he world drinks to forget, but we drink to remember." This remark clearly distinguishes the Adventist Church from the rest of the world. People drink to be relieved of their stress. They drink to forget. But there are those who drink to remember. The Adventists. “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Cor. 11:26, NIV). Whenever we drink of the cup of Communion, we remind ourselves of the Lord’s death on our behalf and His second coming that will occur shortly. Yes, we drink to remember.

The pioneers of the Adventist Church often referred to the Second Coming as “the blessed hope."

Remembering this hope, we are overwhelmed with a great expectation. We are thrilled and our hearts palpitate. This hope has been the core of life for the Korean church and its members for almost a century of mission. It is this hope that kept their financial dedication unshaken amid the recent national economic crisis, following the Adventist Church’s long tradition of getting tougher when the going gets rough.

Because of this hope, our young people willingly go through trials in compulsory military service and dismissals from their jobs as they strive to uphold the Sabbath. Because of this hope, Korean Adventists send their children to Adventist schools rather than public schools, despite the costs they have to cover. Because of this hope, certain church members have even offered their own homes to the Lord for the building of a church.

   This hope is now driving the faithful of the Korean Adventist Church to pray fervently for the gospel to spread in North Korea—as Korea is the only divided nation in the world—and to gather funds in preparation for the opening of North Korea’s door. Further, this hope is leading all the saints to pray passionately for the dream of evangelizing China, which has the largest population in the world. This is the very hope that supplies new vitality to the Korean church as it looks forward to its centennial that is soon to come. All the plans and occasions of the church are focused on it. This is the hope that is orienting our congregations, schools, language institutes, food factories, the publishing house, and all other institutions toward mission work.

Because of the hope of the Advent, Korean Adventists are different from the world. They dress and play differently. Their lifestyle is also different, and so is their day of worship. They feed and teach their children differently. Treatment of diseases is different as well. They are distinct. Their attire is simple, with almost no jewelry or adornments. They don’t dye their hair with odd colors, nor do they wear ornaments on their ears or noses. Their homes are built with simplicity, because they are a people ready to leave. What makes them so different in every way is that “blessed hope."

Recently Korean Adventists developed a new way of greeting people that will bring the imminent Second Advent home to them. Whether it be a superintendent of the Sabbath school or the preacher, he or she starts the worship program by greeting the congregation with “Maranatha! The Lord is coming," and the congregation responds “Let’s get ready." Church members also greet one another in the same way. A certain Adventist couple named their son “Second Advent" so they could always hold the thought of Christ’s second coming in their hearts. Whenever we hear his name, we remember that great hope, the “blessed hope" of Adventists around the world, Christ’s second coming. We are, after all, Adventists.

Adventists are happy because of the hope of the Advent. Francis of Assisi declared, “It is sin for a Christian to lament." But it is more so for Adventists, because of the “blessed hope." I am proud of our Adventists who have this hope and am happy to be in that congregation. And it is my constant desire—and that of 160,000 Korean Adventists—that the day will come soon when the faithful of the world, with hearts beating with one hope, can meet and have fellowship with one another.

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Shin Kei-Hoon is the president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Korea.