김한요 목사
지난해에 주신 하나님의 은혜에 감사할 뿐 아니라 새해를 향한 기대와 소망이 넘치는 새해 첫 주일을 맞이하면서 가슴에 새겨볼 교훈이 여기에 있습니다. 지난해에 있었던 승리에 교만하지 말고 받은 은혜를 잘 지키는 싸움이 기다리고 있다는 것을 기억하라는 것입니다. 어쩌면 우리는 지키는 싸움을 더 잘해야 하는지도 모릅니다. 실패보다는 성공이, 패배보다는 승리가, 후퇴보다는 성장이, 움츠림보다는 전진이 있었던 지난 해였기에 새해에는 이미 하나님이 주신 것을 잘 지켜야 하는 더 큰 사명이 주어 졌다고 할 수 있습니다. 한 번의 승리에 트로피를 높이 치켜들었다고 그게 다가 아닙니다. 오르고자 목표했던 계단 꼭대기에 섰다고 다 이룬 것이 아닙니다. 좀 더 정확하게 말하면, 인생은 승리냐 패배냐의 싸움이 아니라 지키는 싸움이라는 것입니다. 만일 박항서 감독이 우승컵을 치켜들 고 교만을 부리고 있으면 그는 우승한 감독일지는 모르지만, 겸손을 지키지 못한 감독이 될 것입니다. 우리의 인생에 있어서 우승보다 더 중요한 인격을 잃어버리게 되기 때문입니다.
“저는 교인 숫자 불리는데 관심이 없습니다. 일당 백 일당 천의 예수님의 제자를 만드는데 관심이 있습니다.” 지난주일 설교 중에 제가 드린 말씀 입니다. 이 역시 큰 교회 목사가 폼나게 한 말이라고 할 수 있습니다. 그 비판을 무릅쓰고 새해 첫 주일인 오늘, 제가 말씀드리고 싶은 것은 올해도 저의 싸움은 성공, 승리, 성장…이런 것들을 위한 싸움이 아니라, 저의 인격을 지키고 제 말을 지키고, 하나님의 말씀을 지키며, 교회를 지켜나가는 것이라는 사실입니다. 남들이 말하는 승리를 얻었다고 진리를 잃어 버리거나, 성공했다고 교만하여 겸손을 잃지 않고 새해에는 져도 ‘잘 지는 해’가 되기를 기도합니다.
New Year of Graceful Defeats
Rev. Bryan Kim
Coach Hang Suh Park, who is creating his own history in Vietnam soccer, said in an interview with a daily newspaper, “…in defeat, lose gracefully. In case there’s anything to be learned, listen carefully.” As a head coach, he became a hero when he brought victory to Vietnam’s losing soccer team. Because of similarity in the name, even the Bacchus drink reached record sales. As someone who raised the level of Korean pride, what he said is plausible. However, when reading through his article, you discover very quickly that it is filled with substance. “When you win, many people flock to praise you. But don’t be too happy about that. Popularity and honor will one day suddenly disappear like smoke. I experienced that in 2002. For a long time, in countless sleepless nights, you prepare for a game, and the game is over in 90 minutes. The result is immediate. This past year the entire country was in uproar over winning the Suzuki Cup. Now we have next year(2020) to compete in Suzuki Cup again. When the challenge to win passes, then there is the challenge to defend the title.”
We are thankful for God’s grace this past year. On this first Sunday, as we face expectations and hope of a new year, there is lesson to be learned. The lesson is not to become too prideful over victories from past year, but to remember that there awaits a battle to defend the grace that we have received. In a way, we need to do better with the battle of defending the victory. In New Year, it is our greater calling to keep the things that God has already given us like success over failure, victory over defeat, advance over retreat, and forward over hesitations of past year. Lifting a trophy over one victory is not the end. Just because I am finally standing on top of steps does not mean that I am finished. To explain more clearly, life is not a battle of victory and defeat but it is a battle of defending. If Head Coach Hang Suh Park stands prideful with his victory cup, perhaps he may be a winning head coach, but he would not be a head coach who keeps his humbleness. Instead of victory in life, he would have lost the more important personality.
“I am not concerned about increase in church members, but I am concerned everyday about making disciples of Jesus.“ This is what I said in my sermon last Sunday. This is plausible for a senior pastor of a large church to say. In spite of criticism, what I want to say on this first Sunday of New Year is that my battle is not about success, victory, or growth…, but it is to protect our personality, protect our words, protect the Word, and to protect the church. Instead of losing Truth by gaining victory or losing humbleness by pride of success, I pray that when we lose, we lose gracefully in this New Year.