Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.”
John 6:35-36
Dear members and friends,
We are complex and intelligent beings. Among all creatures on Earth, we take the longest time to gain independence from our parents. In modern America, it even takes longer to be independent adults than in the past. But what does it mean to be an independent human being? The answer varies based on what measure we use: economic, emotional, or state of mind. However, achieving one’s independence is not the goal of a human life, but perhaps just the beginning of one’s responsible life.
What we should always remember while obtaining the necessary skills to achieve independence is that our life is more than just the lifespan of a physical body. While studying world religions and philosophies, I noticed that all ancient sages and wise people perceived that there is something more to humans than the life of their physical body. This is quite interesting to me, because even Daoists, who did not believe in anything spiritual or life after death, agreed with this perception. Also, all of them agreed that there is a kind of universal quality that is vitally important for humans to cultivate. This universal quality is defined as goodness, love, virtue, or kindness, which are essentially inner qualities that enable us to be selfless and altruistic. Without mentioning any rewards in life after death, the ancient sages and wise people agreed that cultivating these qualities not only provides a better relationship amongst humans, but also could grant inner satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. And, such fulfillment is not obtainable from materialistic success alone.
My brothers and sisters in God, let us take a moment of meditation this week. Take a deep breath and release it gently and slowly. Let us do this 4-5 times. Then, let us sink into the gentle quietness. Now, let us look at our own heart. What is it made of?
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee