There is a place called Gotjawal Forest when you to go Jeju Island of Korea. In Jeju dialect, ‘Got’means forest, ‘Jawal’ means thorn bush, and Gotjawal literally means thorn bush forest. Jeju Island, a volcanic island, is home to many of the rocks that make up the ground made up or porous rock called basalt, and the Gotjawal area is one of the most barren of them. Because the lava flows down, and it is made up of rocks that have just solidified, so no soil can be found. Gotjawal used to be a place where thorns were so covered that people couldn’t get in, but people who needed firewood came in and cut down trees. What happened next? As the trees were cut off in the forest, the sunshine reached down to the thorn bushes, and the bushes kept the people from coming in. And then, it causes the cut-down trees to grow. Who do you guess won this time? Yes, this time trees won! The trees and thorn bush were repeatedly winners to get in Gotjawal. It shows that history does not have an eternal winner.

In the scriptures we have read together, there are breathtaking historical scenes that are taken and stolen like Gotjawal. The Assyrian Empire, which tormented the most cruelly colonial people in world history, and the Roman empire that ruled the world at the time of Jesus. The world history where the dominant jungle’s law of survival is constantly repeating. But God tells us that the history of Faith as well as the history of the world continues. How did the history of faith last so far?

One hundred years from now, March 1. When many Korean people were suffering under Japanese Imperialism like thorn bushes, there were Christians who were planted like ‘The Remaining Trees’. They read “the Declaration of Independence” and shouted “Manse! (Long Live Korea)”. Amongst 33 national representatives who signed up for the Declaration of Independence, there were 16 Christians who believed in God like you. After the March 1st Movement started, Christians had a resource of “The Independence Bulletin,” which it called Christians to pray three times a day, observe a fast on Sunday, and read the assigned Bible passages from Monday through Saturday. Today’s scripture readings are from those passages. Christians at that time read Isaiah, which contains the words of Assyria, on Mondays. They regarded the bible passages as God’s judgement for Japanese Empire. They withstood the time of suffering in a belief that Japanese Empire would be judged by God.

Celebrating the Centennial of the March 1st movement, do not we need to come back to God, the master of history, as our faithful ancestors did? Do you feel weary and powerless? Our help is from only God. Or do you feel strong and powerful? Use your power and strength for the task which God will be pleased. Because only God is the master of history.

Reading Romans 8 which was a passage for Saturday in “The Independence Bulletin”, our faithful ancestors united stronger in the Holy Spirit. Various churches with different background united in one group to campaign “Manse” movement nationwide. After this, they cooperated to establish the temporary government and support the independence army. I guess they might encourage each other by singing the song of victory from Romans 8 as follows. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be albe to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(38-39).

I told you a story of Gotjawal as begins. There are various trees in Gotjawal, ranging from the very low moss attached to the rocks to the pine trees that do not know the height of the sky. They are different in shape and height but there is one thing in common. They all need light to live. The trees are struggling even at this moment so that they can climb up higher and rise stronger, but without light no growth is there.

As we worship God as a service in commemoration of the Centennial of the March 1st Movement, I encourage you to remember God like light for world as our ancestor did. Even the thorn bushes covered up the forest, you can hold the faithful promise of God, accomplishing the history of God. Like our faithful ancestors, you are the trees God left in the forest for 2019. Although independence was achieved through the March 1st movement, there is something we have not achieved yet. Yes, it is the peaceful reunification of Korean peninsula. Let us pray for using us as God’s peaceful messengers to establish God’s peace on the earth.