새로운 한 해, 올 해를 무엇이라 부르든지 벌써 시작한지가 한 주간이 넘었습니다. 새해를 맞이하는 것이 우리 모두에게 뜻깊은 것은 결코 한 해의 첫날 떠오르는 태양 때문이 아닐 것입니다. 사람들은 그 태양이 떠오르는 현장에, 아니 그것도 먼저 떠오르는 현장에 서서 그 태양을 바라보며 복을 빌어보려고 그러는지 전날 가서 숙소를 정한 다음 거기서 자고, 가까운 곳에 미리 차지하려고 하든지 아니면 한밤중이나 이른 새벽부터 해맞이 장소를 향해서 내달았지만 올해는 다릅니다. 그동안은 동해 바닷가 어디라도 상관이 없어 보였습니다. 해가 뜨는 시간을 두고 서로 다투기도 하지만 강릉인들 속초든 정동진이라도 좋고, 호미곶이든, 아니면 간절곶이든지 그 첫날 떠오르는 태양을 바라보며 소원을 비는데는 모두가 열심이었습니다.
새해를 맞이하는 것이 우리 모두에게 뜻깊은 것은 결코 첫 날 떠오르는 태양 때문이 아니고, 더 나아가 새해에 들어섬으로, 나이가 한 살 더 먹기 때문도 아닙니다. 새로운 한 해를 내딛는 것은 지난 해 세상을 떠난 사람들의 입장에서는 기적과 같은 선물이기도 합니다. 새로운 한 해, 열두 달, 365일을 살 수 있는 특권의 영역에 발을 딛게 되었으니까 말입니다. 하지만 잘 생각해보면 선물이기도 하지만 책무이기도 합니다. 어떻게 새로운 한 해, 열두 달, 365일을 살아내야 할지, 떠난 자들에게는, 더 이상 짐이 아니지만, 살아있는 자들은 성실하게 그리고 즐겁게 지고갈 직무입니다. 그래서 ‘인생은 숨을 쉰 횟수가 아니라 숨막힐 정도로 벅찬 순간을 얼마나 많이 가졌는가로 평가된다”고 하기도 하나봅니다.
정말 새해를 맞이하는 것이 우리 모두에게 뜻깊은 것은 어떻게 한 해를 살 것인지를 새롭게 결심하는 계기가 되기 때문이라고 생각합니다. 그래서 많은 사람들은 새해 결심을 합니다. 문제는 작심삼일(作心三日)로 끝나는데 있습니다. 오죽하면 사흘마다 한 번씩 더 결심을 하면 된다는 우스갯소리가 나오겠습니까? 올해 신축(辛丑)년, 여러분의 새해 결심은 무엇입니까? 하얀 소띠의 해라고 하면 무엇보다 조용하면서도 강인하고 성실함이 먼저 떠오릅니다. 자기 몸을 돌보지 않는 부지런함, 책임감이 강한 소의 이미지는 반대로 열심히 일하고도 일 중독자라는 비난을 받는다면 억울한 측면이 있을 겁니다. 물론 그렇다고 해서 새해의 결심하는 일을 미루어 둘 이유는 없습니다.
올해 여러분의 새로운 결심은 무엇입니까? 저는 먼저 작년 한 해를 떠올려 보았습니다. 무엇이 가장 기억에 남고, 삶을 바꾼 보람이 있는 결심은 무엇이었을까요? 그것은 정오가 되기까지는 땅에서 일어나는 뉴스를 시청하지 않기로 했고 대부분의 날들에 지켰습니다. 특별히 손안에 들어오는 정보라는 편의성 때문에 유익한 아침 시간을 낭비하는 습성을 버리기로 했고, 성취할 수 있어서 보람을 느낍니다. 그런데 문제는 오후의 시간을, 스마트폰의 정보를 접한다고 시간을 보내는 자신을 발견했기에, 새해에는 오후에 그것도 정한 시간 범위내에서만 접속하기로 결심합니다. 이 작은 결심과 작은 행동으로 주님을 기쁘시게 하는 삶을 살고 싶습니다.
A new year—whatever we may choose to call this year—has already been underway for over a week. What makes welcoming the new year truly meaningful to all of us is certainly not simply the sun rising on the first day of the year. People used to travel the day before, book a room, and sleep there just to stand right where the sun rises—indeed, where it rises earliest—to look upon that sun and pray for blessings. Whether securing a spot nearby in advance or rushing toward the sunrise spots from midnight or the crack of dawn, things were different this year. In past years, anywhere along the East Coast seemed fine. People might debate over exact sunrise times, but whether it was Gangneung, Sokcho, Jeongdongjin, Homigot, or Ganjeolgot, everyone was earnest in watching that first morning's sun rise and making a wish.
Yet, what makes welcoming a new year so deeply meaningful to all of us is never just about that first sunrise; nor is it simply about growing a year older as we step across the threshold of a new year. Stepping into a brand-new year is, from the perspective of those who passed away last year, a gift nothing short of a miracle. After all, we have stepped into the privileged realm of being able to live through another year, twelve months, and 365 days. But when we reflect carefully, it is not merely a gift—it is also a responsibility. How we ought to live through this new year, these twelve months and 365 days, is no longer a burden for those who have departed, but for the living, it is a duty to be borne faithfully and joyfully. Perhaps that is why someone once said, "Life is measured not by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
I believe what truly makes greeting the new year so profound for all of us is that it offers an opportunity to resolve anew how we will live out the year ahead. Hence, many people make New Year's resolutions. The problem lies in how often these resolutions end in "jaksim sam-il"—resolutions that barely last three days. It has become such a common plight that people jokingly suggest making a fresh resolution every three days. In this year of the White Ox (Sin-chuk), what are your New Year's resolutions? Speaking of the Year of the White Ox, what immediately comes to mind is a quiet yet steadfast strength and faithfulness. The image of the ox—diligent to the point of neglecting its own comfort and bearing a profound sense of responsibility—might seem unfairly criticized if its hard work were merely labeled workaholism. Of course, that is no reason to postpone making our New Year's resolutions.
What are your new resolutions for this year? For my part, I first reflected on the past year. What was the most memorable resolution that truly brought rewarding change to my life? It was my decision not to watch or read earthly worldly news until noon, and I managed to keep this on most days. In particular, I decided to abandon the habit of wasting precious morning hours lured by the sheer convenience of information readily accessible at my fingertips, and I feel deeply grateful for having achieved that. However, the problem was that I soon caught myself spending afternoon hours consuming information on my smartphone. Therefore, for this new year, I resolve to access it only in the afternoon and strictly within a designated timeframe. Through this small resolution and humble action, I wish to live a life that brings joy to the Lord.
'n Nuwe jaar—hoe ons hierdie jaar ook al mag noem—is reeds vir meer as 'n week aan die gang. Wat die verwelkoming van die nuwe jaar vir ons almal werklik betekenisvol maak, is beslis nie bloot die son wat op die eerste dag van die jaar opkom nie. Mense was vroeër gewoond daaraan om die vorige dag al te vertrek, 'n verblyfplek te bespreek en daar te oornag, net om presies daar te staan waar die son opkom—trouens, waar dit die vroegste gesien kan word—om na daardie son te kyk en om seën te bid. Hulle het probeer om vroegtydig 'n plekkie naby te verseker, of van middernag of douvoordag af na die sonsopkomsplekke gehaas, maar vanjaar was dit anders. Voorheen het dit gelyk of enige plek langs die Ooskus goed genoeg was. Mense het dalk gedebatteer oor die presiese tye van sonsopkoms, maar of dit nou Gangneung, Sokcho, Jeongdongjin, Homigot of Ganjeolgot was, almal was ewe ywerig om na daardie eerste dag se opkomende son te kyk en 'n wens te doen.
Wat die verwelkoming van die nuwe jaar vir ons almal egter werklik betekenisvol maak, is nooit bloot daardie eerste opkomende son nie; en bowenal is dit ook nie omdat ons met die intree van die nuwe jaar 'n jaar ouer word nie. Om 'n nuwe jaar binne te stap, is, vanuit die oogpunt van diegene wat die afgelope jaar gesterf het, 'n geskenk wat niks minder as 'n wonderwerk is nie. Ons het immers die bevoorregte terrein betree om nog 'n jaar, twaalf maande en 365 dae te mag leef. Maar as ons mooi daaroor nadink, is dit nie net 'n geskenk nie, maar ook 'n dure plig. Hoe ons hierdie nuwe jaar, twaalf maande en 365 dae moet uitleef, is vir diegene wat heengegaan het nie meer 'n las nie, maar vir die lewendes is dit 'n taak wat met getrouheid en vreugde gedra moet word. Miskien is dit waarom daar soms gesê word: "Die lewe word nie gemeet aan die aantal kere wat ons asemhaal nie, maar aan die oomblikke wat ons asem wegslaan."
Ek glo dat wat die nuwe jaar vir ons almal werklik so kosbaar maak, is dat dit 'n geleentheid bied om opnuut te besluit hoe ons die komende jaar gaan leef. Daarom neem baie mense nuwejaarsvoornemens. Die probleem lê daarin dat dit dikwels binne drie dae doodloop—soos die spreekwoord van 'n drie-dae-voorneme luid. Dit het so 'n algemene verskynsel geword dat mense spottenderwys sê 'n mens moet maar net elke drie dae opnuut 'n voorneme maak. Wat is u nuwejaarsvoorneme vir hierdie jaar van die Wit Os (Sin-chuk)? Wanneer ons aan die jaar van die Wit Os dink, kom 'n stil, maar standvastige krag en getrouheid eerste by 'n mens op. Die beeld van die os—sy vlytigheid sonder om homself te spaar en sy diepe verantwoordelikheidsin—sou dalk onregverdig voel as sy harde werk bloot as werksverslaafdheid afgemaak word. Dit is natuurlik geen rede om die maak van nuwejaarsvoornemens uit te stel nie.
Wat is u nuwe voorneme vir hierdie jaar? Wat my betref, het ek eers teruggedink aan die afgelope jaar. Wat was die mees onvergeetlike en lewensveranderende voorneme wat werklik vrugte afgewerp het? Dit was my besluit om tot die middaguur geen aardse wêreldnuus te kyk of te lees nie, en ek het my die meeste dae daarby gehou. Veral het ek besluit om die gewoonte af te lê om kosbare oggendure te verkwis weens die blote gerief van inligting wat binne handbereik lê, en ek ervaar diepe dankbaarheid dat ek dit kon regkry. Die probleem was egter dat ek myself betrap het dat ek die middagure deurbring deur inligting op my slimfoon na te jaag. Daarom neem ek my vir die nuwe jaar voor om slegs in die middae, en streng binne 'n vasgestelde tydperk, daarna te kyk. Deur hierdie klein voorneme en eenvoudige optrede wil ek 'n lewe lei wat die Here behaag.