토요일 아침입니다. 어제 오후부터 흐려지더니 밤사이에 비가 뿌렸고, 10시 반이 넘어가는데 아직도 약한 비가 내리고 있습니다. 제가 사는 울주군 범서읍 두산리 뒷산은 단풍이 절정인데 비에 젖은 단풍 풍경도 보기에 좋습니다. 워낙 가뭄이라 …한 해에 1500밀리의 비가 내리고 4계절이 뚜렷한 나라라는 자랑스런 특징이 이제는 변하고 있습니다. 대구하면 사과로 유명했지만 벌써 경북 봉화를 넘어 충청도까지 사과 재배지는 옮겨가고 있습니다.
하지만 옛날에 비해서 좋아진 것이 훨씬 더 많아졌다고 생각합니다. 국토의 6~70퍼센트가 산지라며 가난을 탓하고 허기진 배를 움켜지던 시절을 살아보았기 때문입니다. 그러나 더 이상 먹거리를 농사지어서 살지 않고 공장이나 직장을 다녀서 수입을 얻다보니 그 국토의 6~70퍼센트가 풍성한 산림자원이요 여가를 즐기는 공간으로 오롯이 변신하고 있습니다. 오시면 시간 내셔서 자연휴양림을 방문해 보십시오. 제 말을 실감할 것입니다.
몇 주 전부터 “선교사님께 보내는 연말 선물”에 대한 광고가 나기 시작했습니다. 내일 주보에도 “선교사 성탄선물 보내기”라는 제목으로, “오늘까지 본당로비 부스와 사무실로 제출해 주시기 바랍니다. 모든 구역에서 동참해 주시기 바랍니다.”라고 되어 있습니다. 광고를 보통 교인들은 한 번 듣거나 읽지만 저는 주일마다 적어도 세 차례를 듣고 보고 있습니다. 그런데 나는 어떻게 할 것인가?라고 스스로 물어보았습니다. 구역소속이 없다고 선물을 보내지 못하란 법은 없지 않겠습니까? 그래서 저와 그리고 우리 교회와 긴밀히 일하고 있는 한국고등신학원에서 새로 나온 책 한 권을 보냈으면 좋겠다는 생각이 처음에는 스쳤습니다.
그런데 반복해서 듣다보니 책 선물 그것도 한국에 오셔서 족적을 남긴 선교사님들의 이야기도 읽을 눈이 있는 분에겐 선물이 되겠지만 파송교회 목사랍시고 여러분은 분기별, 아니면 적어도 반년에 한 번씩은, 정 힘들면 한 해 한 번이라도 선교편지를 기대하면서도 이쪽 소식을 전하지 않는 것은 무례한 일 같아서 간만에 착한 마음을 먹고 편지 하나 쓰기로 했습니다. 물론 이메일도 통하는 시대긴 하지만 선물 박스 안에 소식도 들어가면 좋겠다는 생각이 들어서 편지를 보냅니다.
비록 제 상황이 한 분 한 분께 개인적인 소식을 담아드릴 수는 없지만 그래도 편지 한 장도 없는 것보다는 이런 정도라도 보내는 것이 낫다는 생각으로 드립니다. 제 메일 주소는 k-djung@daum.net 입니다. 꼭 “눈은 눈으로, 이는 이로”란 만고불변의 법을 따르는 것은 아니지만 메일 주시면 답하도록 하겠습니다. 고국이 더욱 그리워지는 연말이지만 우린 “그 나라를 위하여! 그 왕을 위하여” 어디에 살아도 나그네와 행인으로 살기로 결단한 무리들이기에 땅 끝 사명으로 위로 받으시길 바랍니다. 여러분의 희생과 헌신으로 “이 세상 나라가 우리 주와 그리스도의 나라”로 변할 것입니다.
구주 대망 2015년 11월 7일 오전 11시 울산교회 정근두 드림
It is Saturday morning. The sky turned overcast yesterday afternoon, light rain fell during the night, and even now, past 10:30, a gentle drizzle continues to come down. On the mountain behind Dusan-ri, Beomseo-eup, Ulju-gun, where I live, the autumn leaves are at their peak, and the foliage soaked in rain is truly a beautiful sight to behold. Yet with the ongoing drought... the proud identity of our nation—blessed with four distinct seasons and an annual rainfall of 1,500 millimeters—is now shifting. While Daegu was once synonymous with apples, apple cultivation has already moved past Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang Province and reached into Chungcheong Province.
Nevertheless, I believe there are far more things that have improved compared to the old days. I lived through times when people blamed our poverty on the fact that sixty to seventy percent of our land is mountainous, clutching their hungry stomachs. But today, since we no longer survive solely by subsistence farming but earn our living working in factories and offices, that very sixty to seventy percent of mountainous land has been completely transformed into lush forest resources and serene spaces for leisure. When you visit, please take some time to explore one of our natural recreational forests. You will see the truth of what I mean.
A few weeks ago, announcements began to run regarding the "Year-End Gifts for Our Missionaries." Tomorrow’s bulletin also reads under the heading "Sending Christmas Gifts to Missionaries": "Please submit items to the main lobby booth and the church office by today. We invite every parish cell group to take part." Regular congregation members might hear or read the announcement once, but as a pastor, I hear and see it at least three times every Sunday. So I asked myself: What about me? What will I do? Just because I do not belong to a specific parish cell group, there is surely no rule saying I cannot send a gift. At first, the thought crossed my mind to send a newly published book from the Institute for Advanced Theological Studies, an organization closely partnering with me and our church.
Yet listening to the announcement repeatedly, I realized that while a book—especially one recounting the footsteps of early missionaries who gave their lives in Korea—would be a meaningful gift to those with eyes to read it, it felt rather discourteous to expect mission updates quarterly, semi-annually, or at least once a year from you in the name of being your sending church pastor, while never sharing any news from this side. So, with good intentions after a long while, I decided to write a letter. Of course, we live in an era when emails reach instantly, but I thought it would be heartwarming for a personal letter to be tucked inside the gift box.
Although my circumstances do not allow me to write deeply personal news to each and every one of you, I share these words believing that this modest note is far better than sending no letter at all. My email address is k-djung@daum.net. While I do not strictly follow the timeless law of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," I promise to reply if you send me an email. As the year draws to a close and longing for the homeland grows even deeper, may you find profound comfort in your call to the ends of the earth, remembering that we are a people who have resolved to live as pilgrims and strangers wherever we reside—"For the Kingdom! For the King!" Through your sacrifice and devotion, "the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ."
In longing for the Savior's return,
November 7, 2015, 11:00 AM
From Rev. Keun-Doo Jung, Ulsan Church
Dit is Saterdagoggend. Gistermiddag het die lug begin toetrek, deur die nag het dit saggies gereën, en nou, reeds verby halfelf, val daar nog steeds 'n ligte motreën. Op die berg agter Dusan-ri, Beomseo-eup, Ulju-gun, waar ek woon, is die herfskleure op hul kruin, en die blare wat klam is van die reën, is 'n pragtige gesig om te aanskou. Weens die heersende droogte... is daardie trotse eienskap van ons land—geseën met vier duidelike seisoene en 'n jaarlikse reënval van 1 500 millimeter—nou besig om te verander. Daegu was vroeër alombekend vir sy appels, maar appelboorde het reeds verby Bonghwa in Noord-Gyeongsang verskuif en tot in die Chungcheong-provinsie gestrek.
Nogtans glo ek dat daar vandag veel meer dinge is wat verbeter het in vergelyking met die ou dae. Ek het immers 'n tyd beleef toe mense ons armoede blameer het op die feit dat sestig tot sewentig persent van ons land bergagtig is, terwyl hulle hul honger mae moes vashou. Maar vandag, aangesien ons nie meer bloot van bestaansboerdery lewe nie maar ons brood in fabrieke en kantore verdien, is daardie einste sestig tot sewentig persent bergagtige landskap heeltemal omskep in ryk bosbouhulpbronne en rustige ruimtes vir ontspanning. As u hier besoek aflê, ruim asseblief tyd in om een van ons natuurlike ontspanningswoude te besoek. U sal self sien dat my woorde waar is.
'n Paar weke gelede het die aankondigings begin oor die "Jaareindgeskenke vir Sendelinge." In môre se gemeentebulletin staan daar ook onder die opskrif "Kersgeskenke vir Sendelinge": "Dien asseblief vandag u items in by die stalletjie in die voorportaal of by die kerkkantoor. Ons nooi elke wykskring uit om deel te neem." Gewone lidmate hoor of lees so 'n aankondiging dalk een keer, maar as leraar hoor en sien ek dit elke Sondag ten minste drie maal. En toe vra ek myself af: Maar wat van my? Wat gaan ek doen? Net omdat ek nie aan 'n spesifieke wykskring behoort nie, beteken dit immers nie dat ek nie 'n geskenk mag stuur nie. Aanvanklik het die gedagte by my opgekom om 'n nuwe boek te stuur wat pas uitgegee is deur die Instituut vir Gevorderde Teologiese Studies, wat nou saam met my en ons gemeente werk.
Maar soos ek dit weer en weer gehoor het, het ek besef dat 'n boekgeskenk—veral een wat die spore nagaan van sendelinge wat hul lewens in Korea gegee het—wel 'n gawe geskenk sou wees vir diegene met oë om dit te lees, maar dat dit onbedagsaam voel om kwartaalliks, halfjaarliks of ten minste een keer per jaar sendingsbriewe van u te verwag as leraar van die uitsendende gemeente, terwyl ek self nooit enige nuus van hierdie kant deel nie. Daarom het ek met 'n welwillende hart besluit om 'n brief te skryf. Alhoewel ons in 'n era leef waar e-posse oombliklik opdaag, het ek gevoel dit sou kosbaar wees as daar ook 'n persoonlike briefie binne-in die geskenkboks lê.
Al laat my omstandighede dit nie toe om aan elkeen van u 'n persoonlike brief te rig nie, stuur ek hierdie paar woorde met die gedagte dat dit steeds beter is as om glad niks te stuur nie. My e-posadres is k-djung@daum.net. Al volg ek nie die onveranderlike wet van "'n oog vir 'n oog en 'n tand vir 'n tand" slaafs na nie, belowe ek om te antwoord as u vir my 'n e-pos stuur. Noudat die jaareinde naderkom en die verlange na die vaderland dalk dieper word, bid ek dat u vertroosting sal vind in u roeping na die uithoeke van die aarde. Ons is immers 'n volk wat besluit het om as vreemdelinge en bywoners te leef, waar ons ons ook al bevind—"Vir die Koninkryk! Vir die Koning!" Deur u opoffering en toewyding sal "die koninkryk van die wêreld die eiendom van ons Here en van sy Christus" word.
In afwagting van die koms van die Verlosser,
7 November 2015, 11:00 vm.
Ds. Keun-Doo Jung, Ulsan Gemeente