2021 Easter Message from the Moderator, Rev. Gun Hee LEE
Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK)
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mt. 22:32b)
May the grace of Jesus Christ, who overcame death and rose again, be with you. We give thanks and glory to God ad confess that the resurrected Lord alone, is our true life and hope.
In the past, the church, through the gospel of the resurrection, was a light of hope all those who waited desperately in the dark. The church was a strong neighbor and friend, which provided hope and trust for the people during the period of Japanese occupation, industrialization and military dictatorship.
Today, however, the Korean church has lost its light and is gradually becoming secularized and politicized, and is neglected by the people. Now is the time to turn to the Lord of the resurrection, who will restore the church. There can be no resurrection without the cross. Our Lord did not evade the cross but broke through it to achieve the victory of resurrection. The church, through faith in the cross and resurrection, must once again realize its public responsibility and compassionately accompany our neighbors who are in pain, and share the love of Christ with all who suffer.
Today’s society is full of the grievances of scapegoated and victimized people. Countless workers die of industrial accidents every day. We are facing the 7th Memorial of the Sewol ferry disaster, but the government has still not been able to conduct an inquest on this issue, so as to provide full transparency. To make matters worse, speculation in real estate mirrors the prevalent moral insensitivity and throws us into misery. Let us follow the path of our risen Lord, who gives us new hope.
The Korean Peninsula is experiencing extreme geopolitical tension and the people are suffering from the fear of highly possible imminent war. In Myanmar and other parts of the world, many people are dying amid coups, terrorism, and violence. This gives us the mission to devote ourselves to peace and reunification (Mat. 5:9). And as responsible member of the global community, we are called to work for peace in the world. We must escape from all conflicts, hate, and misunderstandings and follow the resurrected Lord on the path of peace.
The global pandemic, which shocked the whole world, has brought us two tasks: One is the ‘task of peace’ and the other is the ‘task of ecology’; both are aimed at peaceful co-existence for all. Our faith n resurrection calls us to change our current way of life, which is dictated by infinite growth consumption. God calls us to return to life.
My dear sisters and brothers, the Lord stretched out his warm hands to the disciples, who were lost and in despair, saying “Peace be with you”. Here and now, the risen Lord is holding our hands, and will give us peace. Let us hold our Lord’s had and rise as witnesses to the resurrection. Let’s follow the resurrected Lord who showed us the way of the life, truth and love.
May the righteousness, peace, and life of the risen Jesus Christ be with all of us.
April 4, 2021
Rev. Gun Hee LEE
Moderator
Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK)