lived with entirely different backgrounds and personalities before meeting—come together, so it is with the extraordinary encounter between parents and children, which was never of our own choosing.
Climbing the mountain this morning, my mother suddenly came to mind. Though she had a temperament so remarkably different from mine, and though more than twenty years have already passed since she went to heaven, I still miss her from time to time, feel pangs of regret wishing I had treated her better, and recall scenes from my childhood. I also think of my siblings scattered far and wide, my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law with whom I became connected through marrying my husband, and our sons who are living well far away.
I also find myself smiling gently as I remember the faces and scenes of those with whom I shared my walk of faith decades ago. Not long ago, classmates who spent our second year of high school together in the same classroom came to visit, which was such a delightful reunion. Even now, here in the single region of Ulsan, how great a joy it is to be surrounded by people whom we are so happy to see and long to meet! Those people we have met and parted with—those who became a source of strength or served as stern trainers refining our character—all these encounters we experience as we walk through this life are what people call providential ties.
I believe this is the caring provision of God, who loves us. There were times when we did not understand one another and squabbled, but as we shared time and space together, embraced one another, and eventually grew into relationships of profound love, it was guided by God who commanded us to love—or rather, spoke love into our hearts. Since God, who loves us, sent us into this world to love one another and to support each other in difficult times, granting us families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors, and giving us the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, I earnestly pray that we may faithfully follow that word.
Dit is al byna twintig jaar sedert ons in Ulsan aangekom het. Oor die jare het die leraars en leraarsvroue wat saam met ons in Ulsan Gemeente gedien het, een vir een vertrek om senior pastorale bedienings in ander gemeentes te behartig. Altesaam het daar na raming seker meer as twintig gesinne na ander streke verhuis. Ons het vir so kort as twee of drie jaar, of vir meer as ’n dekade, saam in dieselfde gemeente gedien. Elke jaar, soos die somer nader kom, hou ons ’n gesamentlike byeenkoms. Om saam in een gemeente te gedien het, het so ’n kosbare band gesmee dat ons mekaar nie net deeglik ken nie, maar mekaar werklik mis as ons mekaar ’n ruk lank nie gesien het nie.
Die leraars het kameraadskap opgebou deur sy aan sy te arbei, en die leraarsvroue het elke Vrydagoggend byeengekom en gereeld deur die week na mekaar se welstand verneem en hegte gemeenskap gekoester. Met ons verskille in ouderdom, voorkoms en geaardheid sou ’n mens dink ons pas beswaarlik bymekaar, maar tog klik ons wonderbaarlik goed. Mettertyd het ons harte werklik aan mekaar geheg geraak. Dit blyk immers duidelik uit die manier waarop ons steeds kontak behou, selfs al het mense na ander plekke verhuis.
Verlede Julie het ons weer byeengekom en Daegu besoek. Nadat ons die twee leraarsgesinne en gemeentes waar hulle in Daegu bedien, besoek het, het ons twee vakansiehuisies in Goryeong gehuur sodat die leraars en hul vroue apart kon tuisgaan. Bedags het ons natuurlik saam nabygeleë kulturele besienswaardighede besoek en stories gedeel wat lank gewag het om vertel te word. Wanneer ons so bymekaarsit, kom die herinneringe aan ons bediening in Ulsan Gemeente vanself na vore; ons lag uit ons mae uit oor die snaakse dinge wat gebeur het, of deel stories en gedagtes uit ons huidige bedieningsvelde om mekaar te bemoedig.
Wat ons ook al bespreek het, die opregte begeerte om mekaar te koester en te bemoedig was tasbaar. Dit kon gelyk het of ons sommer toevallig in dieselfde gemeente beland het, maar opnuut het ek besef dat dit God se leiding was wat ons daar bymekaargebring het. Ek besef dat elke ontmoeting vir ons nog ’n gawe en seën is. Net soos ’n huweliksmaat—met wie ’n mens ná ’n lewe van heeltemal verskillende agtergronde en persoonlikhede saamgevoeg word—is dit ook met die buitengewone band tussen ouers en kinders, wat ons immers nooit self gekies het nie.
Vanoggend terwyl ek die berg uitgeklim het, het my eie ma skielik by my opgekom. Al het sy ’n heel ander geaardheid as ek gehad, en al is sy al meer as twintig jaar gelede hemel toe, mis ek haar tog telkens weer; ek voel berou dat ek nie beter vir haar gesorg het nie, en beelde uit my kinderdae kom helder na vore. Ek dink ook aan my broers en susters wat wyd en syd versprei woon, my skoonmoeder en skoonsusters met wie ek deur my man verbind is, en ons seuns wat reeds ver van hier ’n goeie lewe lei.
Ek glimlag ook stilweg wanneer ek dink aan die gesigte en oomblikke saam met diegene saam met wie ek dekades gelede my geloofspad gestap het. Nie lank gelede nie het vriende wat in my tweede jaar van hoërskool saam met my in een klas was, kom kuier—wat ’n vreugdevolle ontmoeting was dit nie! Selfs nou, hier in ons eie streek van Ulsan, is dit so ’n groot voorreg om omring te wees deur mense wat ons graag wil sien en na wie ons verlang. Daardie mense wat ons ontmoet en van wie ons weer afskeid geneem het—hulle wat vir ons ’n bron van krag was of soos streng leermeesters gedien het om ons te slyp—al hierdie lewenspaaie wat kruis, noem mense bestemming.
Ek glo dit is die liefdevolle versorging van God wat ons liefhet. Daar was tye dat ons mekaar nie verstaan het nie en koppe gestamp het, maar soos ons tyd en ruimte gedeel het, het ons mekaar leer omarm en uiteindelik gegroei tot ’n diepe, innige liefde. Dit was immers God se leiding wat ons beveel het—ja, ons die krag gegee het—om lief te hê. Aangesien die God wat ons liefhet ons na hierdie aarde gestuur het om mekaar lief te hê en mekaar in moeilike tye by te staan, en Hy vir ons familie, vriende, medewerkers en naastes gegee het met die opdrag om jou naaste lief te hê soos jouself, is my innige bede dat ons daardie opdrag getrou mag nakom.