Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76Plough Quarterly • Summer 2015 9 that impacts others. For example, when I gave a lecture last week, the sister who had prepared the slides botched the job because she was in a rush. At the end of the lecture, she stood up and apologized. There was a spontaneous response of “Shalom.” We take Jesus’ words seriously that “when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23–24). If there is a problem between two people, they are encouraged to seek forgiveness directly and be reconciled before coming to communion. Every Sunday during the celebration of the Eucharist we have a time of public confession and reconciliation. We wait in silence for a few minutes to give opportunity for people to confess sins that may be troubling them. Nobody is forced to do this. When someone is moved to do so, we all respond with “Shalom.” Last Sunday two of our teenagers publicly asked for forgiveness. Is it possible for the same kind of reconciliation to take place on a broader scale – for instance, between South and North Korea? Yes, as we’ve seen on a small scale here. Three Seas Ranch is the name of a property that Jesus Abbey has been leasing since 1975 to raise livestock. Its name stems from the fact that it is located where Korea’s three watersheds meet; rain falling here may find its way into the Han River flowing west, the Fifty Creeks flowing into the East Sea, or the Nakdong River flowing south. One of my parents’ friends pointed out that there should be a fourth river flowing from this place: the River of Life streaming into North Korea. So the Fourth River Project came into being. Its purpose is to equip South Koreans to share Jesus’ living water with our brothers and sisters in the North. We believe doors will open someday. When that great moment comes, the love of Christ must be brought in humility to our brothers and sisters in the North, in a way they will understand. You’ve started this mission right at Jesus Abbey’s Three Seas Ranch by bringing North Korean defectors together with South Koreans. What happens when the two groups spend time together? We have held these labor schools for the last eight summers. Through these conferences, our young people develop ongoing friendships and learn to trust one another. The North Koreans share their perspectives, which is important for them, because they usually try to just fit into society and deny their roots, knowing that most people in the South don’t want to hear about it. We spend mornings doing physical work – cutting trees, clearing pastureland, or cleaning the barns. Often the North Korean defectors are the ones who demonstrate how to work. One year as we felled trees with hand saws, a twenty- three-year-old woman from the North was sawing expertly, working her way rapidly up the hill; she had been doing this type of work since she was fourteen. It was affirming for her that her skill was appreciated here in South Korea. She became a role model in the labor school. Photographs courtesy of the Jesus Abbey