In the Presence of God and What Drives Your Life?

Coram Deo (in the presence of God or in front of God's face) is a term that describes the attitude of a Christian living in front of God's presence. Even if I can deceive everyone in the world, it means that Christians must be honest in revealing the whole of my life and the whole being before the eyes of God who knows everything. Therefore, Christians will always have to live in the spirit of Coram Deo.

Peter Drucker shares something similar to Coram Deo in his book, Drucker on Asia.

It is a story of the greatest sculptor of Ancient Greece, Phidias. He was commissioned around 440BC to make the statues which to this day, 2400 years later, still stand on the roof of the Parthenon in Athens. To this day, they are considered among the greatest sculptures of the Western tradition. The statues were universally admired, but when Phidias submitted his bill, the City Accountant of Athens refused to pay it. 'These statues', the accountant said, 'stand on the roof of the temple, and on the highest hill in Athens. Nobody can see anything but their fronts. Yet, you have charged us for sculpturing them in the round, that is, for doing their backsides, which nobody can see.' 

'You are wrong,' Phidias retorted. 'The Gods can see them.'

- Peter Drucker and Isao Nakauchi, Drucker on Asia, 104.

 

We often act excessively consciously of other people's gazes or their words and evaluations. Often it is the reason for our actions to be well-received or to be a good person to others. But even if no one sees us and no one knows our actions, having someone watching our lives helps us live a valuable life. Peter Drucker describes this as a life that values ​​"contribution."

I tried to find and read a book that I wanted to read for a long time. The book describes one voice, one gaze that has constantly moved the author's life.

"Do lawyers make money that way?" She said to me, and the words stayed in my heart. For a while I forgot about it. Much later, when I was acting as a human rights lawyer, memories of her words began to follow me after a certain point. When I stood in court and appealed to the conscience of others, her face was inevitably watching me. And since becoming a member of Parliament and becoming a so-called hero at the hearing, a word of her came to me with more pain, like an arrow in my heart. Whenever articles were published in newspapers or magazines that introduced me as a human rights lawyer who wasn't coveted and dedicated to social justice, I was afraid that somewhere she was reading it.

- Roh Moo-hyun, Honey, Please Help Me.

The author was socially acclaimed and recognized by human rights lawyers, but it was the poor client who saw his shame in the deepest influence on his inner side. Because of the bad financial situation at the lawyer's office, he did not return her the fees she had been able to get back. He said he could not return her fees based on the terms of the contract. So the word she left to him, disappointed by the fact, became a dagger through his life. No matter how many people praise the world, he thought that she would not agree with the evaluations of people all over the world. And perhaps because her ratings could be more accurate than those of many other people in the world, the words became a criterion to reflect himself to the author throughout his life.

Living with the thought of someone who knows our lowest and poorest may have a negative impact on us. But like the spirit of Coram Deo, the thought of Phidias, and the thought of the author of the book above, we will be able to recognize the eyes of the true Absolute that drives our lives. Rather than trying to deceive others into wrapping ourselves up, we must honestly admit and accept ourselves. By doing so, we will be able to help others in our lives and live a life that contributes to this society. And this will help us drive ourselves.