The Words of the Eu Family
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The Words of the Eu Family |
Translated by Rev. David Kwanil Hwang
From Tong-il Segye, July
1980
With
Mr. Eu looking on, Father writes the names of the 124 couples blessed
in 1963
It has been ten years since Mr. Eu began his life on the other side. With his unchanging faith and his consistent devotional life, he set himself up as a front-line bulwark in the early years of conflict and persecution in Korea and laid a good pattern for us.
He systematized and preached Father's words and wrote Explanation of the Principles in 1957 (the first printed work on the Divine Principle) and Discourse on The Principle in 1966 (translated into English as the Divine Principle). He died on July 24. 1970.
In his position as president of our family in Korea for 15 years, he wrote almost daily in his diary, reporting to Father and making a plan for the following day.
Lecturing all day to people whom Kyung Ku led to the center. Four people from Ewha University were expelled from the dormitory. I came downstairs and saw Kil Ja, Mong Sa, Mee Shik and Myung Jin eating. Everyone was smiling. After the evening service was over I tried to bring them to Mr. Yang's house to stay there. I was so impressed by their determination. I wrote a petition to the professors of the school at their request.
Fourteen students were expelled by the Ewha administration. The students seem to be very firm in faith. At 9:30. I asked Kil Ja and Mee Shik to come over for an interview with Seoul newspapers. I was lecturing to six new students from Ewha. I asked Teacher to talk to them while I was gone.
Today I determined to die seven times. In the evening, the newsmen came again, scurrying around, taking pictures of Teacher. Shortly afterwards, Investigator Oh and Chief Investigator Kim came over to ask Teacher to come to the station in order to tape an interview. Young Oon and I followed them. We went into different rooms. We were told to go back home. Mr. Oh almost pushed us to the gate. Our family was there. Then we went back with them. So I was right when I thought today was persecution day.
Teacher didn't come back. How could I sleep after leaving him alone there? I am just like Peter. After I had breakfast I felt more tired. I should go through persecution with Teacher. I lay down for a while. Tong Hi came in. He brought with him the newspaper Pyung Who. Our beloved was arrested. The time has come. Now we have to face what we are supposed to face. I'll be courageous. I took clothes and borrowing Mee Shik's umbrella, I went to look for our family at the station. By coincidence. I met Mr. No and Mr. Cho. They said they didn't know where Teacher is. Then we all went to a tea house. We bought all the newspapers. The story in the papers was very dirty, but through dirty things we can have fertilizer.
When I went to a special investigation room, I saw Won Pil being interrogated. Because of age problem, the investigator was slapping him. It was a different feeling from what I felt in the tearoom. We were interrogated for evading the draft and for illegally confining people. Sitting all day with an empty stomach, I even forgot about being tired. Mr. Cho took us to the restaurant. I followed too. I comforted our family, who looked like a flock without a shepherd. I don't know if this is the last entry in this diary. I took out the photos, and I don't know if they will be put back.
Can you die with your beloved? Can you forget the words of promise? Can you go over the hilt which you believe impossible to cross?
I talked all morning to the family. We went all together to be with Teacher.
I will go where my beloved goes.
Can
I go even to death?
We are made one body.
Can I go even
to hell together?
This is the way I am;
Who can stop
me?
I was waiting for Ho Young in the Dai Yang tea house until 3:00 and then I went to the investigation station. They interrogated all the family members about draft violation and illegally confining people.
After I preached the Sunday sermon, I went to a different room to give a lecture on Christology to Mr. Seuk. Even before I began to sweat, Investigator Oh and Chief Investigator Kim came to arrest me. So I changed clothes and prepared to go. When I got there, Hyo Min and Hyo Yung were there, being investigated. This evening, instead of Chung Hwa Pak, they tried to detain us. We petitioned to leave and were allowed to return to the church.
I encouraged Kyung Gu, Hwan Chai and the students from Ewha. I asked everybody to meet at Yang's house, with unity and love. At 4:30 I prepared for life in jail, and went to the investigation station. I also saw Sung Sil Choi being interrogated. He also was arrested. I was arrested at the East Gate station. When I looked at the prisoners through the iron gate, it reminded me of the Quo Vadis movie, when the people were waiting for their final day. I was put with one thief and one bureaucrat. I gave these young men new hope for the future.
I was sent by a detective to the Chong No station. Already Teacher and Sung Sil were there. Mr. Soo Kyung Lee brought a delicious gom stew and we ate it. When Teacher, Attorney Choi and the detective were going to take the taxi to the local court, many family members surrounded us. Hyo Min and Hyo Yang were with them too. Yung Suk Pak was looking at me very sympathetically. When we were almost ready to leave, one of my nephews called out, "Uncle, what happened to you?" He was crying. When the car left, he hit the window. Their faces looked at us with so much longing, so I told them there was nothing to worry about.
We became so tired, waiting in the Pigeon's Ground. Teacher's right wrist and my left wrist were bound tightly together. We were led to the examining room. Mr. Han, Mother Oak, Chong Bok, Han Yong, Hwan Chai and Kyung Gu were trying to follow us. We all ate the food brought by our family. When all six, including Sung Sil, were being bound together, Teacher said, "They are making us eternally inseparable. We determine to fight unto death." When I heard these words I was glad and happy. He looked at me and added, "Hyo Won, you are having a hard time, aren't you?" I told him, "Because of our mistakes, we got you into trouble as well." With 30 other prisoners, we were sent to the West Gate prison. Some time after midnight, we arrived at Building 6, Ward 9, Cell 380.
The day when we go to court seems like being in the worst of prisons. Seventy-four of us were packed into a room the size of two and a half straw mats. We were out of breath. Because we couldn't sit down in the Pigeon's Place, we had to stay in this hot room. We waited all day without being examined.
Today we were called early. All the family was waiting. They had come over. I could see Chae Gun and Mahn Choon Cha seated waiting for us. I was glad to see them. Grandma was patting my back again. I signed the Principle which I wrote and expressed my feelings to the secretary. For four consecutive days, our family brought us a very light lunch. I was very impressed by such a tearful effort. But my stomach hurt and I felt sorry that I couldn't eat. Again, as on the first day, five of us were bound together with Teacher and were sent before Judge Kang. All family members were with us, too. I said to myself, "Bind us together forever."
Son Yung Sohn touched me. I asked him to greet Teacher. Teacher told him, "Pray a lot." When we got into the car, they didn't let us sit next to the window. I couldn't understand how their minds could be so hard. I saw that some investigators were envious of our passionate love and our family's efforts. They are our strength and shelter. Kwang Yul's brother-in-law came to visit us. I couldn't forget the impression of a lady waving her hands beside Kae Sun. Why couldn't I remember her name? This is my shortcoming. Mr. Choi came over, but I couldn't see him. Chung Su Choi came from Wan Ju, greeting me with tears. They were our family who wanted to share our persecution.
So finally 22 days passed since our arrest, and we were brought to trial. The first trial was at 10:00 at the local courtroom in Seoul, courtroom 4. The judge was Hak No Yoon. He was actually the chief judge. In the afternoon session, Judge Se Yong Kang gave the following sentence: "'Teacher, 2 years; Hyo Won, 2 years; the other members, 1 year each."
In the morning, the bamboo pen broke. Kyung Gyu Yoo came to visit us. He told us, "With Teacher you are all going to be released today." But we were still in a very uncertain mood. In the evening, Won Pil Kim, looking out through his window cried out, "This evening?" "Yes," I answered with a loud voice, but I wasn't sure. Thirty minutes later, there was still no news, and we went to bed. After we fell asleep, we finally heard the rattling noise of a door being opened and somebody shouting, "380, come out with your belongings."
Chang Whan Lee was helping us pack. I gave him underwear, shirts and socks. More than ten came out, but I couldn't see Teacher. When I went to his room 29, he was already looking in my direction. I said, "Why only me?" Teacher said, "Go as quickly as possible; that's the way it is." But I couldn't turn away. I shed tears. I wanted to go back in. When I came out of jail, I saw Soo Yung. When Wol Sun greeted me, Tong Suk held my hands very tightly. We returned to the church by jeep. There were Hyun Sil, Chung Sook, Ok Bong, Un Ja Hwang, Tong Chol's mother, Young Oon Kim, Kwang Yul and Bang Ul Kim.
Exactly three months have passed since Teacher was put into jail. Today was 86 days since I went to jail. By a taxi which Chu Ha Kim called, Rev. Chung Soo Lee, Chung Hwa Han and I went to the local court. Some of our family were already there. Sun Hwa greeted us. She looked so pleasant. We were sent by truck. Then I saw Hyo Yun and Hy Min. Won Pil was also in the same truck. Teacher was in the next vehicle. At 10:00 the court began its session. I took off my jacket. taking the same form as Teacher did. Chief Judge Hak No Yoon proclaimed that Teacher was innocent. I was fined 5,000 won. All the others were given eight months sentence.
With Elder Chung leading, Young Oon, Rev. Lee, Soon Hwa Kim, Chu Hwa Kim and Kyung Kyu went to the Korea Restaurant and ate. After we had supper, we went to see Teacher, accompanied by Soon Ha Kim and Chung Hwa Hang, who are students from Wan Joo. At 9:40 Teacher came out. In order to go home, we rented a bus. I felt depressed when I didn't see the Ewha students there. Right after Teacher's prayer, we all sang, "The Song of the Garden" and then we continued listening to his words.
Today is the day we move to the Chung-pa Dong church. While we were packing, Tae Hwan Yum came to escort Teacher to the new place. I came in first. The hall was much bigger and the room was very useful. The door and everything was very old. I prepared the bed and lay down.
We had a celebration for Teacher's release. After 6:00 in the afternoon, we began a welcome party upstairs. We prepared very simple food: bon-bon pastries and some apples. Each person received one apple and some pastries. All by himself, Teacher carried a sack around and distributed food to each person. The gift was cheap and at the same time rich. Especially Kwang Yol Yoo's poetry was very impressive. A very passionate poem of Wong Bo Choi was recited. Teacher also sang some angel's song and explained the passionate poem. I also read the eight phrases I wrote in prison.