Today the conference members were picked up early in the morning to go to the DMZ [Demilitarized Zone] between N – S Korea. It was not quite as intimidating as the old border between East and West in Germany. No dogs barking, no rude guards and no excessive display of guns and stuff, but there was lots of barbed wire, lots on tense faces and whole bag full of rules and regulations. Well, we were four bus loads full of people and they say they handle 1, 000 visitors daily. Incidents have been minimal and seemingly is just to preserve the Kim-Dynasty up North – no matter what the costs- and China plays the game of “leave things as they are” and “don’t rock the boat” and “harmony is the highest good” – never mind the damage done to families, individuals and an entire society by this terrible partition cutting it in two hurting parts.
The prayer meeting was something quite unusual to me. Using formulated prayers as guidelines, the liturgist lead prayers on “Hunger and Poverty”; “Human rights”; “Religious Conflict”; “Peace and the Kingdom of God” and also “Families”. The Korean melodies were lovely – and also tonight at the church again. Never heard such tunes before, but they were very moving and deeply touching. We did not only wear our red prayer shawls with Korean motives, but also watched a very sensitive film on the tragedy of Korea being seperated into two. All in all a memorable experience and fitting introduction to the academic exercise starting tomorrow.
At the devotional service at the Youngnak Church this evening the very Rev. Prof. Iain Torrance, whose the president of Princton Theological Seminary, USA gave a lenghty paper on Peace & Reconciliation. He did not only touch on the live of Rev. Kyung-Chik Han, but also on St. Cyprian in the Early Church, Ireland, South Africa and related persecution, famine and political suppression there to the Korean context. If one remembers that all of that was translated, he was quite brave to speak for such a long time on a Monday evening. The Church was packed as before, the people were listening and singing attentively, even the student choir was assembled and in action. Let’s see where this goes tomorrow.
I met some more fascinating Africans – amongst others Prof. Dr. Christo Thesnaar [US, Stellenbosch], whose a practical theologian also working for the Institute for Healing of Memories – and at last had the chance to talk in Afrikaans. Fascinating people, serious discussions and most intriguing conference. I love it!
Wilhelm's space 