Faith & Life

Longing

My children live in distant cities now, and I only get to see them once every few months. After graduating and settling into jobs far from home, they had promised to visit at least once a month. But reality had other plans. Far from coming monthly, they would show up after several months—just long enough to share a meal before hurrying back.
 One day, they finally came home. I thought I would feel only joy at their arrival. And yet, as we sat down for a meal together, a quiet emptiness stirred in one corner of my heart. Even in their presence, I missed them.
 “How can I miss someone who is sitting right in front of me?” I wondered.…

Park Jin-mi from Daegu, Korea

The Gift

When I was a child, the moment my neighborhood friends and I gathered, we would divide into teams with a game of rock-paper-scissors and play “fist baseball.” It was a simple game where we hit a rubber ball or tennis ball with our fists and caught it with our bare hands. As long as we had a ball about the size of a fist, we would play joyfully in the alley until the sun went down, never tiring. As we pounded the ball with our bare fists until they stung, the one dream we all shared was to have a baseball bat and a glove of our own. We wanted to swing a bat and catch balls with a glove,…

Park Dong-min From Yongin, Korea

Power and the Ability to Empathize

Professor Adam Galinsky of Northwestern University in the United States conducted an interesting experiment. He divided participants into two groups. Group A was asked to recall a time when they gave orders to someone else, while Group B was asked to remember a time when they were given orders by someone else. After that, everyone was told to draw the letter E on their own forehead. Surprisingly, 88% of Group B drew the E in a way that others could read it correctly, while only 67% of Group A did the same. A similar experiment looked at mirror neurons, which are closely tied to empathy. Again, Group B—those who had recalled following orders—showed active mirror neurons, but Group A showed…

What He Did in the Meantime

A college student was looking for a part-time job, but it was hard to find one. One day, he saw a job posting from a company and went straight there, expressing his eagerness to do any kind of work. Impressed by his enthusiasm, the hiring manager said, “If you know how to type, you can start right away.” The student asked for four days to prepare. When he showed up for work four days later, the manager asked what he had done in the meantime. The student replied: “I did two things. First, I borrowed a typewriter. Then, I stayed up all night practicing how to type.” This is a story from the student days of Herbert Hoover, the 31st…

God’s Grace in Every Circumstance

My brother-in-law, who lives overseas, recently visited Korea. After a meal at home, we all gathered to watch a women’s volleyball match. The players kept the scores neck and neck, exchanging sets back and forth until they reached the fifth set. Though drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, they gave their all under the coach’s guidance, spurred on by the crowd’s enthusiastic cheers. Regardless of the final outcome, the focus and dedication of both teams were truly admirable. After the match, my brother-in-law shared a story that had touched him beyond the game itself. Each team had a foreign player, and he had been particularly attentive to one of them. This foreign attacker had spiked the ball countless times…

Lee Mi-suk From Yongin, Korea

Invisible Love

I watched a video featuring an aquarium beautifully decorated with colorful coral. Inside lived marine fish such as the porcupine puffer, yellow tang, clownfish (famous from an animated film), and the blue-striped imperial angelfish—it was as if a slice of the ocean had been transplanted into the tank. Curious about how sea fish could be raised in an aquarium, I looked into it and discovered it was far more complicated and demanding than keeping freshwater fish. First, an aquarium is needed, along with a sump tank—a separate tank that filters water through special media made for marine fish and pumps it back in. You also need a salinity meter, a submersible heater, a thermometer, lighting, a wave-making motor, an oxygen…

Gahng Yo-na from Moscow, Russia

To Sound a Clear Trumpet

“How can I preach about God as boldly as Paul?” “How can I proclaim God as confidently as Peter?” I used to think that to preach boldly and confidently, great faith was necessary. After learning that “faith comes from hearing,” I diligently studied the Bible. However, my faith did not grow as much as I had expected. While wondering what I might be missing, I came across a verse that made me realize: “Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” 1 Co 14:8 To produce a trumpet sound loud and clear enough to be heard from afar, the one blowing it must take a deep breath. Prayer is the breath of…

Park Mun-seo From Seoul, Korea

The Warmest Words

A few years ago, a Korean news outlet surveyed 305 people to find out what they thought were the warmest, most comforting words. In the results, phrases like “Did you eat?”, “I’m proud of you,” and “Get some rest early” came in fourth place. Third place went to “Good job,” and second place was “Are you feeling okay?” But the phrase that received the most support—chosen by 30% of respondents—was simply, “Stay strong.” Regardless of age, people felt the most warmth when they heard these words. It shows that we all long for encouragement and comfort in our lives. “Dad, stay strong. We’re here for you.” This memorable line from a past TV commercial brought comfort to many fathers. In…

Rightly and Honestly

This happened while I was taking a break from school and working part-time at a convenience store near my home. One quiet afternoon, the sound of the bell jingling at the door snapped me out of my drowsiness. I clearly heard the door open, but no customer was in sight. Sensing something strange, I glanced at the security camera and saw a group of children, who looked like elementary school students, sneaking in through the back door. Their behavior was suspicious to anyone observing. From the cashier’s desk, the snack shelves near the back door were hidden from view. Because of this blind spot, two security cameras had been installed near the back, though the children obviously didn’t know that.…

Park Chae-un From Sokcho, Korea

Stand Firm

At the start of the new year, some of the members of Zion and I gathered together to share words of blessing and hope. As I considered what message I should share, I turned to the Scriptures, and a passage seemed to leap off the page: “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on…

Gahng Ye-jin From Gangneung, Korea

The $20 Gift to a Soldier

One day, eight-year-old Miles, who lives in the United States, found a $20 bill in a restaurant parking lot. He was thrilled, thinking about using it to buy a video game. But as soon as he walked into the restaurant and saw a soldier, his mind changed completely. The sight reminded him of his dad, who had died in Iraq. So instead of spending the money on himself, Miles wrote a heartfelt note and gave the $20 to the soldier. “Dear Soldier,
 My dad was a soldier, too. He’s in heaven now. I just found this $20 bill, and I want to use it to ‘pay it forward.’ Thank you for protecting our country.” Later that day, Miles went to…

The Trouble Caused by Greed

In parts of Africa, local people are said to use a clever and simple method to catch monkeys. They hang a bag filled with fruit—something monkeys love—on a tree branch along a path monkeys frequently travel. The bag’s opening is just big enough for a monkey’s hand to fit through. When a monkey spots the fruit, it reaches into the bag and grabs a handful. But with its fist full, it cannot pull its hand back out through the narrow opening. Even when people approach, the monkey refuses to let go of the fruit and ends up getting caught. Sometimes, greed can ruin everything. It’s important to know your limits, go after what’s within your reach, and have the wisdom…

Pine Heartwood: The Undecaying Pine

When a tiger dies, it leaves its skin; when a person dies, they leave their name. Likewise, when a pine tree dies, it leaves behind something known as gwan-sol in Korean. When a pine tree breaks in strong winds or is cut down, it releases a sticky substance called resin. Just like how blood clots and new skin grows when a person is wounded, the resin protects and heals the tree. Over time, as the tree dies, the resin soaks into the wood and hardens—this hardened, resin-rich wood is what’s called gwan-sol. Gwan-sol is denser and harder than ordinary pine, with more defined growth rings and a strong fragrance due to its high phytoncide content—much higher than that of cypress…

To Reach the Destination Safely

I remember the first time I boarded a flight to Russia. Since I had to travel alone for many hours and make two layovers, I was very worried that something might go wrong. With a fearful heart, I clung to God and prayed earnestly: “Please guide me so that I can find my way at each layover. Please help me reach my destination safely.” It was past midnight, and the darkness made it difficult to read the signs, but by God’s grace, I arrived safely in Russia. One year later, I boarded another flight to Russia. Since I had the experience from the previous trip, I was not very worried this time. But what happened next was completely unexpected: at…

Park Yun-ju From Melbourne, Australia

The Best Time to Make a Decision

Making a decision often comes with mental stress, because one wrong choice can lead to deep regret. Everyone wants to make wise decisions, but instincts, emotions, or external influences can lead to biased judgment. So when is the best time to make a decision? Morning is better than night. That’s because the brain, which processes and stores the day’s memories, requires more energy at night, and sleep-inducing hormones are released, which can cloud your judgment. It's also best to avoid making decisions when you're too full or too hungry. When you're full, you may become unintentionally generous, and when you're hungry, appetite-related hormones can cause you to act impulsively. Most importantly, it's ideal to decide when you're emotionally stable. When…

Emotional Contagion

Have you ever noticed that being around someone who’s happy and positive makes you feel happier, too? That’s not just in your head; it’s a real phenomenon known as “emotional contagion,” where one person’s emotions, like joy or sadness, can transfer to others. James Fowler, a political science professor at the University of California, and Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard Medical School professor, studied the social connections of over 5,000 hospital patients from 1983 to 2001. Their research found that the closer someone is to a happy person, the more likely they are to feel happy too. People whose family members or close friends were happy experienced a 15.3% increase in their own happiness. Remarkably, even when someone they had never…

Don’t Judge by Appearances

A young mouse went out to explore the world for the first time. After finishing its adventure, it returned home and excitedly told its mother about the two animals it had met. “The first one I saw was so elegant! It had soft fur, a long, graceful tail, and walked so gently and quietly. It was really beautiful and seemed kind. I wanted to get closer and be friends. But just then, the second animal I met got in the way. It had a strange red lump on its head and looked scary. It started making loud noises and acted all wild, so I ran away as fast as I could!” After hearing the story, the mother mouse responded firmly,…

Gyeori and Hori

In traditional farming societies, oxen were essential workers. Using them for plowing made the task much easier than doing it by hand. When one ox pulls a plow, it’s called a hori in korean. When two oxen pull a plow together, it’s called a gyeori. In southern parts of Korea, hori was more common, but in harsher, rockier areas like Gangwon Province and the northern regions, one ox wasn’t strong enough, so farmers used a gyeori. When two oxen pull together, the one on the left (from the farmer’s point of view) is called the anso, and the one on the right is the maraso. Usually, the stronger and more experienced ox becomes the anso. The maraso follows the anso’s…

Two Persimmon Trees

“Which tree should I cut down?” A scholar stood in his yard, axe in hand, eyeing two persimmon trees. One tree bore many fruits, but they were bitter and hard to eat. The other tree produced only a few sweet, delicious persimmons. Unimpressed with both—the bitter one for its taste and the sweet one for its low yield—he decided that at least one of them had to go. As he stood there deep in thought, his wife came over and said, “This one may only grow a few persimmons, but they’re sweet and tasty. And that one might be bitter, but if you dry the fruit, you can make delicious dried persimmons.” Hearing her words, the scholar realized he had…

Freely Given

In the early 1950s, the world was hit by a major outbreak of poliomyelitis, a disease caused by the poliovirus. In 1952 alone, about 58,000 people were infected in the United States, and nearly 3,000 of them died. Even those who survived often suffered lifelong disabilities. Then in 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine that could prevent the disease altogether. This breakthrough had the potential not only to save countless lives but also to bring enormous wealth to Dr. Salk. However, instead of profiting from it, he made the vaccine freely available and even shared the formula for its production. When asked about patenting the vaccine, his famous reply was: “Could you patent the sun?” Thanks to the vaccine,…