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Two weeks ago, a very small percentage of South Koreans who'd been separated from loved ones in North Korea for as long as 60 years by events leading up to and including the Korean War (1950-1953) and the subsequent closed borders of North Korea, were permitted to travel to that closed nation for three days of reunions with their relatives.
Two sets of visits were permitted. The first involved about 390 people from the South and 180 of their relatives from the North. The second included about 250 from the South and about 190 of their relatives from the North. Most of the people involved are elderly, with quite a few over the age of 90.
More than 65,000 South Koreans are on the waiting list should further reunions be allowed. South Korea chooses its participants via a computerized lottery. North Korea reportedly selects participants based on loyalty to its dictatorial leadership.
This was only the second such round of meetings of long-separated loved ones in the last five years and was the only one currently scheduled (the first involved a different set of families). This round resulted from an agreement in August between the two Koreas to ease tensions.
Because the Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two nations remain technically at war, and direct exchanges of letters and telephone calls are prohibited and visits are banned. The war and the chaos both before and after it resulted in a great displacement of people, often with family members ending up on opposite sides of the border -- sometimes not by choice but by circumstances. Husbands were separated from wives, parents from children, siblings from one another. And with North Korea's clampdown on news, those who ended up in South Korea had no way of learning the fate of their relatives across the line.
The reunions brought joy to the participants, though sometimes it was bittersweet, and at present, no follow-up communication or visits are allowed.
In some cases, visitors were surprised to learn that certain family members were still alive. One 82-year-old man, Lee Joo-Kuk, when told the name of the elder brother from the North he would be meeting, explained that his family in the South had assumed this sibling was dead, and they had even held memorial rituals for him. Learning that his brother was alive, Lee said, "It's like he's been resurrected."
Reflecting the harsh economic conditions in the North, all of the South Korean families brought gift packages for their northern kin. The packages typically included clothing, medicine, food and thousands of dollars in cash.
According to The Associated Press, "South Korean analysts say authoritarian North Korea allows only infrequent reunions for fear of losing an important bargaining chip for its efforts to win badly needed aid and concessions. Analysts believe Pyongyang also worries that its citizens will become influenced by the much more affluent South, which could loosen the government's grip on power."
Many church classes will be using this lesson on November 1, which some but not all Christian denominations observe as All Saints' Day. While some of those denominations use the word "saint" to mean persons officially designated by the church as special examples of piety, good works and faith, more broadly the term is used as a synonym for "Christian" or "believer," and is used in the Bible in that sense (see, for example, Acts 9:13 and Romans 1:7).
In some churches, All Saints is primarily a day to remember the dead from that congregation, and often the names of all those church members who died in the last 12 months are read in the day's worship service. In other churches, the observance is for all of the dead in Christ.
One of the overtones sometimes associated with All Saints is the expectation that Christians will be reunited with their deceased loved ones in heaven. Such meetings, we believe, will not have the sadness of the Korean one-time-only visits, but will be times of unalloyed joy.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Hundreds of S. Koreans Cross Border for Last Set of Reunions. Yahoo News
South Koreans Cross Into North for Emotional Family Reunion. Yahoo News
Reunion of Families Is a Glimmer of Hope in Korea. Al Jazeera
The Big Questions
1. Have you ever experienced a lengthy separation from a family member where you could not stay in frequent communication in some way? What, if anything, in your faith helped? What role does prayer play in your expectations of change when you have no real control over events?
2. The old expression "The church militant and the church triumphant" meant that the church consists of not only living believers but also those who have died. Living Christians are "the church militant," at "war" with the earthbound powers of evil. Deceased Christians are "the church triumphant," resting from their labors and fully experiencing the triumph of Christ. What value is this concept today? What role do the deceased play in your church today?
3. The Apostles' Creed says, "I believe in the communion of saints." What communion does that refer to?
4. What do you think it will be like to meet God in heaven? To meet Jesus in heaven? To meet your loved ones in heaven?
5. The meeting place of the Korean reunions was strategically in the North so that those who live in that totalitarian country could not see what they are missing. When we have a friendship with Jesus, which some others do not, what "gift basket" can we give them to share the goodness of the Lord?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
NOTE: Nowhere does the Bible directly say "You will be reunited with your loved ones in heaven." The belief about that among Christians is based on verses that seem to allude to it. So we offer here some of those verses:
Genesis 25:8
Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. (For context, read 25:7-10.)
2 Samuel 12:23
[David said,] "But now [my son] is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." (For context, read 12:15b-23.)
Although the Old Testament contains only infrequent references to an afterlife, the two cited above seem to apply to the matter of seeing our loved ones in heaven.
Describing death as being "gathered to [one's] people," as used in the Genesis verse above, is an expression unique to the Old Testament. It's sometimes also stated as being "gathered to [one's] kin" (Deuteronomy 32:50) or "to [one's] ancestors" (Judges 2:10). In all three forms, the implication seems to be about an afterlife where one is in the presence of one's relatives, though not limited to only those one knew when alive.
The 2 Samuel verse quotes King David's statement of grief about the death of his son, conceived during his adultery with Bathsheba, and born after his murder of Bathsheba's husband. David acknowledges that the child cannot come back into the land of the living, but he adds that eventually, he can go to where the child is. Admittedly, he may be referring only to the place of the dead (called Sheol in the Old Testament), but there is the sense that wherever that is, he and his infant son will be together.
Questions: Do you think meeting loved ones will be an essential part of heaven? Why or why not? What is the one thing you want to tell those you love in heaven? What is the one thing you want to hear from those who might be waiting for you in heaven?
John 21:12
Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. (For context, read 21:4-14.)
1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when [Jesus] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. (For context, read 3:1-3.)
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. (For context, read 15:12-57.)
Luke 9:30
Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. (For context, read 9:28-36.)
These four references are among the New Testament verses sometimes mentioned when talking about seeing our loved ones in heaven.
The John 21 verse speaks about the disciples recognizing Jesus in his post-resurrection state.
The 1 John verse adds to that by saying that we will see him "as he is" -- that is, in his resurrected body.
To that, 1 Corinthians 15 adds that those faithful to Jesus will receive a resurrected, "spiritual body."
The Luke verse is from the account of the Transfiguration, where Moses and Elijah appear, and the disciples "recognize" them. How? It wasn't like their faces were on the five- and ten-shekel bills! Unless Moses was holding tablets and Elijah was riding in a fiery chariot, it suggests that in the next life that which is essentially us is recognizable without the need of nametags or photographs. That which we know in part, we will know in full (1 Corinthians 13:12).
By extension from all of that, we can surmise that we will recognize others in their spiritual bodies.
We should hear this, however, in light of Jesus' statement that "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven" (Matthew 22:30), which suggests that while we may recognize one another, the nature of our relationships will be different (and better, for there is no mourning, crying or pain there, says Revelation 21:4).
Questions: Are we reunited with family, is it a spiritual reunion, or will we/they have changed so much that such reunions no longer hold the same yearning that they might hold here? How does Jesus' comment about no marriage in heaven affect your expectations about life in eternity? How does Revelation's statement about no mourning, crying or pain affect your expectations?
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us .... (For context, read 11:4--12:2.)
The major feature of All Saints' Day is that it honors our Christian predecessors not just as the dead in Christ, but in the strong confidence that they are alive with Christ forever. And as such, they are there cheering us on as we run the race of life.
The whole of Hebrews 11 is a kind of roll call of heroes of the faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, David, Samuel and others. When the author of Hebrews finished this list, he began chapter 12 with the words quoted above.
The Hebrews writer apparently pictured the living saints -- Christians -- of his day as running the race of life, but not running it alone. Instead, they were running in the presence of believers from the past, this "cloud of witnesses," who, having finished their own races, have gone to sit in the viewing stands to encourage those who are still running.
Questions: Who specifically do you picture in heaven, pulling for you as you run the race of life? It is helpful to recall those persons? Why or why not?
Revelation 7:9
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. (For context, read 7:9-17.)
In John of Patmos' vision of heaven, he sees an uncountable multitude drawn from every nation suddenly appear before the throne of God, robed in white. An elder later explains that this multitude is comprised of those who have come victorious through the great ordeal of the end times. Their robes are white because they have washed them in the blood of the Lamb. They have died in the end-time tribulation but were faithful even to death, and now they take their place before God's throne where they will not hunger, thirst, suffer or grieve ever again.
This is highly figurative language, but its spiritual point is about the ultimate survival of the faithful -- the "saints" -- in eternity.
The context verses go on to state that there before the throne these people worship God "day and night." In other words, the reward for their faithfulness even to the point of forfeiting their lives on earth is that they get to attend an unending worship service in heaven! (We are reminded of something Mark Twain once wrote: "People cannot stand much church. They draw the line at Sunday ... and they do not look forward to it. But consider what heaven holds: church that lasts forever! ... and they think they are going to ... enjoy it."
But Twain's view misses that Revelation is talking in metaphorical and mystical language. There are plenty of people who can testify to the enjoyment they receive from church, but that is not the point of these verses. Their point is simply that it is the all-encompassing presence of God that makes eternal life such a wonderful experience. John's vision is intended to convey that truth symbolically, not to prepare us for a church service that never ends!
We might expect, however, that those sitting beside us as we enjoy God's presence are some of those who walked through life with us.
Questions: What hope does this vision of heaven give you? What challenges with regards to the diversity of believers do you think this view of heaven might give to others?
For Further Discussion
1. What term do you used to identify yourself as a follower of Jesus? A Christian? A born-againer? A believer? A disciple? Would you be willing to call yourself a saint? Why or why not?
2. A young boy, asked to define "saint," recalled the saints depicted in the stained-glass windows of his church. So he replied, "A saint is someone who lets the light shine through." Is that a good definition of sainthood? Why or why not?
3. Respond to this, from TWW team member Diane Wright: "One thing I love about the North and South Korea story and the All Saints theme is that it proves that people who are taught to hate each other won't always hate each other. As the verse in Revelation (21:1) says, '... there will be a new heaven, and a new earth.' Everyone talks about world peace, but that kind of peace has to begin in our own hearts, and our own minds. And we are promised that kind of peace to come."
4. The meetings between North and South Koreans took place in the north for political reasons (see above). If a one-time meeting could be arranged between those who are alive and those who are in heaven where do you think it ought to take place -- earth or heaven? Why?
5. Revelation 14:12 says, "Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus." How does one persevere in the call to be a faithful follower when the earthly ways often seem so difficult? How does one live in hope?
Responding to the News
If your church observes All Saints' Day, tell what it means to you. If your church does not observe it, tell how you incorporate the dead in Christ into your worship at other times.
Closing Prayer
O God, thank you for the long line of faithful people who have lived their commitment to Christ and passed the gospel along so that we might hear it today. Help us to live with clean hands and pure hearts and to be as faithful as they were. Thank you for your gift of eternal life to all of the dead in Christ. In his name. Amen.
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