마침내 산티아고 데 콤포스텔라에 도착했습니다. 거기에는 이번 산티아고 길을 위해서 여러 가지 수고를 해 주신 에스라성경대학원대학교의 또 다른 동문 김승현(요셉) 선교사 님 부부가 기다리고 있었습니다. 아마 2년 전쯤, 두 분이 한국에 들어오셨을 때, 에스라성경대학원대학교의 김덕중 교수님을 만나러왔을 때의 일입니다. 김 교수님께서 그 때 학교에 있던 제게 두 분을 소개를 시키려고 제 방으로 인도하다 보니 만난 것입니다. 두 분에게나 나에게도 그런 만남이 그날 우리의 일정 속에 미리 있지를 않았습니다. 생각조차 해 보지 못한 일이었으나, 산티아고에서 순례자들에게 복음을 전하는 사역을 하는 분들이라고 소개했으니, 그분들로서는 한 번 산티아고에 오라고 초대를 한 것은 자연스러운 제안이었을 것입니다.
하지만 초대를 한 분들이나 받는 우리도 그런 일이 실제로 일어나리라고 어떻게 짐작이나 했을까요? 그러나 하나님은 그 때부터 계획하고 있었던 것을 이번에 비로소 알게 된 것입니다. 몬떼 도 고소(기쁨의 산)을 넘으면서, 선교사님께 연락을 하며, 순례자들의 행렬을 따라 산티아고 옛 도시로 들어섰습니다. 하지만 막상 산티아고 데 콤포스텔라에 가까이 가서, 아마 반경 1킬로 지점쯤에 노란 화살표 길을 놓쳤습니다. 그래서 구글 검색을 켜고 따라 갔더니, 광장이 아니라 기차역으로 우리를 안내했으니, 여정에 지친 우리에게 달갑지 않은 선물 같았습니다. 구글지도의 잘못이 아니라 제가 지점을 정확하게 주지 않아서 생긴 실수로 그날도 기본보수 2만보를 거뜬히 넘겼습니다. 금강산도 식후경이라는 조상들의 지혜를 따라, 먼저 스페인 스타일의 점심을 먹고 대성당에 들어갔습니다.
들어가서 비로소 거기에 묻혔다는 야고보는 내가 막연히 생각했던 예수님의 동생 야고보가 아니라, 맨 먼저 순교를 당한 예수님의 제자 야고보라는 것을 알았으니 얼마나 준비없는 까미노를 길을 걸었는지 폭로가 되고도 남습니다. 그렇게 무식하다 보니 평소에 까미노 길을 걷는 것보다는, 야고보서를 읽는 것이 낫다고 주장하고, 가능하다면 조이북스에서 나온 ‘읽는 설교 야고보서’ 40편을 만나는 것이 낫다고 주장했겠습니까? 마드리드에서 보낸 캐리어 하나도 그 책을 동문에게 선물하기 위해서 였습니다. 하지만 두 분을 만나서 받은 사랑과 나눈 교제는 우리의 어리석음과 준비부실을 뛰어넘는 하나님의 선물이라고 말하고 싶습니다. 산티아고 데 콤포스텔라에 살면서 현지인 교회에 출석하며 동역하는 동문과의 귀한 교제의 길이 새롭게 열린 것을 생각하면 이번 4월 이태리 스페인 여행의 주제는 <성도가 서로 교통하는> 것을 맛보는 기회였습니다.
선교사님의 편지입니다. “기도해주신 덕분에 3박4일의 기독교 알베르게(순례자 호스텔) 사역을 잘 마치고 왔습니다. 많은 순례자들을 만났고 그들의 이야기를 듣고 그들에게 이 알베르게에 대해 소개하면서 자연스럽게 예수님에 대해 전할 수 있는 귀한 시간이었습니다. 하루에 몇 백명의 순례자들이 이 곳을 지나갔고 그들에게 순례자 도장을 찍어주고 복음에 대한 팜플렛을 나누어 주었습니다. 원하는 이들에게는 기도를 해주고 그들의 기도제목을 받았습니다. 하루에 7-9명 정도의 순례자들이 이곳에서 하룻밤을 머물렀고 봉사자들이 직접 요리해서 그들과 함께 저녁 교제를 나누었고 식사 후에는 솔라리움 카드를 통해 서로의 삶을 듣고 나누었습니다. 그리고 한명마다 각각 엽서에 말씀과 축복의 메시지를 직접 적어서 떠나는 길에 주었습니다. 이런 작은 행동 하나하나가 그들에게 복음의 씨앗이 되어 언젠가는 열매를 맺게 될 것을 믿습니다. 아침부터 밤까지 계속되는 일정으로 인해 사역팀 피곤했지만 모두가 기쁨으로 섬겼던 시간이었습니다. 저희가 만난 모두가 이것이 계기가 되어 하나님을 영접하고 삶을 구원받기를 기도해주시면 감사하겠습니다“(구주대망 2025년 4월 21, 22일)
We finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela. Waiting for us were Missionary Seunghyun (Joseph) Kim and his wife, fellow alumni of Ezra Bible Graduate University, who had offered various kinds of help for our journey along the Camino de Santiago. About two years ago, when they visited Korea, they came to meet Professor Deok-Joong Kim at Ezra Bible Graduate University. Professor Kim brought them to my office to introduce them to me while I was on campus, and that was how we first met. Neither they nor I had anticipated such a meeting on our schedules that day. It was something we had never even imagined, but since they were introduced as missionaries sharing the gospel with pilgrims in Santiago, inviting us to visit Santiago one day seemed a most natural suggestion on their part.
Yet, how could either the hosts or we who received the invitation have guessed that such a thing would actually come to pass? Only now did we realize that God had been planning it ever since. Crossing over Monte do Gozo (the Hill of Joy), I contacted the missionary and entered the old town of Santiago, following the procession of pilgrims. However, as we drew closer to Santiago de Compostela—perhaps within a one-kilometer radius—we lost sight of the yellow arrows. So I turned on Google Search and followed it, but it guided us to the railway station rather than the cathedral square—hardly a welcome gift for weary travelers. It was not Google Maps' fault, but rather my own mistake in failing to enter the precise destination, so that day too we easily exceeded our baseline of 20,000 steps. Following our ancestors' timeless wisdom that even Mount Geumgang is best enjoyed after a meal, we first enjoyed a Spanish-style lunch before stepping into the cathedral.
Upon entering, I discovered that the James said to be buried there was not Jesus' brother James, as I had vaguely assumed, but Jesus' disciple James, who was the very first among the apostles to be martyred. This plainly exposed just how unprepared I was for this Camino journey. Was it out of such ignorance that I had previously argued that reading the Epistle of James is better than walking the Camino, and that encountering the 40 chapters of Reading the Sermons on James published by Joy Books would be far better if possible? In fact, one of the suitcases sent ahead from Madrid was specifically to deliver that book as a gift to our alumnus. Yet, I want to confess that the love we received and the fellowship we shared upon meeting the missionary couple was truly God's gift, far surpassing our foolishness and lack of preparation. Thinking of how a precious path of fellowship opened anew with an alumnus living in Santiago de Compostela, serving and attending the local church, I realized that the true theme of our journey through Italy and Spain this April was the privilege of tasting "the communion of the saints."
Here is an excerpt from the missionary's letter:
"Thanks to your prayers, we safely completed our four-day, three-night ministry at the Christian albergue (pilgrim hostel). It was a precious time meeting many pilgrims, listening to their stories, and naturally introducing them to Jesus while explaining the heart behind this albergue. Several hundred pilgrims passed through each day; we stamped their pilgrim passports and handed out gospel tracts. For those who wished, we prayed with them and collected their prayer requests. Around seven to nine pilgrims stayed overnight here each evening. Our volunteers cooked dinner to share fellowship with them, and after the meal, we listened to and shared one another's life stories using Soularium cards. Furthermore, we handwrote verses and blessings on individual postcards to give to each pilgrim upon their departure. We believe these small acts will become seeds of the gospel and bear fruit in due time. Though the ministry team was tired from the packed morning-to-night schedule, it was a time of joyous service for everyone. We would be deeply grateful if you could pray that for all those we met, this encounter may serve as an opportunity to welcome God and find salvation in their lives." (Looking Forward to the Lord, April 21–22, 2025)
Ons het uiteindelik in Santiago de Compostela aangekom. Daar het sendeling Seunghyun (Joseph) Kim en sy vrou op ons gewag—mede-alumni van Ezra Bybelse Nagraadse Universiteit wat baie moeite gedoen het om ons met hierdie Camino de Santiago by te staan. Sowat twee jaar gelede, toe hulle na Korea gekom het, het hulle professor Deok-Joong Kim by Ezra Bybelse Nagraadse Universiteit gaan besoek. Professor Kim het hulle na my kantoor gebring om hulle aan my voor te stel terwyl ek op kampus was, en so het ons mekaar ontmoet. Nóg vir hulle nóg vir my was so 'n ontmoeting daardie dag vooraf beplan. Dit was iets waaraan ons nooit eens gedink het nie, maar aangesien hulle voorgestel is as dienaars wat die evangelie aan pelgrims in Santiago verkondig, was dit 'n baie natuurlike gebaar om ons te nooi om eendag na Santiago te kom.
Maar hoe kon diegene wat die uitnodiging gerig het, of ons wat dit ontvang het, ooit raai dat so iets werklik sou gebeur? Eers nou het ons besef dat God dit reeds van daardie oomblik af beplan het. Terwyl ons oor Monte do Gozo (die Berg van Vreugde) gestap het, het ek met die sendeling kontak gemaak en saam met die optog van pelgrims die ou stad van Santiago binnegegaan. Toe ons egter naby Santiago de Compostela kom—ongeveer binne 'n radius van een kilometer—het ons die geel pyle byster geraak. Toe ek Google Soektog aanskakel en die aanwysings volg, het dit ons nie na die katedraalplein gelei nie, maar na die treinstasie—beslis nie 'n welkome geskenk vir ons vermoeide reisigers nie. Dit was nie Google Maps se skuld nie, maar my eie fout omdat ek nie die presiese bestemming ingetik het nie, en so het ons ook daardie dag maklik meer as 20 000 treë afgelê. Getrou aan die ou wysheid van ons voorouers dat selfs die berg Geumgang eers ná 'n maaltyd waardeer kan word, het ons eers 'n Spaanse middagete geniet voordat ons die katedraal binnegegaan het.
Nadat ons binnegegaan het, het ek eers ontdek dat die Jakobus wat na bewering daar begrawe lê, nie Jesus se broer Jakobus was soos ek vaagweg vermoed het nie, maar Jesus se dissipel Jakobus, wat as die heel eerste van die apostels gesterf het as martelaar. Dit het pynlik duidelik gemaak hoe swak voorbereid ek vir die Camino was. Was dit dalk uit sulke onkunde dat ek vroeër aangevoer het dat dit beter is om die Jakobusbrief te lees as om die Camino te stap, en dat dit verkieslik sou wees om die 40 hoofstukke van Lees die Prediking oor Jakobus (uitgegee deur Joy Books) te bestudeer? Trouens, een van die tasse wat ons vanaf Madrid vooruit gestuur het, was juis bedoel om daardie boek as geskenk vir ons medegraadse te bring. Tog wil ek sê dat die liefde wat ons van hierdie egpaar ontvang het en die gemeenskap wat ons gedeel het, 'n ware geskenk van God was wat al ons dwaasheid en gebrek aan voorbereiding oortref het. As ek dink aan die kosbare geleentheid tot gemeenskap wat opnuut geopen is met 'n alumnus wat in Santiago de Compostela woon en saam met die plaaslike gemeente dien, was die ware tema van ons reis deur Italië en Spanje hierdie April 'n kosbare smaak van «die gemeenskap van die heiliges».
Hier volg 'n uittreksel uit die sendeling se brief:
„Danksy u voorbidding het ons ons vierdaagse bediening by die Christelike albergue (pelgrimshostel) suksesvol voltooi. Ons het talle pelgrims ontmoet, na hul stories geluister en 'n kosbare geleentheid gehad om natuurlik oor Jesus te getuig terwyl ons die doel van hierdie albergue verduidelik het. Daagliks het honderde pelgrims hier verbygestap; ons het hul pelgrimspaspoorte gestempel en evangeliese pamflette uitgedeel. Vir diegene wat dit wou hê, het ons gebid en hul gebedsversoeke neergeskryf. Elke aand het sowat 7 tot 9 pelgrims oornag; vrywilligers het self gekook om saans saam met hulle om die tafel gemeenskap te geniet, en ná ete het ons mekaar se lewensverhale met behulp van Soularium-kaartjies gedeel. Boonop het ons vir elkeen 'n handgeskrewe Bybelvers en seënbede op 'n poskaart gegee wanneer hulle vertrek het. Ons glo dat hierdie klein dade saadjies van die evangelie sal wees wat mettertyd vrug sal dra. Al was die bedieningspan moeg weens die vol rooster van vroegoggend tot laataand, was dit vir almal 'n vreugdevolle tyd van diens. Ons sal dit baie waardeer as u bid dat hierdie ontmoetings vir elkeen wat ons pad gekruis het, die begin sal wees om God te vind en redding in hul lewens te ontvang.“ (Verwagtend op die Here, 21–22 April 2025)