March 31, 2019 - INSCRIPTION FROM THE HEART

SOLI DEO GLORIA (Glory To God Alone)

Here's a fun fact about me: my all-time favorite genre of music is Kpop, or Korean pop music. I have been a huge fan of it ever since junior high and so I keep myself updated on all the goings-on of the Kpop world. This year so far has been marked by major scandals involving members of some really famous groups. Long story short, a few “idols” (what Kpop singers are called in Korea) are getting in trouble for being involved in drug dealing, illegal gambling, tax evasion, and even prostitution. One really gross guy was arrested for secretly filming women whom he slept with and sharing the videos with his other celebrity friends. In a country as conservative as Korea, the general public tends to be quite unforgiving when public figures are involved in scandals like this. Some of the idol’s friends who viewed his videos have now left their respective groups and even retired from the entertainment industry due to pressure from the public.

Coming from North America where celebrity misbehavior is generally more tolerated (probably because it's a bit expected), forcing someone to retire from their livelihood for one infraction may seem a bit harsh. It's common amongst Korean idols, though, because very often a singer is part of a larger group, and thus the actions of one member have very real consequences for the entire band. As public figures, idols are held to a very high standard as they are representatives of their group, their entertainment company, and even their country.

Is it not the same for us Christians? When we go about our daily lives, we are living not just for ourselves but for the glory of the One who saved us from death and redeemed us into life. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says that “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us.” Our every word, action, and decision reflects not just our parents who raised us nor the society that we grew up in, but ultimately the One whom we claim to love and put our faith in, Jesus Christ.

Am I therefore being a good ambassador for Christ? In even the most mundane interactions I have with others, are those people seeing Christ in me? Fortunately for us, our God is gracious and merciful and will not kick us out of His family when we make one mistake. Yet, let us not take this mercy for granted and instead ask the Holy Spirit to work in and through us every minute of every day, for the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

-Abby Zamora-Cheng