Two Wings of Our Faith
Last month, I took an 11-day trip to Korea. Both the outbound and return journeys were direct flights, each lasting 14 hours. It’s always amazing to see how a massive airplane, carrying hundreds of people, can soar through the sky for hours. The reason an airplane can fly, just like a bird, is because it has wings. What’s important is that two wings are working together, providing balance and allowing the plane to catch the wind and maintain its flight. The two wings prevent the plane from tilting to one side, keeping it stable at a constant altitude and allowing it to move forward. Imagining a plane with only one wing is impossible. With only one wing, it would lose balance, making takeoff and sustained flight impossible.
As I watched the plane glide through the sky with its two wings, I was reminded of how our faith, rooted in the tradition of John Wesley, is much the same. According to Wesley, salvation involves not just justification but also sanctification. This means that salvation is not something that happens only within us personally—it cannot be confined to the inner, spiritual realm. If we have repented of our sins, accepted Jesus as our Savior, and received salvation through God’s grace, then our lives must also reflect that change and be set apart in holiness. Our internal salvation should be evident in our outward lives. Furthermore, as we live as people saved by God, fulfilling His will, we can also begin to transform the world around us into God’s kingdom.
In this way, our spiritual lives are balanced by two wings: personal and internal salvation, and the outward life of sanctification, which also includes societal transformation. This is the balance of ministry and mission. It is the essence of worship and service. My deepest hope is that our entire First & Wesley UMC family will live out our faith with these two wings, striving to fulfill God’s will in the world and becoming a part of God’s kingdom.
Pastor Jinha Choi
First & Wesley United Methodist Church