Being an Umbrella 우산이 되기

                                           

                    (written in 2002)

 It's the rainy season. Several typhoons have already visited our country and, fortunately, have passed without serious incidents. Although this weather comes every year, we still cannot overcome its destructive power. We simply do our best to protect ourselves and to open our hearts to those who need help. Almost everybody wants to help others, and being an umbrella is a beautiful and rewarding way to do so. I myself want to be an umbrella.

 I know a professor who always has extra umbrellas in his office. He buys them so he can give them to people who arrive on a rainy day without preparation. He gives them to his students because he wants to be an umbrella for them. Being a spiritual umbrella for others _ this idea impressed me. Some of us seem selfish and individualistic, but not all are. Many nowadays are eager to share and cooperate because they believe we have to live and survive together _ this "win-win" philosophy is widespread. It reveals that we all want to be an umbrella.

 Once I isolated myself from my neighbors. I was so encapsulated that I was inclined to close myself. I didn't care much about human relationships. However, little by little, I began to realize that I was wrong and made up my mind to change. It took considerable time and effort to transform myself into a new spiritual person. It was a great joy for me to recognize the value of being with others and doing something with them. And naturally, I began to appreciate the beauty of human relationships and our interdependence.

 Our mutual interdependence has been much discussed, especially in the context of the ecological crisis. With this recognition, the true relationships--nature and humanity, man and woman, child and parent, student and teacher, humanity and creator--have been continuously restored, though the process of recovery may take a long time. Many realize this and are looking for countermeasures. It is a rewarding effort; we can all be an umbrella for others. Even without examples, it's easy to see that each of us inherits human personality and caring for others.

 Be an umbrella in the words of a poem, "Vertical Limit":

 

A great leader

facing the vertical limit

does not pursue his selfish interests

but determines the public good.

 

A godlike person

In front of inevitable limits

gives out his own life in prayer

to save others and become an umbrella.

 

A community

more needs a grain of wheat

that falls to the ground and dies

than a talkative empty wagon.

 

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of The Times/ July 23, 2002