Friday: May Mary Month
The month of May was a time of special veneration to Mary- mother of Jesus. I've never heard of devoting a month to the attention of Mary. However, Mary has a central place in the life and practice of Roman Catholicism. I must confess it is one aspect of Catholism I know very little about and also one aspect I’ve been afraid of. On Friday night, the last evening of May and the day of my arrival, they had a special prayer service. When the sisters told me abut it I could tell their invitation was full of wonder. “I wonder if Julene will come to this service?” Of course! I’d love to!
These sisters like to celebrate! More times than not my visits have coincided with a "special" service or "special" season. They rhythm of their year includes so many feasts and celebrations. I love it! And I love that I've been able to participate in so many of them.
The Mary service was beautiful. The younger sisters danced in the dark while holding candles in their hands. Their movements were elegant, smooth and beautiful. What a peaceful presentation. The sisters remembered different world events and issues and prayed the "Mary prayer". Of course the service was in Korean and of course as a protestant this felt a little odd. But the oddness is only one of my own lack of understanding. However, I sensed the earnestness and spirit of the night and was compelled by their respect for the mother of our Lord. While I don’t understand praying to Mary I can understand the admiration and desire to have a heart after her heart. We Protestants could do ourselves a great favor in recapturing the beauty and value of Jesus' mother. The evening's theme was "Mary, the mother of Jesus" but the spirit of the night was one of prayer and despite my Christian tradition I was united with them in their prayer for our hurting world.
Saturday: Igeadae Park and Sister Reunion
Like all the other weekends before it this one was wonderful. The sisters always find time in their very full weekends to do something special. They’ve made me feel like I’m always welcome. And I know this is because I’ve managed to just slip into their routine gratefully. For me, any time with them is special no matter what we do. It is interesting how washing dishes and cleaning tables can feel like play when I'm with them. We did more than wash dishes however.
We went to a National Park on the oceanfront called "E-Gee-Dae". The name of the park references the story of two Korean "geisha's" who killed themselves by grasping onto a Japanese General and throwing themselves (with him) into the sea. Can you imagine what kind of horrible scenario would bring 2 young girls to do such a thing? We walked along the coast of a beautiful sea front. We watched several women diving for clams. They were in full black wetsuits, fins and snorkel. At the end of the hike the sisters challenged me to walk across this painful rocky path. It is supposed to be good for one's health. I tried it but it was too painful for my health!
After our hike we stopped by the Catholic parish in Igeadae to visit the 3 sisters assigned to the parish community. It wasn't even a half mile from where we had parked and walked by the sea. Their home is actually in the church building. These three sisters we visited were working in the sanctuary when we arrived. Yet when they saw their sisters (and me) they stopped everything and invited us into their home. It was the lunch hour and we ended up having a HUGE lunch together with more side dishes than I've seen in a while and Tong-Su-yuk(Korean version of sweet and sour pork).
The sister’s reunion together was full of joy and excitement. They live in the same city but while their proximity is close I doubt they get to spend quality time together. Watching them reunite was like watching family members meeting after a time of separation. Sister Anna Marie translated what one of the host sisters shouted out. She proclaimed, “Today you are Mary and we are Elizabeth.” Anna Marie reminded me that they had just finished May, the month of Mary! How appropriate, almost like it was planned, this reunion seemed to be. The sisters relived the joy of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. There was no child leaping for joy in anyone’s womb. Yet there was definitely leaping for joy!
I didn’t have much to say at lunch. I get so "Korean shy" when I'm with Sisters I've never met before. I just watched the sisters interact and found contentment in being together. I couldn't help but think, "What am I doing here!!??" "One of these things is not like the other!" Yet I never feel like a tag along. Somehow even though verbal language is a barrier this group of women makes me feel so welcome. Even the sisters I've only just met have a way of welcoming me and creating space for me in their midst. What a powerful witness to the gospel and to the way they live out their calling!
Sunday: Beach walk and heart felt conversation
On Sunday night I walked the beach with Sister Amadeos and Sister Fedelia. We were out as the sun was setting. The sisters live 5 minutes from a beach and 5 minutes from a "mountain". What a perfect setting for Korea! Even while there is rushing traffic outside their windows, high rises galore, and neon lights, I'm always aware of the proximity to the ocean and mountain.
It is an unusual experience for the sisters to venture out of their community's home for an evening "out on the town". At least that was the impression I was given on this night. From what I've gathered this isn't because they "can't" or "shouldn't" but that they just don't feel comfortable. Living as a foreigner and getting constant stares for 4 years due to my hair color, eye color and height (to name just a few differences) helps me understand just a little of what it must feel like for the sisters to be "out in public" at night on the "beach boardwalk". The "boardwalk" has a plethora of bars, karaoke halls, coffee shops and restaurants. The summer season has begun. Couples were out, kids played on the sand, and groups of friends were doing anything from drinking to eating together. Despite the uncommon experience we enjoyed the time together. Together we made a real sight to see. But I must admit I saw some folks who were more of a sight than we were--take the Korean man wearing a bikers leather jacket, blue jeans, long hair and lipstick who would sit next to us later!
We found some unwanted dead animals on the beach. Rats! I've walked this beach many times, in bare feet even, and I've never seen a dead rat. There were at least 4 of them in a short area. Here I am thinking it is a beautiful "fresh" beach and I've learned just how "clean" the place is. The rats turned us off and we decided to move away from the beach up to the walking path. We ended up sitting together in a bakery or "bun" cafe.
As we snacked on some warm sweet buttery "buns" of English origin we had a wonderful conversation. Sister Amadeos and I were introduced on Friday. Her English is very good and I appreciated her translation with the other sisters. It really has helped us talk about deeper and more meaningful things. Tonight I got to share how I've experienced the sister’s community. I found it to be a rare opportunity to share from the heart. I cherished the chance to communicate with words!
Have you ever seen scripture jump off the page into real life? I have in the presence of these sisters especially. In Matthew's gospel as Jesus talks about the Kingdom he says, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."
This passage has always touched the place of compassion in me. I have been the "stranger" in these women’s midst many times. It wasn't until being cared for/about in the Sisters space that I felt this passage come to life. I have been their stranger. If not a stranger then I have been the foreigner, which is just as "strange". Most of the sisters I've had the joy of being around have experienced living overseas and they know the struggles of being "strange". Their whole choice of life is “strange” to the world around them. They know what it feels like to be a foreigner. Yet even so, the space they create has been one of radical hospitality. It is as if they really welcome people with the expectation that they are welcoming Christ. They do it joyfully. I’ve spent enough weekends with them to know that their welcoming comes at a great cost to them. Their work is constant and exhausting. They too are in need of rest and hospitality. Yet despite their work and their fatigue they exude joy.
I've never been so aware of the mutual exchange, which occurs, in Christian hospitality. They welcome me as they would Jesus yet in their faces I’ve met Jesus over and over again. The Jesus in them is reaching out to the Jesus in me. A mysterious communication happens; the Jesus in them mysteriously speaks to the Jesus in me. It is both beautiful and transforming.
I've received hospitality from many people in my life. Yet until my Korean experience I've not been in such a need for hospitality. I know what it is to long for a safe place, a refuge, a place of welcome, and a place of acceptance more in these last 4 years than ever. It is ironic that the most Korean place I know has been this place for me. The longing for refuge has been found in the midst of a community committed to work and prayer. I'm surprised by how Korean it is but I'm not surprised that I found this in a Benedictine community. One can read a ton of books on monastic hospitality and even books on the Benedictine way but it isn't the same as experiencing it.
It felt so good to share just a tiny bit of this in the sisters presence. They are living out their spoken commitments to God, each other and the world! On this night we used language to express ourselves but usually we communicate through very broken Korean and not as broken English. The sharing of space, work, meals and prayer, transforms people. I know because it is transforming me. It doesn't matter what side of the hospitality your on--the offering or the receiving--because in the end each one offers and receives. And it is "what" or "who" that we receive from each other that makes all the difference. We receive Jesus. Jesus is alive in our giving and receiving. Jesus speaks out in non-verbal ways, ways that communicate on a deeper level recognized by the spirit in all of us, no matter the language or background. It is a wonderful mystery to be a part of. It is a mystery that I've seen create space in me not only to receive Jesus from these beautiful woman but a mystery that has carved out a place in me for others in my Korean home of Cheonan. Their sharing of Jesus has emboldened me to be that hospitable presence to a handful of others. The mystery of Jesus sharing continues...
No comments:
Post a Comment