Plea to Young American Moonies - Sung Am Moon

New York City

My dear younger brothers and sisters,

This is the time for the second generation to lead our church and this society. I am looking for a young person who can take my position as Vice-President of World CARP. I am not sufficiently qualified to lead young people at the world wide level.

If an unqualified person has a position of leadership, he can destroy not only people under him, he can defile himself as well. Therefore, I am asking you, "Please challenge me. Please take my position and lead our church to save this country. Please!"

While traveling throughout America, I met an older church member in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a daughter who is attending university and she volunteered to join the World CARP Special Task Force witnessing team. At first, as a parent, he did not want his daughter to join the mobile witnessing team. However, after some time he realized that when he was young, he had listened to lectures on Divine Principle and without hesitation joined our movement. Naturally, he had to leave his own parents. Only now did he realize how his behavior had affected his own parents' heart and mind. He was facing the same situation, but now as a parent, not as a child. What historic irony!

He thought to himself, "I could accept my own life of suffering, because it came from a decision I made myself. Nevertheless, I do not want my children to go the suffering way, even though they may choose this way themselves." This is the heart of a parent!

As second generation, will you choose the more difficult way or the easy way? A British proverb says, if you love your children then give them many experiences in traveling abroad. To successfully build strong character in our children, we should let them learn how to endure and overcome difficult situations. Without this kind of spirit, the British could never have dominated the whole world.

In Japan, some parents do not let their children wear long pants even in the winter; they only wear short pants. Why did this kind of custom come into practice? Is it because Japanese parents don't love their children? I don't think so. In this light, let's examine the Unification Church tradition for raising children. How can we mature our children? Do we have to keep them protected in greenhouses? Some of our blessed children don't want or don't know how to have relationships with people in the outside world. It is as if they are shouting under a blanket while isolated at home. They are frightened of this society. They do not want to go outside our church, so we have to push them out into this society; out from our UC greenhouses.

Dear brothers and sisters, are you really proud that you are a "Moonie," or are you ashamed of your relationship to our church? We have to talk about this subject frankly and openly. If you have a shameful mind, please reexamine your original commitment for joining this movement and the benefits you've gained by being part of this UC family. If you cannot develop a sense of pride, then it is my sincere suggestion to you leave our church. It will be better for you and for the movement.

If you stay in our church with a shameful mind, it brings spiritually unhealthy results. You are just wasting your precious time. Instead, please go and dedicate yourself to help build a better society. That would be more productive for both you and for our church. Staying in our church without sincerity and confidence, and without living the Divine Principle, is harmful for you. Moreover, this attitude affects other members like a contagious infection.

Young members can easily criticize and evaluate the results of the first generation; but they may criticize without ever having had the experience to love their own brothers and sisters, or without crying for this suffering world. We should not criticize ourselves. No one should criticize or publicly evaluate another person in our church; only True Parents can do this. We know that criticism brings more criticism; but love also generates more love.

Now it is the time to actualize a true love movement. Yet, without loving our brothers and sisters, we are trying to witness to other people. What vanity! Without loving our children, we are trying to save this world. How stupid we are! We were looking outside for some treasure, but it was right before our eyes. The family is where the Kingdom of God is. We have to realize the precious value of each brother and sister. If there is no love between members in our church, even if we have had good witnessing results, new members will soon leave. This is like trying to grab water with open fingers.

When we love each other, we can share everything with others. Sharing our joy, gives joy to others. We can even share our suffering; in this, our burden is lightened and we grow closer together.

Living the way of Divine Principle should liberate us. However, some of our members think that after joining our church they have only heavy burdens and many responsibilities. We have to find joy by living according to the Divine Principle. This means joy that comes from living for others. Without this kind of experience, we can never be liberated from a defeatist attitude which creates a heavy spirit.

Try to witness to a single person by the end of this year. That will be liberating for you. I guarantee it. Witnessing is a very exciting thing; it is not difficult. By having one successful witnessing model, we can be freed from Satanic power. Definitely! This will bring you untold joy. And if you successfully witness one person, why not multiply this to ten or even hundreds of people? We have to feel conviction for Divine Principle. In the past our efforts have been only to fight against communist countries. But now we must challenge democratic countries too.

Communism has fallen, but democracy is not the ideal system for this world either. After the collapse of communism, this world has become even more confused. Homosexual problems are only a small aspect of this world's problems. But still no country nor religion could offer a solution.

If somebody knows the solution to a problem, then automatically they have the responsibility to save people. You are young Moonies. Do not work only for the sake of yourselves. Secular people are dying. If we don't help them, we too will be dying. In other words, we can only build the Kingdom of Heaven together. We have no choice but to save them. We have no choice but to try to save this country and world.

Now it is the time to fight against unrighteousness and immorality. Honestly, only we know how to save this world. Unafraid, we should rise up and fight. We have to inherit David's spirit and fight against the giant Goliath.

Listen to your own heart. You are young; therefore, your blood should be stirred up to fight against the ills and social injustices of this age. Only young men and women who have a righteous fire in their hearts can change this world to a world of goodness. I am so serious about this, I thought about writing this article with my own blood. My lovely brothers and sisters, please wake up! You are the only people who can save this country and this world. People are desperately waiting for your helping hand and caring heart.