Fun & Games

Many of you may have the impression from my earlier posts that the students here at Handong are all quite serious and diligent and spend their days studying and going to class, and if they're not in class or in the library, then you might well think that they are either in small group Bible study, singing in a choir or quietly doing their personal devotions.

Well, they are committed students, no doubt -- But, they also know how to enjoy a little fun and a few games. Today was a great example -- the annual "HILS Cup Challenge" for the international law school students was being waged. Throughout the entire morning the students composing four teams engaged in a variety of conventional and unconventional games as they competed for the prized "HILS Cup" --

They played basketball and ran funny relays --




Poured water into bottles atop the heads of their teammates --















-- and finished the day with a major tug-of-war:


While the international law students were competing for "HILS Cup" on the courts, some other Handong students were engaged in a full-scale soccer match on the pitch in front of the Student Union. I paused to watch their game for a while and came away convinced that some of the players' skills might well qualify them for FIFA!



So, I trust I have now corrected the record and cleared-up any inaccurate impressions I may have given in the past posts. Handong students work, worship, rest and play -- They're living well-balanced lives.

The Sunrise of Your Smile

I nearly lost it this afternoon. Not my temper . . . that would be very American of me, though, in the midst of this peaceable culture where the influences of Confucianism are still prominent in the ordinary daily attitudes of most Koreans. No . . . it was not my temper that I almost lost, it was my composure.

[Caveat: I am about to violate the Second Cartier Commandment for bloggers: "Thou shalt not give too much information." -- so if you would rather not hear of my struggles, you may want to wait for the next post -- I'm hoping to write something on the fun and games that balance out the lives of Handong students; they don't just read, study, listen respectfully to lectures, pray and sing all the time -- no matter what impression I may have given in my earlier accounts.]

I had sat down in my office after a short walk through the yellow woods and started to review my emails. For some reason I thought of a Michael Card song about the Lord's Supper -- its entitled "Come to the Table" -- I wanted to send a link for this song to the elders back at West Hills and encourage them to consider it for a future communion service -- either having it sung live by the worship team or just playing the music video that someone put together with Card's soundtrack.

While perusing the Micheal Card songs on YouTube (there's a bunch!), I stumbled across one of his that I hadn't heard for many years. Its called "Sunrise of Your Smile." I started listening to it and within the first verse nearly lost my composure completely. The song speaks of the parental wisdom that Michael and his wife, Susan, are trying to convey to their children (four of them; two boys and two girls) through both their words and their lives. It spoke to my heart as I sat there -- as far away on earth as you could be from your wife, children and grand children.

Alright, I've written too much. Just take a listen to Card's song and ponder how many weary miles you would wander to see the sunrise of their smiles . . .



Fortunately, I was all alone in my office and I was enabled, by the grace of God, to regain my composure before I had to leave that solitary place and rejoin my students for the day's lecture in Business Law. Teaching has a way of bringing you back down to earth, I guess.

Uni[ty-in-Di]versity

One of the most striking differences between my experiences in the past on American university campuses and those here at Handong is the multitude of languages I hear spoken on any given day. When just taking a walk from my apartment to All Nations Hall, it is not usual for me to hear no less than four or five different languages being spoken by students and faculty, alike.

While Korean is by far the most common language here, I also hear Swahili spoken by students from Congo, Khmer by students from Cambodia, Dari (a dialect of Persian) and Pashto by students from Afghanistan, as well as Russian and Mongolian by students and German by a couple of faculty members, just to name a few.

Yesterday afternoon Handong's multitude of languages was impressed upon me in a new way. Each Wednesday at 3:15pm, students gather for an English chapel service. Though English is the unifying language of this gathering, there comes a time in the service when the worship leader asks the congregation to sing, or sometimes to pray, in the languages of each one's homeland.

To some observers this might have sounded like a cacophony. As I sat and listened, though, I began to discern the various individual languages, and while I did not understand the particular meaning of each, I realized that those who spoke were joining together with all present in words of praise and thanksgiving to God. While there was a diversity of expression, there was unity of purpose.

Then a passage from Revelation came to mind:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9 ESV)

A Hike into the Hills above Handong

Robert Frost famously wrote:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,


And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The words of Frost have taken on new meaning for me over the past few months. Choosing to accept the call to teach here at Handong was definitely a new stage in my journey along the road less traveled by, though some may say, I've been on that road for more than a few months or even years. I'll let others judge that as they observe and evaluate the path I've taken.

This morning Frost's words came to mind in a fresh way as I took a hike up along the paths shown to me last week by Professor Kuyper Lee. I was trying to find my way back to that beautiful overlook, and as I walked I encountered several diverging roads -- some well trodden and others less traveled. It was a bit of a challenge since I was walking the trail not from where we had started the first time, but from were we ended-up.

I can hear a few of you saying, "There he goes again, walking the opposite direction -- against the flow.") I guess it would have been a whole lot easier to have gone back the same way I had been led before, but something prompted me to take the road we had returned upon.











As I did, though, I started to noticed some "signs" along the way -- not actual road signs, but a pile of old bamboo beside the path at one point, and then a cultivated field a bit farther up the hill, and even another grave site just before I reached the top of the hill and the clearing where the burial mound was situated.

The view to the east was a bit hazy, but still beautiful. I remembered to bring my camera along this time so that I could share the sights, although I must say, these few photo's don't begin to do the scene justice. I followed Socrates' example and took time to pause and think. It is a special place quite conducive to thinking -- to pondering -- to reflecting. I think it has now become to me my first sacred place here in Korea.



On the hike back down toward campus, I took the path back along the way upon which I had first been led to this place. As you can see, this is also a path "whose leaves have not been trodden black."

I hope you enjoyed the hike into the hills. I'm thinking I should get up even earlier next time -- before the dawn -- and return to the overlook to watch the sunrise. Maybe in a few days. Its getting cooler each night now, and the mornings are brisk.

Some of the trees are even beginning to turn their fall colors. Each day my surroundings are becoming more of a yellow wood, and it reminds me to continue the journey along the road less traveled by.

The Day with Others - The Day Alone

Bonhoeffer writes in Life Together that living in community is a balance between the day with others and the day alone -- between communion and solitude. Beyond the challenges of responding to the demands upon my time, I'm finding that a deeper part of living a balanced life is understanding more of what Brother Bonhoeffer is teaching and then, putting it into better practice.

There is a sense of community here at Handong that I don't believe I have ever experienced before. Possibly it is the fact that nearly all of my daily experiences transpire within close proximity of others on the campus -- or just maybe -- there is truly something about the spirit of the students and faculty here that forms community.

This was impressed upon me again this morning when one of the students I had met last Friday evening, David J. Sparrow, greeted me as I walked across campus. He was sipping a morning coffee on his way to a 10am lecture. I noticed that he looked a bit weary already at mid-morning on Monday. He explained that he had been up at 5 to gather with other students for prayer. That's the spirit of these students!

Nearly every evening you can hear groups singing together -- sometimes their singing goes on late into the night. Sundays are especially full of opportunities to experience the day with others. Since I've been here, I have been invited each Sunday to attend an international service with the Enlow family at one of the local churches in downtown Pohang.

While the entire congregation of Joyful Church is quite large, the gathering of internationals who meet in the afternoon numbers only about 50. They are a wonderful group of believers from many countries throughout the world. The hymns and songs are sung heartily. Our worship leader is from Liverpool, England (and everybody from Liverpool can sing!). Eric Enlow is primarily responsible for the preaching portion of the service. He's been going through an encouraging series on the Covenants.

I've not only been attending the afternoon services with the Enlow's, though. There is a wonderful church gathering right here on campus each Sunday morning at 9. The folks at Handong International Church are a wonderful worshipping community, too! Attending both the morning service on campus and then afternoon services in Pohang makes for a very full day with others. Since I don't have Sandy with me now, I'm inclined to spend as much time with other believers on Sunday's as I can.

Sunday evenings then bring me time in the day alone. Yesterday, I spent the time writing my son Caleb and my daughter-in-law Micaela a hand-written letter which I posted via airmail this morning. I'm realizing afresh a lesson that Caleb has reminded me of several times in the past -- a hand-written letter can be an especially strong means of encouragement to others. Even the Apostle Paul emphasized this truth through his own letters to the Christians in the local churches he had helped to plant. (Galatians 6:11).

The day with others -- the day alone. A balance of community and solitude, conversation and prayer, service and rest, singing and silence. I'm hoping that I will be able to experience the fullness of this balance in life in greater ways during the coming months this fall.

Shopping with and for Mr. Mok

When you only have a bit of stuff you are faced with a question that requires more than a little reflection -- How much other stuff should I buy? While my hermitage is quite adequately furnished with a table and chairs, a desk, a bed, a wardrobe, a small couch and a refrig (Korean-sized), my office, on the other hand, is equipped with only the basics -- desk, conference table and chairs, and empty bookcases (still waiting for that shipment to arrive). While its Spartan character is appealing (at least at this point in my experience), my Teaching Assistant, suggested that there may be a few more furnishings that could make the office both more accommodating and functional.

It seems that Mr. Mok's interest in outfitting my office stems from an experience he had while studying one evening last week. He was using a corner of the conference table upon which to spread out his books and work on his case briefing. One of the older Korean faculty members came walking down the hall and noticed the light in the office; so, I'm told, this senior professor knocked and entered. Finding Young-hoon, he remanded him for using the conference table, admonished him to find a student desk and to put it in the corner of the room. Evidently, the appropriate place for a TA at a Korean university is in the corner of his professor's office out of sight.

The only available student desk Mr. Mok could find was one of the older, wooden-type that you and I used when we were back in high school -- not to comfortable and definitely too small! When Young-hoon related this experience to me, he expressed his willingness to take me shopping this weekend so that I might look for some "needed" office furniture. How could I say no. I had no problem with him working on the conference table, but I also knew that now is not the time to change the practices of an established culture.

Mr. Mok offered to pick me up Saturday morning at 11 and drive me to the district in Pohang where a large number of used furniture shops are located. Sounded like a fun adventure, and I was not disappointed. We visited no less than five used furniture shops and found not only a suitable work desk for Young-hoon, but also a nice large couch and some end tables. We did not, however, buy any of these items, since Mr. Mok advised me that it is better to call the shops back on the phone and negotiate a better price. If fact, delivery of the items is even included! Looks like we may very well be able to outfit the office with those few more "needed" furnishings for under $250 US!

We concluded our day of shopping with lunch at Pohang City's own KFC! A little taste of home -- extra crispy and with some local seasonings in addition to those 11 herbs and spices of the Colonel's. That was some fine eating! Not to be out done, though, Mr. Mok insisted on treating me to dessert at one of Pohang's newest establishments -- Starbucks! Once we walked in, I thought I had been transported back to the States. All the same coffee blends and every espresso drink on the board -- even a grande, non-fat, no-whip, white chocolate mocha. Wait a minute! How did I get from contemplating a Spartan life-style back to indulging in the ways of the West?

It appears that my shopping outing with Mr. Mok has taught me that no matter where you go on this earth, you are still confronted with the question: How much stuff? -- How much to have? How much to buy? How much to eat? And, . . . how much to leave behind? -- Time for another hike up the hill to my thinking place.