WARNING: Lovely Runner spoilers ahead
This viral drama was first introduced to me by a South Korean friend, so I knew it was going to be good. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of time-travel dramas, I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth of the show.
Lovely Runner is not your typical romance K-drama interwoven with sci-fi themes, instead it explores the concept of sacrificial love which profoundly resonated with me.
The story is centred around the story of fangirl Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) and K-pop star Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok). Im Sol is first introduced as a passionate fan of Sun-jae, who is the lead singer of Eclipse, a massively popular band in the world of Lovely Runner.
The nation is shocked when news of Sun-jae’s suicide makes headlines, leading a heartbroken Im Sol to embark on a journey back in time in the hopes of reversing this tragic outcome.
There were so many squeal-worthy moments during the show, especially when you witness the way Sun-jae dotes on his fan (truly, every K-pop stan’s dream come through!).
On a deeper note, the way selflessness was portrayed throughout the show made me reflect upon how I currently love the ones around me.
Here are some examples of how unconditional love was demonstrated by the main characters and what I had to learn from their actions.
Loving sacrificially
At one point in the show, Sun-jae gets badly injured while protecting Im Sol from an obsessive murderer.
With the killer still on the loose, Im Sol becomes determined to keep Sun-jae safe and devises a plan to lure and capture the fugitive. This plan involves her heading to the venue of the attack alone as bait for the murderer, while a few police officers stand by to arrest him.
Despite many warnings from the police officers about how dangerous the plan is, she chooses to go ahead in the hope of protecting Sun-jae from harm.
“This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.” (John 15:13, MSG)
On a similar note, the drama’s second lead – Kim Tae-seong (Song Geon-hee) also embodies sacrificial love.
Even though he adores Im-sol and is jealous of Sun-jae, there is a powerful scene where he swerves his car in front of the murderer’s vehicle to protect Sun-jae from getting hit. His act of selflessness amidst his inner turmoil was truly admirable to me.
These displays of sacrifice brought to mind John 15:13 which reads: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend”.
While there are many examples in history where heroic individuals have given up their lives for others, the reality is that not many of us would find ourselves in such a dramatic situation.
Before Jesus even sacrificed Himself on the cross, He already showed us how to exhibit John 15:13 through His ministry on earth, devoting His time and energy to serving all sorts of people in need.
This made me reflect upon the many occasions when I prioritised personal rest over spending time with friends who needed support.
The reason for this is that I used to be someone who struggled with saying “no” because I feared facing rejection from my peers.
I started compensating for this issue by developing a stronger sense of “self-preservation” which meant gradually becoming less present with friends who needed my care and concern.
However, considering how Jesus devoted His life to ministry made me rethink my approach and compelled me to think of a way to prioritise the needs of others without neglecting my own wellbeing.
I started to replace less healthy habits, such as binging K-dramas or mindlessly scrolling through social media, with more enriching habits like going to the gym or reading a book.
Adopting these as healthier alternatives have actually increased my mental capacity to care for the ones around me, and have resultingly created more opportunities to serve others.
Of course, our human efforts to renew our strength are inherently limited. That is why I have to consistently depend on God to provide me with true rest and trust that He will sustain me in my endeavours to serve others wholeheartedly.
I lean on Matthew 1:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”.
Loving unconditionally
As mentioned in the introduction, Im Sol is devastated when she receives news of Sun-jae’s suicide. Prior to him taking his life, Sun-jae had been receiving great backlash from his recent announcement of retirement and had become mentally overwhelmed.
When she first hears the tragic news, Im Sol accidentally ends up dropping her exclusive “Sun-jae watch” into a drain, causing her to take a plunge out of her wheelchair for it. As she picks up the watch, she is transported back to 2008 — back to her high school years.
Having returned to the past, Sun-jae no longer recognises her and is rather disturbed by the amount of interest she shows in him. Despite the hostile treatment Im Sol receives from Sun-jae, she shows unwavering determination in doing all she can to prevent his suicide.
As I watched their journey unfold, I was struck by the fact that Im Sol’s actions no longer stemmed from a fan’s superficial obsession, but were rooted in authentic love with the main purpose of keeping Sun-jae alive.
I am reminded of my earthly father when I think of someone who showers me with such unconditional love without asking for anything in return.
He has always taken his role of being a house husband seriously and does all that he can to support the family. Whether it is providing meals when we’re hungry, giving us a ride in the car, or dropping everything to lend us a listening ear, he does all he can to support the family.
In my younger days, I took these acts of service for granted and was often too consumed with my personal life to fully appreciate his love for the family. I now make it a point to thank him every time he demonstrates an act of kindness, and always express my gratitude for his dedication to our family.
This change in perspective has strengthened our relationship and allowed me to reciprocate his unconditional love.
When I asked my dad about what drives the love he so generously gives, he tells me it’s 1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us”.
This brought everything into perspective for me, reminding me that the love we show to others must stem from an overflow of the love I have received from Jesus. He is the only one who embodies perfect love.
My dad lives out this love every day, serving as a testimony to God’s never-ending grace.
Loving in a deeper way
Let’s put the drama aside for a second, as I bring this reflection to a close: though it is always easier to love the ones closest to us, I believe that our call to love goes beyond our friends and family.
This is reflected by the concept of agape love – the highest form of love best modelled by Christ. I was reminded of Matthew 5:44, which calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. The true test of love confronts us when we are called to love those who are hurtful, difficult and hostile.
This does not mean that we should unwisely endure ill-treatment, nor should we enable hurtful behaviour. Modelling the love of Christ might mean that we take time to understand their point of view, extend forgiveness or pray for their salvation.
In the New Testament, James reminds us to be patient when we find ourselves in such situations: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
Finally, unlike Im Sol, we do not have the privilege of travelling through time to change what has happened in the past.
Whether we’ve faced a loss of a loved one, experienced a breakup, or did poorly on an exam — these painful events often result in us wishing for a second chance to undo our mistakes.
But I wish to encourage you that God is at work amidst our struggles. Although we may never understand why we go through certain situations, God sees the bigger picture and is orchestrating everything by His perfect timing.
Our task is to place our trust in God during our struggles, knowing that He is making everything beautiful in His time.
