"God Spoke to Me in Language of Love"
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March 15, 2015 |
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Doctor Mikyoung Kim is a professor and an art historian who loves and cherishes Korean fine art. She recently received a blessing that her thesis was published online on the website of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. She was the first Korean whose thesis was on the MoMA website. Nowadays she is focused on the Dr. Jaerock Lee's sermons and prayer aside from her research. Here is our interview with her.
Dr. Mikyoung Kim, Parish 19
2015 She is the first Korean art historian whose thesis was web-published on the website of Museum of Modern Art in New York which is one of the major art galleries in the world. -Title: "Expressions without Freedom: Korean Experimental Art in the 1960s and 1970s"
Ha Jong Hyun Art Prize for an art critic (2014)
Director of the Korean Art Research Institute (2006-Present)
Professor of Art History at Kangnam University (1989-Present)
Visiting Professor in University of California in Berkeley, CA
Q. How were you guided to this church?
Sister Jihye Hwang was one of my lecture class students. She gave me Dr. Jaerock Lee's book The Message of the Cross. She gave me one of his books every two weeks. I was curious about the books and read around ten of them. I also listened to his lectures on Genesis and Revelation.
I had attended Presbyterian churches in Korea and Baptist churches in the U.S. so at first the lectures were new to me. But it intrigued me a lot. Then I learned more about Manmin Central Church. In 2012, I also came to receive Dr. Lee's prayer with my daughter since I had heard that his prayer is very powerful. Then two years passed and God guided me to the church in earnest.
At that time I started a research project that I had been interested in. As the project succeeded, I wanted to go further. I wanted to establish a research center that can hold workshop meetings on art works that encompasses planning their exhibition and exhibiting them. But in the course I was put in a great financial trouble. Right then Professor Youngkeol Choi visited my school to give a special lecture. I talked with him about Manmin Central Church and Senior Pastor Dr. Lee. Then I wanted to visit the church again and with longing I revisited to receive his prayer.
Q. What did Dr. Jaerock Lee pray for when you met with him?
In June 2014, I came to Senior Pastor to receive his prayer for solving my financial problem. He didn't say anything but "Enter the spiritual world quickly."
I thought I was a person of spirit, which is a really haughty thought. I had belonged to Presbyterian churches of which main focus is on the law and doctrine and I had put emphasis on 'spirit' all the time. But I changed my thinking quickly. I thought, 'If he said so, I have not been a person of spirit. I should think about it again.'
For the following six months, all my problems were all resolved. In the meantime, God let me feel that all series of the blessings never happened by coincidence. I experienced God's work on the last day of my 100-day-vowed prayer and felt His presence. All my problems were addressed in ways that were totally unexpected and God answered me with even greater things.
Q. How is your Christian life these days?
Honestly I found it hard for me to attend Daniel Prayer Meeting that started at 9 P.M. every night. I had been used to going to Early Morning Prayer, so I used to wake up at 4:30 A.M. and sleep by 11 P.M. My life pattern was changed by attending Daniel Prayer Meeting. I was always drowsy for the first six months. But it was amazing that I did not want to stop. By the time of the seventh month, I was used to the pattern. I was no longer tired and came to be full of the Spirit even with a little sleep.
In Manmin Central Church, I can't see any jealousy and envy among the members. Of course, there should not be jealousy and envy in churches but I had seen many churches where the members were jealous and formed factions. I wondered how it could happen in Manmin and listened to Senior Pastor's messages such as 'Spirit, Soul, and Body', 'Love Chapter,' 'Voice, Urging, and Guidance of the Holy Spirit', and 'Lectures on Job'. I felt like I found precious jewels sprawled on a gigantic sand field and strung them together. For me they came together like a gigantic whole thing. I have been constantly looking for more and stringing them too.
Q. You are the first Korean artist whose thesis was published on the website of Museum of Modern Art in New York. Could you tell us the story?
While I was suffering from the problem, I received Ha Jong Hyun Art Prize. This prize has been given to very influential artists and art critics in Korea… and I received it! It was reported by a daily newspaper with my photo. Sister Hwang, my student, took the news article to Senior Pastor and showed it to him. She said to him, "The professor who received your prayer before earned a great prize." Then he rejoiced, and he laid his hand on the picture and gave prayer of blessing to God. But I did not know it at that time.
In February 2014, after hearing that I had been selected as the Ha Jong Hyun Art Prize winner, I participated in the exhibition in the Para Site Art Gallery in Hong Kong, and it was about performative tendencies in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan in the 1960s. I also presented my doctoral thesis in English at the Asia Art Archive which is an art research center in Hong Kong. It was a seminar with a discussion session. I gave a lecture based on my thesis with exhibition pictures and brought up related issues worthy of discussion. Next day, I received a call from Museum of Modern Art in New York.
They said they had heard about my lecture in Hong Kong and asked me to give a lecture for scholars of MoMA and other invitees. My doctoral thesis was first published in 2000. It was the very first thesis in Korea that covered Korean contemporary art. It brought great change to Korean contemporary art.
In April, 2014, I visited the Museum of Modern Art and presented a lecture before many directors and curators and led discussion. Then after final editing of the thesis during the ensuing six months, it was published online on the website of MoMA in February 2015.
I had wanted to share my thesis with the world for a long time, and now I was blessed to achieve my hope by the prayer of Senior Pastor on my picture.
Q. What is your dream and vision?
I am grateful because I have realized that God guided me to this church for my soul's salvation. I thought I had been saved and that I was a spiritual person. Because God knew I was not, He led me to this church so that I can become a real person of spirit.
I had studied and done my research for fifteen hours a day before. But nowadays my research topic is Senior Pastor's message. I listen to them taking notes. I cannot fathom what kind of fruit will be borne through this research of mine.
I had thought I could please God by studying more, but now I want to destroy all lofty knowledge raised up against the love of God without assuming anything. I would like to just achieve the duty that God gives me in prayer. I will consider it the top priority in my life.
I want to hear about what God wants every moment and follow His guidance step by step. And in the final moment, I want to say to Him, "God, I have obeyed You." It is my vision and hope.
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