Before ushering in a new year, most people organize and tidy up their homes and renew their heart. Yet, just as one would find it difficult to place clean objects in an unclean room, we would find it difficult to fill our hearts with new things if such unclean attributes as anger or hate remained in our heart. Vermin are found usually in unsanitary areas. By the same token, if evil is in our heart, that evil will be manifested through quarreling, violence, and the like.
Just as you would clean your room or home, may each of you find this year to be fruitful and blessed as you first rid yourself of all sins and evil and fill your heart only with goodness and love.

"New wine must be put into fresh wineskins" (Luke 5:38).

From Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee's Column "The Way" carried on the daily newspaper The Seoul Shinmun