I'm on a KTX to Daegu. My seat mate just gave me a Jeju Island tangerine. Both the kind act and the tangerine were sweet. God favors me greatly in Korea.
As my brother and I were sharing two days ago, it is easy to make friends in Korea. I can chat up people freely and these people do not view me with suspicion. For example, on the flight from Hong Kong, I met my two lovely seat mates and we practiced Korean, and English for the entire three-hour flight. I got one lady's contact information and we've arranged to meet again on my next journey to Korea.
In addition, this afternoon, I stopped by the Isaac toast stand by my guesthouse in Myeongdong. I was speaking to the man and woman at the stand. As they complemented me on my Korean, I boldly asked them where they were spending the new year. "At church," the woman replied. I excitedly said I would do the same. At that, the man said he was even more pleased to meet me. We were followers of the way. In fact, the owners of the Isaac toast franchises are Christians -- "Ah! Isaac the prophet!" I exclaimed to them. Praise God for surrounding me with such a great cloud of witnesses.
My friend and I were having army-camp stew for dinner. We were sharing lots about how Korea and Taiwan were more similar than dissimilar; and how Korea and Taiwan could be contrasted well with Hong Kong and Singapore, both of which can be contrasted well too. Basically, my friend and I agreed that in Korea and Taiwan, a national cultural identity was a core tenant of those states, not least because this makes mobilizing people easier and this makes foreign bodies trying to conquer these people more difficult. They are net exporters of culture, and all which that term entails, and not importers. In contrast, Hong Kong, in particular is a net importer of culture. In fact, as I have said previously, Hong Kong is a black hole for culture: culture does not escape Hong Kong because it doesn't exist in Hong Kong. An important element of the British colonial policy was to stifle the development of such a national cultural identity for the very reason that Korea developed one: the British needed to more easily control the Hong Kong Chinese people; and what better way for a foreign body to conquer than to obfuscate identity in a place, in effect, bankrupting common experience in Hong Kong state. Hong Kong is the most stratified place on the planet! Therefore, while it may seem that people in Hong Kong share a common language in Cantonese, they actually do not share common knowledge and understanding about it, Hong Kong history and Hong Kong culture in general not least because these important national cultural identity mechanisms aren't fostered in formal education. In sum, these cases suggest that culture is developed, and most importantly, standardized, in states with looming enemies, and in the state where the enemy as already upon them, stratification -- or more euphemistically, free choice and free markets -- abounds. I am blessed to be able to develop this idea with my friend, a Korean, who has spent time in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. That's special.
Unfortunately, in spite of the myriad friendships, I still feel a bit lonely. How can this be? Although I am around people all day, the moment I am not around people I feel a bit lonely, if I'm not fully engaged in my work. This dynamic in my heart is incredible. Indeed, that I quickly forget that my heavenly Father is with me is all the more incredible. I repent of my vacuity continuously.
God is so faithful even when I am not. He doesn't give up on me. In the same way, I don't want to give up on myself, even in the midst of my struggles. I want to overcome and persevere in Christ. This is my life's challenge. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. So what shall I do and in what ways does God give me the strength to do those select things? I work this out with fear and trembling.
I look forward to meeting more friends at the end of this train ride. I also look forward to a lighter load in my luggage, and a lighter load in my heart for the coming year.
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