Title: The ambivalence of greed and poor greed
Contents
On a cold day in January 2002,
The gentle rain fell silently by the window, and the preacher's story continued quietly, and a middle-aged couple sat down on a chair under the guidance of the guide. The couple, after a brief moment of remorse, shed tears. Peace comes to that face that was suffering from the winds and waves of the world. A new light of hope can be seen in the tired face of protesting against religious power. Now it's done, a sigh of relief comes out.
This is what my husband and I looked like 7 years ago, looking for a church to engrave.
Dear brothers and sisters who love the church to write, we are standing at the center of the church that has passed the age of maturity. What should I do at this point? What is the identity of the new road still? What is the spirituality of the new way? And if you're wandering around, I think it's something you're missing. If you think that lack is a virtue rather than overflow, there is nothing you can do, but if you still value devotion to the marginalized, if you present a new light of hope to the dying Korean church, you will now go out of your comfort zone and go on the journey of suffering that the Lord has gone. I think I might have to leave. Follow the path the Lord has taught you.
‘The two sides of greed and poor greed’
Presenting today's topic as a hot topic, I will tell the story of my life.
As you all know, I live in a small island town called Yongyudo, west of Incheon Airport. It was a place where you didn't have to lock the door, and even if you put the cows on the field, no one would say anything, nor drag them away, and it was a place where neighbors shared a bowl of miso soup and a piece of fish. It's not an island now, but if you still want to get to downtown Incheon, you're more accustomed to going out by boat through Yeongjongdo. However, instead of going to nearby Incheon city, I take the Airport Expressway and go up to Seoul to worship. Someone asks why you come all the way here when there is a church in front of your house. Then I
“It’s my desire.”
“If you go to a church in Seoul rather than a church in the countryside, you look a little more sophisticated.” and answer.
Actually, I went to the church next to my house for ten years. But how did you get to the famous Saegil Church in Cheongdam-dong? The story is long. I'll tell you a long story later, but I think it's God's guidance. Somehow, it was because I laid the foundation of my faith in the church I was going to write. I have been in public office for 37 years and there is one thing that has not left my mind the whole time. It was our wish to live in a quiet rural village and form a church community when I quit my job someday. The whole village helps each other, cultivates rice fields to provide food, respects elders and cares for children, does not envy, does not seek only self-interest, does not hold grudges even if provoked by anger, does not hold grudges against injustice I wanted it to be a place where people would not be silent and rejoice with the truth. That's why I've been thinking of rural villages as heaven.
I was born in the countryside, grew up in the countryside, and lived in the countryside and fishing villages, so I don't think I can live in the city center. This is what I sometimes feel when I am staying in downtown Seoul, but when I see people moving from dawn, I feel even afraid of ‘Hey, how can I get up to work in the dark every day like that? I can't stand it in the midst of busy people Not all of them, but because I felt it was a struggle to survive because I was trapped in the frame of competition. And it seems that all the things you see are all running towards the highest, highest, first, fastest, etc., ahead of others, above others, and towards that high place.
I am afraid of the reality in which I have to overcome others and have to surpass others. I've never been 1st in running since elementary school until now. I didn't even have the ability to be first, but I didn't even try to be first. For me, who is accustomed to rest, laziness, later, and consideration, the thought that I cannot get through the competitive system may surround me. While I am farming, I plant last in the neighborhood after everyone else has planted. Then the pitying locals help out a lot.
But on the other hand, the desire to be the best, the desire to achieve the most beautiful things, the desire to look better than others, and to be diligent from dawn with such desires, will not be able to lay the foundation for self-development and devotion to neighbors. You may even fall into a sense of wonder.
However, I like the providence of nature that can only be obtained by working in the environment given to me. Because that's the farmer.
I wake up early in the morning to meditate, and when dawn comes, I return to the neighborhood with a busy pace. Then he goes out to the field with his hoe and starts work. I can work 2-3 hours before I go to work. When you are farming, you come to realize the saying that ‘crops grow by listening to the footsteps of the farmer.’ With such greed, when talking with the young sprouts that are growing, there are many examples of people spending a little more time and overrunning their work hours. I think I'll finish it early tomorrow, but I can't, either. When I was a child, I think I understand a little more about my mother's heart, who did not return from the field until after the sunset had passed, and filled the field.
Is it because of the desire to overcome fatigue and get up at dawn before others? Is the heart of a farmer greedy as a friend of the moonlight until late in the evening, forgetting to go to the market, and having to buy a pair of socks for my daughter tomorrow? Am I greedy to take good care of the crops I have planted? Poor greed to take good care of this grain and sell it on market day to buy something delicious for my son. Without it, I don't think I could get up in the morning. I am reminded of the words of the pacifist Mahatma Gandhi, the poor greed that brings diligence.
‘Happiness is achieved when one’s thoughts, words, and actions are in harmony. If you are not happy, it is because 99% of your thoughts, words and actions are used only for you.”
I pray and pray that such poor greed will not be used for my own sake.
The words '惡' are written in large yellow Chinese characters on the back of a reservist soldier who has been discharged from the Marine Corps. So I asked.
“Hey reservist! The word ‘惡’ is written in big letters on your back, what does it mean?”
“I engraved it just because of the slogan of the unit.”
The reservist shouted “evil” without thinking, and it seems that he had the character ‘惡’ in large letters carved on his back because of his pride in having served in the Marines.
However, as you all know, the character '惡' can also be 'Oh to hate' in Chinese characters. Hate must be hated very bitterly. In the end, it trains them to hate, hate, and cause evil to kill their opponents. Of course, the state does not mean that the instructor who teaches it is trying to instill evil and hatred in the soldier and make him a bad person. However, the training, the evil, the hatred can act in our lives, knowingly or unknowingly, as a phenomenon that kills the little neighbor and friend inside of us. Could it be that we too are doing the same thing around us? Let's reflect on whether our faith, our beliefs have caused our neighbors to stumble. If hatred grows inside the soldier who used to be 'evil' when he inadvertently begs for battalion in the morning, when he cheers, and when it comes to reality, I must carry a millstone and jump into the sea.
Occasionally, I think of 易地思之, which teacher Han Wan-sang emphasizes. If you really think from the other person's situation, can you really understand the other person's thoughts? One day, while washing the dishes at home, feeling, 'If it gets wet under the water supply, mold will form in the sink.' Wipe off the mold. I do the cleaning in advance because my wife thinks it will be difficult to clean. Actually, I want to be praised for doing well. Understanding the other person and thinking from the other person's point of view is not as easy as it sounds.
If you don't go directly into such a situation, you can't seem to understand the other person's feelings. If I hadn't washed the dishes, would I be able to read a little bit of my wife's thoughts? An upset friend has a sad story, "Hey, I understand your feelings." Even if you do, I don't think you can 100% empathize with the feelings you feel. Until you actually find yourself in that situation. How much more can we know the heart of Jesus 2000 years ago? How can you comprehend the agony of the cross? So, I think we said, “Let’s always do our best to go to the site of suffering, to the place where the marginalized neighbors are, and let’s work hard”.
Today's text is from James 1:15-16, “When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin grows up, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.” says Mr. James to the churches scattered around the world. The Greek word shilabusa, which corresponds to 'when conceived' in the main text, is the second aorist active participle of shilambano, which means 'to hold together', and is used to indicate a woman's pregnancy. However, here, it is used as a word to symbolize the process by which the individual will is united with the sinful nature, and this is the sinful human nature (that is, the human heart) that leads to the path of sin, and eventually fails to deviate from that path, leading to concrete thoughts and It is expressed in action, and this is sin (Hamartia: sin, overwork, all actions that stray from the path of righteousness itself).
And the growth of sin (He Hamartia Apotellesdeisa) indicates that the sinful action has taken complete control of the human mind and will, and this action is habitual and repeated over and over again. Romans 6:23 also says that the wages of sin (what the master of sin pays his servants is death) is death. The gift of God is eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, there are two Greek words for 'bear' in the text. As 'tiktei' that comes before (current active singular 3rd person) in English, it bringseth forth (to give birth, to be born, to sprout, to bear). It means giving birth independently.
The following 'apocquiei' (present active singular 3rd person) is bringeth forth in English to indicate both normal and abnormal procreation, i.e. miscarriage, which is used here in the latter sense, i.e. sin is already conceived of death. . So it becomes an unavoidable decision to give birth to an object. Because these sins have death (thanatos), they eventually lead to death. If you sin, you will inevitably die. Here, death seems to have a stronger spiritual meaning than a physical one. The last verse (verse 16) says, “Do not be deceived.” The reason people are tempted is that each person is led by self-greed and falls into flirting, but they mistakenly think that God is testing him. Do not be deceived by that, but God only gives eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Greed begets sin.
Sin is said to be the cause of physical or natural evil in this world. After all, greed is evil. (I think you have fully understood the concept of evil in Brother Hee-Sung Gil's last lecture.)
The Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:22) is speaking to the Thessalonian church. Evil should give up any shape (kind). I have to let go of the greed that brings me temporary joy. So that greed may become sin, that sin becomes evil, and that evil does not lead to death.
I will conclude with the words of Mr. Jeon Woo-ik, a farmer who lived in a rural village in Gucheon-ri, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, acclimatizing to nature and making friends with trees.
I live well alone, what Jaemin?
I live well alone, what Jaemin! Everyone!
I pray.
Lord, we make a promise every day, every day, anew, anew, but our weakness turns into greed and we walk away. Give us the courage to believe, the courage to practice, and the courage to abandon greed. I pray in the name of the Lord that many people may come together to make the kingdom of heaven.