Pain and Suffering - a Park Hyung Sik special

Confession: I fell in love with PHS' acting in Strong Woman DBS, which I wrote about some time ago and have been following his dramas ever since. (If you'd like to see more of his superb acting skills, make sure you catch Juror 8 and Two Lights: Relúmĭno too!!)

Anyway, here are a couple of quick thoughts from Suits and Hwarang...

This was one of the most moving scenes from Suits for me (apart from the two farewells to grandma).

It reminded me of Someone I know who also bore our pain (Isaiah 53:4) and is now our Advocate before the Judge (1 John 2:1).

Also when we intercede for others, we need to empathise with their pain and not give up pleading for them.

As for Hwarang, I was reluctant to watch the series as I suspected it was merely a ruse to cash in on the cast of male idols' popularity. And unfortunately, I was right! The plot was predictable and the acting mostly over the top. 

The only saving grace, and the reason why I succumbed to watching it all the way through, was PHS' eyes. They expressed all the different emotions he had so well, from anger at the injustice faced by the poor and weak, to the longing for his love interest, and the self-doubt over his ability to be a good king.

In this particular scene, his teacher assures him that he does indeed have the qualification to reign as his desire has always been to become a suffering king. 

It reminded me of our suffering King who bore our pain, even to death on the Cross, in order for us to be saved. That's why He deserves all our worship and adoration! 🙌

And for this, it made the time spent on the drama worthwhile. 😆

P.S. Another saeguk about a Christ-like figure monarch is "Love in the Moonlight". It had a much stronger plot, so much so that it got TWO entries in my blog! Read on to find out more...

Part 1

Part 2

P.P.S. Just for fun 😆

Love in the Moonlight (or Moonlight Drawn by Clouds) [Spoiler Alert!!!] - part 2

In my previous post on this series, I focused mostly on the relationship between Crown Prince Lee Yeong and his love interest Hong Sam Nom/Hong Ra On. In this post, we will look at two other key characters and a few overarching themes.

Kim Byung Yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon) and Kim Yoon Sung (Jinyoung)

Devotion
All the servants in the palace leave their families to serve the royal family. From the very first day, they are told that their aim is to protect the royal family with their own lives. In return, all their needs are provided for - food, clothes, housing, training etc. In the same way, we are called to lay down our fleshly desires and even our lives to serve our King. When we do, He will provide for all our needs as well as take care of our families.

"Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - along with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life." Mark 10:29-30

To the death
The Crown Prince's bodyguard Kim Byung Yeon is also his best friend. Although he is secretly conspiring with the rebels, he's actually motivated by the Crown Prince's ideal of a world where everyone would be seen as equal regardless of class and rank. Ultimately when it comes to a point where he has to choose between the rebel movement and the Crown Prince, he proves his loyalty to the Prince by being willing to die in his place. Because of his sacrifice, the Crown Prince and the rebels are reconciled and they work together to build an ideal kingdom after his acsension to the throne. Byung Yeon is also saved from the brink of death by the Prince and lives on to witness the genesis of the new world.

We as soldiers in the army of God should similarly not be put off by suffering and even death as we fight to build His kingdom on earth. No matter how much pain we may have to bear or that we may have to die for the gospel, He will raise us up to live with Him in the new heaven and new earth one day (Revelation 21). I am reminded too of how the blood of martyrs have watered the ground and readied it for the gospel seed to grow and bear fruit, bringing reconciliation between man and God.

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." Matthew 16:25 

The other Kim
Contrastingly, Kim Yoon Sung, the Crown Prince's childhood friend had broken off their friendship and lost his way due to the power-grabbing schemes of his grandfather, Prime Minister Kim. In addition, he and the Crown Prince also become rivals in love. As a result, he keeps wavering in his loyalties, and sadly he doesn't live to see the coronation of the new king.

God has given us this grace period to make up our minds as to whether to receive His gift of salvation and to live our lives for Him. However, it would be too late when the time is up - either when we die or when He returns. So let's not waver nor be double-minded like Yoon Sung. Make the decision today to commit ourselves to Him!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2:11

Already but not yet
In order to lighten his sickly father's burden, the Crown Prince agrees to act as Prince Regent and be given full power and control. Unfortunately, many power-hungry ministers are not happy and try to dethrone him. They resort to poisoning him and think he's a goner for sure, but he is actually hiding his recovery from everyone. When he rises again from his bed, he does not take down all the corrupt ministers at once. Instead, he prepares for his eventual victory over them quietly by gathering evidence against them. Then in the midst of their gloating, they are vanquished one after another.

Just as how the Prince Regent is given complete power, Jesus was born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is sovereign over all. Yet sin and evil are still operating in the world, just like those greedy ministers plotting against the Prince Regent. Then when Jesus died on the cross and was buried, those who persecuted Him thought they were rid of Him once and for all. Little did they know that on the third day, He would rise again! And even though right now it appears as though sin and evil are running rampant, He is still at work and one day He will return to eradicate them entirely from the world.

At that time the Lord will punish the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens above. He will also punish the kings on the earth below. The Lord who rules over all will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The elders of the city will be there. They will see His great glory. His rule will be so glorious that the sun and moon will be too ashamed to shine. Isaiah 24:21, 23 (NIRV)

Truth shall prevail
The detractors led by Prime Minister Kim use all kinds of tricks and deception to frame and harm the Crown Prince and his followers. But rather than follow suit, Lee uses the truth to expose them and their lies, and to set Hong Ra On free from the false accusations they had piled up against her.

Jesus also knew about the plot against Him, and He hinted during the Last Supper with His disciples that one of them would betray Him. In fact, He knows everything that we have ever said and done, even our every thought! On the Day of Judgment, we will have to face the charges for every sinful word, act and thought. Yet, He offers the Way out for us and reveals Himself as the Truth that gives us Life. So all we need is to accept His Truth and we shall be set free from all our wrongdoings!

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." Luke 12:2

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Kisaengs and gamblers
Lee Yeong's late mother had taught him not to be too high up that he can't hear the people. So he makes it a point to get close to the commoners by roaming around town incognito. He even hangs out with kisaengs and gamblers, who were the lowest of the low, the outcasts of society. Although the ministers criticise his behaviour in court, he explains that it is only by doing so that he can hear the truth about all that's happening in his kingdom.

Similarly, Jesus hung out with prostitutes and tax-collectors - those despised by society. He valued each person and saw their need for salvation regardless of their background. It is comforting to know that He will not despise us despite our family background, upbringing, educational level, status, and any other trappings of society. It also means that we have to value others as He values us, and not hesitate to share His love with them regardless of where they are and where they have been.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. Matthew 9:10

Wheat and chaff
When Lee takes the throne, he gets rid of all those who were against him and promotes those who stayed faithful to him throughout all the tough times to rule with him. When Jesus returns to take His place as Ruler of the world, He will also remove those who deny Him and raise up those who remain faithful till the end to rule with Him.

"Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn." Matthew 13:30

"He who overcomes, and he who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations." Revelation 2:26 (NASB)

The New World 
After his coronation, Lee sets out to establish a new world where all men are equal. He had been taught by his late mother who was inspired by Catholic teachings, to treat every person as equally worthy of attention.

The new king mingling incongnito with his subjects (left), with the former rebels looking on (right).

In God's kingdom, there is also no distinction and every individual is precious and loved by God. Therefore, we need to build His kingdom through acts of justice - reaching out to the poor, the needy and the oppressed, offering opportunities to the marginalised, and giving a voice to the voiceless.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free." Luke 4:18

Saimdang, Educational Reforms and the Class Divide

I know I promised there would be a second part to Love in the Moonlight in my previous post, but I just had to interrupt the series with another saeguk (period drama). That’s because soon after I had finished watching Saimdang: Memoir of Colours just last week, an online storm broke out over two issues which I realised were addressed in Saimdang. [Before I forget, you can watch the series legally (ha!) on Netflix.]

Although the series hadn't done so well in terms of its domestic ratings, I personally loved it for the breathtaking beauty portrayed through the magnificent scenery, the exquisite paintings, and even the painters' creative process. I also liked that there were strong female characters - Saimdang herself (Lee Young Ae, from the well-loved Dae Jang Geum aka Jewel in the Palace), and her childhood-friend-turned-nemesis Hwieumdang (Oh Yoon Ah) - and the redemptive element in their relationship. Towards the end, Hwieumdang repented of her scheming ways and saved Saimdang from her villainous husband's plot to kill Saimdang, Saimdang not only forgave her but healing and restoration came when Saimdang cared for Hwieumdang's children when she was in exile.

In fact, the entire series is an extended lobby for gender equality, with both Saimdang and her daughter Mae-chang fighting for recognition of their artistic talents in the royal court. With a bit of research, I found that the historical figure Sin Saimdang, on whom the drama is loosely based, was a bit of a non-conformist herself. She pursued her artistic and literary passions even though it was practically prohibited of women born in nobility. Not only is she one of the very few female painters recorded in Korean history, she is also revered as a model for all mothers. Both she and one of her sons, Confucian scholar Yi I, are commemorated on the ₩50,000 and ₩5,000 notes respectively.

Now, let’s talk about one of the recent uproars on local media. The Ministry of Education is revamping the examination structure in schools by reducing the number of exams students will take in their school career so they can be encouraged to develop a love for learning. There has been applause as well as opposition to the move. No matter what top-down changes are made, ultimately it’s the attitude on the ground, of parents and even students themselves, that must shift before real change can occur.

In the drama, Saimdang withdrew her son Hyeon-ryong (based on the real life Yi I) from the most prestigious school in the city even though he had passed a very difficult admission test. She had discovered that the parents and the students were fixated on results and student ranking, so much so that Hyeon-ryong was beaten up by Hwieumdang and her son after Hyeon-ryong ousted the boy from first place. The headmaster had tried to introduce creative teaching strategies to get the students to develop a sense of curiosity and learn through self-discovery. However, the parents went up in arms and demanded that he revert to the traditional rote learning methods. Furthermore, Saimdang overheard Hyeon-ryong cornering the teacher in class with his trick questions. Once they got home, she reprimanded him for showing off his intelligence by trying to outsmart the teacher. She emphasised the need for good character above talent and intelligence, and concluded that she would teach him herself at home.

Meanwhile, Saimdang’s eldest son Seon confided hesitantly in her that he would like to become a blacksmith instead of continuing with his studies, but was worried that she would feel ashamed of him. To his surprise, Saimdang encouraged him to find his own path and not feel burdened to follow what society expected of him. She elaborated on how the many different occupations are equally important and all help to contribute to the community in their own ways. Subsequently, Saimdang set up a school in their village which welcomed children of all social classes and abilities and every child was encouraged to develop their unique talents. The children had so much fun learning and exploring together that some of the students from the top school even ‘dropped out’ with their parents’ blessings so as to join her school.

The other contentious topic has been about the class divide in Singapore. Accusations are rife online of how there is a lack of social mixing in the community while elitism is being promoted in schools, and the welfare of the lower classes is being ignored by the government. Again, regardless of whatever policies and welfare programmes there may or may not be, we need to have people who will be counter-culture and make attempts to cross the divide and blur the lines separating the different classes for social stratification to be torn down.

Whereas the servants in other households were treated as nameless and faceless almost sub-human creatures, Saimdang regarded her servant girl Hyang-i as one of her own children. Hyang-i would be included in family discussions with her opinions taken into consideration, she sat together with the family during meals, and everyone chipped in with the housework rather than order her around for every little task. (Hyang-i is at the far left and far right of the pictures below.)

After a boy tried to rob Saimdang, she followed him home as he said he needed money to buy medicine for a sickly grandfather. This led to her discovery of a group of starving gypsies living in caves near her paper mill. She immediately cooked some food and fed them, then invited them to work in her mill with the promise that she would split the earnings equally with them. Despite her noble background, she lived and worked among them, and was the first to start every morning and last to pack up at night. She was always polite and respectful, even though the gypsy boy had tried to rob her and some of the other gypsies had initially been suspicious of her and spoken rudely to her.

Saimdang also influenced others to look beyond class distinctions. For instance, she involved her children in the work at the paper mill and in the process, they learnt not to judge anyone based on their class or background. Another noblewoman joined her at the mill to cook and serve food to the workers. The policy at the mill was that whoever had done some work would be given free meals. When the crown prince visited the mill incognito together with another nobleman, they even offered to wash the dishes in order to be able to eat with the workers!

So let’s take a leaf from Saimdang’s book. Rather than point fingers at the government or at society about the ills of the education system or the widening class divide, remember that change really starts with individuals - you and me - who dare to live and act according to our beliefs, whether it’s to focus on character-building, promote a love for learning or bridge the social gap. And sooner or later, there will be a ripple effect as more and more people are affected, and that’s when culture shifts.

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Saimdang

2. "Women, Gender and Art in Asia, c.1500-1900" edited by Melia Belli Bose

Love in the Moonlight (or Moonlight Drawn by Clouds) [Spoiler Alert!!!] - part 1

I had written earlier about a Korean drama series, W, which is about a webtoon character come to life. Well, this time round, I'm writing about another K drama that is based on a web novel brought to life by one of my favourite actors Park Bo Gum! You can watch the series here or read the episode synopses here (along with some interesting comments).

The Lion and the Lamb
What I love about Park Bo Gum's acting is that he is so versatile and convincing. One moment, he is the majestic Crown Prince Lee Yeong, standing before the court officials with his commanding stature, wielding power over the life and death of his subjects.

Crown Prince Lee Yeong threatening to execute Prime Minister Kim on the spot after Kim killed someone Lee was in the midst of interrogating (Kim wanted to stop the man from revealing that he had been hired by Kim's followers to assassinate Lee)

And the next moment, he's the gentle and patient half-brother of the little mute princess, teaching her to read and write, or the loving caregiver of the sickly consort who had looked after him following his mother's death.

The kind and friendly Lee getting to know a little girl he meets in the marketplace

This aspect of the character Lee Yeong reminded me so much of our own Prince of Peace who is both the powerful and fearsome Lion of Judah, as well as the meek and gentle Lamb on the throne.

Friends
Lee Yeong gets to know Hong Sam Nom while out and about town incognito. Hong ends up being sold off to the palace as a eunuch to repay his debts. Lee tells his only friend and bodyguard, Kim Byung Yeon that he prefers not to reveal his true identity as Crown Prince to Hong as he wants to keep Hong as his friend. He eventually has to tell Hong but instructs Hong - who is shivering in fear as he thinks he deserves death for having been rude to the Crown Prince all this time - to speak with him informally whenever they are alone.

Just like Abraham was called God's friend (James 2:23), we have the confidence to approach Him freely because of the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:19). I also think of Esther when she approached the king unsummoned, thinking that she might very well be put to death. Instead, the king shows her favour and extends his sceptre towards her (Esther 5:1-3). In the same way, God has shown us grace and mercy, and extended His cross-shaped sceptre towards us.

True worth
Anyway, it turns out that Hong is actually a girl (Hong Ra On) masquerading as a boy (Hong Sam Nom). She has no idea why, but her mother told her when she was eight that she has to remain a boy till it is safe again. Unfortunately, she is separated from her mother and since she is clueless about when it would be safe again, she has to keep pretending to be a boy. However, Lee soon sees through her disguise and at about the same time has also fallen in love with her. Even though to everyone else she is just a simple and lowly eunuch, Lee confesses that she is the 'most precious lady in the world' to him. She has a hard time believing him as she is suffering from extremely low self-esteem due to the identity confusion she has had to live with for the past 10 years. In fact, she keeps blaming herself for everything that goes wrong even when it has nothing to do with her! Only much later when she has come to terms with her true identity is she able to accept Lee's love and affirmation (as well as stop the self-blame).

In the same way, regardless of how the world sees us, what people say about us or how circumstances may try to determine our identities, it is only when we agree with God on who we are - His sons and daughters, hence princes and princesses - and what we are worth - His treasured possession - that we will end our struggles with self-doubt and self-deprecation.

'You are mine'
A hugely popular catchphrase that audiences have picked up from the drama was how Lee refers to Hong as 'he is my person' or 'you are my person'. Lee keeps saying that to her and to others to reinforce his determination to keep her by his side. There's even a song in the official soundtrack entitled My Person, a haunting chart-topper sung by none other than Park Bo Gum. The song title is also translated as 'my dear' or 'my love' (by different Youtube users who have uploaded the song).

It reminds me of another beautiful song found in the Bible with the words: "My beloved is mine and I am His" (Song of Songs 2:16). Just like the assurance Hong has that she belongs to and is under the protection of the Crown Prince, we can also rest secure in the knowledge that we belong to the King of Kings and nothing can separate us from His everlasting love (Romans 8:31-39, Jeremiah 31:3).

Faith
However, there are times when Hong does struggle and tries to fend for herself. In one of these instances, she ends up being taken into captivity by the Qing envoy before she finally realises she needs Lee's help and should have trusted in him all along. Sometimes, our faith also falters and we run around trying to solve our own problems when all we need to do is turn to Him to find the answers.

Riding off into the sunset together after Lee rescues Hong from the Qing envoy 

Longing
Earlier on in the plot, when Lee first confesses that he knows she is a woman and that he is in love with her, Hong tries to avoid him. She is confused and needs time to sort out her own feelings. Lee understands and gives her time and space to do so in spite of how much he yearns for her. Another song from the OST, Because I Miss You, expresses his sentiments beautifully. Finally, she is moved by his gesture of love when he learns the sign language that she has taught the mute princess and uses it to express his love for her. He also asks her not to leave him and finishes off with hands clasped and eyes closed as though in prayer, the sign for 'please'.

This scene looks just like the father who longed and prayed for the return of his prodigal son in the parable Jesus told (Luke 15:11-32). Just as the father who willingly gave the inheritance to his son and let him leave, God sometimes allows us to stray away from Him in order to figure things out on our own. But when we finally return to Him, our convictions will be even stronger than before. In the meantime, He waits and yearns for us like the father waited for his son, and Lee longs for Hong.

Working
Lee and Hong are separated again much later in the series when she has to escape and go into hiding after it is discovered that her father was the rebel. This period of separation is much longer than the first, and while Lee pines for her just like before, he doesn't try to meet her. Instead, he asks Byung Yeon to assure her that he is working things out. He manages to clear her name so she can return to him without anymore fear.

There are times in our lives when we feel that God is far away and doesn't seem to care about what we are going through, but He has not left us and will never forsake us. Even when we don't understand why certain things happen the way they do, we just have to trust that He will work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28) in His good and perfect time!

Known
Not only does Lee see Hong as precious and his beloved, he also continues to believe in her despite the accusation that she had helped the assassins who stormed his chambers one night. While the officials are hunting her down for being the rebel's daughter, Lee never doubts her sincerity. That gives Hong the courage to not give up and eventually return to the palace in disguise so as to nurse him back to health after he had been poisoned.

We often face criticism and accusations too, especially as Christ's followers. The world hates us because it hated Him first, but we have been called and chosen by Him (John 15:18-19). Our Lord not only knows us by name even before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5), He also knows our every pain (Psalm 34:18). Therefore, we do not despair but continue to persevere and run this race for Him in the face of persecution and suffering, while looking forward to day when we will return to Him and experience joy forevermore (John 16:22).

Beauty

There is no doubt that Park Bo Gum is one of the most handsome Korean actors around. And the director banks in on this by focusing the camera and zooming in on his face from different angles, and even on his hands and fingers. Perhaps they are trying to make up for the lack of a pretty and dolled up female lead (after all, she's dressed as a man for most part of the series) by featuring a beautiful male lead instead.

A Park Bo Gum feast for the eyes!

Yet no matter how good-looking PBG is, it still pales in comparison to the beauty of our King! That is why the psalmist desires to dwell in the temple all the days of his life in order to behold the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4). Just like how Hong sits and gazes longingly at Lee while he's studying or sleeping, one day we will get to gaze forever at His most beautiful face.

'How can it be'
Not only is the Crown Prince shown as being beautiful, he is also portrayed as being heroic and self-sacrificial. Lee saves Hong again and again - from drowning, from the Qing envoy, and from the assassins where he gets stabbed instead. Each time, Hong, along with all the other eunuchs and officials, is incredulous for she can't understand how he could be willing to do all that for such a lowly subject.

Our God and King has in fact died and sacrificed Himself on the cross for us, even though we don't deserve such attention. That's why we sing in a very popular worship song: "Amazing love, how can it be, that You my King would die for me?"

To be continued
As you can probably guess by now, I love this drama a lot and have lots to say about it. That's why there will be a second part coming... soon, I hope! ;)

P.S. as promised, here's part 2!

Gifts and Talents - 'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon' [Spoiler Alert!!!]

This must be the cutest Korean drama of the year, maybe even the cutest drama ever! Definitely poles apart from the previous series I wrote about, W - Two Worlds, which was pretty heavy-going despite being set in a webtoon world. So anyway, while laughing at all the antics and rooting for Bong Soon (Park Bo Young), I realised towards the end that the story actually speaks quite loudly about how we should treat our gifts and talents. So here goes...

Know and acknowledge them

In the beginning of the drama, we find out that Bong Soon hides her special gift of supernatural strength in order to be the sort of girl that she thinks her crush, Gook Doo (Ji Soo) would like, ie a weak and helpless girl whom he can protect. Only her family and her closest friend are in the know and they all help to protect her secret for various reasons.

Therefore, she only helps those in danger when no one else is watching. For instance, she stopped an out-of-control bus just in time and saved the passengers as well as the passers-by who would otherwise have been hit. This also happened to be the first time Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik) witnessed her superpower from the back seat of the bus, albeit without being able to see her face.

However, there are many times when she sees someone in trouble but is unable to help as there are other people around and she isn't willing for her gift to be exposed. This leads to much frustration and confusion on her part in terms of her self-identity and purpose in life. It is only when she reveals her strength to the world later on that she is finally reconciled with her own gift and can use it to help Gook Doo, who is a police detective, capture the serial kidnapper. Furthermore, she eventually realises that her true love isn't Gook Doo, the one she was hiding her gift from but Min Hyuk, the one who knew about it all along and loved and accepted her just as she is.

We also need to discover and accept our own gifts and talents. Each one of us has been uniquely made by God and bestowed with a special set of gifts and talents. There is no point in trying to hide or change them or even compare them with others' gifts and talents. We can only reach our destiny and enjoy the life and relationships we have been blessed with when we fully accept who we have been created to be, gifts and all. [Just an aside, before you commit to a serious relationship and marriage, make sure the other person loves you for who you are and not an imagined you. That also means, don't put on a mask and try to be something different from how God has made you just to impress someone!]

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14

Develop them

Not only is Min Hyuk aware of Bong Soon's special gift, he also takes it upon himself to help her train her strength and learn to wield it skillfully. He understood that Bong Soon had to develop her gift to its full potential in order to find satisfaction in her role as the 'super heroine' of her neighbourhood. Similarly, we also have to develop our gifts and talents with appropriate training and discipline and use them to the best of our abilities in order to fulfill our calling (cf. the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.)

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you... 1 Timothy 4:14a

Use them for the right purpose

Bong Soon's gift is explained as being hereditary and passed down the female line, but only when it is used for good. Hence her mother lost the gift because she had used it for selfish ends. The gift is a responsibility to make the world a better place. Our gifts and talents are also not for us to show off nor for personal gain. Instead, God has gifted us so that we can use them to do good works.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Use them with the right motivation

Initially, Bong Soon seems to have used her gifts not only reluctantly but also out of a sense of duty as she knew that it had been given to her family to better the world. But that doesn't bring her joy. Later on, when her bff had been kidnapped by the villain, she turns to anger and uses her gift not only to rescue her friend but also to seek revenge. As a result, she unintentionally kills an innocent man and loses her gift altogether.

As a weakling, she is taken captive by the villain and locked up with a ticking time bomb. Min Hyuk finds her but is unable to release her. He decides to stay with her till the end despite Bong Soon's protests. She pleads to God to restore her power so she can save her beloved and her prayer is answered. After miraculously regaining her strength, she frees herself and disposes of the bomb, thus saving Min Hyuk and herself. After experiencing Min Hyuk's self-sacrificial love, she grows in confidence in herself and her gift. Consequently, she continues her pursuit of the villain not out of vengeance but because of her love and compassion for the victims.

Our motivation to do good should also be in response to Christ's sacrificial love for us as displayed on the cross rather than serving out of duty or even worse, acting in anger or retaliation.

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

Use them in the right way

Bong Soon also had trouble working with others before her aforementioned 'conversion'.  With Gook Doo, it was because she could never be authentic before him due to her feelings of infatuation. She couldn't trust Min Hyuk either as she was worried that he might get hurt and leave her. Only after she realises that she doesn't really love Gook Doo (so no need to hide her strength anymore) and that Min Hyuk isn't even afraid to die for her does she learn to trust both of them. With this level up in their understanding and trust in one another, they are able to work together as a team and tap on each person's unique gifts. (Oh yes, the men had their own gifts and talents too! After all, this isn't a feminist script where the men are all incompetent slobs!) And that is how they succeed in catching the villain once and for all. Hooray!

So it is with our gifts and talents - God distributes different kinds of gifts to each person but they are all meant to be used for the common good (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.) We are supposed to work together and complement each other's gifts just as the different parts of a body function together (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.)

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

So let's learn from Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and go forth, unleash our God-given gifts and talents and be the salt and light that will make this world a better place to live in!

[Oops! Forgot to mention that you can watch the series here and/or read witty synopses of each episode here.]

P.S. I fell in love with PHS' acting and wrote some quick thoughts on 2 more dramas that he's in. 😉

W - Two Worlds [Spoiler Alert!!!]

This Korean drama series, W - Two Worlds, really got to me. It broke the mould of the typical K drama formula (which will be the subject of another post) and got many viewers, including myself, drawn into the manhwa world (pun intended!) I also started to see many parallels between the story and the Biblical narrative so I'm going to try and describe some of them here. But if you haven't watched it yet and would rather do that first, it's available here. This site also provides well-written synopses of each episode with accompanying (mostly) thoughtful remarks.

What gave you the right to create me?
So the entire plot is based on how the female protaganist Yeon Joo (Han Hyo Joo) is pulled into the world of a webtoon W created by her Dad.  She meets and gradually falls for the main character Kang Chul (Lee Jong Suk). Later on Kang Chul also finds a way to step into the real world and meets his creator, Yeon Joo's Dad. However, he is boiling with anger as he feels that Dad has been unfair in killing off his entire family without good reason near the start of the webtoon. He demands an explanation and argues that Dad had no right to decide on such a horrendous life for him.

This reminded me of Job's tussle with God after he lost his family, everything he owned and even his health. And just like Job and his friends, many people mistakenly conceive of God as one who either has no control over what He has created and hence can't stop all the evil and suffering in the world, and/or that God flicks us around like pawns according to His whims and fancies without sparing a thought for our feelings. But we know that this is not who God really is. Unlike Dad in the drama who is self-centred and helpless in the face of his creature (he got shot by Kang Chul), our God is not only all-powerful and sovereign over the entire universe He created, He is also loving and merciful. However, He has given us free will (which I'll talk about more later) and because of sin, we keep making poor decisions and that is the reason for all the evil and suffering in the world. But God does not watch on helplessly. On the contrary, He is always at work to redeem our mistakes according to His plans for the world and for each one of us.

Christ figure
Anyway, halfway through the drama, Yeon Joo is reminded that she was in fact the creator of the main character Kang Chul. While a teenager, she had described and drawn him as her imaginary perfect boyfriend (more about this later) and her Dad had taken it up for the webtoon without her knowledge. So just like Jesus was with God from the beginning of creation, she was co-creator with Dad. Not only that, she also enters the created world, as Jesus did. And while there, Yeon Joo exercises her skills as a doctor and keeps saving Kang Chul's life. That is similar to how Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead while He walked the earth.

Yeon Joo's resemblance to Christ extends further to her unconditional love for Kang Chul that bears all, even forgiving him for shooting her Dad. That is reminiscent of how Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified him while He hung on the cross. In addition, even though they subsequently realise that she is mortal in the webtoon world and the Killer is after her life, she is determined to stay in it for as long as she can because of her love for Kang Chul. Again, that reflects the same self-sacrificial love of Christ who came to our world to die for our sins. Eventually, she dies and is resurrected within the webtoon world, although it's not very clear whether it happens within the same time frame as Jesus'. But her resurrection is brought about by her Dad (through his drawing), as Jesus was raised from the dead through the power of God.

Born again of water
Kang Chul also experiences rebirth in his own way after he jumps into the Han river and everything in his world including his life is suspended. He is pulled out of the river and given a new life by Yeon Joo (through her drawings). This spoke to me of water baptism where symbolically our 'old self' dies when we are immersed in the water and then we are given a 'new life' in Christ when we emerge from the water.

After his 'water baptism', in this new life, Kang Chul has a whole new perspective because he realises that everything he used to seek after in the webtoon world is meaningless (fame, fortune, revenge) now that he has discovered his true destiny (ie to love Yeon Joo, his creator). Isn't this what those of us who love and pursue God experience too? All that the world can ever offer us pales in comparison to the wonder and beauty of His love, and any other pursuit is a mere chasing after the wind (or bubbles!)

Created for love
I mentioned earlier how there is a flashback to Yeon Joo's teenage years when she had created Kang Chul as her dream lover. He is destined to love her, for that is the purpose of his existence. Hence we see how after his rebirth the only thing that he finds fulfilment in, and it becomes his main pursuit, is to love and please her. In fact, even before that, Kang Chul is mysteriously attracted to Yeon Joo from the first time he sets eyes on her. Even after his memory has been erased, he is unexplainably intrigued by her. In the end, even though he has to stay in prison for three years, he finds joy and strength in the hope that when it is over he will be able to spend the rest of his life with Yeon Joo in the real world.

We were also created out of God's love and His desire for a relationship of love with us. Our love for Him propels us to seek His pleasure in all that we do. And until we realise this, many of us try to fill that longing for intimacy with Him by seeking after other 'loves'. But ultimately, we will not experience true fulfilment until we find and acknowledge our one true love. And this is the only love that can sustain and strengthen us through whatever trials and tribulations, even persecution, we may face in this life for we know that one day we will meet our Beloved face to face and spend eternity with Him.

Free will vs predestination
It is also because of love that God has given us a free will. A forced love is not real love, but only one that is freely given in reciprocation can be considered love. And that leads to the age-long debate over free will and predestination. The interplay between how Kang Chul is predestined to love Yeon Joo and how he is also given the self will to choose whether to pursue the love of his life (eg he decides to complete the 10 loving acts even though he has lost his memory of their relationship) perhaps gives us a glimpse of how free will and predestination actually work together hand in hand.

Another character also illustrates the dynamics between free will and predestination - Han Chul Ho. Yeon Joo comments at one point that he will no doubt try to eliminate the Killer because that's how his character has been set up yet Han is also shown to have self will in making that very decision.

Impostor god
The Killer is a nameless and faceless character whose sole purpose is to kill Kang Chul's family. Nevertheless, he becomes dissatisfied. He longs to be the centre of attraction and wants to take over as the main character of the webtoon. Consequently, the Killer steals Dad's face and tries to play God by controlling Dad to draw stuff for him in the webtoon in order to change the plot. He even pretends to be Dad in order to trick Yeon Joo and kidnap her.

This is not unlike Satan who became jealous of God and was thrown out of heaven as a result. He then tried to usurp God's place as the centre of worship as seen in how he tempted Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world if only Jesus would worship him. In fact, Satan still tries to get us to worship him instead of God by tempting us with worldly things like material wealth, power, fame, lust...the list goes on... But just like how Yeon Joo subsequently recognises that the Killer isn't Dad even though he has the same face, we also need to be alert and not fall prey to the lies of the wolf in sheep's clothing, the impostor god.

Even though the Killer does manage to kidnap Yeon Joo and  eventually shoots her fatally, he does not gain the final victory for he is killed and Yeon Joo is resurrected. This is analogous to how Satan thought he had triumphed over God when His Son was crucified and died, but with Jesus' resurrection he was defeated once and for all and Jesus won the final victory!

[I shall end here with this point. Despite having started writing this entry more than a week ago, it must be divine timing that I've completed it only now when we've just been celebrating Jesus' resurrection over the Easter weekend.]

Is The Limelight Getting Too Sour?

Happened to chance upon this page when I was searching for something else and I was really impressed by these K-pop stars' courage in being open about their Christian faith. But if you scroll down and read the comments below, you'll find the usual accusations about some of these stars being promiscuous, homosexuals and even satanists. That got me thinking about how difficult it must be for celebrities and famous personalities to maintain a Christian witness. It's already tough enough having to live constantly in the limelight and not being able to retain any personal space. But every little slip or mistake you make gets blown up a million times especially if you are a professing Christian cos people just expect you to be perfect! Even those who do lead pretty decent lives get falsely accused of all kinds of transgressions from adultery to illuminati.

As I considered how it can be possible to withstand such criticism, I realised that God has already shown us in His word. And whether you're a pop idol, football star, politician, or even just a 'nobody' like me, the same principles apply in situations where we face undue pressure or are being unfairly judged by others.

First of all, we need to be RESILIENT.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 1 Cor 4:8-9

No matter how terrible it gets, don't let the bad press get to you. Rather than hitting back at the critics or crumbling under the criticism, look to God our Rock and trust in Him for He will pull you through. Unload all your frustrations to Him in prayer and draw strength from Him through the promises He has given us in His Word.

Next, we got to be REAL.

First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Matt 23:26

We got to be real before God, constantly repentant and washed clean inside by His blood. Only then can we be real before man, so our outward words and actions will also be pure and blameless. But if we ever fall, we also have to be real and not try to hide behind a perfect mask. Being honest about our weaknesses and how dependent we are on God's forgiveness and grace could even lead others to think about their need for the same.

Third, we must REFLECT. 

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18 

We must constantly reflect on the motivation behind our words and actions as well as the impact they will have on others. Are they aligned with God's standards as revealed in His Word and if not, how can we make them so? Only when we are willing to be progressively changed and moulded by God can we then start to reflect His glory.

Finally, we should REFOCUS.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:33

We should refocus our attention and efforts on God's calling and destiny for our lives instead of just doing what we like or what others expect of us. Then we can refocus other people's attention away from us and onto Him, the source of our talents and abilities.