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L'Abri Newsletter, June 2026

'LOGIC ON FIRE', Collection Boxes of Articles

'LOGIC ON FIRE', Collection Boxes of Articles

Dear praying family,

May the Lord bless you in peace.

Yesterday, I picked plums with Jong-cheol and Jin-sook Kim from our backyard at L'Abri. Although the fruit were small and few, they tasted as good as ever. This plum tree was planted in 2003 by Kims to commemorate the birth of their son, two years after L'Abri moved to Yangyang. Back then, I never imagined I would be able to enjoy delicious plums for such a long time. After picking plums we had dinner together, and we talked about various reasons there weren't many plums.

First of all, at 24 years old, this plum tree has entered its old age. Recently, the bark of the trunk has been cracking slightly, and over the years, many branches have broken, and the tree has suffered significant damage. Notably, I forgot to prune the tree in the spring, which has caused nutrients to be excessively dispersed to the new shoots. I also suspect that the cement in the yard might have hindered proper water supply, though since there is a drainage ditch nearby, I do not believe that is the main cause.

Like the plum tree, KyungOk and I are growing older day by day. KyungOk who rarely knew a cold or body ache in her life, has suffered from lung cancer, and I, too, am aching in my eyes and feet. As time passes, our bodies and minds will surely break or suffer more wounds, won't they? In the words of Wim Rietkerk, former president of L'Abri International, we can say that we have begun “the final journey that everyone takes.” Even King Solomon, who lived the most splendid life in the world, could not resist this final journey of aging, so he left his wisdom in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Believe in God well before you grow old and sick: The verse, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and before the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’” (12:1), means to remember God the Creator when you are young, before you taste hardship and helplessness in old age.

Strength wanes and judgment becomes clouded: If “the sun, moon, and stars” (12:2) symbolize ‘light,’ ‘strength,’ ‘vitality,’ and ‘energy,’ then it is natural that as one ages, strength wanes, reflexes slow, activity levels decrease, and judgment becomes clouded. Sometimes, “just as clouds rise again after the rain” (12:2), we face a series of crises where one difficult situation ends only for another to begin.

The body will gradually age and crumble like a house: The verse, “In those days the keepers of the house will tremble, the strong will bend, the millers will cease because they are few, and those looking out through the windows will be darkened,” likens the human body to a “house,” meaning that as one ages, the life-sustaining organs—the hands—will “tremble,” the legs will “bend,” and the eyes will “become darkened,” gradually weakening little by little (12:3). The kitchen, where food was prepared with the bustling “grinding,” will become quiet, and the family members who used to wait with their faces peeking out the “windows” will no longer be there.

Limiting social activities becomes inevitable: The verse, “The doors of the streets will be shut, the sound of the millstone will diminish, and the sound of the birds will rise up, and all the women who make music will fade away” (12:4), means that the “street” doors that communicated with the world will be closed, the ears that heard the “sound of the millstone” of cooking will be blocked, and the voices that “made music” together will lose their strength. It is not that someone else has blocked it, but rather that one ends up restricting outdoor activities by one’s own will.

Gaining status also becomes a burden: When we look at the verse, “And such people will fear high places and be astonished on the road” (12:5), we see that while in youth one conquered high places and ran unhindered on the road, as one grows old, climbing “high places” becomes frightening, and one feels intimidated even on the “roads” one usually travels well. This means that as physical strength declines and psychological anxiety increases just as much.

No matter how much you dye your hair, you cannot prevent gray hair, and even small tasks become burdensome: Just as “flowers on an apricot tree” cannot be prevented by dyeing, even a load as light as a “grasshopper” becomes burdensome (12:5). Although some people may start aging a little later than others, aging itself cannot be avoided.

Eventually, we face death just as a vessel shatters: As Scripture says, “The silver cords are loosed and the gold vessels are broken, the jars are broken by the springs and the wheels are broken over the wells” (12:6). The vital organs that maintained our bodies every day will cease to function; we, having come from dust, “return to dust,” and our souls return “to God,” the source of life, to await resurrection.

The reason King Solomon sang about the wretched ‘vanity’ and ‘absurdity’ of life without lying was not to belittle or mock aging, but to simply and plainly depict the process of aging in a world that distrusted God and sinned. In particular, he used everyday metaphors to describe how a person’s mental and physical state ages little by little, gradually, over a long period of time.

Although our bodies and minds deteriorate, it is good to beautifully accept the journey of aging and have true hope for eternal life solely in the infinite and personal God. As Pastor Sang-ki Lee preached, “The story that began with God (12:1) ends with God (12:7). Whether long or short, our lives are placed within God, and ultimately, we return to the Creator.”

Wim stated in his book, Life’s Destiny: The Art of Growing Older (currently being prepared for publication by L'Abri Korea), “The art of growing old is a matter of navigating and steering, carried and encouraged by our destination)." I hope you have better art of aging.

It is said that the highest risk of cancer recurrence occurs within six months following chemotherapy, so I intended to help only the guests who had booked appointments to see KyungOk. However, one of the sailing strategies KyungOk chose was to warmly welcome visitors while asking for their understanding if she was tired, rather than avoiding people and keeping to herself the entire time. She chose a very difficult path. Yet perhaps because the Lord valued that heart, He sent students and guests who absolutely needed to come over the past two months. While unexpected friends visited and many strangers came and went, I would like to share a few stories about the young-adults and High school students who need prayer.

First, eight members from the Hanmaum Community visited. Kwan-hyeong, the group leader, gave a presentation on the topic, "A Study on Mental Health Care in the Modern Church through the Healing of the Gerasene Demonic Man." My youngest son, Eui-jin, who has been taking time off from work to serve whenever this group visited, treated us to a delicious meal and then gave a presentation on the topic, "Loving Villains." Both presentations received positive responses. The guests read the Bible together, did some work, received individual counseling, and then returned home.

Afterwards, two teen ages groups from two Christian schools visited. The day the 10th grade students from High Will Seed School arrived coincided with the funeral of the mother of a couple who had been helping L'Abri. As soon as the students arrived, they participated in a tree burial, sharing in the pain of others and bringing great comfort to the couple, who would have otherwise had to hold the funeral alone. Although unexpected, it served as a valuable lesson on death and resurrection. Perhaps due to the experience on the first day, the students' questions were very honest and incisive, and they were active during Bible reading and discussion sessions. Please pray that the Gospel message they heard and experienced at L'Abri will grow firmly within their souls.

Moreover, high school seniors (12th graders) from Bulmuri School visited L'Abri with such a keen awareness of social issues that they even requested a lecture titled "Honest Answers to Honest Questions" before their arrival. I believe they are likely the students who have read the articles in the Logic on Fire which is displayed under the pillars at L'Abri. One student requested that the schedule be adjusted to be tighter and that free time be reduced to allow for more discussion and individual counseling. Another student wrote in our guestbook, "I am learning the process of thinking for myself, asking questions, and finding answers." One also asked what she could do to please her father, who is battling lung cancer.

The answer to that question was reserved for KyungOk. “The greatest gift a child can give to any parent, not just a sick one, is to stand firm in Christ. Most parents like me do have peace in their sufferings if their children faithfully believe in God. To add one more thing, even in difficult circumstances, the best gifts for your family is sharing together the joy, pleasure, and love that God gives, and hoping for the Kingdom of God.”

Besides KyungOk, Hae-jin, and myself, a couple who secretly enjoys helping the students are Seong-jun and Mi-ra, who have been working as research fellows since the spring. They provide great assistance by not only serving food that suits the students' tastes and attending to students’ questions during presentations, but also finding appropriate work for them during work hours and explaining biblical languages during Bible reading time. Since Seong-jun is juggling ministry at both Into The Light Church and L'Abri and Mi-ra is teaching music at a nearby elementary school, wisdom and balance are required.

We sincerely apologize, but the “Creationism and Evolution Seminar” scheduled for June 18–20 (Lecturers: Seung-hoon Yang, Kuk-won Shin, Kyung-sang Yoo, Do-hoon Kim, Jung-il Kim; field Trip: June 19) has been postponed to the fall due to the lecturers' circumstances. The Sokcho Southern District Methodist Church Teachers' Seminar has also been postponed to the fall.

The Summer Residential Term from June 29 to July 18 will proceed as scheduled. Lectures will be given by Dr. Gu-young Im (dentist, July 4), Rev. Sung-jun Park (L'Abri research fellow, July 11), and In-kyung Sung (L'Abri Worker).

Registration is open for the Book Week from July 27 to August 1: Reading and Discussing C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters (Group Leader: Mr. In-young Jeong).

If you wish to visit during the Summer Residential Term, Book Week, or fall term, please fill out the registration form on the L'Abri website or through this link.

Please pray for us:

Yours respectfully,

InKyung

Translated by Ye-jin Ahn

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