Rev. Sun Myung Moon
As a Peace-loving Global Citizen is the autobiography of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Movement. It was published in 2009 in both Korean and English by Gimm-Young Publishers of Seoul, South Korea. The book was released in South Korea on March 9, 2009 and debuted at #3 on the Businesss bestseller's list. It has ranked in various bestseller lists since then and was ranked 15th on the General bestseller's list as of October 14, 2009.
CHAPTER FOUR - Why We Work Globally
Paying the Ultimate Price
to Follow God’s Path
to Follow God’s Path
As soon as I was released from Seodaemun Prison, I went to the Gabsa Buddhist temple on Mount Gyeroung in Choongcheong Province. I needed to heal the wounds from my torture in Seodaemun Prison. Also, I needed a forest where I could pray and think about the future of our church. This was not long after the end of the Korean War, and just finding enough food to survive was often a difficult task. Despite such short-term difficulties, however, it was important that I make plans for the longer term. We still did not have a church large enough to hold all our members for service, but I felt it was important to spend some time looking out into the distant future.
Following the collapse of Japanese colonial rule and the liberation of Korea in 1945, the two countries had not established diplomatic relations. Japan had not recognized the government in Seoul, and Korea considered Japan an enemy country. My belief was that, when the situation of the world was considered, it was important for the two countries to resume contacts. A number of attempts were made to send a missionary to Japan, but these were unsuccessful. In the end, it was Bong Choon Choi who accomplished this task.
In 1958, I called Bong Choon Choi to meet me on the mountain behind the Gabsa temple.
“You need to go immediately to Japan. You will not be able to return to Korea until you have succeeded.”
Following the collapse of Japanese colonial rule and the liberation of Korea in 1945, the two countries had not established diplomatic relations. Japan had not recognized the government in Seoul, and Korea considered Japan an enemy country. My belief was that, when the situation of the world was considered, it was important for the two countries to resume contacts. A number of attempts were made to send a missionary to Japan, but these were unsuccessful. In the end, it was Bong Choon Choi who accomplished this task.
In 1958, I called Bong Choon Choi to meet me on the mountain behind the Gabsa temple.
“You need to go immediately to Japan. You will not be able to return to Korea until you have succeeded.”
“Yes!” he replied, without hesitation.
The two of us then sang the Korean Christian hymn whose words begin:
Called of God, we honor the call;
Lord, we’ll go wherever you say.
Lord, we’ll go wherever you say.
