True Liberation Requires Reform Beginning with “Me”
True Liberation Requires Reform
Beginning with “Me”
The roots of corruption that are rampant throughout our society run far too deep and wide.
We are now marking the 48th anniversary of Liberation Day, which we have commemorated as the day we “regained the light,” celebrating the joy of escaping Japanese colonial oppression. However, the past half-century has given us cause to reflect that what scarred our history and our society even more deeply than the external darkness of Japanese colonial rule was the darkness that had been lurking within ourselves.
Baekbeom (Kim Gu) advocated the pursuit of righteousness and devoted himself to establishing an independent, unified Korea through national unity. He was brought down, and the Syngman Rhee government established a separate government in South Korea. However, the Syngman Rhee government failed to purge pro-Japanese and anti-national elements, resulting in corruption and moral decline continuing to plague our political history. This continued through the military regimes of Park Chung- hee and Chun Doo-hwan and into the Sixth Republic. National conscience and freedom of the press were trampled under a uniform military culture, while corruption became widespread throughout politics, the economy, society, culture, religion, and education.
Now a civilian government has come to power and has begun efforts in reform and eradicating corruption at the government level. However, the corruption that has become so deeply and widely entrenched in our society is so pervasive that it seems impossible to root it out through government- led reform alone.
Reform must begin with “me.”
Many people, deeply aware of the limitations of government-led and institutional reform, are emphasizing that a reform of the consciousness of each individual citizen must come first. A growing awareness is taking hold in our society that every reform must begin with each of us—beginning with “me.”
It seems that many are beginning to recognize that the extreme darkness and tremendous confusion covering the history and societies of every nation in the world are, in reality, rooted in the problems of humanity itself, in the swirling vortex of evil that rises from the human soul.
Based on this awakening and recognition, many are saying that reforming the consciousness of the people is possible only when those in education and religion, who are entrusted with addressing the problems of humanity and the human soul, first awaken and are themselves renewed. Yet this raises the question: Who will awaken and renew the already-corrupted fields of education and religion?
Ultimately, whether in education or religion, the most fundamental member of our society is “me”. Therefore, no matter what anyone may say, the reform of history and society must begin with “me.” It is simply impossible to call upon others to reform themselves while all kinds of darkness and evil are lurking within myself.
When we strive to restore within ourselves the life for which we were originally created, our conscience will begin to awaken.
When a resolve and determination to reform “me” arises in the hearts of everyone in the nation, that will be the true beginning of social reform.
In truth, perhaps the most difficult and seemingly impossible task in this world is for one to reform oneself and become a complete human being.
However, for the nation to prosper, for our society is truly to become brighter, for a truly happy life to be guaranteed to ourselves, our families, and our neighbors, we must first discover the true nature of the evil dwelling within our souls and devote our hearts and every ounce of our strength to rooting it out.
As we reflect deeply on the relationship between humanity and history, and on the interconnectedness between humanity, society, nature, and all creation, we must first strive to restore within ourselves the truly good and beautiful life for which mankind was originally created, as the steward of all creation. Even this effort alone will begin to awaken our consciences and minds from deep slumber.
What is truly fortunate and worthy of our thanksgiving is this one fact: the living God governs human history according to His absolute sovereignty and according to His most holy, good, and true will—and that “I” am still alive here and now.
Once we realize that this very fact contains infinite possibilities for creation, we will be filled with the determination and courage to live a life overflowing with goodness, from the crown of our heads to the tips of our toes.
All living things must feed on light to survive.
Now, there is one truth we must consider deeply: all living things must feed on light. Modern people, accustomed to the conveniences of civilization, seem to believe that money, which can buy everything, is an essential condition for human survival.
We live by the gifts we have received from God: our life and health, the sunlight poured down by the sun, the wind and dew, the mountains, seas, and fields, inexhaustible abundance of all kinds of vegetation and fish within them. Above all, the fundamental power that enables every living thing to survive is the light that pours down freely.
If we look at the life cycle of even a single blade of grass or a single tree, we see that the seed itself is a crystallization of light. After being buried in the earth, the life within it breaks through the soil, feeds on the light given by the sun, freely blossoms into its own unique form, and eventually ripens into new fruit.
When we see how plants bear fruit in the light to continually sustain their lives, we come to realize that life is eternal within the light. We can also understand that sickness and death are unnatural phenomena that arise from being cut off from the light.
Modern people, having turned a blind eye to the hunger and thirst of their souls, have become deso- late due to poisonous ideologies and beliefs.
Human beings also eat grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat to sustain their physical lives. In the end, we might say that we live by consuming light. But human beings also have souls, and our souls, too, must feed on light in order to exist as living souls and grow into the image of God, which is the original form of the human soul (Gen 1:26–28).
Modern people boast of their advanced education and enjoy all the conveniences of civilization, but they live as though they are soulless beings, ignoring the hunger and thirst of their own souls. Just as a person can become incapacitated by food poisoning after mistakenly eating spoiled or poisonous food, the human soul, too, becomes dry and desolate when it feeds on the darknesses of greed, falsehood, hatred, and pride. The soul will become parched and desolate, until it becomes like a demon or descends to the level of a beast. Yet people still recklessly consume evil and poisonous ideologies and doctrines.
Long ago, Solomon, a man of wisdom, realized that the human soul was created in the image of God and possesses immortality and eternity, unbound by space and time. He understood that the soul must eat and drink of eternity in order to find true satisfaction and peace, and confessed that God has set eternity in the human heart” (Eccl 3:11). This eternity belongs to God alone, and it is only through encountering Jesus Christ, the image of God, that a person can eat and drink of this eternity.
The Lord said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). The spirit and life hidden within the Word of God! This alone is the true light that gives our souls eternal life.
From the August 1998, edition of True Peace
Rev. Abraham Park
26년도 8월호