To Die Is To Gain

by Joseph Yosuk Lee

Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights leader during the 1960's, once said, "If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live." Is anyone willing to die for something? Martin Luther King, Jr. became a Baptist minister at the age of 17. Gerrit Besteman, a research assistant at Christian Research Institute, quoted that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was part of the Progressive National Baptist Convention which was formed in 1961 and was considered to be orthodox. Thus, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Christian, who lost his life as he fought for the political justice of the African-American race. He helped improve the living standards of his people by advocating equal rights for them and by leading a nonviolent campaign against the racial oppression in the United States.

Despite the racism between the Korean and African-American people, both races have a lot in common. Before World War II, the Japanese Imperialists occupied the Korean peninsula. So, the Korean people fought their oppressors through peaceful and violent campaigns. Many non-Christians and Christians in Korea were killed. The Japanese Imperialists killed many children and raped many women in Korea. They also persecuted many Christians in Korea by crushing their spirits and ordered many Christians to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ by stepping on the portrait of Jesus Christ on the ground. As a result, 2000 Christians in Korea lost their lives. Let us read this following verse.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

After World War II, the Korean people gained their independence while during the 60's, the African-American people gained their civil right. Many Koreans were so inspired by the martyrs who died for Christ during the occupation that they decided to become Christians. Many Christians in Korea take a lot of pride in their faith thinking that they are better Christians than the Americans or the Europeans. However, I would still like to ask you this question. Would you have stepped on the portrait of Jesus Christ if you were born in Korea during the Japanese Occupation or the Korean War? Anyway, let me tell you a rumor that may not have happened during the Korean War although I have some references to prove the story to be true. There was a North Korean Communist soldier, who asked everyone in a particular church to spit on the portrait of Jesus Christ, and four people at that church did spit on the portrait except for one little Korean girl. Although she knew that she could lose her life, she wiped the spit from the portrait with her dress and said that she would be willing to die. The North Korean Communist soldier was so touched by the little Korean girl and decided to execute the four hypocrites who did spit on the portrait and let the little Korean girl live.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Mark 8:35

Do you have the faith of the little Korean girl? Even though I may not know my answer, I hope I do have her faith. Martin Luther King, Jr. probably did his best to love the white majority even though many would despise him because he was an African-American. If every Christian were to be the Christian martyrs in Korea who lost their lives by not stepping on the portrait of Jesus, then they would be much better witnesses of what Christ has done for us on the cross.

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