By Bhojraj Bhatta

Born in a remote island, Kim Dae-jung made his way up to the highest office in the nation but his journey was full of ups and downs. For him to say that his life was full of ups and downs is a very mild way of putting the perilous journey in a lighter tone.

His was a journey filled with sufferings and death itself. But his dedication and idealism for democracy in his homeland paid off at last and he became the democratically elected president, brought his nation out of the Asian economic crisis and succeeded in reconciling the two Koreas after a half a century of hostility.

It was during his administration that the world actually got to know what Korea is really like; the resilient spirit of Korea was personified in the life of Kim Dae-jung.

The Nobel Peace Prize added just a little flavor to a man whose life was an aroma of inspiration for any aspiring politician and civil servant. He carried this aroma of inspiration around him primarily because of his strong faith in God as a devout Catholic which undergirded his moral convictions that man must live to love God and serve fellow human beings.

Such faith in God sprang from a tragedy when his first wife died suddenly leaving him behind with two young sons. His faith was again tested and affirmed when he was kidnapped from a hotel in Tokyo, bound and bundled in a boat to be drowned at sea by the Korean secret servicemen.

In that moment of death, he encountered Christ and, miraculously, with the help of the U.S. government, was spared from drowning. With this strong Christian conviction, in a culture where bribery, corruption and power grabs are considered normal, Kim exhibited a different moral standard of humility, forgiveness and reconciliation.

His second marriage to a strong Christian activist only strengthened the faith that had already led him through many troubles.

In retrospect, one can say that President Kim was a successful man who lived his life to the full.

On Jan. 11, 2009, six months prior to his death, he wrote, ``The relationship with my wife is now the best it has been since we got married. I love and look up to my wife. If it wasn't for my wife, it would have been hard for me to stand where I am right now. But I can't imagine myself without her, even at this point of time. I pray every day to God that we could live happily together for a long time."

At this age he says ``the relationship with my wife is now the best it has been since we got married," and he prays everyday that God would allow them to ``live happily together for a long time."

Sadly, his wish to live happily together for a long time with his wife lasted only about six months in this world, and God willing, eternity awaits them for that. But here is a lesson for us who are still much younger than Kim to make that wish come true. As we come to the end of our life in this world, it is wife and husband that will matter most.

Sometimes, when we are in pursuit of ambitions, it is easy to neglect this part of life. Our stupidity, selfishness and greed may destroy all the beauty of a marriage and a home. But from the life of a man whose life was never free from the challenges and dangers, at 85, he tells us that he never forgot who mattered the most in his life.

As he grew older, his love for his wife grew deeper as his prayer tells it all. He died as a man who loved his wife and reaped life full of contentment; he died with no regrets.

Surely, he was not an angel or a saint, in their marriage they may have had their fair share of struggles, but judging from his words, it is easy to see the heart of a man who truly loved his wife and if given a chance for another life would have asked for no other person.

From Kim's diary, if there is one thing we need to learn, it is to have a hope for the better days ahead of us. At the age of 85 he hopes and prays for a happy life together with his wife for a long time to come.

For those of us who are still younger, let us not leave such wishes and hopes for old age. Let us live and love while we still have many days in our hands.

Bhojraj Bhatta is a pastor and Ph.D. candidate at Asia Life University in Daejeon. He can be reached at brbhatta@yahoo.com.