쳇지피티의 자세한 안내대로, 로마의 다빈치공항에 도착해서, 택시를 타든 전철을 타든, 예약된 숙소를 찾아가면 되겠다는 생각이었습니다. 그러나 출발하기 바로 전 주간에 하나님께서 개입하기 시작했습니다. 우연히 커피를 마시는 자리에 함께 했던, 김해 주안교회 여 전도사님께서, 이태리로 가는 우리를 도와주겠다는 제안을 했습니다. 두 아들이 모두 이태리에서 성악을 공부했고, 둘째는 피렌체에서 여전히 왕성한 활동을 하고 있기 때문입니다. 로마공항에 내렸을 때, 이미 연락을 받은 <코람데오 교회> 김재환 선교사님이 승용차를 가지고 나와서 기다리고 계셨습니다. 또한 김 선교사님은 그 교회 성도인 자매 한 분을 우리 숙소에서 우리를 돕도록 배치해 두었습니다.
‘왜 그렇게까지 배려했을까?’라는 생각이 스쳤지만 현장에 도착했을 때는, 그 자매의 도움이 아니었으면 한 걸음도 내딛을 수 없는, 상황이었습니다. 우리가 예상했던 타입의 호텔이 아니었기에, 오후 8시가 넘은 시간에 프론트 데스크를 지키던 직원조차 퇴근했고, 남겨진 전화번호로는 연락조차 되지 않았습니다. 결국 그 숙소를 예약했던 미국에 있는 아들에게 연락을 했습니다. 호텔측에서 오후 7시가 넘어서 체크인을 하는 경우에는, 미리 연락을 주어야 한다고 메일을 보냈지만, 자기 일에 바쁜 아들이 메일 확인을 하지 못해서 생긴 사고였다는 것을 알았습니다. 그래서 로마의 첫날 밤은 이웃 호텔에 다시 방을 얻어서 보낼 수 밖에 없었습니다. 이 모든 일에 선교사님이 미리 배치한 자매는 로마에서 만난 우리의 수호천사 1호였습니다.
다음 날도 로마에 계시는 가이드 한 분의 도움으로 로마의 명소, 여기 저기를 둘러보았습니다. <로마의 휴일>에 나오는 오드리 헵번이 젤라또 (아이스크림)를 먹던 계단, 콜로세움, 트레비 분수, 판테온(만신전) 등을 차례대로 방문했습니다. 특히 판테온에 갔을 때는 오늘 우리가 살고 있는 세상은, 만신전을 짓던 당시의 세상과는 너무 다르다는 것이 분명했습니다. 뚫린 천장(돔)으로 하늘을 바라보며, 더 이상 모든 신들을 경배하는 세상이 아닙니다. 이제는 하늘의 세계를 그린 천정화보다는, 전신거울을 이용해서 천장화를 배경으로 자신의 모습을 카메라에 담는, 세상의 중심이, 더 이상 뚫린 하늘에 계실 법한 신들이 아니라 셀카에 담긴 자신이라는 것을 웅변적으로 보여주었습니다. 오늘 우리는, 하이비 콕스의 표현을 빌리면 <세속도시> 한 가운데를 사는 사람들임이 분명했습니다.
그 다음날은 베드로성당 부근에 자리한 바티칸 박물관을 방문했습니다. 박물관 예약 시간에 맞추느라 8시부터 호텔에서 제공하는 멋진 조식을 기다릴 시간이 없어서, 7시에 길을 나서야 했습니다. 그 많은 사람들과 함께, 그 많은 작품들을 보는 것은 정말 수박 겉핥기일 수 밖에 없었습니다. 한참 보다보면, 그 그림이 그 그림 같고, 그 조각이 그 조각 같으니, 중요하다고 알려진 방의 작품 앞에서, 좀 더 시간을 할애했을 뿐입니다. 그 많은 작품들은 예수님이 누구인지 알려주는 것보다 마리아 숭배를 조장한 로마교의 횡포가 민낯을 드러내고 있었습니다. 출생해서 성장하고 결혼하고 자녀를 낳고 죽어서 묻히는 사람의 흔적들을 고스란히 보면서 “사람이란 무엇인가?”라는 물음이 자리했습니다. 3박4일의 로마일정을 마치고, 다시 한 번 코람데오 교회 김 선교사님의 안내로, 피렌체를 향한 기차를 탈 수 있었습니다.
Following ChatGPT's detailed directions, our plan was simply to arrive at Rome's Da Vinci Airport and make our way to the booked accommodation, whether by taxi or by metro. Yet in the week immediately preceding our departure, God began to intervene. A female evangelist from Gimhae Juan Church, with whom we happened to be having coffee, offered to help us with our trip to Italy. Both of her sons had studied vocal music in Italy, and her second son was still actively performing in Florence. When we landed at the Rome airport, Missionary Jae-Hwan Kim of Coram Deo Church, who had already been contacted, was waiting for us with his car. Furthermore, Missionary Kim had thoughtfully arranged for a sister from his congregation to meet us at our accommodation to assist us.
At first, the thought crossed my mind, 'Was such thoughtful preparation really necessary?' But when we arrived on site, we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't have taken a single step forward without her help. Since it was not the typical hotel we had expected, the front desk clerk had already clocked out by the time we arrived past 8:00 PM, and the contact number left behind went completely unanswered. Eventually, we had to contact our son in the United States, who had made the reservation for us. We learned that the hotel had sent an email stating that advance notice was required for check-ins after 7:00 PM, but our son, caught up in his busy schedule, had missed checking the email. Consequently, for our first night in Rome, we had no choice but to find a room at a neighboring hotel. Throughout all of this, the sister whom the missionary had thoughtfully dispatched became our very first guardian angel in Rome.
The following day, guided by a local Rome guide, we toured various famous sights across the city. One after another, we visited the Spanish Steps where Audrey Hepburn ate gelato (ice cream) in Roman Holiday, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Standing inside the Pantheon in particular, it was abundantly clear that the world we live in today is vastly different from the era when this temple to all gods was built. No longer is it a world where people gaze up at the open oculus in the dome to worship an array of deities. Instead of contemplating the ceiling frescoes that depicted heavenly realms, people were using full-length mirrors to capture themselves in photographs with the ceiling as a mere backdrop. It eloquently displayed that the center of the world is no longer the gods who might dwell in the open heavens, but the self captured in a selfie. It was unmistakably evident that today, to borrow Harvey Cox's phrase, we live squarely in the midst of The Secular City.
The next day, we visited the Vatican Museums located near St. Peter's Basilica. In order to make our museum reservation time, we could not afford to wait for the hotel's wonderful breakfast served from 8:00 AM, so we had to hit the road by 7:00 AM. Viewing such an immense collection of masterworks amidst the throng of crowds could only ever be scratching the surface. After looking for a while, one painting started to look just like another, and one sculpture like the next; so we simply spent a little more time before the pieces in the rooms renowned for their significance. Rather than revealing who Jesus truly is, so many of these works laid bare the unvarnished excesses of the Roman Catholic Church that fostered the veneration of Mary. Gazing upon the indelible traces of humanity—born, growing, marrying, bearing children, dying, and being buried—the fundamental question arose in my heart: “What is man?” Having completed our four-day, three-night itinerary in Rome, guided once more by Missionary Kim of Coram Deo Church, we were able to board our train bound for Florence.
Volgens ChatGPT se breedvoerige aanwysings was ons plan bloot om by Rome se Da Vinci-lughawe te land en per taxi of metro ons weg na die bespreekte verblyf te vind. Maar in die week net voor ons vertrek het God begin ingryp. 'n Vroulike evangelis van die Gimhae Juan-gemeente, met wie ons toevallig koffie gedrink het, het aangebied om ons met ons reis na Italië by te staan. Albei haar seuns het immers sang in Italië studeer, en die jongste seun tree steeds aktief in Florence op. Toe ons op die lughawe in Rome land, het sendeling Jae-Hwan Kim van die Coram Deo-gemeente, wat reeds gekontak was, ons met sy motor ingewag. Bowendien het sendeling Kim gereël dat 'n suster uit sy gemeente ons by ons verblyf ontmoet om ons te help.
Aanvanklik het die gedagte by my opgekom: 'Was sulke deurdagte voorsorg werklik nodig?' Maar toe ons daar aankom, het ons ons in 'n situasie bevind waar ons sonder hierdie suster se hulp nie 'n enkele tree vorentoe sou kon gee nie. Aangesien dit nie die soort hotel was wat ons verwag het nie, was die ontvangsbank na 20:00 reeds onbeman, en die kontaknommer wat agtergelaat is, is glad nie beantwoord nie. Uiteindelik moes ons ons seun in die Verenigde State kontak wat die bespreking behartig het. Ons het uitgevind dat die hotel 'n e-pos gestuur het waarin gemeld is dat gaste vooraf kennis moet gee indien hulle na 19:00 sou inklok; besig met sy eie werksaamhede het ons seun egter nagelaat om die e-pos na te gaan. Gevolglik het ons vir ons eerste nag in Rome geen ander keuse gehad as om 'n kamer by 'n buurhotel te kry nie. Te midde van dit alles was die suster wat die sendeling vooruitgestuur het, ons heel eerste beskermengel in Rome.
Die volgende dag het ons, danksy die hulp van 'n plaaslike toergids in Rome, verskeie van die stad se besienswaardighede besoek. Een na die ander het ons die Spaanse Trappe besoek waar Audrey Hepburn gelato (roomys) geëet het in Roman Holiday, asook die Colosseum, die Trevi-fontein en die Pantheon (tempel van alle gode). Veral by die Pantheon was dit glashelder dat die wêreld waarin ons vandag leef, hemelsbreed verskil van die era waarin hierdie heiligdom opgerig is. Dit is nie meer 'n wêreld waar mense deur die oop koepel (oculus) na die hemel opkyk om allerhande gode te aanbid nie. In plaas daarvan om die hemelse ryke op die plafonskilderings te aanskou, gebruik mense nou vollengtespieëls om hulleself af te neem met die plafonskildering bloot as agtergrond. Dit het sprekend getuig dat die middelpunt van die wêreld nie meer die gode is wat moontlik in die oop hemel woon nie, maar die self wat in 'n selfie vasgevang word. Dit was onmiskenbaar dat ons vandag, om Harvey Cox se woorde te leen, midde-in Die Sekulêre Stad leef.
Die daaropvolgende dag het ons die Vatikaan-museums besoek, geleë naby die Sint Pietersbasiliek. Ten einde ons bespreekte tydgleuf by die museum te haal, kon ons nie wag vir die hotel se heerlike ontbyt wat eers vanaf 08:00 bedien word nie, en moes ons reeds om 07:00 vertrek. Om saam met so 'n menigte mense na soveel kunswerke te kyk, kon noodwendig net oppervlakkig wees. Na 'n rukkie lyk die een skildery maar nes die ander en die een beeldhouwerk soos die volgende; daarom het ons bloot 'n bietjie meer tyd afgestaan voor die werke in die bekendste sale. Eerder as om te openbaar wie Jesus werklik is, het hierdie talle kunswerke die ongepoetste willekeur van die Roomse kerk ontbloot wat die verering van Maria aangeblaas het. Terwyl ek die onmiskenbare spore van die mens aanskou het—gebore, opgegroei, getroud, kinders ryker, gesterf en begrawe—het die vraag in my hart posgevat: “Wat is die mens?” Nadat ons ons reisprogram van vier dae en drie nagte in Rome voltooi het, kon ons, weereens onder leiding van sendeling Kim van die Coram Deo-gemeente, op die trein na Florence klim.