Jane Youtz Riecke

The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

Today we are reading Ecclesiastes 1,2,3. Although this "teacher" puts himself forward as one who has found the answers, he is still searching. As Ellsworth Kalas has wisely said, "he  is experiencing the kind of struggle any human being can encounter when a person begins to wonder about the purpose and meaning of life."  Five pillars of wisdom hold up the book of Ecclesiastes: all, vanity, toil, wisdom and fate. Each has its own connotation according to "the teacher". Look for them as we begin our reading today: 

1. The word "all" or kol is used throughout the book.  Why? Because "the teacher" is determined to reflect on the meaning of all of life, not just Israelite life, not even just human life, but all of life. 
2. "Vanity" or hebel can also be translated as absurd, futility or emptiness or meaningless. "All is vanity," begins the book. Vanity or in the Hebrew,hebel, also becomes a well-used refrain throughout Ecclesiastes. 
3. "Toil" refers not to honest labor or a work ethic but almost always conveys a negative idea such as trouble, weariness, sorrow, mischief, and even oppression. "Toil" and life are used interchangeably. This "teacher" sees a world in which people are left to fend for themselves in lives of toil that end only in death.
4. "Hokma" or wisdom refers to the intellectual ability to discover the truth.  And for this teacher, it is the ability to understand all of life. Wisdom is a precious asset.
5. And in conclusion, "fate," chance or destiny is a fact of life for "the teacher."

The young pastors on the staff of Kwang Lim Methodist Church work very hard. They are at the church by 5 am every morning for an hour of prayer with members of the congregation. This prayer time is led by the senior pastor. After prayer they return home for breakfast. Four days a week they make visits to the homes of the families in their district. Each pastor has about 1,000 families in his district. This means they make 6-8 visits per day, four days a week, every week of the year.
Home visits are very unique. An assistant accompanies them (a woman) to the home. She often is very familiar with the family, much more so than the pastor. They sit on the floor around a traditional table. The woman of the house and any adults in the home join them.
The visit begins with a few questions by the pastor. A thank offering is presented. The envelope for the offering usually has a list of prayer concerns. The pastor confers about the parishioners needs. Then the worship begins. A hymn, scripture and sermon shortly follow one another. At the end, the pastor prays for the family, giving his blessing to their home. A gift from the church is presented to the family.
Sounds routine...uninspired....but it was just the opposite. It was deeply moving. The exchange between pastor and family was heartfelt and rousing. It was evident that the visit was an honor for the family.
At the end of our first visit of the day, the young mother of the household asked that one of the three "foreign" pastors bless her baby. I was nominated. I took this precious 6 month old girl in my arms, while Brian and Rev Anthoni Sinkfield laid hands on her, and I prayed. The warmth of the baby in my arms seemed to sum up all I had been feeling. It was a blessing to me to participate in the faith life of this family, to hold their precious baby in my arms and pray for her. I was honored.
The faith of the Korean people runs deep with commitment and grace. I felt that in the homes we visited that day. I saw it in the eyes of the mother and her baby. I heard it in the voice of the pastor as he preached. I will not soon forget the passion of these people for Christ or for their church.

Living in the shadow of missiles that could strike at any moment or with the knowledge that 2 million militant communists could run over your border influences greatly how you live your life. South Koreans live with this knowledge every day. The DMZ is little more than a series of white posts in the ground along a vast border from east to west. Recently shots were fired by ships to remind one another that the conflict between north and south Korea is still very much alive. This is more frequent than international news agencies let us know. It is a strained relationship.

Our visit to the DMZ was eye-opening. We were given a briefing in the same VIP briefing room that President Bush and others have sat. We saw historic pictures and listened to a very professional presentation by a young sergeant. The base commander welcomed us. We then got onto one of their buses to tour the DMZ and see the place where UN negotiations take place...it is right on the border between countries. It was a short ride filled with instructions about how to move, where to stand. Most significant of all was the warning that North Korea could interpret our body language as threatening if we did not follow the protocol given to us. We were frightened.

Soldiers stand on point all around the building. Inside the building is a table for negotiations. On one end of the room is North Korea. Brian and I had our picture taken with the South Korean soldier standing guard at that end of the building. I couldn't wait to move back to the other side!

Outside we were able to face North Korea from the steps of the South Korean diplomatic building and take pictures. It was disconcerting in that while we took pictures...pictures were being taken of each of us. A North Korean soldier stood within view watching us with binoculars the whole time. I was ready to leave.

The last thing we saw was the "bridge of no return." This bridge is where prisoners of war were allowed to choose to cross or to stay. Once across, they couldn't return. It's sad desolate place marked only by concrete barriers now imposed on the bridge.

Living in Seoul, with this militarized zone just miles away defines life for South Koreans in a way we Americans can never understand. Life is certainly more precious, more intense. The Korean people are a passionate people. They approach all they do with a strong will to succeed. Perhaps that is what drives their pursuit of Christian faith as well...they will not be denied.

I would never trade the safety and the freedom of our country for the tension under which South Koreans live but I would long to see the same passion, the same commitment in the lives of those around me. Certainly religion in America would look much different if we could claim even a tenth of their commitment.

Korea was a fascinating place. The people are very hospitable and very kind. The children we met were particularly fun to watch as they watched us. We exchanged many smiles and lots of laughter with them.
Our hosts went out of their way to help us understand their culture and their customs. We toured a Korean Folk Village, a Girl's High School, the Palace grounds of the Emperor's from the 14th century, the world's largest UM Church and the world's largest church. It was a full and exciting experience with much to reflect upon.
The first lesson: you take off your shoes when you enter your hotel room or apartment home. Every hotel room, every apartment opens to a tiny entry area where shoes are deposited and slippers placed on your feet. This allows outside dirt to stay outside and inside dirt to stay inside! Once in your sock feet or slippers...a surprise awaits...the floor is heated! It made for a warm welcome coming in from the cold.'
This tiny entry area would fill up with shoes very quickly with many people in the household. I watched amazed as my host at one home nimbly walked around all the shoes on the edges of the area to slip into her own while balancing carefully on one foot. It was a sight to behold. One could easily lose your shoes in the mix. Brian even came back one evening to our room with the wrong shoes!
Another lesson: We arrived at our hotel at midnight on Monday, February 1st. With dogged determination ,we lugged our four suitcases and two travel bags onto the elevator and then down the hall to our room. What a surprise awaited us upon opening the room! No lights. We searched in vain for a light switch. Fumbling in the dark with our suitcases, bumping into walls we finally asked other travelers, now awakened by our bumping around, how to turn on the lights. Apparently, the key fob had to be inserted into the wall switch and viola! the lights came on. My first impression...we are never going to fit in here with our luggage...but we did. Our first cultural hiccup was over. The next question...how do you turn the lights off when you want to go to sleep? After a little trial and error we figured it out. Sleep came at last.
More to come.