The pace has picked up considerably since my return to South Korea. I'm now teaching 10 English classes a week and broadening my range of influence in the church and community of non-believers. The majority of my classes are middle-aged women and the rest range from Elementary to High School ages. It's been no walk in the park but I'm enjoying the challenge and new relationships!
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Today I was walking home from the gym after an afternoon workout and witnessed a terrifying moment. As I stood at the crosswalk waiting amongst many other Koreans on the busy street I saw a little Korean boy accidentally drop his balloon. Since today was a windy day this balloon began to drift right into on-coming traffic.
I watched as the boy ran to retrieve his balloon and foresaw the worst-case scenario. My mind immediately began screaming "SAVE HIM" yet my body remained immobile. Before the boy took one more step his mother swooped in to save him just as a city bus careened by.
Apart from being frustrated at my unwillingness to act, my heart was gripped by the passion of the little boy's mother. As I look back at that moment I have no doubt that this mother would have sacrificed her life for her son if needed be. Its the same kind of impression I have when I see my sister with her boys. If their lives were at risk in any way the motherly instinct of protection would rise up in her.
This morning as I was reading God's Word it said that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". I remembered that 2000 years ago a fatherly instinct rose up in God the Father for his children who were also in danger. The love of the Father acts. God thought it more important to slaughter His Son then to see his children blindly run into traffic.
The ultimate reality in this is that many people will go to hell as the implication of their rejection of Christ. This is God's just, eternal judgment for those who chose to not to believe. As insane as it seems to me that people would reject this truth, the fact is that we have enemy whose sole purpose is to kill and destroy the intended union we should have with our Father in Heaven.
When we commit to being a disciple of Christ we commit to the mission of rescuing P.O.W's (Prisoners of War). We commit to the same life Jesus had, denying ourselves for the purpose of God's plan.
My prayer for myself and the church is that we would lay our lives down. We wouldn't be so busy with 'ministry' that we miss Jesus' continuous rescue mission for mankind.
May the love of Jesus cause in us a willingness to step in front of the bus for another.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20