하루 종일 봄비가 촉촉히 오네요...

어제밤부터 하루 종일 바람과 함께 비가 오네요.

 

겨울은 길고 growing season이 짧지만

그대신 낮시간이 짧아서

이런 비가 한번 오면 하루가 다르게

주위 풍경이 바뀌는 동네라서

이 비가 멈추면 꽃과 나무들이

시간을 다투면서 제각기 예쁜 모습과 향기로

가득할 주위의 모습에 사뭇 기대가 됩니다.

 

지붕에 하늘이 보이는 큰 창이 있는데

회색 어두운 하늘에서 제법 큰소리로 퍼붓는 빗방울 소리도

오랜만에 들어서인지 정겹기만 합니다.

 

 

집 밖은 제법 음산하기까지 한데

집안에서도 여러가지 꽃이

내가 제일 이쁘다는 듯 질세라

화려한 색깔과 향으로 눈과 코가 즐거운 하루입니다.

 

 

혹시 냄새가 너무나 좋은 이 꽃 이름을 아시면 알려주세요.

지금 7개의 봉우리가 금새 열릴 태새입니다.

 

 

 

 

 

오늘 읽는 성경 구절을 읽으면서

간단한 기도로 봄비가 촉촉하게 오는 날을 마무리합니다.

 

 

 

 Thursday, May 22, 2008

Meditation
James 5:1-6

Readings

"Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries." (James 5:1)

 

Who are the people James is preaching to? They don’t sound too attractive: people who cheat the poor and think they’re getting away with it because of their lavish lifestyle. If you’ve ever been defrauded or deceived—or you know someone who has—you can identify with James. There is so much injustice in the world that you can surely be excused if you get a little angry at it. As the saying goes, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention!”

 

However, what may be righteous anger on our part has the potential to turn into bitterness and even hatred. We can believe that we know what is right, and those we are judging are completely wrong. As we know, Jesus’ enemies were experts at that game—and we don’t want to emulate them! Although we may feel vindicated in pointing a finger at the wealthy and powerful, we may want to take a look at ourselves first.

 

When he talks about riches, James isn’t necessarily referring to money. “Riches” can be anything that replaces God in our hearts. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, to be truly rich, we have to become poor. If we are so comfortable that we have stopped seeking his kingdom, we need to make some changes! Is there anything that may be blocking us from receiving and sharing Jesus’ love? God probably won’t ask us to get rid of all our possessions. But he may ask us to adjust our attitudes.

 

If we turn to him, God will show us what justice really means. The more we get to know him, the more our perspective will change. He will replace our desire to get even with a spirit of forgiveness and compassion. When we see how much we all need his mercy, we won’t be so quick to condemn others. We will turn from the emptiness of earthly gain toward the incorruptible treasures of heaven, and we will want to share that wealth. In short, God will make us vessels of his mercy—and that’s when we will really be able to make a difference!

 

 

“Lord, help me to appreciate the riches you have already given me. May I come to desire that same abundance for everyone—especially those who still don’t know you!”

 

Psalm 49:14-20; Mark 9:41-50