Lessons from South Korea

Andrea Williams reflects on what God has reminded her about Britain through her time in South Korea.

I am travelling the length and breadth of the country; speaking to political leaders, hundreds of church pastors and thousands of others. I confess to feeling surprise at the warmth of the welcome here by God’s people. They have a hunger and openness to the message I bring that I rarely experience in Britain. Here, I have not felt constrained, or compelled to build some kind of rational apologetic before launching into the proclamation of God’s purpose and plan for His people.

South Korea is a country which holds Britain in high esteem. The Koreans recognise that they owe their faith and the flourishing of their nation to the British missionaries who brought the gospel to them. They gasp in horror at what Britain has become. A cold, harsh and godless country.

In South Korea, abortion is illegal; divorce is rare; civil partnerships are not recognised and Jesus is in the public discourse. They want to be a holy and happy people.

In Britain, it as if we have come to despise such a stand; as if we despise the high privilege of our blessed and beautiful heritage rooted in the gospel. We are so familiar with it and take for granted its benefits that we are no longer ready to recognise the source of the blessing. Just like the leaders in Nazareth who could find no fault in Jesus who had lived amongst them for 30 years but refused to recognise him.

As a nation grace has been bestowed upon us but we have undervalued it; thinking somehow that it is ‘being British’ that has given us freedom, tolerance and justice. Hence the ridiculous, current political notion of ‘British values’; the idea that it is ‘being British’ that makes everything good rather than the Gospel. What arrogant blindness to the Truth.

We have undervalued grace. We have treated lightly the privilege of an open Bible, a preached Gospel, and the liberty of meeting together for public worship in our churches and public institutions.

We were once a nation, steeped in these things, and accustomed to having the Gospel without trouble. Sadly, the consequence is that we have held it very cheap, and underrated the extent of our mercies. 

The Church, the bride of Christ in our land, has largely failed to acknowledge that blessing and often failed to teach Scripture and proclaim the kingdom of God.

We have been too concerned with appealing to the spirit of our age; reflecting the culture not setting the high and revered standard for the culture.

It is a sad time for the soul of our national church when Christ once in the midst of our nation is so lightly esteemed by His people. In South Korea Jesus is King amongst His people and they are ready to speak His truth into culture and to stand against the liberal, loveless doctrine of the Church of the West. They want to save their nation for Him.
 

The Second Lesson

We cannot and we must not give up on Britain. God is sovereign.

We must be diligent in persevering in the proclamation of the Lordship of Jesus in our nation notwithstanding discouragements and the fact that the outlook seems bleak. Just as Jesus was rejected in Nazareth so he went to Capernaum and worked on. So must we. We must have a new passion for the holiness of God, the holiness of His people and the public proclamation of His goodness and holiness for all.

We need the reformation of morals and manners. South Korea is a happy nation because it loves Jesus.

Whatever we are called to do as Christians in our nation we must patiently continue in proclaim Christ, and not give up for want of success. We must labour and not grow faint. 

As we proclaim Christ there is often more stirring in the hearts and consciences of people than perhaps we are aware of.
God has set eternity in the hearts of His people. 

Lord Jesus we pray that South Korea will remain yours. Lord Jesus we pray that there would be repentance, reformation and our revival in our land. We pray to see your sovereign outworking in this General Election with a declaration of your Lordship. We pray to see you do the unusual.