Eden Church

핵심 요약

1. Epilepsy is a chronic brain condition causing repeated seizures and changes in consciousness and behavior.
2. Actor Chae Jong-hyeop disclosed his diagnosis, military exemption, long-term treatment, and donated 50 million won to support patients.
3. Families face heavy medical costs and societal prejudice; the donation aims to help both finance and awareness.
4. The church is called to bear one another's burdens and offer practical, compassionate support.
5. Practical steps include financial aid programs, awareness efforts, and personal accompaniment.

When the Brain Stirs: Understanding Epilepsy

Epilepsy is not a single event but a persistent condition of the brain in which nerve cells become temporarily overexcited, producing seizures, lapses of awareness, or sudden behavioral changes. It affects people of every age and background and can be unpredictable. Symptoms range from brief staring spells to convulsions. Diagnosis often follows observation and tests over time, and treatment commonly includes long-term medication, lifestyle adjustments, and medical follow-up. Epilepsy is a medical condition first, not a moral failing. Understanding this helps us replace fear with informed care.

• Common signs: loss of awareness, convulsions, sudden confusion.
• Long-term care: medication adherence, seizure plans, medical checkups.
• Social needs: empathy, accommodation, and financial support.

👉 Be willing to learn the basics of seizure first aid and listen to those who live with epilepsy.

A Public Story: Chae Jong-hyeop's Gift

Public stories can shift private suffering into communal care. Actor Chae Jong-hyeop publicly shared that he first experienced symptoms while abroad and was diagnosed in Korea, receiving a military exemption and living with epilepsy for years under treatment. Moved by his own experience, he donated 50 million won to support the medical needs and awareness work for people with epilepsy. Such actions model how personal vulnerability can become a source of blessing for others. When one who has known pain chooses to give, that giving speaks to both need and solidarity.

• He disclosed long-term treatment and the burden of management.
• His donation targeted medical aid and public awareness campaigns.
• Medical leaders affirmed the encouragement his gift brought to families.

👉 Consider how personal testimony in our congregation can reduce fear and open doors for help.

The Weight of Stigma and the Cost of Care

Behind every diagnosis there is a family adjusting budgets, jobs, and plans around unpredictable health. Medical expenses, ongoing medication costs, and lost opportunities weigh heavily. Equally painful is the social stigma: misconceptions about epilepsy can lead to isolation, discrimination, and shame. Churches and neighbors can unintentionally deepen that hurt by avoiding the subject or reacting out of ignorance. Compassion asks us to enter alongside—not to pity, but to accompany. A faithful response includes practical help and public education so those affected can live with dignity.

• Economic burdens: medication, travel to specialists, and time off work.
• Social burdens: isolation, misconceptions, and reduced opportunities.

👉 Lobby for and participate in local efforts to provide medical assistance and reduce community prejudice.

Scripture of Comfort and Calling

“(2 Corinthians 1:3-4, ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

These verses remind us that comfort received is not only for consolation but for mission. Those who have known fear, illness, or marginalization are especially fit to offer authentic care. The church's calling is to be a community where wounds are met with understanding and where resources flow to lessen burdens. God comforts us so we can comfort others—this is the heart of Christian solidarity.

• Receive God’s comfort personally through prayer and presence.
• Translate spiritual consolation into concrete support for those in need.

👉 Invite those living with epilepsy to share their stories when they are willing; visibility reduces fear.

Practical Steps for the Church

What might a faithful congregation do? First, create a modest emergency fund for medical needs and transportation so that no family is left to choose between food and medication. Second, provide education—workshops on seizure first aid, explanations from medical professionals, and materials that correct myths. Third, practice accompaniment: a caring team can visit, offer practical household help, and provide prayerful companionship without judgment. Finally, advocate publicly for policies and programs that reduce medical costs and social exclusion. Charity and advocacy together show the Gospel lived out.

• Set up a benevolence fund or partner with epilepsy organizations.
• Host educational events and first-aid training.
• Create a small visitation and practical-help team.

👉 Start one practical item this month: a fund drive, an informational leaflet, or a first-aid training night.

Lord, grant us ears to hear those who suffer, hands to help in practical ways, and hearts to remove stigma from our community. Help us to be instruments of your comfort and channels of tangible support for those living with epilepsy. We ask for wisdom in how we give, courage in how we speak, and steady compassion in how we live together. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.