by Pastor Ken
Being able to see the sun when you wake up is so refreshing. It feels like a lot of things can be accomplished during the day.
At the end of October in the Midwest of the United States where I live, it is still dark when I wake up in the morning. The sun won’t rise until 8 o’clock, and the night will get longer and longer. This past summer, I made a trip to Scandinavia. There, sunrise was at 4 a.m. while the sunset was at 11 p.m. Daylight was a total of 19 hours. I felt blessed. But behind the light, do tourists think about the harsh winter season, when the residents there have to endure 19 hours of darkness every day?
Most of us love the bright side and like to see laughs and success. When the performers on the stage finish their program and make a bow to receive the warmest applause, we seem to share a bit of their glory too. When we enjoy the outstanding performances of artists or athletes, have we thought about the sweat, tears, and effort behind the success?
I am not a fan of Kpop, a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of their culture. However, watching a group of youngsters singing with synchronized moves down to every little detail has earned my respect. I admire the ingenuity of the choreographers and the hard work of all the team members. According to reports, it takes an average of half a year to rehearse for a 4-minute song and dance performance. During that time, the physical or mental health of team members may change, and there could be changes in the organization’s personnel, or the market itself. There is no guarantee that the song will be popular and that everyone’s effort will pay off.
In addition to performing arts and sports, outstanding performances abound in other sectors such as education, technology, literature, etc. When we see the bright side of success, we should also think about the hard work behind it, including the sacrifices of their families. Then we can appreciate and cherish their accomplishment more.
I witnessed some uncivilized audiences before. When the performers or contestants fell short of their expectations, they immediately gave boos and hisses. They even hurled insults at them, as if demanding reimbursement for their expense. It was like unreasonable parents who only focus on their children’s performance. When the school grade card doesn’t meet their expectation, they punish the child without listening to any explanation. Focusing on only success without considering the rest is an unfair judgment and a denigrating criticism.
Nature’s day and night vary in length according to seasons, and there’s no good or bad. Like natural gems, imperfections and impurities are the characteristics of true beauty. Because of darkness, we cherish light even more. Only after experiencing failure, pain, grief, and difficulties, do we learn to cherish prosperity.
