The message of today is about interwoven relationships.
The story I’m about to relate speaks to intricacies of interwoven relationships or what Koreans call in-yun.
You might have heard this phrase from the movie, Past Lives.
The story unfolds after the Second World War, when an American colonel named Jim was assigned to oversee the reconstruction of Japan. While there, he encountered Shunji, a Japanese officer on the defeated side.
Despite their differences, they became fast friends.
Even after the war, their friendship endured. They exchanged letters, maintaining their connection despite the passage of time and the limitations of communication in the days before email and the internet. Though their conversations waned, they always remembered each other fondly.
As fate would have it, Jim had an adventurous son named Andy, while Shunji had a somewhat retiring but intellectually curious daughter named Noriko. Driven by his passion for martial arts, Andy traveled to Japan, where he met Noriko. Unaware of their families' shared history, they fell in love.
This story exemplifies the intricate nature of interwoven relationships. Every encounter connects us to others for a reason. If we can decipher the patterns and understand the reasons behind these encounters, we gain a deeper understanding of life's mysteries.
Although this story unfolds against the backdrop of World War II, the core message resonates deeply in our contemporary world, perhaps even more so in our age of globalization and instant communication.
So, as we navigate the vast and intricate web of human connections in our modern world, let us remember the story of Jim and Shunj. Their experience reminds us that every encounter, from a chance meeting in a crowded market, to a virtual connection across continents, holds the potential for something meaningful.
By embracing the intricate dance of interwoven relationships, by remaining open to the unexpected connections that life presents, we open ourselves to a deeper understanding of ourselves, our world, and the invisible threads that bind us all.
#messageoftheday
#sacredinclusion
