며칠 전부터 예보한 대로 오늘은 종일 영하를 달리는 겨울다운 하루입니다. 집안에서 걷기 운동을 하는데 숙소동 뒷편 창밖에 비치는 이른 아침 햇살이 유난히 밝고 따뜻하게 느껴집니다. “사랑이 오셨네, 사랑이 우리와 함께 살기 위해 이 땅에 오셨네. 아멘!”이라는가사와 함께 이른 아침에 존경하는 목사님께서 “사랑이 오셨네”라는 유튜브를 보내왔습니다. 잘들었다고 인사를 했더니 “사랑하고 존경하는 목사님, 감사드립니다. 가슴 벅찬 성탄절 맞이하시기를 기원합니다.”라고 또 한 번의 톡이 왔습니다. 우리의 상황이 가슴 벅찬 성탄절을 언급할 처지가 아닐 수도 있습니다. 하지만 우리는 선택할 수 있습니다. 무엇을 주목할 것인지도 결정할 수 있습니다.
아침의 따스한 햇살이 가득 담긴 사진을 받고 답이 왔습니다. “나라는 혼란으로 치닫고 있지만 우리는 그리스도의 밝은 햇살을 받고 있다는 ‘공평과 정의’의 말씀을 보여주는 광경 같습니다.” 그래서 다시 답합니다. “땅에서든 바다에서든 나오는 것은 짐승들이고, 은혜와 진리는 위로부터 내려옵니다 주어진 자리에서 주님을 기쁘시게 하는 날이기를~~ 강건하십시오^^” “명심하겠습니다. 땅과 바다에 빠지지 않도록요. 그리고 햇살이 온 조국 구석구석에 밝히 비추어지기를 기도합니다. 감사드립니다.” 그래서 계시록 구절을 함께 나누었습니다. “내가 보니 바다에서 한 짐승이 나오는데 뿔이 열이요 머리가 일곱이라 그 뿔에는 열 왕관이 있고 그 머리들에는 신성 모독 하는 이름들이 있더라.”(계 13:1) “내가 보매 또 다른 짐승이 땅에서 올라오니 어린 양 같이 두 뿔이 있고 용처럼 말을 하더라.”(계 13:11)
그러면서 “저도 함께 기도합니다”라고 답했습니다. 그렇습니다. ‘햇살이 온 조국 구석구석에 밝히 비추어지기를’ 나아가 온 누리에 밝음으로 가득 채워주시길’ 소원할 수 밖에 없습니다. 성도다운 성도라면 “이 땅에 하나님의 공의가 넘치길” 바라는 기도를 이제는 시작할 수 밖에 없습니다. 그렇습니다. 나라가 혼란으로 치닫고 있기에 그리스도의 밝은 햇살이 온누리에 비치기를 소원하면서도, 생각해 보면 그림자가 없이 온누리를 밝히는 그 날은 주님이 오셔야 된다는 것을 기억하고 싶습니다. 성도는 “그날을 바라보며 현재를 살아가는” 자들입니다. “온갖 좋은 은사와 온전한 선물이 다 위로부터 빛들의 아버지께로부터 내려오나니 그는 변함도 없으시고 회전하는 그림자도 없으시니라”(약 1:17)
세상의 어떤 권력도, 바다에서든 땅에서든 어디서 출현했더라도, 그 본질은 짐승인 것을 기억했으면 좋겠습니다. 정치적 입장은 서로 다를 수 있습니다. 동굴의 우상을 벗어나지 못하는 우리들이기 때문입니다. 그리고 우리가 살면서 교육받고 경험한 것이 서로 다르기 때문입니다. 그 뿐만 아니라 우리는 어떤 권력이나 권력을 대표하는 사람을 제대로 알지 못하기 때문입니다. 자기 마음도 얼마나 간사한데 어떻게 다른 이를 바로 알겠습니까? 오죽하면 “만물보다 거짓되고 심히 부패한 것은 마음이라”고 탄식했겠습니까? 바닷가의 파도처럼 정치적 물결은 지나갑니다. 지나가는 동안은 고통스럽겠지만 인내하면서 서로를 배려하고 존경하는 마음과 말과 행동을 잃지 않는 성도들, 남은 자들이기를 호소하고 싶은 때입니다. 더러운 말은 더러운 마음에서 나옵니다. 거기에는 더러운 자, 속이는 자가 자리하고 있습니다.
Just as forecasted a few days ago, today is a truly wintery day with temperatures lingering below freezing all day long. As I walk indoors for light exercise, the early morning sunlight filtering through the window behind the residence building feels exceptionally bright and warm. Early this morning, a respected fellow pastor sent me a YouTube link to the hymn “Love Has Come,” along with the lyrics: “Love has come, love has come to live among us on this earth. Amen!” When I sent a message thanking him for the wonderful song, he replied once more: “Dearly beloved and respected Pastor, thank you. May you welcome an overwhelmingly joyful Christmas.” In our current circumstances, speaking of a heart-stirring, joyful Christmas might seem distant. Yet, we still have a choice. We can decide where to set our eyes.
After I sent him a photo filled with the morning's gentle sunshine, his reply arrived: “Though our nation seems to be hurtling toward turmoil, this scene looks just like the words of 'equity and justice'—showing that we are bathed in the bright sunshine of Christ.” So I wrote back: “Whether emerging from the land or from the sea, what arises are beasts; grace and truth, however, descend from above. May this day be one in which we please the Lord right where we are placed. Stay strong and well! ^^” He replied: “I will keep that in mind—so as not to fall into the snare of the land or the sea. And I pray that this warm sunshine shines brightly upon every corner of our homeland. Thank you.” With that, I shared passages from Revelation with him: “And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name” (Rev. 13:1), and “Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon” (Rev. 13:11).
I then texted back: “I join you in that prayer.” Indeed, how can we not plead that “the sunshine will brightly illuminate every corner of our homeland” and, further, that “He will fill the entire world with His radiant light”? Any true saint cannot help but begin to pray, “May God’s righteousness overflow in this land.” Yes, because the nation is rushing toward chaos, we yearn for Christ's bright sunlight to shine upon all creation; yet, upon reflection, I want to remember that the day when the entire world is illuminated without a single shadow will only arrive when the Lord Himself comes again. Saints are those who “live in the present while gazing toward that day.” “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
I hope we always remember that no matter where earthly powers originate—whether rising out of the sea or from the earth—their inherent nature is beastly. Political perspectives may differ. We are all prone to the idols of our own caves. What we have learned and experienced throughout our lives varies widely. Moreover, none of us truly knows the depths of worldly power or the people who represent it. When our own hearts are so deceitful, how could we possibly see another person with complete clarity? Is that not why Scripture laments: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick”? Like waves washing over the shore, political currents come and go. Though it may be painful while they pass, this is the very hour to plead that we remain faithful saints—the remnant—who do not lose a spirit, speech, and conduct marked by mutual consideration, patience, and deep respect. Foul words spring from a corrupt heart. And lurking behind such corruption is the unclean one, the deceiver.
Net soos ’n paar dae gelede voorspel is, is vandag ’n egte wintersdag met temperature wat heeldag onder vriespunt bly. Terwyl ek binnenshuis stap om te oefen, voel die vroeë oggendsonlig wat deur die agterste venster van die koshuisgebou skyn, buitengewoon helder en warm. Vroeg vanoggend het ’n gerespekteerde leraar vir my ’n YouTube-skakel gestuur na die lied “Liefde Het Gekom,” tesame met die woorde: “Liefde het gekom, Liefde het gekom om saam met ons op hierdie aarde te woon. Amen!” Toe ek hom bedank vir die pragtige lied, het hy weer geantwoord: “Geliefde en gerespekteerde leraar, baie dankie. Mag u ’n hartroerende Kersfees beleef.” Gegewe ons huidige omstandighede is ons dalk nie in ’n posisie om sommer van ’n vreugdevolle Kersfees te praat nie. Tog het ons ’n keuse. Ons kan besluit waarop ons ons oë rig.
Nadat ek vir hom ’n foto gestuur het wat gevul was met die oggend se sagte sonskyn, het sy antwoord gekom: “Alhoewel die land na chaos afstuur, lyk hierdie toneel presies soos die woorde van ‘geregtigheid en reg’—dit wys dat ons onder die helder sonskyn van Christus staan.” Ek antwoord hom toe: “Hetsy uit die aarde of uit die see, wat opkom is diere; maar genade en waarheid daal van Bo neer. Mag vandag ’n dag wees waarin ons die Here behaag op die plek waar Hy ons gestel het. Wees sterk en gesond! ^^” Hy het geskryf: “Ek sal dit ter harte neem, sodat ek nie in die aarde of die see verstrengel raak nie. En ek bid dat die sonskyn helder oor elke uithoek van ons vaderland sal skyn. Baie dankie.” Daarna het ek gedeeltes uit Openbaring met hom gedeel: “Toe het ek ’n dier uit die see sien opkom. Hy het tien horings en sewe koppe gehad, met tien krone op sy horings, en op sy koppe was daar godslasterlike name” (Openb. 13:1), en “Daarna het ek ’n ander dier uit die aarde sien opkom. Hy het twee horings gehad net soos ’n lam, maar hy het soos ’n draak gepraat” (Openb. 13:11).
Ek het toe geantwoord: “Ek bid saam met u.” Inderdaad, hoe kan ons anders as om te hartsug dat ‘die sonskyn helder oor elke uithoek van ons vaderland sal skyn’ en verder ‘dat Hy die ganse skepping met helderheid sal vervul’? Enige ware gelowige kan nie anders as om nou te begin bid: “Laat God se geregtigheid in hierdie land oorvloedig wees.” Ja, juis omdat die land na wanorde neig, verlang ons dat die helder sonskyn van Christus oor die hele wêreld sal skyn; tog, wanneer ons daaroor nadink, moet ons onthou dat die dag wanneer die ganse wêreld sonder enige skaduwee verlig sal word, eers sal aanbreek wanneer die Here self kom. Gelowiges is diegene wat “in die hede leef terwyl hulle uitsien na daardie dag.” “Elke goeie guns en elke volmaakte gawe kom van Bo, van die Vader van die ligte, by wie daar geen verandering of skaduwee van omkeer is nie” (Jak. 1:17).
Ek wens ons wil onthou dat ongeag enige wêreldse mag—hetsy dit uit die see of uit die aarde verrys—die wese daarvan dierlik is. Politieke standpunte mag verskil, want ons almal sukkel om van die afgode van ons eie grotte vry te kom. Wat ons in die lewe geleer en ervaar het, loop immers uiteen. Bowendien ken nie een van ons werklik enige heersende mag of die mense wat dit verteenwoordig ten volle nie. As ons eie hart so bedrieglik is, hoe kan ons dan ’n ander mens suiwer beoordeel? Was dit dan nie met goeie rede dat die profeet geklaag het: “Bedriegliker as enigiets anders is die hart, ja, verdorwe is dit” nie? Soos golwe op die strand spoel politieke getye verby. Al bring die deurtog pyn, is dit nou juis die tyd om te pleit dat ons getroue gelowiges bly—die oorblyfsel—wat nie ons meelewing, ons wedersydse respek, en ons geduld in woorde en dade verloor nie. Vuil woorde vloei uit ’n onreine hart; en daarin skuil die onreine, die verraaier.