Splendor in the Grass

William Wordsworth is an English Romantic poet. He rebelled against the 18th-century Enlightenment movement, which held the best of reason. He saw the dark side of the Enlightenment movement, which saw reason as the engine of human progress. He thought that even with the best of reason, our human world would be more destructive and more unhappy, rather than advance. He thought that warm sensibility than reason is more important to nature than civilization. Insisting on returning to nature, he sings a lot of nature. He sang that a child whose heart beats when he sees a rainbow in the sky is an adult's father.

He said that it would be better to die if your heart doesn't jump when you see such a beautiful natural phenomenon. He sang that reverence for nature would continue until the day of his death. The Romantic movement, as Paul Tillich said, thought that infinity resides in finite. What do you mean? It means that in the finite nature, we can see the will of the infinite Creator. The intense skepticism of reason, civilization, human progress and so on gave birth to romanticism. "Oh my man is romantic!" When a woman says, it is the time when she sees a wider love and warmth than a man's cold and profitable calculation. Romanticism tries to overcome rationalism and make up for it.

Among William Wordsworth's poems, there is a poem called <Light of the Meadow> as the title of today's sermon.

What though the radiance which was once so bright

Be now for ever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendor in the grass

Of glory in the flower

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind

In this rhymed poem, doesn't the argument of romanticism seem strong? The meadows wither, and the glory of flowers disappears. Grieve not. There is meaning there. Don't be sad and find its meaning, and it will not be sad, but rather strength. This poem is also a famous movie title. There is a film director named Elia Kazan, who is rich in the 60s. Parents are of Greek descent who moved to Cappadocia. However, he was born in Istanbul. He immigrated to the United States, graduated from the prestigious William's College in the United States, and studied theater and film at Yale University Graduate School. He left many masterpieces, including discovering Marlon Brando, A Streetcar named Desire, casting James Dean and making the East of Eden. Elia Kazan casts fresh new actors Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty to portray the unfulfilled first love of high school students.

It is a movie that was once viewed a lot for sex education in the United States. Here is a simple summary of the story. Boyfriend Bud (Warren Beatty) and Wilma (Natalie Wood), a schoolgirl who attend the same high school in Kansas City in the midst of the 1920s, love each other. These are the coolest boy and girl in school. But unfortunately, their love doesn't come true. Wilma, raised in a conservative family, rejects Bird who wants a physical relationship. This becomes an element of conflict for each other. Furthermore, their love is even more difficult than their parents' opposition. Wilma, who is nervous, goes to a mental hospital after attempting suicide, and Byrd goes to Yale University at the force of his father. After many twists and turns, Bud marries another woman.

He was born in a wealthy family, but his stocks plummeted in the Great Depression, and he lives a normal life in a poor rural area. Wilma leaves the hospital and goes to visit Bud. Once a cool man, he became a farmer and was living an ordinary life. It is similar to the scene where Pi Chun-deuk regrets not having to meet Asako for the third time from the end of his essay. And Wilma leaves, recalling that beautiful scene of her first love that has now disappeared. The poem is read aloud called the light of the meadow. Now it's gone forever out of my sight. The light of the meadow, the glory of the flowers. The beautiful times of the past are gone. It is irreversible.

How is it? Can we describe our life better than this? Renowned American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr says that of the two genres of Greek theater, tragedy, rather than comedy, reveals our lives much better. That's right. Comedy that gives laughter and makes us happy is not the essence of our lives. A heartbreaking, sad but inevitable tragedy reveals the essence of our lives better, the tragedy of Sophocles, The story of King Oedipus is an excellent example. Oedipus, the mortal fate of killing his father and marrying his mother! A sad story that tries to escape from a tragic fate, but cannot avoid it in the end! That's the essence of our lives.

Is it so? Says the apostle James. " Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Likewise, says the psalmist today. “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death-they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered." That's right. Our lives are like grass that will soon disappear and flowers that bloom and fall. It is said that it is like the love of youth that burned for a long time in the light of the meadow, but eventually disappeared without bearing fruit. Can you better describe the tragedy of us humans?

But remember. This human tragedy is the fact that even us Christians cannot escape. In fact, no one can overcome the tragedy of this life. We Christians are no exception. No, you may experience more of that tragedy. Even if you believe in Jesus and live a christian life, you must live a life of financial hardship, unfair work, and suffering. You also experience the pain of human relationships. Our Christian is no exception. This tragedy of life was born when Adam, the prototype of our human beings, disobeyed God. This is the result of our choice to be mature. We didn't recognize it even when we were naked before we were corrupted. It's like a young child doesn't feel ashamed even if he takes it off. Don't naive children believe in Santa Claus? Until what age did you feel ashamed to follow your parents to the bathhouse? How old did you stop crying when Santa Claus said he wouldn't give you a gift? A naive young baby is shameless even when naked and believes in supernatural beings like Santa Claus. He's innocent, but when he grows up, he finds himself naked and doesn't believe in Santa Claus.

It is to get out of the naive state. The process of growing up, becoming an adult, and becoming yourself through life is no different from the process of becoming such a tragic being. We cannot but grow. Therefore, we cannot escape the reality of a tragic life.

Jesus Christ, who became human, experienced the tragedy of life more than anyone else. The moment he gave up his heavenly throne and became human, he made every tragic life of man into his own. Jesus' life on earth shows that he vividly experienced all the tragedies we humans go through. It is Hebrews 4:15. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." This is a new translation. In the past, King James Version translated "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." I think this translation is more accurate. The king of Chosun Dynasty built a thatched house in the palace and built rice paddies in the palace to participate in and encourage the people's farming pains, planting rice fields and farming. This is said to be the king's compassion for farmers' lives. It is to be with the people. Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, has mercy on our lives. He took the tragedy of our lives. What tragic life did he live?

First, he lived a hungry life with us. He had to get food through physical labor. While traveling, he was thirsty and looked for a well. He was criticized as a glutton for food. He lived a life of suffering and agonizing over food, clothing, and shelter problems. He also lived a contradictory life. He taught us to love our neighbor like ourselves. Furthermore, he taught us to love our enemies. However, it is hard to say that he practiced his teaching well. He shouted at the Pharisees, children of poisonous snakes, and confronted them in anger. In the temple of Jerusalem, he used a string of sticks and wielded violence. Is there anyone who can live a life that goes against his own teaching? He's never different from us.

He suffered our human tragedy, the betrayal. Have you ever been betrayed by someone you trusted? Wasn't it really sore and heartbreaking? Jesus Christ was betrayed by the people who greeted with cheers. Crucify him the cross. The shout of joy, which was shouting Hosanna, turned into a shout of crucifixion. But this is just the beginning. What's more amazing is that they were betrayed by their students. Who made them disciples? It's Jesus himself. Jesus told them to choose and follow him. The result of the choice was betrayal. He would at least not have been betrayed by them if he hadn't established a disciple. But he was betrayed by his chosen disciple. How heartbreaking is this?

He was weak and tempted. When are we tempted? When you feel bad about something, you are tempted. We are tempted when we feel what we lack. Making stones into bread! It is the temptation to resolve hunger. Jumping out of the temple. Isn't it a temptation for popularity and ability? I was also tempted by the absolute power that would be gained by bowing down. The fact that he was tempted means that he also felt a deficiency. He has the worldly desires we have. Money, popularity, power, all that's about to dry up. It was the glory of the withered flower, but he longed for it, so a satan came and seduced him with it. Aren't we all running towards it? Jesus experienced the same tragic life as us.

What is our life? What are we economically rich, popular, come to power? Life is just a dream for a moment, and it disappears like a grass that grows in the morning. The grass sprouts in the morning and blooms, but it withers and dries in the evening. Today's text says that this is the way in our lives. Jesus also showed this tragic life.

Then what should we do? We are seeded grass, like falling flowers, so we can live our lives in vain. Is this the life God demands from us? No, this tragic life that we live in can be typified as a life of slavery in the first place. Because of God's servant Moses, they escaped from their slave lives. "The Lord sent him to Pharaoh of Egypt and all his officials and to all his lands to do wonders and wonders. "In the eyes of all the people of Israel, no one has done anything amazing, showing great power, as Moses has done." Likewise, we can escape this tragic life because of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. No, because Jesus Christ experienced tragedy like us and made it his own, he can save us.

Let's look at Psalm 103. “as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

15 The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

18 with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts." Our lives are like grass and like wild flowers that fall. Once the wind passes, it withers and disappears. But to those who fear the Lord, the love of the Lord will be with them forever. The love of the Lord keeps us from ending in this tragedy. The love of the Lord removes the pain and regret of tragedy. This love was made on the cross. The death of being struck by a whip, wearing a crown of thorns, and being hung on the cross brought about a new change in our existence. We have to believe this.

Let's look back at our lives today. A very painful and unfortunate time continues. Our lives are becoming more and more devastated by the coronavirus. The Korean church has been the target of social criticism for various reasons. Our people are divided and conflicted. Individuals suffer from health problems, financial problems, relationships, and family problems. Our lives are dried grass, like withered flowers. We can't help but despair when we see this. But this should not be the conclusion of our life. Because there is Jesus Christ, our high priest. It is because there is Christ Jesus who takes care of our individual weaknesses, regrets, the anxiety of our society, and the pain of the global community as his own. Christ heals and restores life.

There is a Swiss theologian named Karl Barth. He left an enormous book called Church Dogmatics. This book, made of 13 white brick-thick covers, is nicknamed the White Elephant. A reporter asked Barth when he visited the United States for a public lecture. How can you summarize the vast doctrine of the church in one word? He thinks for a moment and then answers. "I learned the love of Jesus from the Bible." "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." The children's song he quoted continues like this." "Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong"

To overcome these difficult times is to have a childlike, pure faith. It is a reminder that our high priest is with us in our suffering. The grass dries up and the flowers wither in our life. The glorious time will pass as if a thousand years were a day. We are like mists that bloom and disappear for a moment. But let's not be disappointed or frustrated. The pure faith of children will save us. Let's restore children's faith. Our hard life will change. Let's pray.