in Seoul last month with my family, we stopped at Nam Dae Mun, an ancient gate, to take some pictures... while looking through the file of pictures on the laptop, i noticed pictures and the contrast they present...now, many of our pictures of this ancient gate show amazing contrasts with cars zooming by and the surrounding modern office buildings, but this pic really caught my eye...
as you look at the gate you can see behind it a modern building... take a closer look...
the ancient is coexisiting with the modern, carved and painted wood and tile reflected in the glass building which has risen up behind it...
this provides a visual idea that shows the culture I experienced... the old mingling pretty nicely with the new... people in this booming, modern country who retain many customs...
the bow...
to shake hands or hand one something, the gesture is always the right hand which is attended to by the left hand...
the language which, with its confucian connection has levels of class built in so that one addresses others according to their position in relation to one's own...
even on the fast train, hurtling down the tracks, over amazing bridges and through wide tunnels, the enginering of that rail system is totally modern, but as each crew member leaves the car you are riding in he or she stops, turns and bows in respect to the passengers, the paying customer, who has the respect of the worker, again... an ancient custom, mixed comfortably with the modern...
respect, co-mingling of the old and new... tolerance... this was Paul's idea in Rom 14 and 1 Cor 8, we would all profit from these texts, for this example...
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