Landing Upside Down (A Korean Family Joins the Bruderhof)

Sunghoon Park is a successful publisher in South Korea, and his wife, SoonOk, directs a daycare center. They hear of a Christian intentional community in New York whose values and lifestyle seem too good to be true. A crisis of faith compels them to travel across the world to see if it is. 

The Bruderhof, the Parks find, really is an upside-down country. Elsewhere, well-educated, capable, wealthy, and healthy people are valued, but here the sick and weak receive more love. There are smart and capable people here as well, but that isn't as important. Whether you’re a CEO, doctor, lawyer, accountant, teacher, electrician, plumber, carpenter, farmer, factory worker, or cleaner, are all brothers and sisters, none is paid, and each is needed. Is it possible to become free from the power of money by laying down one’s possessions and sharing them? 

In this rare glimpse into a unique community, Sunghoon Park recounts adventures and misadventures from his family’s first years as members of the Bruderhof. Weaving personal anecdotes to illustrate the community’s beliefs, history, and traditions, he gives a cultural outsider’s description of the group’s daily life that is both candid and humorous. This book is an excellent introduction to the Bruderhof community, as well as a valuable reflection on how churches might bring their values more in line with the gospel.