경기도 고양의 에스라성경대학원대학교는 숲속에 자리잡은 남프랑스의 어느 수도원 같다고도 하고, 다른 분들은 스위스의 인터라켄이나, 네팔의 카트만두보다도 분위기가 좋다고 칭찬합니다. 여기에 울창한 숲이 있는 것은 수십 년 전부터 나무를 골라 심고 가꾼 손길이 있었기 때문입니다. 얼마 전에 봄의 시작을 알리는 산수유 꽃봉오리가 흰눈을 뒤집어 쓸 때 뭔가 알아채어야 했습니다. 기껏 노란 산수유 꽃들이 과연 화사하게 다시 피어날 것인지를 염려하지 말고, 흰눈을 뒤집어 쓴 산수유 꽃 봉오리가 암시하는 것을 깨달아야 하는데, 그러기에는 우린 너무 현대문명 깊숙이 들어왔습니다. 옛사람들은 자연의 변화에 하늘의 뜻을 알아차리고, 밤하늘의 별을 보면서 하늘과 땅의 흐름을 파악했습니다. 물론 현대인은 미신처럼 여기고 우리가 제일 똑똑한 인류라고 믿습니다.
꼭 한 주간 전 월요일 오전에 이 학교의 설립자로서 명예이사장이신 백정란 권사님이 입원을 하셨고, 한 차례 스텐트 시술을 했고 한 번 더 시술이 필요했지만 연세도 있으시고 연약해진 몸을 추스리며 다음 과정을 지켜보기로 했습니다. 그러나 퇴원을 앞두고 상황이 긴급하게 돌아갔습니다. 금요일 아침 6시가 되자 손녀가 카톡을 보내왔습니다. <총장님 안녕하세요 오늘 새벽 세시경에 갑자기 할머니가 고통을 호소하셔서 중환자실로 옮기는 중에 심정지가 오셨습니다. CPR 후에도 맥박이 돌아오시지 않아 에크모 치료 받으셨습니다. 치료 덕에 심장이 다시 뛰고 있긴한데 뇌쪽에 출혈이 있어서 심정지가 온 거 같다고 하여 검사를 더 진행하는 동안 지금 계속 가족들이 중환자실 밖에서 대기중입니다.> <기도 부탁드리려고 연락드렸습니다> < 네 긴급기도 요청을 에스라식구들에게 하겠습니다~>
곧 바로 가족들과 함께 하기 위해서 병원으로 달려갔습니다. 교직원, 임원, 그리고 관계자들에게 기도요청을 전달하고, 함께 기도를 시작하면서, 병원으로 가는 도중, 또 연락을 받았습니다. <좀 전까지 심장쪽에 문제가 없다고 했었는데 갑자기 급하게 오른쪽 심장 혈관에도 스텐트 삽입술을 해야할거 같다고해서 방금 막 시술 들어가셨어요> 한 시간 후에는 <두번째 스텐트 시술도 다 마쳤고, 현재 뇌 씨티 검사 기다리고 있습니다. 에크모 기계로 심장이 뛰고 있는데 혹시 뇌출혈이 있으시면 에크모 기계를 쓰기 위한 피를 묽게 하는 약을 쓰실 수가 없다고합니다. 검사 결과 나오면 바로 알려드리겠습니다> <감사합니다^^ 5분 후에 저흰 병원 도착합니다~~> 그 때가 7시 35분이었습니다. 그리고는 추이를 계속 지켜보다가 가족들의 권유대로 10시에는 집으로 돌아왔습니다.
금요일 1시 40분, 정기적인 교수간담회와 기도회를 모여서 명예이사장님의 상황을 나누는 중에 전화가 와서 다시 병원으로 달려갔고, 아드님과 함께 중환자실에 들어가서 기도를 드리고, 오후 5시 2분 공식적인 운명시간을 통고받았습니다. 토요일 아침 11시 반에 관을 닫기 전에 마지막 작별을 하고, 유족들과 함께 님이 사랑하던 에스라 동산으로 모시고 와서, 오후 1시에 사랑하는 에스라 식구들과 공식적인 입관예배를 드리고, 토요일 오후 3시부터 조문객을 받았고 뒷날 주일도 아침 9시부터 밤 10시까지 이어졌습니다. 끝없이 이어지는 조문객을 보면서 그 분은 거목이었던 것을 확인할 수 있습니다. 월요일 아침 8시, 유언처럼 남기신 지침대로 발인을 하고, 한 줌의 재로 변한 그 분은 그가 사랑하는 동산 양지바른 곳에 묻혔습니다. “너는 흙이니 흙으로 돌아갈지니라” 님은 떠났지만 우리는 님을 보낼 수 없습니다. 우린 님의 사랑과 헌신을 기억할 것입니다. 찬란한 그곳에서 기쁨으로 하이파이브를 할 때까지! 오늘은 님이 사랑하며 가꾸던 산수유가 활짝 피었습니다.
Some say Ezra Bible Graduate University in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, feels like a serene monastery nestled in the woods of Southern France, while others praise its atmosphere as even lovelier than Interlaken in Switzerland or Kathmandu in Nepal. This lush woodland exists today because decades ago, someone carefully chose, planted, and nurtured each tree with devoted hands. Just a short while ago, when the buds of the cornelian cherry trees—heralds of spring—were suddenly veiled in white snow, perhaps I should have recognized the quiet sign. Instead of merely fretting over whether those golden cornelian blossoms would ever bloom radiantly again, I ought to have discerned what those snow-shrouded buds were foreshadowing; yet we are living far too deeply entrenched in modern civilization. The ancients read the will of Heaven in the seasonal changes of nature, and traced the ebb and flow of heaven and earth simply by gazing at the night stars. Modern humanity, of course, dismisses such wisdom as superstition, convinced that we are the cleverest generation to have ever lived.
Exactly one week ago, on Monday morning, Senior Deaconess Jung-Ran Baek—the founder and Honorary Board Chair of our school—was admitted to the hospital. She underwent a stent procedure and needed another, but given her advanced age and frail condition, the decision was made to help her regain her strength while observing her progress. However, right before her planned discharge, her condition took a sudden and critical turn. At 6:00 a.m. on Friday, her granddaughter sent a KakaoTalk message: <Good morning, President Jung. Around 3:00 a.m. today, Grandmother suddenly cried out in severe pain, and while being rushed to the ICU, she suffered a cardiac arrest. Even after CPR, her pulse did not return, so she was placed on ECMO life support. Thanks to ECMO, her heart is beating again, but the doctors suspect a cerebral hemorrhage may have caused the arrest. The family is currently waiting outside the ICU while further tests are conducted.> <Yes, I will immediately share an urgent prayer request with the Ezra family~>
I rushed straight to the hospital to be with the family. After relaying the prayer request to the faculty, staff, board members, and school community, and joining them in prayer, another message arrived on my way to the hospital: <Just a moment ago they said her heart seemed stable, but suddenly they felt an urgent need to place a stent in her right coronary artery, so she was just taken in for the procedure.> An hour later, another update followed: <The second stent procedure is complete, and we are now waiting for the brain CT scan. Her heart is currently sustained by the ECMO machine, but if there is bleeding in the brain, they will not be able to administer the blood thinners required for ECMO. We will update you as soon as the results are in.> <Thank you^^ We will arrive at the hospital in five minutes~~> That was at 7:35 a.m. We kept watch over the unfolding situation, and eventually, at the family’s gentle urging, I returned home around 10:00 a.m.
At 1:40 p.m. on Friday, while gathering for our regular faculty fellowship and prayer meeting to share updates regarding the Honorary Chair, a phone call came in, and I hurried back to the hospital. Entering the ICU alongside her son, we offered our prayers, and at 5:02 p.m., her official passing was pronounced. On Saturday morning at 11:30, we bid our final farewell before the casket was closed. Accompanying the bereaved family, we brought her home to her beloved Ezra campus. At 1:00 p.m., we held an official encoffining service with the cherished Ezra family; from 3:00 p.m. Saturday, we welcomed mourners, and the line of visitors continued throughout the Lord’s Day from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Seeing the endless stream of visitors, one could truly comprehend what a towering tree of faith she had been. On Monday morning at 8:00, following the instructions she had left behind like a final will, the funeral departure took place. Reduced to a handful of ashes, she was laid to rest on a sunny hillside in the campus she so deeply loved. “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Our beloved has departed, yet in our hearts, we cannot let her go. We will forever cherish her love and devotion—until that glorious day when we exchange a joyful high five in that radiant place! Today, the cornelian cherry blossoms she planted and tended with such love have burst into full bloom.
Sommige mense sê die Ezra Bybelse Nagraadse Universiteit in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, voel soos 'n rustige klooster diep in die woude van Suid-Frankryk, terwyl ander meen die atmosfeer is nog bekoorliker as dié van Interlaken in Switserland of Katmandoe in Nepal. Hierdie welige woud bestaan vandag omdat iemand dekades gelede die bome met liefdevolle hande gekies, geplant en versorg het. ’n Kort rukkie gelede, toe die bloeiselknoppies van die kornoeljekersiebome—die vroeë aankondigers van die lente—onder ’n laag wit sneeu begrawe is, moes ek iets van die stil teken verstaan het. In plaas daarvan om bloot te kwel of daardie geel bloeisels ooit weer helder sou oopgaan, moes ek besef het waarop daardie sneeubedekte knoppies gedui het; tog leef ons vandag heeltemal te diep verstrengel in die moderne beskawing. Die oumense het die wil van die Hemel in die wisselende seisoene van die natuur herken en die gang van hemel en aarde begryp bloot deur na die naghemel se sterre te kyk. Die hedendaagse mens beskou sulke wysheid natuurlik as bygeloof, oortuig daarvan dat ons die slimste geslag van alle tye is.
Presies ’n week gelede, op Maandagoggend, is senior diakones Jung-Ran Baek—die stigter en ere-voorsitter van ons skool—in die hospitaal opgeneem. Sy het ’n stentprosedure ondergaan en nog een was nodig, maar vanweë haar hoë ouderdom en verswakte liggaam is daar besluit om haar eers te laat aansterk terwyl haar toestand gemonitor word. Net voor haar beplande ontslag het sake egter ’n skielike en ernstige wending geneem. Vrydagoggend om 06:00 het haar kleindogter ’n KakaoTalk-boodskap gestuur: <Goeiemôre, Rektor Jung. Vanoggend omstreeks 03:00 het Ouma skielik erge pyn ervaar, en terwyl sy na die intensiewesorgeenheid haas, het sy ’n hartstilstand gehad. Selfs ná KPR het haar pols nie teruggekeer nie, en sy is op ECMO-lewersondersteuning geplaas. Danksy die behandeling klop haar hart weer, maar die dokters vermoed ’n breinbloeding het die hartstilstand veroorsaak. Die familie wag tans buite die ICU terwyl verdere toetse gedoen word.> <Ja, ek sal dadelik ’n dringende gebedsversoek aan die Ezra-familie deurstuur~>
Ek het dadelik na die hospitaal gehaas om by die familie te wees. Nadat ek die gebedsversoek aan die dosente, personeel, raadslede en medewerkers deurgegee het en ons saam begin bid het, het ek op pad na die hospitaal nog ’n boodskap ontvang: <Tot netnou het hulle gesê daar is geen probleem met die hart nie, maar skielik moes hulle dringend ’n stent in haar regterhartvat plaas, so sy is pas ingeneem vir die prosedure.> ’n Uur later het die volgende berig gekom: <Die tweede stentprosedure is afgehandel, en ons wag nou vir die brein-rekenaartomografie (CT-skandering). Haar hart klop met behulp van die ECMO-masjien, maar as daar breinbloeding is, kan hulle nie die bloedverdunners toedien wat vir die masjien nodig is nie. Ons laat weet dadelik sodra die uitslae bekend is.> <Baie dankie^^ Ons is oor 5 minute by die hospitaal~~> Dit was om 07:35. Ons het die verloop van sake bly dophou, en op die familie se liefdevolle aandrang het ek om 10:00 huis toe teruggekeer.
Vrydag om 13:40, terwyl ons vir die gereelde dosentebyeenkoms en biduur vergader het en die ere-voorsitter se toestand bespreek het, het ’n oproep gekom en ek het dadelik teruggehaas na die hospitaal. Saam met haar seun het ek die intensiewesorgeenheid binnegegaan om te bid, en om 17:02 is haar heengaan amptelik bevestig. Saterdagoggend om 11:30 het ons finaal afskeid geneem voor die kis gesluit is. Saam met die bedroefde familie het ons haar teruggebring na haar geliefde Ezra-kampus. Om 13:00 het ons ’n amptelike kisseëlingsdiens saam met die kosbare Ezra-familie gehou; vanaf 15:00 Saterdag het roubeklaers begin aankom, en die stroom besoekers het die hele Sondag van 09:00 die oggend tot 22:00 die aand voortgeduur. Toe ek die onophoudelike ry roubeklaers aanskou, het ek opnuut besef watter reusagtige boom van geloof sy werklik was. Maandagoggend om 08:00, volgens die presiese aanwysings wat sy soos ’n testament agtergelaat het, het die begrafnisstoet vertrek. Verander in ’n handvol as, is sy ter ruste gelê op ’n sonnige heuwel van die kampus wat sy so innig liefgehad het. “Stof is jy, en tot stof sal jy terugkeer.” Ons geliefde het heengegaan, maar in ons harte kan ons haar nie laat gaan nie. Ons sal haar liefde en toewyding vir altyd onthou—totdat ons mekaar eendag in daardie heerlike lig met vreugde kan groet! Vandag staan die geel kornoeljekersies wat sy met soveel liefde gekoester het, in volle blom.