Given to One Another to Remember a Forgotten War

Jul 9, 2023 | Megan Ramer, Sermons, Summer 2023

“I implore you to exercise your power to help a friend (me!) to end this war. It matters to me.” When Sue spoke these words to a room full of Mennonites gathered to learn more about the (forgotten) Korean War near the 70 year anniversary of armistice, which paused the fighting but kept the war alive, Pastor Megan knew she’d been called in. She had been called in to bear witness to Sue’s bold truth-telling and to act in solidarity with her friend. What’s next? We will figure that out together, because we have been given to one another in the receiving and claiming and building of Christ’s peace. May it be so.

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Audio

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Preacher

Megan M Ramer

Series

Summer

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Passage

1 Samuel 4.2, 5–11, 19–22; John 14.25–31

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Resources

Yujin Kim, “Belonging in peace: A young adult reflects on her family and the Korean divide,” June 20, 2023.
Sue Park-Hur and Austin Headrick, “Remembering the Forgotten War,” workshop presented at MennoCon in Kansas City, July 5, 2023.
Anabaptist World (Vol. 4, No. 9), July 7, 2023. Multiple articles by Tim Huber: “Still Seeking Peace, 70 Years After War in Korea” (p. 8-11), “The church’s role in South Korea’s militarization” (p. 12-13), “Working for peace, one relationship at a time” (p. 14-16), “Fear, Love, and Walls that Divide” (p. 17).
Image: detail from Yujin Kim’s artwork – both pieces can be viewed in their entirety by clicking the “Belonging in peace” link above. Artist’s statement on the piece featured here: “This artwork complements the illustration of the broken Korean Peninsula. The shape of the Korean Peninsula is filled with fish and waves. The divided land is now a body of water. Water is a symbol of freedom and solidarity because there are no borders in water. The fish represent people who are moving freely without any restraint, hesitation or fear. The illustration incorporates the style of Minhwa, the traditional Korean folk art. Minhwa was a tool for all people, free from rank or title, to express their honest desire and good wishes for others. Overall, the illustration expresses my honest hope and longing for peace in the Korean Peninsula.”