Korea, Gospel and March 1st Independence movement

On March 1^st, 1919 3PM at Pagoda Park in Seoul Korea, a student name Jae-yong Jung read aloud Korean Declaration of Independence, proclaiming that Korea has the right to exist as a free and independent nation from Japan’s colonization which lasted from 1910 to 1945.  That student was reading a document written and signed by 33 Korean National representatives.   The signers’ names are:

Son Pyung-hi, Kil Sun Chu, Yi Pil Chu, Paik Yong Sung, Kim Won Kyu, Kim Pyung Cho, Kim Chang Choon, Kwon Dong Chin, Kwon Byung Duk, Na Yong Whan, Na In Hup, Yang Chun Paik, Yang Han Mook, Lew Yer Dai, Yi Kop Sung, Yi Mung Yong, Yi Seung Hoon, Yi Chong Hoon, Yi Chong Il, Lim Yei Whan, Pak Choon Seung, Pak Hi Do, Pak Tong Wan, Sin Hong Sik, Sin Suk Ku, Oh Sei Chang, Oh Wha Young, Chung Choon Su, Choi Sung Mo, Choi In, Han Yong Woon, Hong Byung Ki, Hong Ki Cho.

Of the 33 signers, 16 were Christians.  According to “Christianity in Korea” by Robert E. Buswell, the number of Christians arrested during the march 1st, 1919 Korean Independence movement were:  Presbyterians 1461; Methodists 465; Roman Catholics 57; Others 207.  Less than four months later, the number of Presbyterians in jail had increased to 3,804, among them were 134 pastors and elders.

These are stunning figures as History of Christianity in Korea was not long at this point.  Korea boasts 5000 years of history and  became  self-evangelized only in 1784 AD when Seunghoon Lee, a Korean diplomat returned from China baptized and with various theological texts written by an Italian Jesuit missionary named Matteo Ricci.  Upon his arrival he established a small church in Myungdong, part of Seoul which now is the site of MyungDong Cathedral, and Christianity began spreading from that small seed without any western or external missionary’s aid (not until first Roman Catholic missionary arrived in 1836 and written/translated bible were handed out in 1863 by a protestant missionary).

The persecution of Christians by the Korean government began in 1785 officially outlawing Christianity.  It saw Christianity as a threat to the existing power structure since Christianity preached that all are equal before God.  The persecutions of 1801, 1839, 1846 and 1866 led to the death of 10,000 Christian martyrs, including the execution of Andrew Taegun Kim in 1846 who was the first native Korean Christian priest in Korea.

Despite all these, Christianity not only survived but thrived in Korea partly because of its involvement in Korea’s liberation from Japan’s colonization and the recovery effort from civil war (1950 – 1953) which saw the country divided north and south.  Christianity in Korea embraced many socially radical ideas at the time such as teaching and using Hangul as written communication method (to that point Chinese characters were used as official written communication system),  teaching Hangul to kids and women, starting women’s bible study groups, establishing Universities and hospitals around the country.

Church is no church if it abandons the gospel in order to conform itself to the government ideology (think of National church of Germany that embraced Nazism and in doing so ignored/suppressed large part of the Gospel) but it is also no church that turns blind eye to the national crisis that under minds human rights.  Christians and Missionaries in Korea were significant part of Korean Independence movement and their efforts to liberate Korea contributed to the exponential growth of Christian population in it.

Many Koreans and Korean-Canadians are here in Canada enjoying all of its blessings including great social security and health care systems but without the martyrs of the past, who saw the relevance of Christian Gospel to the Korean National crisis, none of us would be here.  (Most of the martyrs mentioned here are Koreans but I wish to also acknowledge the non-Korean martyrs – especially missionaries –  during the Japanese colonization and Civil war period of Korean history)    On March 1^st,, Korea remembers and honours patriotic Koreans and foreigners who gave their lives for the freedom of you and me.  Please take some time to give prayer of thanksgiving for them.

(Comment) Leonard Cohen’s Song “Suzanne” and His Understanding of Human Nature

COMMENT ON LEONARD COHEN’S SONG “SUZANNE” REGARDING HIS UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN NATURE

1. Boundary of an affair according to Cohen

Below is a stanza from Cohen’s song “Suzanne”

And just when you mean to tell her

That you have no love to give her

Then she gets you on her wavelength

And she lets the river answer

That you’ve always been her lover

… you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind

In an interview, Cohen told the media that the song was about the wife of his friend and he was singing about an actual event that had taken place with her in the past. As suggested in the lyrics, Cohen confirmed that he did not have sexual relations with the woman who was physically stunning, but he told the public in a 1994 BBC Radio Interview, that he only “imagined” having sexual intercourse with her for there was “no other opportunity” and “no other way” to touch her perfect body. While Suzanne’s husband must have been glad that no physical intimacy had taken place, the whole incident must make one wonder whether Suzanne’s husband should still trust her with Cohen alone thereafter. The encounter also must raise a series of alarming questions.

At what point does one commit an “adultery”? When does one become “unfaithful” in a marriage? Is the intimacy of the mind and emotion so distinctively separated from the intimacy of the body that merely omitting the physical act would excuse one from being labeled as an adulterer? Many already know that there is a natural longing in mankind to be accepted, understood, loved and to belong. Many would further note that these are not necessarily physical conditions but social, emotional and psychological attributes as well. Thus, as Cohen may confess and be proud that “nothing” had taken place, he must be advised that there just may have been an emotional affair that had taken place. Jesus, after all, was on to something when he taught “I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28) for trust entails dependance and when that emotional dependence on the spouse is breached the trust is also breached.

2. Drowning men’s dilemma

Below is another stanza from Cohen’s song “Suzanne”

And Jesus was a sailor

When he walked upon the water

And he spent a long time watching

From his lonely wooden tower

And when he knew for certain

Only drowning men could see him

He said “All men will be sailors then

Until the sea shall free them

It might be impossible to thoroughly comprehend Cohen’s beliefs through one of his many songs but this portion of second stanza gives us a glimpse of Cohen’s mind and his view on theodicy. Cohen connects the act of walking upon the water as being “a sailor”, then he has Jesus exclaim “All men will be sailors” when Jesus finally figures out that only the suffering and desperate people (symbolized by the word “drowning”) could see him (at this point we must remind ourselves that mankind cannot naturally walk upon the water and Cohen’s Jesus appears to command the act knowing the outcome).

And while the identity of “the sea” is not named, it is clear that the sea is an agent that can cause great drowning and thereby establishing the claim that God is the direct cause of human suffering in order to enable sufferer to “see” the Cross. Contrary to what Cohen appears to express, God often “uses” suffering as an “opportunity” to intensify believer’s trust and dependence upon Him thus one cannot blindly claim that God is the direct cause of all sufferings even if the purpose is to enable the sufferer to understand the Cross.

In the Old Testament of the Holy Scriptures there is a story of a judge named Jephtha in Judges 10 and 11. The story tells us that Jephtha was filled with the Spirit so that he can defeat the Ammonites in a battle. Before the engagement, it was Jephtha himself who made a pact to sacrifice as “burnt offering” the first thing that came out of his house upon his victorious return home and as he returned it was his daughter who came out first to greet him and it caused Jephtha great agony. The rest of the story simply tells us that Jephtha “did to her as he had vowed” disallowing further details but it is clear in the sequence of events that it was Jephtha himself who caused such unnecessary devastation by not simply trusting the enabling presence of the (Holy) Spirit and instead desiring a “guarantee” by the act of appeasement through promise of the burnt sacrifice. At times, it is beneficial to admit that we, as mankind, cause ourselves more suffering and devastation than God ever would.