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. 로마에 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 거기에 배치까지 했을까?’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 제공되는 호텔 조식 시간을 기다릴 수 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 교황권의 횡포가 민낯을 드러내는 것들이었습니다. 출생해서 성장하고 결혼하고 자녀를 낳고 죽어서 묻히는 사람의 흔적을 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 instructions, we thought we would simply arrive at Rome's Da Vinci Airport, take a taxi or train, and find our booked accommodation. Yet, in the week just before our departure, God began to intervene. A female evangelist from Gimhae Juan Church, who happened to join us for coffee, offered to help us on our trip to Italy. Both of her sons had studied vocal music in Italy, and her second son is still actively performing in Florence. When we landed in Rome, Missionary Jaehwan Kim of Coram Deo Church, who had already been contacted, was waiting for us with his car. Furthermore, Missionary Kim had arranged for a sister from his congregation to assist us at our accommodation.
The thought briefly crossed my mind, 'Why went so far as arranging someone to be there?' But upon arriving at the scene, we found ourselves in a situation where we could not take a single step forward without her help. It was not the type of hotel we had anticipated; by 8:00 p.m., the front desk staff had already gone home, and no one answered the telephone number left behind. In the end, we had to contact our son in the United States who had made the reservation. We found out that the hotel had sent an email stating that if guests were checking in after 7:00 p.m., they had to notify them in advance; however, occupied with his own work, our son had missed checking the email. Consequently, we had no choice on our first night in Rome but to secure a room at a neighboring hotel. In all of this, the sister whom the missionary had thoughtfully assigned beforehand was truly our first guardian angel in Rome.
The following day, guided by a local guide living in Rome, we toured various landmarks. We visited the Spanish Steps where Audrey Hepburn ate gelato in Roman Holiday, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon in succession. Visiting the Pantheon in particular made it strikingly clear that the world we live in today is profoundly different from the world in which the temple of all gods was constructed. No longer is this a world where people gaze up through an open dome to the sky in adoration of all the gods. Rather than admiring the ceiling frescoes that depict the celestial realm, people now use full-length mirrors to capture their own reflection against the background of the frescoes. It eloquently showed that the center of the world is no longer the deities supposedly dwelling in the open skies, but oneself captured in a selfie. Today, to borrow Harvey Cox's phrase, it was unmistakably clear that we are living in the very 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 wait for the hotel breakfast which started at 8:00 a.m., so we had to set out at 7:00 a.m. Viewing so many works of art amidst such massive crowds inevitably meant merely scratching the surface. Looking at them for a long time, one painting began to look like another and one sculpture like the next, so we simply devoted a bit more time to the pieces in the rooms renowned for their importance. Rather than revealing who Jesus is, so many of these artworks laid bare the sheer overreach of papal authority that promoted the adoration of Mary. Seeing the indelible traces of human beings being born, growing, marrying, bearing children, dying, and being buried, the question took root in my heart: “What is man?” Having finished our four-day, three-night itinerary in Rome, guided once again by Missionary Kim of Coram Deo Church, we were able to board our train bound for Florence.
Volgens ChatGPT se breedvoerige aanwysings het ons gedink dat ons bloot by Rome se Da Vinci-lughawe sou land, 'n taxi of trein sou neem, en ons bespreekte verblyf sou opsoek. Maar in die week net voor ons vertrek het God begin ingryp. 'n Vroulike evangelis van Gimhae Juan-gemeente, wat toevallig saam met ons koffie gedrink het, het aangebied om ons met ons reis na Italië te help. Albei haar seuns het immers sang in Italië studeer, en die tweede seun is steeds baie aktief werksaam in Florence. Toe ons in Rome land, het sendeling Jaehwan Kim van die Coram Deo-gemeente, wat reeds gekontak was, met sy motor vir ons gewag. Verder het sendeling Kim 'n suster uit daardie gemeente gereël om ons by ons verblyfplek by te staan.
Die gedagte het by my opgekom: 'Waarom was dit nodig om iemand daarheen te stuur?' Maar toe ons daar aankom, was dit 'n situasie waar ons sonder daardie suster se hulp nie 'n enkele tree vorentoe sou kon gee nie. Dit was nie die tipe hotel wat ons verwag het nie; teen 20:00 het die personeellid by die ontvangstoonbank reeds vertrek, en niemand het die telefoonnommer wat agtergelaat is, beantwoord nie. Uiteindelik moes ons ons seun in die Verenigde State kontak wat die bespreking gedoen het. Ons het uitgevind dat die hotel 'n e-pos gestuur het waarin hulle gevra het om vooraf in kennis gestel te word indien gaste na 19:00 sou inklok; ons seun, wat besig was met sy eie verpligtinge, het egter nie die e-pos betyds gesien nie. Gevolglik het ons geen ander keuse gehad as om ons eerste nag in Rome in 'n naburige hotel deur te bring nie. Te midde van dit alles was die suster wat die sendeling vooraf gereël het, waarlik ons eerste beskermengel in Rome.
Die volgende dag het ons met die hulp van 'n plaaslike toergids in Rome verskeie besienswaardighede besoek. Ons het agtereenvolgens die Spaanse Trappe besoek waar Audrey Hepburn gelato (roomys) in Roman Holiday geëet het, asook die Colosseum, die Trevi-fontein en die Pantheon (die tempel vir alle gode). Veral by die Pantheon het dit duidelik geword dat die wêreld waarin ons vandag leef, hemelsbreed verskil van die wêreld waarin die tempel vir alle gode gebou is. Dit is nie meer 'n wêreld waar mense deur 'n oop koepel na die hemel opkyk om alle gode te aanbid nie. Eerder as om die plafonskilderings wat die hemelse ryk uitbeeld te bewonder, gebruik mense nou vollengtespieëls om hulleself teen die agtergrond van die plafon vas te lê. Dit het welsprekend gewys dat die middelpunt van die wêreld nie meer die gode is wat moontlik in die oop hemele woon nie, maar jouself in 'n selfie. Vandag, om die woorde van Harvey Cox te leen, was dit onmiskenbaar dat ons mense is wat midde-in The Secular City lewe.
Die daaropvolgende dag het ons die Vatikaanmuseums naby die Sint Pietersbasiliek besoek. Om betyds vir ons bespreking te wees, kon ons nie wag vir die hotelontbyt wat eers vanaf 08:00 bedien is nie, en moes ons reeds om 07:00 vertrek. Om soveel kunswerke saam met sulke skares te aanskou, het noodwendig beteken dat ons net aan die oppervlak kon raak. As 'n mens 'n rukkie kyk, lyk die een skildery net soos die ander en die een beeldhouwerk soos die volgende, en daarom het ons bloot meer tyd afgestaan aan die meesterstukke in die bekendste sale. Eerder as om te openbaar wie Jesus is, het so baie van hierdie kunswerke die onverbloemde magsmisbruik van die pousdom blootgelê wat Maria-verering bevorder het. Terwyl ek die tasbare spore gesien het van mense wat gebore word, grootword, trou, kinders voortbring, sterf en begrawe word, het die vraag in my hart posgevat: “Wat is die mens?” Nadat ons ons vierdaagse program in Rome voltooi het, kon ons danksy die vriendelike leiding van sendeling Kim van die Coram Deo-gemeente weer die trein na Florence haal.