Reflections on Peter Kim’s Recent “Memories” Book

Dr. David Hanna’s reflections 4th Dec. 2024, on the recently published book by Peter Kim titled “Memories of Grace – A Life of Attendance to True Parents”

A speech Dr. David Hanna, head of the North European subregion of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, gave at an international prayer meeting on Zoom 4th December 2024. Slightly edited.

Greetings from all of us here in the North Europe region. […]

I’ve just been reading the recently published book by Dr. Peter Kim. It’s called “Memories of Grace – A Life of Attendance to True Parents”.

*Father and Mother Moon with Kim Il-sung in Heungnam, North Korea 6th Dec. 1991. Photo: FFWPU*

This collection of stories about his life close to the True Parents begins with their visit to North Korea and meeting with Kim Il-sung. That took place at the end of November 1991, which is exactly 33 years ago.

He speaks of how frightened both he and Dr. Bo-hi Pak were when True Father spoke so loudly, strongly and at length, thumping the table as he exposed to the top aids of the President the flaws in the North Korean Juche ideology.

Dr. Pak and Dr. Kim had arranged this meeting, and now their hosts were extremely upset. These two were held back and forced to apologise profusely while the others went off for another tour of a memorial honouring the Kim dynasty.

Father, though, had no fear. He was not interested in seeing North Korean sights, and it wasn’t even a priority for him to visit his family. Rather, he felt he was there to do God‘s will and that meant to speak out. This might be the only opportunity for him to do so.

You also get in these stories the impression that True Mother was calm and felt no fear. Peter Kim recalls how she could on occasion make some joke to diffuse the understandable tension in True Parents’ party. One time she called them all to her room early one morning to speak to the True Parents. She was playing music on a cassette player that she had brought with her, deliberately and wisely doing that to make their conversation difficult to follow for those North Korean agents who had planted listening devices in all the rooms.

As well as speaking out when necessary, True Father also advises the others to be compliant and go along to watch yet another North Korean propaganda film, and one time very early in the morning.

In the end, they are the guests, and they have to respect their hosts. And this they did, even though it tested them to their limits.

My overriding feeling or realisation when reading Peter Kim‘s account is twofold. Firstly, that our work is real. The work we are called to engage in at this crossing point of good and evil is real. It’s real and absolutely necessary.

Now that has not changed and it’s something that we can all unite around without fear.

Secondly, and related to that, is that through our True Parents, God‘s will is made known to us. Responding to and fulfilling God‘s will is what I or we should focus on with clarity and determination.

And that spirit of carpe diem, seizing the day or seizing the moment.

The Chambumo Gyeong (often translated as the “Holy Scriptures of the True Parents“) is a significant text of the Family Federation, which compiles teachings and speeches by Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han, the co-founders of the movement. Photo: FFWPU

We can say that the North Korean ideology is a Cain-type ideology. Even if democracy is then the Abel-type ideology, these both are brother or sibling ideologies. True Father puts it this way in Champumo Gyeong Chapter 1, Section 4, and it’s spoken in 1992. [Editor’s note: incomplete source]

He says,

“Democracy is a sibling ideology. It is not parentism. Siblings compete and fight to get what they want. They fight because they have no parents to be centred on. That is why humankind must turn to parentism. True Parents need to come in order to solve the problems throughout the world that came into existence due to the sibling ideology.”

It’s clear from Peter Kim‘s account that the True Parents offered the proposal and had it in their minds to stand as the “parental mediators” between the North and South Korean leaders at the time. And they were ready to do that as soon as practically possible.

There was no opportunity immediately following the True Parents‘ life-risking journey into the heart of North Korea. But for sure there will be further opportunities for “parentism” to bring reconciliation.

Wherever there is conflict and a clash of ideologies, let us pray that our Heavenly Parent may grant true parental wisdom to those in a position to stand as peacemakers.

I wish you all the very best and may you have a truly successful week ahead. God bless you.

Featured image above: The front cover page of Peter Kim‘s 2024-book “Memories of Grace – A Life of Attendance to True Parents”.

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