For the past two weeks the Korean media have focused on one story to the exclusion of all others: the sinking of the Sewol ferry, in which 302 people--the majority of them high school students on a school trip--perished needlessly. The story of the tragedy kept even Obama's visit to Korea from the lead headline. The tragedy has caused Korea, a nation already profoundly concerned with how it is perceived internationally, to become deeply self critical. From the cowardice and criminality of the captain and crew, who told the passengers to stay put while they abandoned ship, to the tragically slow and inadequate initial response of rescuers, to the chaotic and combative rescue effort in the subsequent days involving multiple government agencies, to the inappropriate and opportunistic remarks and actions of political figures and their children, to the pervasive corruption of government regulatory agencies that allowed a substandard, overweight ferry to pass inspection, to the at times unseemly and invasive media coverage, to the suspicious dealings of a cult leader who owns the ferry company, Korea is doing an enormous amount of soul searching in response to this tragedy.
In my sermon last Sunday I drew parallels between the ferry disaster and 9/11. Although localized to particular communities (for 9/11, those working in the WTC and Pentagon and the passengers on the planes; for Korea, those aboard the Sewol), they both became national tragedies. It's not just Ansan, the city from which all of the students came, that's in mourning but all of Korea. In America after 9/11, that weekend's games of the National Football League were postponed, as were Major League Baseball games for a week. Late night talk shows did not film new episodes. Even the financial markets closed for several days. In Korea, events around the country are being cancelled or toned down, and not just for a week or two. Some schools are canceling field trips for the year. This Monday is Children's Day, a national holiday that celebrates the nation's children, and which I believe is needed now more than ever. Sadly, many communities, including my church, are canceling their Children's Day activities. I understand the concern that such a celebration may seem inappropriate, but celebrating children right now is exactly what this country needs.
In my sermon last Sunday I drew parallels between the ferry disaster and 9/11. Although localized to particular communities (for 9/11, those working in the WTC and Pentagon and the passengers on the planes; for Korea, those aboard the Sewol), they both became national tragedies. It's not just Ansan, the city from which all of the students came, that's in mourning but all of Korea. In America after 9/11, that weekend's games of the National Football League were postponed, as were Major League Baseball games for a week. Late night talk shows did not film new episodes. Even the financial markets closed for several days. In Korea, events around the country are being cancelled or toned down, and not just for a week or two. Some schools are canceling field trips for the year. This Monday is Children's Day, a national holiday that celebrates the nation's children, and which I believe is needed now more than ever. Sadly, many communities, including my church, are canceling their Children's Day activities. I understand the concern that such a celebration may seem inappropriate, but celebrating children right now is exactly what this country needs.
" but celebrating children right now is exactly what this country needs."
ReplyDeletePrecisely, John. 'Celebrating children' will help in the long and painful healing process that lies ahead.