Today is my birthday!

Today is my birthday. I am so proud of myself simply for being alive. Every day is a gift, and every breath is a miracle. Beyond that, I have been blessed with a resilient spirit, fresh energy, and ideas for new books. I am so grateful.

I just finished compiling eight individual chapters into a single 53,000-word manuscript without a bibliography. It feels amazing. The book is titled The Fourth Horizon, and it represents a new milestone in hermeneutics and homiletics. While the cover is still just a vision in my mind and the manuscript isn't quite finished, it is a strong foundation. I look forward to building upon it and making it even stronger.

Unity or Union (John 10:30)

In the phrase "I and the Father are one" (ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν, John 10:30), the word ἕν is the neuter form of the Greek cardinal number for "one.” 

By using the neuter ἕν (hen) instead of the masculine εἷς (heis), the text implies a unity of essence, will, or action rather than a personal identity. If the masculine form had been used, it would suggest that the Father and the Son are the same person.

Jesus’s persistent claim in the Fourth Gospel is that he does the work of God, not his own work. He never says he is God. His point is that he is united with God.

Here is how the number "one" (nominative case) appears across the three grammatical genders:
• Masculine: εἷς (heis)
• Feminine: μία (mia)
• Neuter: ἕν (hen)

For Jesus’s identity and his work in the Fourth Gospel, see Yung Suk Kim, Truth, Testimony, and Transformation: A New Reading of the “I Am” Sayings of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel (Cascade, 2014).

Beyond the Binary: The Hidden Complexity of Light and Reality

Human perception often defaults to a reductionist view of the world as a series of binaries, echoing the primordial separation of light and darkness found in the biblical creation narrative. While these elements are foundational, reality is rarely governed by such a rigid black-and-white dichotomy. Light, though appearing uniform and white, is composed of a complex chromatic spectrum—a phenomenon that serves as a metaphor for the world's inherent mystery and nuance. Furthermore, the perceived absence of light at night is not an indicator of its nonexistence, but rather a limitation of human physiology; our eyes are simply unable to detect the photons emitted by stars billions of light-years away. Ultimately, a dichotomous framework—whether applied to light and dark or good and evil—is insufficient for navigating the world. Reality is characterized by a complexity that consistently transcends our attempts at categorization.

VUU Commencement 2026

 Virginia Union University

The Extraordinary Ordinary

Often, I hear people emphasize that we must go beyond what is required—that we must always do "extra." Yet, the true goal is not a choice between meeting a requirement and exceeding it; it is the mastery of both.

    Returning to the basics and faithfully meeting a requirement is, in fact, more vital than simply going beyond it. It is within the discipline of the ordinary that we often discover the extraordinary. Merely "doing more" should not be the pursuit; the true aim is to achieve excellence within the bounds of one's environment.

    I encounter a similar sentiment in the claim that we should seek inspiration rather than information. This is a false choice. We require both the foundation of truth and the spark of wonder. To frame these as opposites is a specious rhetoric—one that sounds profound but lacks the substance of reality.

---social media version---

The Extraordinary Ordinary

We are often told to "go beyond" or choose "inspiration over information." But these are false choices. True excellence isn't just about doing "extra"—it’s about the faithful mastery of the basics. It is within the ordinary that we actually discover the extraordinary. We don't need to choose between requirements and going beyond, or between being informed and being inspired. We need both. Don’t let flashy rhetoric distract you from the power of a solid foundation.

#Philosophy #Mindset #Excellence #Leadership #Growth

From Dust to Mystery

My love and passion for poetry dates back to my childhood and school years. Everything I see and experience becomes a subject of my reflection and my poems. Much time has passed since those early days; I spent years in the business field, traveling extensively throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Eventually, I transitioned my career to teaching and research, but my love for poetry, literature, and philosophy remains. To me, life is philosophy.

Some years ago, I published my first Korean poetry book, YOU ARE DUST. Now, incorporating my work on mindfulness, I have published an English version: FROM DUST TO MYSTERY. This new collection transforms my original Korean poems and introduces new ones shaped by my unique life experiences.

 

The first section of this collection traces the emotional seasons of life. Moving Like a Stream through The Season’s Turn, these verses capture the delicate balance of Brief Sparks and the grounding presence of the Mother Valley. It is an exploration of Fusion, Not Fission—a gathering of fragmented experiences to discover how we remain Above, Below, and Together even when walking an Unmarked Path.

Part 2 is the fruit of a dedicated forty-day journey of stillness and intentional Pause. These poems serve as a meditative compass, navigating the vast landscapes of Truth, Time, and Uncertainty. From the existential weight of Hevel and Mortality to the civic echoes of Politics and Justice, this collection seeks Integration amidst the Chaos, ultimately finding a sense of Maturity and Healing in the everyday. 

  

Internet Security

 

This time the focus of training was AI-based scamming.

The Double Embrace

I’m returning to a book proposal I started some time ago, making it my primary focus for the summer. Research often ebbs and flows, sometimes pausing for good reason. Writing comes easily when there is clarity, evidence, and an audience waiting—and I am now fully committed to this project. There is no rush; my goal is to create a high-quality, sustainable, and immersive book.

2 Corinthians

I finished proofreading the typeset page of my new book, Treasures and Thorns: A Concise Critical Commentary on 2 Corinthians. I noticed only about 20 mild typos. Otherwise, the page is clean.

New article

 Excited to announce my new article is out! 📖 "Holy City in Matthew 4:5 and 27:53" in the latest Studies of Biblical Interest.

Read more: www.biblicaljournal.org