The Words of In Jin Moon
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The Words of In Jin Moon |
“Everything that you need is
right there inside you, when you live -- when you live your
dream.”
Live Your Dream, by Dan Fefferman
The Washington Family was honored to host Dr. In Jin Moon, the Family Federation’s new national chairperson, and husband, James Park, for two days (September 20 - 21) including a town hall meeting and a combined Sunday service that left quite a few members inspired and intrigued about things to come.
In Jin Nim listened to and commented upon a score of reports from ministers and department leaders at the Saturday’s “Town Hall” meeting at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, but she also took time to unfold her core convictions and priorities. Church members were encouraged to hear that she is thoroughly proud of the “American dream,” proud of motherhood, proud of the pursuit of excellence, and determined to take a new approach to witnessing and public relations.
And, as all public relations, like politics, is local, In Jin Nim and James spent considerable time on both days shaking hands and chatting with members on a one-on-one basis. For some, it was like a dream come true to have such face-to face access to our Family Federation leaders.
In Jin Nim began her Sunday sermon at the New Hope Academy by telling how she almost canceled her visit to Washington after she heard that her father had gone to Alaska to fish and pray for the members. “Shouldn’t I come to Alaska and greet you?” she asked True Father. But True Father’s reply, she said, was: “No. Washington is very important. Go to Washington. You must care for, you must comfort the members. Remind them how important Washington is for God’s Providence.”
And for that matter, not only Washington, but America is key in God’s Providence. “America is the land of dreams, where all can come and accomplish anything their heart desires. And by dint of hard work they can become the richest people in America, the movers and shakers on Capitol Hill,” she said. “We are so blessed to live our lives here, so blessed to have True Parents living here among us for three decades. They brought my brothers and sisters and me here to learn your language and become part of your country and culture. I remember hearing stories from the early [American] members, who were almost drunk with the idea of becoming ideal families.”
Since those days, some of us have become grayer and a little tired, too, she observed. Nonetheless, she pointed out a moment later, “I still see the same twinkle in your eyes that was there years ago. The message of true love and of building a universal family is something I still get excited about.”
In Jin Nim is also a proud American, as husband James pointed out at the Town Hall meeting. “In Jin Nim is an American, and she really, really loves America. Her formative experiences were with leaders who loved America. HSA [Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity] now is being headed by someone who sees herself as an American,” he told the Washington Family.
“Did you experience the ‘American women’ speeches my Father gave years ago?” she asked the members at the New Hope service. “I remember some of my brothers pointing their fingers at me, saying, ‘Yeah, hey, American woman,’” she joked, and added: “I became a naturalized citizen,” as the congregation applauded. “So I became an American.
“As a woman and a mother, I take the point of view that I am raising my children to be agents of change,” she said. “We can raise the next Mother Teresa, the next Gandhi,” she said. Of course, the humdrum of housework and child care often is a thankless job, but it is one that In Jin Nim is glad she accepted. She is proud of the fact that she has home-schooled five children, two of whom gained early admission to Harvard. All of her children have demonstrated merit as musicians and artists. “How can we -- as Americans -- make a difference with our lives?” She asked. Her answer: “I can be a great mother to my children. I can raise up a generation of peace.”
The term generation of peace was a recurring phrase in her sermon, and she defined it this way: it is a generation that is “breathing God, celebrating life, and fighting against violence whether that be violence against home or country.” The aqua-blue “Generation of Peace” bracelets she distributed after the service were ciphers of her credo, which she summed up as meaning simply that the wearer “loves God, believes in true love, and stands against violence.”
Such a big-tent approach to affiliation is a mark of her leadership style and is evident in her approach to public outreach. Job One will be to overhaul the distorted image of Unificationism on the Worldwide Web. “The web is incredibly powerful, so my first focus is cleaning up our image on the web,” she said.
Job Two is promoting the concept of “natural witnessing,” which means that Unificationist families will naturally attract admirers, allies, and, eventually, disciples by virtue of the intellectual and moral excellence of their children. People will then start to ask, “’Why are your kids so incredible?’ ‘Why are your children so respectful to their grandparents?’ … ‘Why are you so different from other teenagers?’ ‘What organization do you belong to?’” she said.
The fact is, however, that in order to give joy to others, we need to be living well as far as the essentials are concerned. “Actually, living for the sake of others means we have to be ‘living’ ourselves, that is, living happily and financially independent,” she said. “Let’s seek excellence not only in our internal life but in our external life as well,” she added.
Do I hear an “Amen?”
Douglas Burton is the Director of Public Affairs of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.