In North Korea - Pyongyang Teaches Us A part

North Korea, land of many surprises.

Shaped like a rocket, nose like a needle, largest buildings in all of the land. It's the Ryugyong Hotel. Meant to be the largest hotel in the world, it met a few obstacles in its construction. The concrete was of poor quality. The elevators could not control in its crooked shafts. Power failures nation-wide plus the famine of the 90's ultimately shut it down. The only real sign of ongoing "life" is a construction crane perched forever at the summit of the building. I say "real" because postcards show the construction all lit up and wonderful. This is an unfortunate manipulation of facts, using trick photography. One feels sorry for the builders of the colossus, the Baekdu Mountain Architects and Engineers. For those who have a glimmer of recognition about that name, from Mt. Baekdu has come the Korean gods, the present leader. And now, well, the world's tallest pile of useless concrete.

News North Korea

As for the hotel's handle,Ryugyong, that's the old name for Pyongyang, "capital of [weeping] willows" . It is aptly named. It was to have 3000 rooms, seven revolving restaurants, and a worldwide reputation, all by 1989. Well, it got the latter, not as expected, and costing the country 2% of its gross domestic goods that year! It is a deserted place of sorrow and shame now.

This aborted dream is not only typical of the whole North Korean scheme under Communism, but very reminiscent of some of our own personal plans. Christians, we've been warned, and comrade Leader has now given a modern day illustration for us, to sink forever into our awareness: finish what you start when Jesus leads you into His work. Above all, finish carrying the cross until it becomes the crown. I close with the words of the master manufacturer Himself in Luke 14:27-30:

"Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. For, which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, either he has adequate to finish it, lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish."

In North Korea - Pyongyang Teaches Us A part

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