Live on 8/7/1987 at KCBN by Yoon Wan‑Hee

Hello. Summer is a season overflowing with opportunities to learn, surrounded by the lush green of new life. Children learn things they could not learn in the classroom—through travel, hands‑on experiences, and exploration. Adults, too, encounter new cultures and environments during vacation. Learning—what a wonderful gift it is. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power,” and whenever we learn something new, our thoughts and horizons expand.

This summer, I also had the opportunity to see and learn many things. I would like to share just one of them with you.

At the beginning of August (7/31–8/3), I attended the annual United Methodist Women’s Mission School held at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. This year, about 300 women from the New York Conference participated.

As I always feel, no matter how long we live, there is no such thing as “graduating” from learning. New insights—things we had not known or understood before—bring indescribable joy and satisfaction.

This year’s mission school offered Bible study on “The Book of Joshua and the Promised Land.” The country focus was Brazil, and in the social studies track we explored how Christians should live in a violent society and what we can do for those who suffer. As always, one of the recurring themes was racial discrimination and how our own attitudes must be examined.

In the Bible course on Joshua, we studied the text from a perspective different from the usual interpretation of Israel’s conquest of Canaan. Instead, we examined it as a kind of peasant uprising led by landless wanderers who gathered in the name of the LORD. Through this lens, we explored themes of land ownership, restoration, and preservation. We also learned about the struggles of the poor around the world today who fight for land and survival.

The story of Rahab—the Canaanite woman who hid the Israelite spies—was compared with modern examples such as the child prostitution crisis in Thailand. In many countries, landless people have turned to prostitution as a last means of survival. These parallels helped us see the deep, structural injustices that persist across history.

Even today, wars continue around the world as nations fight to seize land—Israel and Palestine, Japan and Korea over Dokdo, racial conflicts in South Africa, the struggles of Native Americans, and land reform movements in Latin America. In the case of Native Americans, vast lands were taken from them after the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth in 1620. Their communal land system—where land was sacred and shared—was destroyed. Internal divisions were exploited, and forced assimilation followed. As a result, Native Americans became one of the most impoverished and marginalized groups in the United States. The Puritans, who claimed to follow the biblical model of Joshua, ended up using violence to seize land for private ownership rather than stewarding it as God’s inheritance.

In many countries today, a small group of powerful people control most of the land while the majority live in poverty. In Brazil, for example, 10% of the white population owns 90% of the land, while 90% of the non‑white population shares the remaining 10%. Land cannot simply be an object of investment or greed. The Book of Joshua teaches that God is the true owner of the land, and therefore fair distribution and stewardship of land is a moral command. Just land systems and equitable resource sharing are the foundation of a just society.

Recently, as conversations about Korean reunification increase, many are already speculating about land in North Korea. Will real‑estate investors rush to buy up land? Or will a unified government pursue just land distribution? These questions are already being raised.

Mission School also opens our eyes to world missions, teaches us about nations and cultures, and helps women understand the direction of social history. One of its most important emphases is overcoming racism and learning how people of all backgrounds can live together in God.

In Japan, many Japanese people hold prejudices against Korean residents, viewing them as dirty or inferior. Korean Americans visiting Japan often experience this—until they speak English, at which point attitudes suddenly change. Yet they do not realize how warm‑hearted, clean, and generous Korean people are, whether in America or Japan.

Likewise, some Koreans hold prejudices against Chinese immigrants in Korea, calling them stingy or unclean. But the Chinese people’s generosity, mutual support, and cultural depth are admirable.

Here in America, we live among many ethnic groups. If we hold prejudice or hostility toward any group, we harm ourselves. Hostility often hides an unwillingness to change within ourselves. Accepting differences is the path to growth. Discrimination only damages human dignity and social harmony. Our differences mean that each group has something the other does not—something we can learn from, something that enriches life.

One of the most memorable moments at Mission School was the performance by a gospel dance troupe of about 50 members from Harlem’s St. Mark Church. From young girls to adults, they danced together with passion and joy. The troupe began years ago with just six girls who wanted to glorify God through dance; now over 100 members practice every Thursday, morning and evening. Their quick movements and spirited gospel music revealed their unique gifts and talents.

I imagined how they must have felt last year watching our Korean children perform the beautiful fan dance. Truly, our differences are a blessing.

In our study on racism, we also reflected on discrimination against minority groups, age discrimination, and gender discrimination. Once again, I realized that without being born anew in Christ Jesus, we cannot live rightly.

One speaker said, “To be called a Christian is to be called a healer of society’s wounds and a dreamer who plans for the future.” Those words still echo in my heart. Learning truly opens our eyes and helps us see the flow of history. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power”—and learning is indeed a joy.