The Best Week Yet!
Last week, I co-taught an online English Bible study on Acts 1-12 over five days. That isn’t enough time to really dig into the text, but we offered a good survey and wade into one or two topics. We decided to look at how the gospel began to spread beyond Jerusalem and Judea and all the ways God welcomed people who were not Jewish. The people in class asked VERY good questions about the Trinity, the person of the Holy Spirit, predestination, and prayer. During our last session, we talked about living in Korea as citizens of heaven without losing the unique gifts Korean culture brings to the people of God. Of all the things I’ve done during my time in Seoul, this was the most rewarding. I am grateful.
On Friday, I was the student. We Ohioans visited the Methodist Theological University. The university traces its beginnings to 1887 when it first opened as a theological school for men. It later merged with a woman’s school. Today the college offers four undergraduate programs, two master’s degrees, and two doctoral degrees. Dr. Seouh Jong-Won gave a lecture connecting Hugh of Saint Victor and Wesleyan theology (I was in heaven) and Dr. Jaeho Jang discussed ways Christian education can bridge the perceived divide between science and faith. The University President, Dr. Kyoung-dong, and Bishop Kim of the Seoul Annual Conference of the Korean Methodist Church joined us for lunch. It was a great experience and I’m glad the Korean Methodists included it in our program.
I also had the opportunity to visit Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery with leaders from Ahyeon Chruch. One hundred-forty-five foreign missionaries and their families are buried or memorialized in the cemetery. These missionaries were responsible for establishing hospitals and schools, serving the poor, and supporting Korean independence. Most importantly, they are remembered for the great love they had for Korea and the Korean people. An example: the tombstone of English Missionaly H. B. Hulbert quoted him as saying he wised “to be burned in Korea rather than in Westminster Abbey.” What impressed me most wasn’t the stories of the missionaries themselves, but the way the church sees God as the primary actor in the story of Korean Christianity. Our tour guide kept telling us how good the Father is to have sent missionaries to aid Korean people and share the gospel of Jesus.
There are several things happening during my last two weeks in Korea. Tomorrow we will visit the DMZ. Later this week, we Ohioan will meet up with the Ohio Episcopal Area delegation that arrived in Seoul yesterday for an overnight trip to the mountain countryside. I’m excited to see someplace outside of Seoul and Incheon, but I’m not excited about the temperatures. It’s going to be quite cold. Next week we’ll formally close our program on Wednesday and celebrate with a trip to Namsan (North Seoul) Tower. I’ll have Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to prepare for the long trip home.
