The Words of the Kim Family from 2009 and 2010
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The Words of the Kim Family from 2009 and 2010 |
Dae Yeol Kim is the main photographer for the movement (and for True Parents) here in Korea. As he observed and photographed Hyung-jin nim making a strong spiritual effort to help the movement grow, he came to a realization that led to some good results: He found thirteen spiritual children in 2009.
Question: How did you become a photographer for True Parents and our church?
I dropped out of school when I was in the seventh grade and began working at a photo studio in order to become a photographer. I had been working as one for twelve years when I received the blessing with the 6,000-couple blessing group.
The fact that I'm allowed to take pictures of True Parents, though I may not be as devoted -- in mind and body -- as I should be, is in itself a great honor for our family and for my descendants to come. For this I am very grateful to God, True Father and True Mother. I take photographs of True Parents, of the activities they are involved in, of the activities of our international president and other True Children and their children and of those involved in the Unification movement. I am fully dedicated to my work. I feel pride and dignity because I am recording the history of the Unification Church through photographs.
Question: What about your faith and witnessing?
I believe the essence of a life of faith is for the individual to make effort to cultivate the character of a saint within himself, and for the husband and wife to become one centered on God's will, and for the children to become one to make an ideal, happy family.
After I joined the Unification Church, I went out witnessing when I was young, but since I started working for the Korean church headquarters, with the excuse that I was busy, I hadn't done much witnessing.
In the course of my work I was called to take photographs at the Headquarters Church where Hyung-jin nim was the senior pastor. I would hear Hyung-jin nim speak, and observing him through the camera lens, my heart was touched very deeply. When I heard Hyung-jin nim witnessing about True Parents to the Headquarters Church congregation, I was so moved that there were times when I had to hide my face behind my camera because I couldn't stop my tears. From then on, I felt, Oh, I must start witnessing.
Question: How did you go about that?
I made a witnessing list -- all the people I've known for a long time. I wrote their names in order of how close I felt to them and went to find them one by one, to witness to them. Many were people who had been my friends since long ago. I had sometimes asked them to come to our church, and maybe they had come once but then not again. Because I had been busy over the years with my mission, I had not been able to meet them very much. Then of course people hear a lot of false information about the Unification Church and think those things are true. So the best way was for me to bring them to the church so they could see for themselves. I keep speaking with my contacts, inviting them to come; then someday the chance may arise to bring them.
I could tell them the church had changed a lot. I told them, "In our services, we honor the great religious founders, and verses from the Christian Bible, the Koran, from Confucius and the Buddha are read at the beginning of the service. So let's go together once."
My Buddhist friend came in this way, and that very day a Buddhist monk was attending the service. It was a perfect coincidence. This friend is someone I have known for thirty years, a fellow photographer.
It worked out. He saw our international president giving the service. Hyung-jin nim's purity and clarity caught his heart. He began to attend the church and now he comes regularly.
Another person who now works in the dining room here in the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung also joined. She is from the Catholic Church. Her husband came first and then the wife, and now their son is coming.
The important thing was that I did not just call these old friends and suggest they come; I went and brought them personally to the church. I don't think about trying to persuade or convince people; I think the responsibility of the one who witnesses is to let their contact experience the service and feel it for themselves.
I believe that instead of going out with the idea of converting someone, we should talk with people. In the past Father said that when he met someone, he would think, "When will I ever meet this person again?" That first meeting is when we should say all we want to say. Father has often said such things. In the same way, we should now confidently speak to anyone we meet.
It is my responsibility to speak. Whether the person listens or not is his or her responsibility. It is our responsibility to convey the message by whatever means, and I believe the spirit world will cooperate to guide people to the church on that basis. So it is not just us; it is done together with the spirit world.
Question: Did you find your initial efforts gave you momentum?
Yes. Nowadays, wherever I go -- for example, to a restaurant -- I try to leave an impression. So I might say, after a visit or two, Oh, I am an Unificationist. I am True Parents' photographer.
I tell them I have worked in close proximity to True Parents for twenty-four years. I say, if there is something you have been wondering about regarding the Unification Church, please ask me.
As you can imagine, people ask me things. And when they ask, I give them answers. For example, I might explain how people participate in the blessing. And so we become friends.
If we become close, although they may be living outside the city and there are Unification churches in other cities, I try to bring them to Cheon Bok Gung in Seoul. It is quite special here. When people come here they feel immediately connected. After they experience it, they feel the different atmosphere. They may see, for example, that the service is not so different from a Christian service and little by little come to feel one with the teachings.
Some people who have only recently joined brought other people to the service, even though they don't know so much about our church yet; they have an unconditional heart. One person who was invited by someone who recently began attending has completed the initial six-week course of basic education offered at Cheon Bok Gung.
Question: How do you find having your office actually inside Cheon Bok Gung?
This new church is big, so that's good. It was hard to bring people with very high status in society to some of our churches because they were so small. Even if the sermon was good, the guest would see a small and impoverished church and would not be inspired by the environment. That made it hard to have confidence to bring such people to church.
Now we have this big location with its big sanctuary. It's very beautiful, and good things are being said and taught here. That gives members' confidence to witness.
Question: Hyung-jin nim makes strong conditions for the providence. I am curious about how much you embrace this aspect of religious life.
The international president is here. Before my office moved here, I could not have a skin-touch experience with his ministry. Nov, as I see what our pastor is doing with my own eyes, I am thinking, Oh, we members must also do this.
I had been working hard taking photographs, even traveling with True Parents on their world tours, but I had not been one of those who made such conditions. But working here at the church, attending our international president, seeing the continuous effort he is making -- including, for example, the 21,000- bow condition -- I came to feel, Oh I must try to do something like this too. Maybe I too could do this. Maybe I could also go to the early morning prayer service.
I am giving it a try. I am coming to the early morning prayer service. And I'm receiving heavenly grace, and the feeling that I can do this. As I gain that kind of confidence, I am gaining in power for my activities. My thoughts that I can do this, I must do this, are translating into action.
My colleagues thought at first that those special conditions are for the higher-ups to do, but my younger colleagues are beginning to change. This all comes from a desire to emulate the lifestyle of our international president -- even if they only do a fraction of what he does. They want to unite with him and walk on the same path. It's not being forced on them; they are observing, feeling and motivating themselves.
Question: Do you feel changed by your experience?
Through witnessing, I've learned about a new love. I feel the urge to give everything I have and to live for others, and I always want to be with them. I've also come to discover myself anew. By thinking of my spiritual children, I inherit the heart of God and of True Parents and feel God's true love.