The Words of Hyung Jin Moon From 2009
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The Words of Hyung Jin Moon From 2009 |
First, I would like to first express my deepest gratitude to God and the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind. I would also like to sincerely thank, especially, my older brother Hyun-jin hyung and Rev. Kwak Chung-hwan for the efforts they have made in the development of UPF. I am also grateful to Dr. Thomas Walsh, secretary-general of UPF, to Mr. Taj Hamad, secretary-general of WANGO, and to the UPF staff members representing each nation who are working so hard. Please let’s offer them a warm round of applause! [Applause]
To tell the truth, Father instructing me to take responsibility and lead UPF was a shock for me. I feel sorry in front of True Parents that I am to take this position because I am still quite young, and lacking in many ways.
I am the seventh son and the eleventh child in the True Family. I had older brothers and sisters attending college while I was still a toddler. For those reasons, I had never entertained the thought that I would be given a public responsibility to fulfill. Nevertheless, one day Father began assigning me to public positions. I feel sorry and that I still lack the necessary maturity, but I will submit to God’s will. As I step into this precious position, I would like to tell you my honest thoughts from the bottom of my heart.
Up this point, UPF’s global activities and the dedicated efforts of its leaders have brought many leaders to connect with us and a network has been built. In leading the providence, True Parents have prepared such a foundation in order that we would not be like frogs in a well but so that we could go forward with glorious hearts. As you know, we began from faith. At the age of sixteen, Father received, directly from Jesus, the mission to save humanity. Since then he has endeavored to fulfill his mission as the Messiah, the Savior and the Lord at his Second Coming. With this conviction, he has marched out into the world.
I majored in religion at Harvard University, where, in introducing new religions, they also taught about Unificationism in detail, considering it relatively important. Their explanation included an introduction to Father and to our fundamental beliefs. There has never before been a religion that has grown into a worldwide faith in the lifetime of its founder. Jesus went the way of the cross, and although Buddha lived for eighty years, he was persecuted and did not spread his faith worldwide. Even when Mohammed entered Mecca, Islam had not yet spread worldwide. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i faith, both passed away while imprisoned. The Unification Church could not have grown to the extent it has if it had not received its mission from God, and if God had not been guiding it. It could not have come so far.
The Unification Church began as HSA-UWC. The world called us the Unification Church, but our official name was the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. In 1994, Father founded the Family Federation. In other words, he began the Family Federation era, wherein we can go out into the world and connect to not only the Christian realm but with all the world’s people. In that era, we carried out many activities, events and educational programs. And many people made connections with us.
However, recently True Father has instructed that we carry out our activities under the name Unificationism. We have passed through the era of HSA-UWC (formation period) and the era of the Family Federation (growth period), and have entered the era of Unificationism (completion period) during which we can establish Cheon Il Guk. Father has given us the mission of uniting all religions into one family serving God and True Parents.
Many of us here, including those who have worked in support of UPF, are Unificationists and as such have served True Parents as the Messiah, and received the blessing through them. We have given birth to our children. Such have been the lives we have led.
Father is saying to us, ":Do not forget who I am.": In the Family Federation era, we introduced Father and his activities for promoting peace, education and patriotism to many quarters. Many people have connected with us and have come to respect True Parents. However, we need to let the world know that True Parents are more than patriots, champions of world peace and religious leaders; we need to let the world know their true identity as the Messiah, Savior and True Parents. To do this, we need to look with spiritual eyes.
Those who looked at Jesus Christ merely with their physical eyes saw only another Jewish leader active in society. They did not recognize that Jesus came as the Son of God with the mission of the Messiah. They would not be able to sense the salvation and new life that came from him. Similarly, if we see True Parents with only our physical eyes, we see the founders of a widespread religion, patriots and leaders in the pursuit of world peace.
If we can see True Parents with our spiritual eyes, we can understand who they really are and why Father acts in ways some people do not understand or feel comfortable with. We would realize why Father speaks for eight, ten or even twelve hours at events, with sweat running down his face. Only when we look at them with our spiritual eyes can we perceive the hearts of True Parents, who died, died and died again for us, and who are still willing to die for us. Only then can we know them correctly, as the True Parents who have inherited the essence of the true love of God, triumphed, and completed the mission of Jesus.
True Parents have taught us how to create one family under God. It is recorded in the Peace Messages. They have taught us that the key is to serve True Parents as our parents based on faith, to receive the blessing through them, and then to form an ideal family that revolves around the true love of God. Without faith, the substantial foundation cannot be laid. As the Divine Principle tells us, only on the foundation of faith can we establish the foundation of substance. Similarly, without faith we cannot establish Cheon Il Guk. If we want to establish Cheon Il Guk while True Parents are still with us, we need faith.
Father has said, ":Make the name Unificationism grow in prominence in the new era. Everyone needs to attend the Original Divine Principle lectures.": The Divine Principle is our sacred teaching. It is not a school textbook, but scripture. Divine Principle is our scripture that declares True Parents are the Messiah. Why is Father having us listen to Divine Principle lectures again and testify to him as the Messiah? Why do we need to repent and begin anew? Father is saying, ":Do not forget who I am. I am not just a patriot, or a peace advocate, but the Son of God, the Parent of all humankind, who has come to accomplish Jesus’ unfulfilled mission.": This is what he is saying.
We have carried out many activities, but how have the global providence and the church been carried out in 189 countries of the world? Who has been supporting them? It wasn’t people in society. It was people of faith. Especially our members in Japan have shed blood, sweat and tears to provide a financial foundation for all the work being carried out. This includes the work of UPF. Where does such a foundation come from? It comes from faith. Our Japanese members are serving True Parents by sacrificing themselves, working hard for True Parents and for the sake of the world. They have championed the cause of our church and all of our organizations.
For three years I have been visiting Japan almost every month. Even before I had any official position, I was going to Japan. Whenever I go there, I visit the homes of church members, to spend time personally with the Japanese members. They have all sacrificed themselves for the global providence. Many Unificationists have forgotten this. They have forgotten that the Japanese members are also human beings. We have sinned greatly.
Looking at the Japanese members giving their tears, sweat and blood, we have said that Japanese members like this kind of sacrifice. That is not the reality! They also find it difficult to sacrifice. I cannot help feeling astonished when I visit their homes. They raise three to four children in one room. They have sacrificed by selling their cars and their homes, and other basics, in order to support the providence for the entire world -- to support you! And it is not just one or two members who have done so, but thousands. We need to see the reality for what it is: because of faith such as theirs, the Unification movement has been able to come so far. The Japanese members, who have shown such faith and such heart, are truly the brave soldiers of our church.
All church-related institutions and organizations, and even the church itself, should offer them infinite gratitude and bow to them. It is time for us to sacrifice on their behalf. For more than three decades the Japanese brothers and sisters have supported the churches and the providential activities carried out in your own nations. This came from faith. In particular, from Japanese members’ faith.
If we understand this, we can realize how precious their faith is, and how great is the true standard of faith in the Unification Church, which they have demonstrated.
The truth is that the Korean church and the American church have not reached such a level. The Korean church had been relying on financial support from the Japanese church. Even the American church has been supported.
In order for the church to develop, we have had to make difficult decisions and face difficult challenges. We need to show that we are working with dignity, responsibility and a sense of mission and thus liberate the Japanese members from their burden. For the first time in its history, this year the Korean church did not receive even one cent from the Japanese church.
However, we still have a long way to go. The Korean church has yet to fulfill its duties as the father nation. Japan is still shouldering the heaviest burden. The American church is developing under the leadership of In-jin nuna and is cultivating the ability to become financially independent. No matter what circumstances we face, we need to remember this: We were able to carry out all those activities because of faith, and come this far because of the root of our faith.
The Unification Church and all providential organizations share the same purpose. Our purpose is to glorify our True Parents. True Parents are not ordinary people. We need to elevate our faith to a higher level and serve them appropriately. We need to look at them through spiritual eyes and be able to sacrifice for their sake. That is how we can become the owners of the providence.
Only when the sons and daughters sacrifice themselves and work hard when their father is in need can they be called devoted. If the father is elderly, feeling weary, and in trouble, and the sons and daughters say, ":You caused this problem; you solve it,": they are not showing filial piety.
I have heard it said that we don’t need religion and that Rev. Moon did not come to create a religion. But Father did not even come for the purpose of creating organizations and educational institutions such as Sun Moon University or UPF. He has established them in their various fields only because they were necessary in creating the ideal world as envisaged by God.
Of course, religion would not be necessary in the Garden of Eden; neither would be politics or education. All we need to do is live in the realm of God’s direct dominion. However, since we are not living in the Garden of Eden at present, we need organizations such as the Unification Church, the Universal Peace Federation and Sun Moon University.
Please remember that all of these organizations are rooted in faith. People who are serving True Parents as the Christ, the Lord at his Second Coming, are working in these organizations worldwide. It would be shameful for us to say, in front of such faith, that we don’t need faith or religion. Rather we should be grateful to them, follow their way, make sacrifices ourselves through a greater faith. [Applause]
I was greatly shocked when I came to Korea and was given the responsibility of running the Korean church. Many people thought that working in an office from nine to six was practicing a life of faith and attending True Parents They did not attend Sunday service and did not even tithe to the church or invest in the second generation. They did not do any church-related service work and did not participate in witnessing.
This was truly shameful. In contrast, the Japanese members work from nine to six wherever they work, but after that, they come to church every day and participate in witnessing and educational activities, and they make donations. They dedicate themselves every day without missing a day. That’s the reality.
After coming to know their standard of faith, I could not help feeling shocked at people who thought working from nine to five was equivalent to leading a life of faith. The Japanese members were toiling and sacrificing themselves for the Unification Church, walking such a path of hardship, but what was the standard of our faith? Weren’t we making them shoulder all the responsibility, and weren’t we living comfortably, rather than sacrificing ourselves for True Parents? This was not a life of faith.
Nowadays, however, all the church leaders and regional leaders in Korea are striving harder, carrying out activities until late at night. They are sacrificing for their members in this way. All the officials of the church are also working hard and sacrificing for the church. I am so proud to see that such changes have taken place. We still have a long way to go, even so. We have to work hard to accomplish the global providential objectives. We need to work for the Abel UN and the crucial missions of unifying all people and bringing religions together.
All of you have studied the Principle. Without the foundation of faith, the foundation of substance cannot be laid, and consequently Satan inevitably continues to get in. That is why we are continuing with the Original Divine Principle lectures centering on Rev. Yu. All of us need to return to the original faith and see True Parents with our spiritual eyes.
This is our internal aspect and our faith. As a result of expressing such faith, of being true, faithful followers, the Japanese members’ human rights have been severely violated. Protestant church ministers and leftist lawyers opposed to us systematically instigated kidnapping and they have tried to break the faith of four thousand three hundred Japanese members, violating their human rights.
The Japanese members are shedding their blood for our sakes -- struggling, even perishing for the providence -- and to support all providential organizations. If we then say that we do not need a life of faith, it is disrespectful of the Japanese members’ lives of faith. Faith holds the greatest value. Because of that faith, we came to know True Parents, we received the blessing, and we were blessed and gave birth to a second and a third generation.
Know that your faith is your right, and march forward proudly. True Parents came with such a sense of their mission, with such faith, and they have changed the world. Through their mission they have shown us that all of us can reach a higher dimension of love.
Ladies and gentlemen! In this era Father, therefore, is saying, ":Don’t forget who I am.": We are not serving an ordinary person. Someone like him comes only once. He is such a precious person.
The individual missions of the children are comparatively easy. Though we may have our own individual dreams and interests, our mission is very clear. We need to live our lives for the glory of True Parents. When we go to the spiritual world, the matter of whether we have been children devoted to True Parents or not will be of great importance. To speak frankly, anything else, including what position we held in the world, is of no importance at all.
In my case, I was engaged in spiritual training even before I was given responsibilities. Even afterward, I have continued to train myself. I will continue with the training even if Father dismisses me. I believe our lives should not change based on whether we have been given responsibilities or not. If our purpose is to return glory to True Parents, we should do our best for them.
I apologize for having spoken so frankly. I’m still very young. Father is clearly telling us, ":We need to return to our faith.": We need to remember this if we desire to realize Cheon Il Guk. Cheon Il Guk cannot be established just by bringing people together. It requires faith and belief in True Parents.
I am truly grateful to be able to speak to you on this occasion on behalf of True Parents. No matter what position I am assigned to, only True Parents are the final decision makers in everything. Whether it is for the development of the church, or Kook-jin hyung’s work with the businesses, or In-jin nuna’s work for the American movement, our plans are first reported to True Parents and are carried out only with their permission.
There are missions Father wishes UPF to fulfill. UPF needs to build the Abel UN and build a substantiation foundation. In the process of fulfilling those missions, everything must be done based on what Father decides. This is the right way and the filial way.
True Parents are our eternal True Parents who come once in the course of history. When we look at them with our spiritual eyes, and elevate them, serve them, testify to them and sacrifice for their sake, Cheon Il Guk can be established substantially on that foundation of faith.
I offer infinite gratitude to True Parents.
I would like to end by expressing my deepest gratitude to all the leaders and other members -- especially the sacrificial Japanese members, the ambassadors for peace, and all those connected with us.