말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse]“But the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, and he was captured.
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him.
They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.”(2 Kings 25:5–7 )

[Our Story] When I lead a lecture or seminar titled "Our Story," I often begin with a simple yet powerful exercise: the “Life Curve.” This activity helps participants understand one another on a deeper level, which, in turn, improves the overall learning experience. It’s a great way to build rapport—those empathetic, trusting connections between people. Participants are usually asked to divide their lives into different age periods, describing each stage using key events or core words. The graph they draw goes up or down depending on their emotional well-being during those times—higher peaks for happy memories and dips for more difficult seasons. I give them five minutes to present, but most take twenty. It’s that meaningful. After sharing their life curves, I ask a few deeper questions, especially those that invite reflection on the end of life. One of the most thought-provoking is this: “What would you like written on your tombstone?” It’s the most serious part. Sometimes, younger participants react uncomfortably to the idea of death, but most grow quiet, considering their life’s ending—perhaps for the first time. We discuss this principle: To die well, you must live well. And to have lived well is to be prepared to die well. In the end, it is the ending that defines the person. And we encourage one another: May our stories not end badly.

[Bible Story] 2 Kings 24–25 tell the story of Judah’s tragic end—a bad ending. The final three kings of Judah, having turned away from God, suffer humiliating defeats at the hands of Babylon. These chapters reveal the culmination of God’s judgment on a nation that persisted in doing evil. King Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, adopted a pro-Egyptian policy that displeased King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. In response, Babylon invaded Judah. Though Jehoiakim submitted to Babylonian rule for three years, he eventually rebelled and returned to his alliance with Egypt. Babylon invaded again. After Jehoiakim’s death, his son Jehoiachin became king at the age of eighteen. He, too, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. After only three months on the throne, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem once more, taking Jehoiachin, along with his mother, royal officials, military leaders, and skilled workers, into exile in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar then appointed Mattaniah, Josiah’s son and Jehoiachin’s uncle, as king, changing his name to Zedekiah. He would be the last king of Judah. Despite the dire circumstances, Zedekiah continued in evil and eventually rebelled against Babylon. In response, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Zedekiah and his soldiers attempted to flee, but he was captured. In a moment of devastating judgment, Zedekiah was forced to watch his sons be executed before his eyes were put out. He was then bound in bronze shackles and taken to Babylon. Jerusalem was burned. The temple was looted and destroyed. The people were carried off into exile. Only a few were left behind, and Babylon appointed Gedaliah as governor. However, Ishmael, a military leader of Judah, assassinated him for promoting a pro-Babylonian policy. Yet, in this sorrowful ending, a small glimmer of hope remains. After thirty-one years in captivity, King Jehoiachin is released from prison in Babylon. In the ruins of a bad ending, a small shoot of hope begins to bloom.

[Your Story] What kind of ending are you heading toward? Are you running toward a happy ending? Or perhaps, even though you want a good ending, could it be that you’re moving toward a tragic one? Just as the outcome of a task is determined by how it ends, so too the story of our lives is ultimately defined by its conclusion. A beautiful ending is what makes a life truly beautiful. To die well, we must live well—and to live well is to be prepared to die well. My prayer is that your life would be a journey toward a truly happy ending—one where you run faithfully to the very end, toward the Lord who loves you to the end.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7–8 (NIV)

With joy and blessing,
Rev. Hyung Joong Kim
Copyrightⓒ 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim