DMZ 2 - Confusious say, "Man who stand on toilet..."

This is a continuation of the DMZ tour that I took at the beginning of January.  Previously I had chronicled the railroad station built near the DMZ in anticipation of future peaceful reunification.  The last stop before leaving the station was the bathroom.  I expected nothing unusual, but since it is Korean, frankly, I should have known better.

Decoratively framed above each urinal were sayings of wisdom translated into Korean and English (at least, I think so - I'm 70% sure about one of the languages, anyway).  I was so impressed by the one that I had to ponder that I waited for an opportunity to photograph them all.  There's a lot of truth in them (I should say, in some of them; some I'm still trying to figure out).  So, I thought I would expound on what I pull from them - for what it's worth.

I thought this first one especially pertinent considering where I was standing at the point (no, not the bathroom; the DMZ).  I thought about the monetary cost incurred because of the anger of the North Korean governemnt.  N. Korea probably wouldn't see it that way, but I'm not them.  In addition to the financial burden, there has also been an even greater cost - human lives.  Sadly, this number will probably never bee known.  Even at this moment, people are likely dieing a N. Korean jail or from starvation or lack of medical treatment because of the management of the communist government.  The repeated news reports of violence between the North and South remind us that lives are still taken in combat here - the two nations are techincally still at war.

The emotional or spiritual anger is extremely costly, as well.  I believe (my unexpert opinion based on what I see and have experienced myself) that anger leads to serious anxiety and stress.  The "angry people" that I know are constantly fighting an uphill battle.  The anger poisons every relationship that they are in.  Additionally, the constant strain required to maintain that kind of self-righteousness is really more than we were designed to handle.  Ultimately, the true cost of clinging to the luxury of anger which survives due to unforgiveness is that of the relationship itself - an extremely sad, but completely avoidable consequence.

Ultimately, I should ask what God's word has to say about it.  God has much to say about anger (Ex. 20:13; Matt. 5:21-24; Eph. 4:30-32; Rom. 1:28-31; Col. 3:8; James 1:19-25; Gal. 5:19-21) and that rarely is our (human) anger ever justified (Rom. 12:19; Eph. 4:26; James 1:19-25).  I know of some that say it is never justified in people.  Others claim a measure of "righteous anger" is acceptable.  I don't have a lot of sureness on that question, but I'll say that if anger is o.k. then it's very rare.

This also leads to the deeper question, how much do we consider our vices (nice way to say pet-sins) a luxury?  Something to be accepted, even cherished as our own, private possession?  Have we worked so desperately to "do well" in the other areas of life that we feel authorized (or that we deserve) to justify in our own minds the acceptance or deserved toleration of other Thall-shall-nots?  Do we truly know that sin is stronger than our own wills and anything we allow to live with us will, without exception, become our master?  (Gal 5:6,7)

What costly luxuries are we holding to?  What price are we paying even now to maintain them?