(written in 2006)
Osama bin Laden, George W. Bush, and Kim Jeong-il were recently selected as the most threatening people in the world. They may experience love and care among family members, but they are driven by ambition and desire only. They may have dreams of unification and peace, but their prejudiced dreams do not address universal brotherhood.
Do they smile broadly when appearing in the media? Their smiles are different from the smiles of those who love life with solidarity. Their dreams are different from the dreams of Martin Luther King who proclaimed the utmost dream.
Unlike politics, most dramas talk about love and dream. Love and dreams are such universal topics that every generation is concerned about them and seeks them eagerly.
Lovers in dramas often smile broadly and dream to live happily. Of course, usually in the beginning, the protagonist looks rigid and hard but changes naturally into a person who easily smiles.
What brings about this change? Love changes our faces. Love brings smiles. Nevertheless, we often forget about the true meaning of love and try to achieve the goal only. Nobody would deny that love can cure and change everything, but the reality is different.
Look at those who love one another. When we love somebody, even looking at his or her back or shoulder makes us pleasant and peaceful.
When we love others unconditionally, we understand the meaning of sacrifice and dedication. Of course, we are sometimes disappointed in relationships, but with unconditional love, we can overcome those feelings and accept the situation as it is. Love is truly the ultimate answer for everything, even though our reality seems to be far from universal love.
I still remember the lovely dream of Martin Luther King who bravely proclaimed universal solidarity. "From every mountainside, let freedom ring. We will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men, and white men, Jews, and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream."
"I have a dream that one day everybody will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day every nation will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character in the name of civil rights," he went on to say.
Like King, everybody has a dream, small or large. Dreaming to love others as Mother Teresa did is our never-ending homework.
Did you dream last night? It is said that we dream five or seven times a night because the unconscious constantly sends us messages reflecting our personal psychology and pointing out the important matters to be considered, but we often forget them when we get up in the morning.
A dream is like a love letter sent by God. When we have a dream, we can smile and be more optimistic in spite of difficulties. The dream contains solutions or answers to the problems in our daily lives.
Sometimes, the dream can be a nightmare, but each dream serves to help realize the whole personality. There is no bad dream; everything has a meaning and is given as God's gift. When we pay attention, we can realize the hidden messages. With its prophetic dimensions and gift of spiritual growth, a dream can contribute to the harmony of personality.
Remember our dreams. Why don't we smile today?
The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Nov. 18-19, 2006
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