This past week, my uncle passed away from cancer so I had the opportunity to experience a full-fledged Buddhist Korean funeral. When I got to the hospital, I had to pay my respects to his son and his mother and then we were ushered into this room where the dead body was (it was covered with a sheet). When the whole family was in that room, they began to clean the body and wrap it in this traditional Korean funeral garment. It was very ritualistic and probably took more than an hour. For example, they cut off some of his toe nails and finger nails, and while they were doing that, they said some ritualistic saying. Afterwards, they put those things in a small bag and put it on his body. They did the same thing for some of his hair too. [Read more…] about A Korean Funeral
life
The Power of Shame in Asian Cultures
I have never heard so much about suicide until moving to Korea. Sure, there were the occasional suicide stories in the news back in Canada and in Hollywood, but to so frequently read the names of celebrities, political leaders, and high-profile individuals in the headlines in apposition with the deadly words, “suicide,” was unfathomable.
“South Korean Ex-President Kills Himself” is one of the major headlines in the news today. Even if one were to survey this past year’s news, one would frequently come across stories of celebrities committing suicide in Korea. Committing suicide in Korea is really not an occasional occurrence.
But why? Is it that the preciousness of life isn’t valued any more? Is it a decision of the whim? Why am I coming across so many stories of suicide in this shame-based-Confucianistic culture of Korea? [Read more…] about The Power of Shame in Asian Cultures
Life in Korea: Priorities
Upon arriving to Korea a few months ago, life has been hectic, and it’s been quite the struggle to find an opportunity to blog. I love blogging, but life has just been overwhelming.
One of the blessings of being here and serving at Onnuri Community Church is that I get to learn from Pastor Eddie Byun. I first met Eddie when he was my youth pastor at the Philadelphia Church of Vancouver (he was in seminary at the time). I never thought that I would ever see or partner with him again, so it’s amazing to be here in Korea and have the opportunity to learn from him.
About a month ago, I asked him what sort of disciplines I should develop in my life if I want to grow as a Pastor. He told me that one thing he does is to focus on a different subject each day, and to focus on learning about that subject on that given day. Now this exercise isn’t reserved for pastors alone, but it’s useful for all people.
Here is how I’m organizing my week, and the books that I have chosen to read on the subject.
Monday: Prayer/Fasting
– Too Busy Not to Pray: Bill Hybels
– A Hunger for God: John Piper
Tuesday: Leadership
– Axiom: Bill Hybels
– Reformed Pastor: Richard Baxter
– Leading from the Second Chair: Bonem and Patterson
– An Unstoppable Force: Erwin McManus
– Envisioning an Apostolic Church: Yong-Jo Ha (The Senior Pastor of Onnuri Community Church)
Wednesday: Preaching
– Speaking to Teenagers: Fields and Robbins
– The Supremacy of God in Preaching: John Piper
– Biblical Preaching: Haddon Robinson
– The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching: Edited by Robinson and Larson
Thursday: Spiritual Warfare
– Spiritual Warfare for Every Christian: Dean Sherman
– Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis
– Powers of Darkness
Friday: Culture
– Third Culture Kids: Pollock and Van Reken
– Korea Unmasked: Rhie
– American/Korean Contrasts: Susan Oak
Saturday: Marriage
– Marriage Spirituality: R. Paul Stevens
– Sacred Marriage: Gary Thomas
– Every Man’s Marriage: Arterburn and Stoeker (This one I’m going to reread because I’m married now…I read the book while I was dating)
Let’s see how this goes. I’ve already done a week, I missed a few days, but on the days I did stick with the schedule, it’s been great.
I can’t wait to finish all the books on my list and add new ones.
Until next time…
Ministry and Life Transitions
3 days remain.
I only have 3 more days in Canada.
There are only 3 more days until my wife and I begin our new life in Seoul, Korea.
How did it get this way? How did we end up leaving our ministry and our life in Montreal to move to the other side of the world? How were we so sure that this is where God was calling us? How did we know that this was God’s will for our lives?
[Read more…] about Ministry and Life Transitions
Sex Trafficking
“The CIA estimates that between 50 000 and 100 000 girls, boys and women are trafficked annually into the United States to be pimped out or sold for forced sex. Worldwide more than 1 million people are trafficked across international borders against their will.”
“We are not finding victims in the United States because we’re not looking for them.” – The U.S. State Department’s Advisor on Trafficking.
The movie Trade does an excellent job in opening one’s eyes to the horrors and reality of the modern day sex trafficking industry. In other words, if one were to parallel the movie Blood Diamond to the movie Trade, it would go like this: Trade is to the sex trafficking industry, as Blood Diamond is to the diamond industry.
If this is such a serious problem, why are so many people unaware of it?
When people hear about sex trafficking, most people are disgusted at the thought of buying another human being for sex. After all, how can we treat other human beings as objects? This conjures up thoughts of slavery and dehumanization.
However, when you speak to pimps or people actively trading other human beings for sex, you will never hear them say that this was their dream job growing up. In the same way, when you speak with rapists or pedophiles, they will always admit that they never thought they would get this far. I’m sure you can agree with me when I say that there are no children who dream about growing up, raping others, and having sex with children.
Then how do people get to this point in their life?
“…each of you is tempted when you are dragged away by your own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15)
In other words, it’s a progression.
When you ask pedophiles, rapists, and pimps how they got to that point in their life, they will all say the same thing – it started with viewing others as objects. In other words, when one views pornography, one isn’t looking at a human being anymore, one is looking, lusting, and fantasizing over an object.
You don’t believe me? Well, here’s a question to all of you who have looked at pornography before: When you were looking at pornography, did you ever stop to think about that person’s life story? Does that person have parents? Brothers? Sisters? Children? A spouse? Where does that person live? Is that person doing it voluntarily or are they also forced and chained into the sex industry? What if that person was your daughter? Would you still look at those images? The fact is, no one ever thinks about those questions when they look at pornography because those who view pornography have begun to see people as objects.
However, there comes a point when pornography isn’t enough. Therefore, those individuals go to strip clubs. The same thing happens in strip clubs. Even though one is viewing real human beings, one still doesn’t ask those questions or consider that person to be a human being. As a result, one will not treat the stripper as a human being, but only as an object that can be bought for one’s own entertainment. It’s dehumanization.
After that, strip clubs won’t be enough either. Therefore, those individuals will begin to buy prostitutes. And the same thing will happen again. After that, prostitutes won’t be enough either, etc. The cycle just keeps on spiraling down and down. You get the point, right? It’s a progression.
The fact is, sex trafficking exists because there’s a demand. Prostitutes exist because there’s a demand. Strip clubs exist because there’s a demand. Pornography exists because there’s a demand.
Are you fueling that demand?
If you are, you are fueling sex trafficking.