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One day recently, whilst listening to a sermon at a church here in Seoul, I heard a particular exhortation that I had never heard before: To "die to the American Dream." It was startling. Should we not work hard to achieve success?
As I continued to listen to the sermon, it became clear that whilst striving for excellence is indeed what we were designed for, what matters is our motivation and purpose.
The modern manifestation of the American Dream, the sermon continued, can nowadays be expressed as "trying to make a name for yourself" and I was struck by the truth of this.
It seems clear that this is what most of us are trying to do in one form or another. It stands in stark contrast to point one in The Westminster Shorter Catechism that I had memorized as a boy: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." What does it mean to bring glory to God?
For Pastor Eddie Byun, at Onnuri English Ministry in Seoul, the answer is to seek God's gift of salvation and then to honor Him with one's life. Honoring God means discovering what delights God's heart.
Throughout the Bible, it is clear that caring for our neighbor delights God's heart but that God is "passionately" concerned for victims of injustice.
For Byun, an issue that burns in God's heart is the plight of modern day slaves who are daily being captured, disenfranchised and brutalized in the business of human trafficking.
Byun has written a book called "Justice Awakening" ― a handbook for those who desire to bring an end to human trafficking and modern-day slavery. In this, he offers practical steps for any believer or church to join the fight against injustice.
I have attended many services at the Onnuri English Ministry to hear Byun speak on the need for the Church to fight against modern day slavery and can tell you that this gifted and eloquent pastor is leading the way in motivating people to do what God clearly desires ― to take care of the oppressed in our society as described by God's Son in Matthew's gospel when He describes how true believers will be welcomed into heaven:
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"
The King will reply, "Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25: 34-40)
Could there be anything better than being welcomed into heaven by God at the end of one's life? If you agree, then the words in this passage clearly state what God desires for those who have accepted His gift of salvation and they also answer the question of how we should live.
All true believers should follow the directive of the Lord in showing care and compassion to orphans and widows, single mothers and those in prison and poverty; the elderly, refugees, those in slave bondage to traffickers and those without a voice.
In this regard we demonstrate that God considers precious those who suffer and that He seeks to cooperate with us to provide refuge and relief to those whom society has rejected or overlooked.
Mike Long is an Assistant Professor at Yonsei University. He can be reached at mike-long@live.com.
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