When dragonflies flew.
at 2024-02-15 07:44:18.0 / 827 HitsThe things we hold dear are disappearing from our lives.
The swallows that used to fly around the neighborhood in spring are no longer seen in the city. And we often hear about the disappearance of Korea's native bees. Although the use of herbicides has helped agriculture, the decline in ecological memory and warming temperatures have pushed bees, which are an important part of the ecosystem, to the brink of extinction.
When I was a kid, I used to go to my grandmother's house in the countryside and easily catch dung beetles, foxes, frogs, mayflies, dragonflies, etc. and I remember the tactile sensation of those insects. So it was not difficult for me to collect insects for my homework in elementary school. But now I have to sit at my desk and observe insects on the internet.
It's so sad to think that something that used to be so natural is now "gone". The dragonflies that used to be so easy to catch, even for a child, are hard to find anymore, and the hours of fun we used to have when we didn't even realize the sun was going down to catch them are gone.
However, it is not only the natural ecosystem that is disappearing.
There are also regrets about the disappearing things in our relationships. Mutual respectful manners have been lost, moral ideas that should be in the social order have been lost, the spirit of sacrifice for the community and others has been lost, and the words respect and honor have been lost in the educational field due to the excessive encroachment of parents and students.
And it is a scary time to teach these things.
Perhaps the church is also affected by this.
The piety that is unique to the church is under threat.
Our own schedules are being prioritized over the commitment required for the church.
In the name of respect for the individual, the desire for community worship, the flower of the church, is being lost.
An old church in England receives the shocking news that it is regularly rented out for dances.
In some places, we hear the shocking news that personal testimony meetings are being prioritized over corporate worship.
Falsehood and hypocrisy, violence and war, hatred and prejudice, are the things that need to go away.
I want to hear that these things are gone and the bees and dragonflies are flying again.
So today, I pray without giving up.
I pray that the power of the church's worship will humble us again before the Lord.
So today, I pray for Good Neighbor Church and the next generation.