Jinha Kim

The Piercing Cry

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

It’s been two weeks since the surgery, so I’m back at work full-time now.

One of the hardest things about the recovery has been not being able to hold Micah. I can hug him carefully, but I cannot carry him, because I am not supposed to lift anything heavier than 5 kg for the first six weeks.

One evening, he was very upset because he couldn’t eat his apples AND ride his bike (mean mommy does not let him eat anywhere but at his high chair).  He cried like there was no tomorrow, no apples, no bikes in the world left to enjoy.  Worst of all, he reached out for me in his sobs, clinging to my neck, begging me to pick him up, but I couldn’t.

My heart broke as I tried to explain, “Mommy’s stomach hurts.  I want to hold you, but I can’t.”  He tried to climb onto me, but I had to pull away and ask my dad to take him.  That was so very difficult, not being able to comfort my child when he wanted me.

Screen Shot 2015-05-05 at 11.31.27 amIt made me think about the agony of the cross.  Not just for Jesus, who was in unimaginable pain, but for the Father, when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  As the angels pleaded for the Father to commission them to go and rescue their beloved Lord, the Father, with a broken heart, had to hold them back.  He knew what had to be done.

During the two days when Jesus was in the grave, the Father still had to constrain His omnipotent hand and His anxious heart.  He had to wait for that morning when Jesus Himself would break the bonds of death and rise, triumphant.

While the disciples hung their heads in sorrow, the Father dispatched angels to share the good news.  But they were too absorbed in their own heartaches to grasp the magnitude of the truth – Jesus was alive!

And so He waited for them to accept, believe, and delight in that revelation.  Jesus Himself appeared among them, discoursed alongside them, and ascended amidst them.

And so He waits for us, still.  While we feel forsaken in our short-sighted disappointments, while we wallow in our self-pity, God holds back in agony for what has to be done.  It may feel like an eternity of silence, but He has a timeline for the end of pain.  A day is coming when He will gather us in His arms and at last we’ll understand His piercing cry, “It is finished!”

“You number my wanderings;

Put my tears in Your bottle;

Are they not in Your book?”

Psalm 56:8, NIV

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

In His Hands

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 2 comments

surgical-hands1Christmas Eve, I had a miscarriage.

Roy and I were looking forward to having another baby, and we were excited to find out in November that I was expecting.  For a month, I bubbled with inward glee that it was perfect timing, since I wanted Micah and the younger one to be 2 years apart.  A few of my close friends were also due around that time, so I was imagining play dates at the zoo and shared moments of maternal musings.

But Christmas Eve, the doctor confirmed that I had a miscarriage.  I was devastated.  Even though it was only the first trimester (1 in 4 pregnancies terminate in the first trimester, the doctor told me tritely), I had grown fond of my unborn child and already had a bub name picked out for her (I was convinced it was a girl).  I had so many plans and expectations for 2015.

Thankfully, my family visited over the Christmas holidays, so in our travels to Sydney, Ballarat, and the Great Ocean Road, I didn’t have a chance to dwell on my disappointments.  But when they left and month after month I wasn’t pregnant, I had many serious conversations with God.

“God, You gave us Micah at the perfect time, so I know You know best.  But…. But Lord, I really want another baby… I really want to have another baby soon.  I trust You, but … it’s still hard.”

The prayers helped, and I came to accept that the Life-Giver had me in His hands.

A week ago, when I suddenly collapsed in pain, unable to breathe, I knew something was seriously wrong.  We ended up at the hospital the next day, and to our utter amazement heard the doctor say, “You have gallstones lodged in your bile duct, causing inflammation of your liver.  Let’s do the surgery tomorrow.”

As they were wheeling me to the theatre, and the ceiling panels were passing by, I kept thinking, “I’m so glad I’m not pregnant…. I’m so glad I have medicare… I’m so glad I came to the hospital.”  Five hours later, I woke up groggy and in pain, but still grateful that the surgery had gone well.

I don’t believe God caused my miscarriage.  Pain and death are the results of living in a sinful world.  But I do believe God heard my prayer for His will to be done in my life, and that He did not give me a baby while my body was not ready to host another living being.  I also believe that this surgery is a gift, an opportunity to slow down and do what I’ve wanted to do for months – read the books piled next to the bed, do my US taxes, have longer FaceTime with my family, and catch the rhythm of grace – that breath in of God’s promises, that breath out of praise:

In His time, In His Time
He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Lord please show me every day
As You’re teaching me Your way
That You do just what You say
In Your time.

In Your time, In Your Time
You make all things beautiful in Your time.
Lord my life to You I bring
May each song I have to sing
Be to you a lovely thing
In Your time.

– Diane Ball

He makes all things beautiful in His time.  He makes all things beautiful in His hands.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

The Power of “No”

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

micahMicah has learned how to say “no.”  Before, he used to just shake his head or push away whatever he didn’t want, but now he says “no” quite emphatically, and with great pleasure.

When the little word immediately gets the results that he wants, he smiles and savours the power of that word.

“Please come down,” I ask, and he looks straight in my eyes and says, “No.”

“Time for bed!” Grandpa announces, and Micah clings to his toys and says, “No.”

“Let’s change your nappy!” Roy suggests, and Micah runs away, looking back long enough to say, “No.”

Sometimes, we tell him he has no choice and carry him, kicking and crying, to the bed or change table.  But sometimes, we have to honour this growing independence.

After all, he is his own person, and there are some things we cannot force.  If he doesn’t want to eat, we cannot wrench his clenched teeth apart without causing him to choke on the food.  If he doesn’t want to read a book, we cannot anchor him to our laps.

So we coax, plead, and bribe him to get into the pram, to eat his veggies, and to tuck his inner wrestler away as we change his nappy.  Sometimes, there are tears (on both sides).  Sometimes, there is just frustrated resignation (on both sides).

And at the end of a long day, I ask God, “How do you do it? How do you have the patience to give us free will?  How do you have the self-control to watch us delight in selfish, short-sighted decisions?  How can you trust us and give us such benefit of the doubt?”

For I often say “no” to God.  And I enjoy it.  And when He coaxes, pleads, and bribes me with promises and rewards, like a child, I think I am in control.  And when I don’t get my way, I throw as good as tantrum as any toddler.

But He still gives me the power to say “no.”

And it’s through that realisation, that God suffers long on my behalf, that I am learning the power of saying “no” –

No to my own timelines and plans, no to my own desires, and no to the lies inside my head.

There’s a song that I love; the lyrics say:

I was just a child, when I felt the Savior leading
I was drawn to what I could not understand
And for the cause of Christ, I have spent my days believing
That what He’d have me be, who I am

As I’ve come to see the weaker side of me
I realize His grace is what I’ll need
When sin demanded justice for my soul

[Chorus]
Mercy said no
I’m not going to let you go
I’m not going to let you slip away
You don’t have to be afraid
Mercy said no
Sin will never take control
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank You Jesus, Mercy said no

For God so loved the world, that He sent His son to save us
From the cross He built a bridge to set us free
Oh, but deep within our hearts, there is still a war that rages
And makes a sacrifice so hard to see

As midnight fell upon the crucifixion day
The light of hope seemed oh so far away
As evil tried to stop redemption’s flow

[Chorus]

And now when heaven looks at me
It’s through the blood of Jesus
Reminding me of one day long ago

[Chorus]

That is the power of “no.”

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Happy Birthday to me…

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

img162

I turned 24 today.  That is, as a Christian.  I was baptised on Saturday, 2 March 1991, in a very cold tank whose hot water function had unfortunately broken that day.  As I entered that baptismal fount, shivering, I remember the pastor gently taking my hand and confiding to me, “It’s cold, isn’t it?  I’m cold, too.”  Then he baptised me in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I began my personal relationship with God in a more intentional way than before.

Every year, I celebrate this anniversary and reflect back on how God has led me. I also spend the day asking myself some serious questions – “Have I grown in the past year?  Am I more like Jesus?   Do I understand God better? How can I grow closer to Him in the new year? How can I serve Him better?”

At the end of the day, I am drawn back to my knees as I confess that I am still so far from being like Jesus.  However, I also thank God from the bottom of my heart that yes, I do understand Him better.  In the past year, He has shown me new sides of His character.

For example, I have seen Him as a Patient Father.  Being a parent of a toddler, I am constantly second-guessing myself and my son – am I disciplining him correctly?  Does he even understand me?  Am I consistent? Am I too lenient?  When I find myself getting frustrated with Micah’s frustration, I wonder how God can be so patient with me.  He does not demand full comprehension nor compliance.  He simply models what I should do and loves me through it, encouraging or challenging me as needed.  I am daily amazed at how much He trusts me – even though I have proven myself untrustworthy.  He always believes in me and works with my potential.

In the past year, He has also taught me to rest in Him.  Sometimes I can get so wrapped in doing things that I forget to simply abide in Him and enjoy His presence:

“Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work.  These workers can never attain the highest success until they learn the secret of strength. They must give themselves time to think, to pray, to wait upon God for a renewal of physical, mental, and spiritual power. They need the uplifting influence of His Spirit. Receiving this, they will be quickened by fresh life. The wearied frame and tired brain will be refreshed, the burdened heart will be lightened.  Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ, to sit down in companionship with Him–this is our need. Happy will it be for the children of our homes and the students of our schools when parents and teachers shall learn in their own lives the precious experience pictured in these words from the Song of Songs:

“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
So is my Beloved among the sons.
I sat down under His shadow with great delight,
And His fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banqueting house,
And His banner over me was love.” Canticles 2:3, 4.

In the new year, I want His banner of love waving over me with great delight.  I want to simply enjoy the fact that He is near and that He is good.

In the new year, I also want to recommit to being on God’s side – a young African pastor from Zimbabwe made the following statement that I find very inspiring:

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power, my die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me-my banner will be clear.

I want my banner to be clear, and I want it to be His, not my own insignia of self-motivated second-guessing.

I want to celebrate my spiritual birthday by lifting up this praise:

I have not much to offer You
Not near what You deserve
But still I come because Your cross
Has placed in me my worth

Oh, Christ my King of sympathy
Whose wounds secure my peace
Your grace extends to call me friend
Your mercy sets me free

And I know I’m weak, I know I’m unworthy
To call upon Your name
But because of grace, because of Your mercy
I stand here unashamed

I can’t explain this kind of love
I’m humbled and amazed
That You’d come down from heavens heights
And greet me face to face

And I know I’m weak, I know I’m unworthy
To call upon Your name
But because of grace, because of Your mercy
I stand here unashamed

Here I am at Your feet
In my brokenness complete
Here I am at Your feet
In my brokenness complete…

At Your feet
Complete

– Jon & Tim Neufeld; Douglas Mckelvey

Thank you, Father, for giving me another year to stand in the power of Your grace.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Redeeming the Time

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments
Have you seen this Thai commercial? Disconnect to Connect
The fact is, it’s far easier to watch trending Youtube videos than to read our Bibles .  We’re so busy checking Facebook during our commutes that we don’t notice the elderly and pregnant women standing near us.   We instagram pictures of food but fail to genuinely communicate with one another.
Our loved ones deserve our undivided attention.  God deserves our undivided worship.
We invite you to join us in doing a 40-day media fast (9 February – 20 March).
This media fast is not a fast from ALL media, but from the kind of media that does not promote the principles of Philippians 4:8:  “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Our commitment for the next 40 days is to instead seek God earnestly, spending our time with reading, prayer and community.
Instead, we are reading Conquering the Dragon Within by Marvin Moore together, one chapter a day: http://www.amazon.com.au/Conquering-Dragon-Within-Marvin-Moore-ebook/dp/B009KACH84
We are “redeeming the time” – claiming back our precious minutes and hours to spend on what we truly value and desire to build.
 If you’d like to join us, please contact us (jinhakim@adventist.org.au or roykim@adventist.org.au) and we’ll add you to our 40-day fast email list!

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

So I had a bad day

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 1 comments

Oh, it really wasn’t so bad.  But it was one of those days – woke up groggy, made brekky for the family, watched anxiously as my father-in-law frantically re-packed for the airport, choked up as he broke down in tears kissing Micah goodbye, and then felt this pang of emptiness as I cleaned up his room and laundered his sheets.

Dropped Micah off at childcare and then drove to Melton to do some visitations.  After a few visits, there was one more person I really wanted to see, and I wanted to take her a framed picture of Micah I had promised her, so I dropped by the Woodgrove shopping center.  Having purchased the frame, I assembled it in the boot and then shut the boot –  only to realise with a sinking heart that the car keys were inside.

I called the various people I now disappointed (the member I was going to visit, another member I was supposed to drive to a Leadership Meeting in Tullamarine, the senior pastor of Northpoint, Sam, who I had made go to my place only to have to walk back home, and my husband, who had to cancel a bible study and miss a meeting to come and bail me out).

Roy suggested I call the locksmith, but they quoted me $150 and said “we’ll give it our best go, but no guarantees.”  Horror stories of locksmiths damaging the wiring of the car, etc. came to haunt me and I could not bring myself to secure their services.

So I refused to call the locksmith and insisted Roy come pick me up.  I emphatically stated, “I’m not paying a locksmith.  I’m staying here until you come, even if I have to wait all night.”  I hung up without waiting for a reply, as if to prove my point.

So Roy picked up Micah from childcare and came an hour out of his way to drop off the spare key.  I thought the least I could do was take Micah back, so I took our hungry, tired boy and noticed he was barefoot.  “He didn’t have any shoes on when I picked him up,” Roy said.

I had forgotten to put them on this morning when I had dropped him off!  Oops.

My poor hungry, tired, and barefoot boy wailed all the way home (all 50 minutes) and by the time I got home, I felt like crying myself.

My day was not really a bad day, compared to so many people out there who struggled with real pain today, but it was not a day I was proud of . . . not only for my forgetfulness, but for my reactions and attitude throughout the evening.

I had been angry at myself, angry at the exorbitant cost of a locksmith, angry at Roy for suggesting a locksmith, angry at the Schnitz employee for giving me chicken in my veggie wrap, angry at the tailgaters on my drive home…

Where did all this anger come from?

I don’t know, but I knew I didn’t want it to linger in my spirit.

The wise king said, “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9).  Anger is counter-productive; it keeps us from making rational choices.

Paul counselled, “In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26,27).  I think I gave the devil a welcome mat today.

James also advised, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19,20).

As I reflect on my day, I realise that I should have prayed more and fumed less.  Instead of spending so much time being upset, I should have been grateful for having been “stuck” at a mall, with bathrooms, restaurants, and cell phone chargers so accessible.  I should have been gracious to others and myself, for how can I love my neighbours if I can’t even love myself?

So as the sun sets and the day folds, I pray to the God who is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, Father, forgive me, for I have sinned…

And I can almost hear His soothing voice say, “So you had a bad day…”

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Broken Cisterns

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 1 comments

Where do you go to de-stress?

Maybe you exercise, eat, watch TV, play games, call a friend, or listen to music.  At the end of the activity, do you feel refreshed?  Do you feel re-energised for the rest of the day/week?

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself feeling drained rather than rested in my efforts to unwind.  It isn’t until I come to God and His principles of re-creation that I find satiation for my thirsty soul and weary body.

But why is that so hard to do, despite our knowledge of its worth?

Jeremiah records the heartbroken lament of a God abandoned by His people.  One particular imagery really hit home for me:

“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13, NIV).

Broken Cisterns.  Hand-made containers that are supposed to retain water but are leaking.  Drip.  Drip.  Drip.

A leaky faucet can drive one crazy.  The so-called Chinese water torture works just one drip at a time.

Perhaps it is time to come to the Spring of Living Water and spend a quiet, reflective time counting our blessings…. or bursting into song and praise, making joyful noise…. or sharing the Word with others.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live….

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

Isaiah 55

I’m tired of broken cisterns.  I long for wholeness that only comes from the Master Potter.

 

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Selah – Thoughts of a Cute Mute

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

I have laryngitis; for several days, I could barely whisper.

I remember losing my voice once before during my last year at Uni.  A friend of mine cheekily called me a “cute mute.”

While I am hardly “cute” anymore, after 10 years and a baby, I have definitely been mute for the past two days.

It has made me a lot more reflective about the power of speech.

Being a literary person as well as a leisurely talker, I enjoy my words.  I like making conversation and sharing my thoughts freely.  It’s quite satisfying to be able to express myself.

So while I have been frustrated at my inability to talk, I have been surprisingly aware of my ability to listen.  It turns out that it simply takes being silent a bit longer than usual to hear a whole lot more.

As I shared in my sermon on Saturday (Mercy and Truth Kiss: The Meaning of Moses’ Mistake), I was quite reckless with my words a week ago, when we were having a miserable time in New Zealand.

This week, because each word has been quite painful to pronounce, I have been a lot more careful.  As a result, I have chosen my words more wisely.  My silence has also given the men of my house (my husband, my son, my father-in-law), occasion to talk more about what’s on their minds.  My muteness has given me insight into their needs and concerns.

The Bible has wise words to live by – James says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can sae you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says. . . Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (James 1:19-22, 26).

I may not be a cute mute, or even an acute mute, but I have experienced the power of silence in communication.  Just as the rest notes in a musical score provide the harmony and balance needed for a great song, pauses in life to truly listen to the other person are necessary for a good relationship.

Perhaps that’s what God, too, desires from us at this moment – to pause, to listen, to be silent.

Selah is a Hebrew word used 74 times, mainly in Psalms.  No one knows precisely what it means, but some believe it is either a liturgico-musical mark meaning “stop and listen,” or an indication of a musical interlude.

Perhaps it’s a good time to be mute – Selah.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Good News for Marriage

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

Have you heard that 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, and that Christians are just as likely to divorce as non-believers?  Talk about discouraging statistics.

The good news for marriage this week is that Shaunti Feldhahn, a Harvard-trained researcher and author, has discovered that those statistics were based on projections of divorce rates in the 1970s and not based on actual numbers.

In her recently released book, “The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce,” Feldhahn shares results from an extensive eight-year study on marriage and divorce. Among other things, her research found:

  • The actual divorce rate has never gotten close to 50 percent.
  • Those who attend church regularly have a significantly lower divorce rate than those who don’t.
  • Most marriages are happy.
  • Simple changes make a big difference in most marriage problems.
  • Most remarriages succeed.

It’s time to stop the rumours and commit to a renewed look at the meaning of marriage as found in the Bible and in the lives of the couples we admire around us.

“But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:7-9, NKJV.

 

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

The Meaning of Misery

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

I have always loved Les Misérables – after all, I did study French literature.  But I first read it in English long before I could sing “Alouette.”  It was one of my mom’s favourite books so I read it partly out of curiosity, partly out of an ambitious desire to conquer the tome (the unabridged version is 1488 pages long – 202 pages longer than the complete Gutenberg Bible), and partly to understand the meaning of the title.

Les Misérables – a literal translation would be, “The Miserable Ones,” or the “The Wretched Ones.”  Who is Victor Hugo referring to?  Who are the miserable ones?

The most obvious answer is – the poor.  The masses in France that were driven to hunger and poverty during that time lived in a truly wretched reality that unfortunately still plays out in many parts of the world.

But are the rich exempt from misery?  No – heartless, they may be, but happy they are not.

How did Hugo define happiness? “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves–say rather, loved in spite of ourselves (p. 167).”

Misery, then, is living without that conviction that we are loved just as we are.  It’s the state of constant insecurity, of wanting approval and affirmation from others around us, even those we don’t particularly like or even know.  A mistake, a disappointment, a heartache can make our worlds come crashing down.

The poor and the disenfranchised know what misery feels like.  But so does anyone who has felt truly rejected, betrayed or abandoned.  Or anyone in soul turmoil wondering who we truly are, what we’re all about (like Javert).

It is to us wretched individuals that God says,

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:9-13, NIV).

“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.  So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.  In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:20-23, NIV).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

To all of us Les Misérables, Jesus offers the supreme happiness of being loved in spite of ourselves, a love tried and true, a love that overcomes the world and turns our mourning into dancing.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14