Tear Down This Wall

It was on June 12, 1987 that Ronald Reagan, arguably the most powerful man in the world at the time, told Mr. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. The General Secretary of the Communist Party was stunned by the rhetoric and his countrymen called it war mongering. Chief of Staff Howard Baker and National Security Advisor Colin Powell agreed that the statement was “extreme” and “unpresidential” but President Reagan said “I think I’ll leave it in”. As Reagan looked over the wall that day he knew that the wall would come down and the people would be set free. Twenty nine months later the wall was opened and soon the communist governments of Eastern Europe collapsed.

On December 25th, 2009 Robert Park a man with little power told Kim Jong-Il to tear down the wall of North Korea. As he crossed the border he spoke in fluent Korean “I am an American citizen, bringing God’s love. God loves you”. He brought letters asking that the borders be opened so that food, medicine and necessities could be brought in so that the people could survive. He asked that the concentration camps would be closed and the political prisoners set free. I believe that as Robert Park crossed the border on Christmas day that he believed that the wall would come down and the people would be set free.

I first met Robert Park several years ago. I was impressed with the young Korean-American because he loved to pray for people. When he met me he asked if we could pray. When you pray with Robert you sense his heart of compassion and his desire to connect with God. Robert never would ask me for anything for himself. For those of you that know missionaries this is unusual, as they usually need to raise support for themselves. I would take Robert to lunch and he would eat little or nothing. He never seemed to have a concern for himself he was only interested in the needs of others. A couple of years ago he began to get a burden for the North Korean people. He began to send me information about their suffering and he introduced me to Korean-American professionals that were working to bring medical aid and food to the starving people in NK. He then moved to South Korea to minister to the refugees. I could tell over the last few months that Robert’s heart was breaking as he ministered to the refugees and he chose on Christmas day to risk his life for them.

Some would say that Robert Park is an “extremist” and that his detention in North Korea is just what he deserves. Robert has said that he doesn’t want President Obama to get him out, that he wants the North Korean people to be free and that he is willing to die for them. Then what is the difference between a Christian like Robert Park and an Islamic extremist like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who tried to bring down an American jet with a bomb in his underpants? An Islamic extremist will “martyr” himself so that other innocent people might die with him. A Christian will give his life so that other people might live.

I urge you to contact your congressional representative, your senator and the state department and tell them that you would like to see the wall come down in North Korea and the people freed. If not now when, if not you then who will stand for them?