“In the face of hardship that completely destroys life,
How can we be Christians?”

The world changed by COVID-19,
Reflecting on the Christian life and the path forward for the church

Sometimes, unexpected events become turning points that change the direction of your life.
The COVID-19 pandemic that came upon us one day is like that.
It left a tremendous mark on individuals, the church, and society, and brought about great change.
But when we pull back the curtain of history, we realize that everything is within God's providence.


The COVID-19 pandemic has become a crucial time to rethink the essence of faith.
The Korean church has experienced something unprecedented in church history: holding Sunday services online.
However, as the body of the Lord, the church has a duty to protect the lives of our neighbors and dedicate ourselves to the safety of our nation and society. Therefore, as we worship online, we have sought God's guidance more than ever and have made every effort not to stray from the place of grace.


Although it began unexpectedly, God showed mercy to the preacher and all the believers through the sermon series “Answering Suffering with the Word.”
Through the words poured out over the past three months, we have experienced not only a God who answers our suffering, but also a God who suffers with us.
This book is a pastor's testimony and a song of believers that vividly shows how God comforts, restores, and renews us.

The sermons we shared every Sunday while praying for the restoration of public worship continued through the long winter and into late spring.
As a preacher, it was painful to preach while looking at the empty seats of the congregation, but at the same time, it was a wonderful time when I relied even more on the Holy Spirit.
It was also a time when we did our best to ensure that the congregation attending worship online could enjoy the liveliness and excitement of Sunday worship.
The time spent on the pulpit, responding to the suffering of our neighbors and society with words, was a sacred experience, feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit and sharing the grace of spiritual connection with the invisible saints.
As I worshipped live online, I realized once again that God transcends time, place, and human limitations.
Prologue_Page 5
The same goes for what we are experiencing now.
The difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be dismissed as a simple epidemic.
We must pray that this will be an opportunity for our faith to be reorganized once again.
We must accept that a new spiritual reorganization has begun for Korean society, especially for the Korean church, and on an individual, familial, and national level.
In this sense, we must listen to the Lord's voice regarding what attitude and posture we should have in spiritual interpretation.
--- p.45

In the midst of suffering and pain, we often ask ourselves, “God, why are you giving me this suffering?”
As you ask yourself, “Why?” and then meet the beautiful Creator God and entrust your life to Him, amazing changes will come.
The question begins to change.
Even in the midst of suffering, we entrust our lives to the beautiful Creator God, and as the chaos begins to settle down, we ask not "Why?" but "What?"
As we focus on the question, “Why did this hardship come to me?” we end up asking, “What is God doing in the midst of this hardship?”
…there is a further change in the question that begins as we feel the hand of the beautiful Creator God.
The question itself changes from “Where is the solution to this problem?” to “How can I discover God’s will in this suffering?”
As the questions change, you enter a completely new way of life.
--- p.110~111

Until then, Peter thought that what was needed to serve God and do God's work was 'his own strength and ability.'
However, the standards of ministry and calling that Jesus had in mind were completely different.
There was only one standard for the ministry that Jesus wanted from Peter and from us.
It is ‘love’ for Jesus.
How well we do God's work or how dedicated we are is not the standard Jesus is looking for.
Have you ever given 100 percent pure love even once in your life? Jesus values ​​our mission and ministry not based on our abilities or devotion, but on how much we love Him.
--- p.216

From now on, the Korean church must serve as a spiritual oasis for the people who are exhausted in body and mind and have become as barren as a desert.
Let us restore the church's mission to be a beacon of hope for Korean society.
Let's cultivate new talent and leadership in this hyper-connected era.
Let's also prepare study groups for each field of society.
Let us endure and overcome all of this through the inner transformation that comes with the hope of resurrection.
Let's begin the challenge toward a new future.
If you can only open your eyes and see the opportunities, you will find that your spiritual realm is expanding beyond words.
Our differences will melt away and our boundaries will be overcome.
Although there may be temporary hardships, let us hope that this will become the starting point and epicenter for greater victory.

--- p.256