The Words The Kwak Family
|
|
The Words The Kwak Family |
Reverend Kwak has the opportunity to give a very warm and intimate portrait of Sun Myung Moon as the sponsor of the Youth Seminar, Theologians Seminar, ICF Conferences and other activities designed to give the public an accurate understanding of Rev. Moon, the Unification Church, and the teaching of the Divine Principle. This speech was given by Rev. Kwak at all the summer seminars, with appropriate changes depending on the group to whom he was speaking. We happily present the text of his speech here, with confidence that our members can benefit from studying the beauty of his words and the skillful manner of expression which he uses to share our Father's love with the professors and students who don't yet know him.
I have had the privilege to know Rev. Moon for over 25 years. I can truthfully say that I never cease to be amazed at what a man of love he is. He is righteous. He is strong. But I wouldn't call him rigid, because he is also incredibly flexible and broadminded.
During the early fifties, Sun Myung Moon would often sit on a rock overlooking Pusan, day after day. The rock had a magnificent view of the ocean, but he was not interested in the beauty of the scene. Instead, he was consumed in prayer. As he watched ships leave Pusan harbor to carry men and materials to points around the world, he prayed that somehow he could have the wisdom and ability to carry God's message of truth and will to the four corners of this earth.
What did his prayers contain? Hope. Vision. And a calling for the spirit of God. I feel that spirit did come to him and continues to be with him as he conducts the worldwide activities of the Unification Church which he founded.
Jesus appeared to Reverend Moon when he was sixteen years old. Jesus helped him to understand the mission that God had for him, and he has continued to give spiritual guidance to assist Rev. Moon in bringing this mission to its fruition.
How does Rev. Moon relate to Jesus and God? Reverend Moon understood through Jesus' teaching, through the Bible and through his prayer and meditation, that God's heart was not joyful, but rather was filled with intense pain because God's own purpose for man has not been accomplished. Having realized this, he could not stop crying. In fact, he has continued to shed tears for over 30 years. Sometimes when he prays, he can't stop the tears from flowing. If you ever have a chance to hear him pray, I am sure you will sense the depth of his communication with God by the spirit, although you may not be able to understand his words, as he always prays in Korean.
His goals of world restoration parallel God's. In the special mission given him by God, Rev. Moon is desperate to alleviate the pain in God's heart. How desperate are we? I am convinced that if you really knew Sun Myung Moon you would have to agree that he is unsurpassed in this commitment to comfort the grieving heart of God.
Reverend Moon feels that Jesus was a historical person. He feels that the messiah is a real person and that his life must be a model for our own lives of faith. The messiah is not just an object of faith and adoration, but paves the path of spiritual development which each of us must strive to follow. The messiah is not just someone whom we must worship. Rather, he is the true human being that each of us must ultimately become. It is in such terms that we must understand Reverend Moon's messianic role.
You might wonder just what kind of a father Rev. Moon is to his family. He and Mrs. Moon have 13 children, the youngest born this past June. After each birth Rev. and Mrs. Moon held a special ceremony in which they offered their child to God for His will and purpose. This has become a tradition for all blessed families in our church. The Moons also pledged to raise each child according to the highest morals and principles. I hope this will give you some further appreciation of how seriously he and his wife view their roles as parents.
Every evening, no matter how late he returns home, he visits the rooms of his children, often before greeting his wife. He kisses his children and apologizes to them for not being with them during the day. Through this he tries to show how deeply he loves them. I have seen him give his children horseback rides and crawl around on the floor, roughhousing until everyone falls together in a mass of legs and arms and laughter.
When I see Rev. and Mrs. Moon's children, though, I feel sad, because they have been deprived of so much time that I am sure they would have loved to spend with their father and mother. Reverend Moon has literally had to sacrifice his family for the world. From the beginning of his ministry, evangelism and the nurture of his spiritual family, his disciples, have taken first place in his life.
There have been times when I am with him literally 24 hours a day; he is the one person I know who doesn't feel there is a difference between night and day. I also know him as a man who threads his life with prayer. He conforms his own desires to those of Heavenly Father. He is also a man who avoids becoming a spiritual hermit. Instead he strives to be a man living in relationship with other men, a person living as an active participant in the human community. His desire is to close the gaps which often exist between individuals, nations, cultures and languages. I see him as a universal person.
I see him as a man who can lead this world back to God.
Earlier this year, Rev. Moon was involved in a court case regarding allegations of tax evasion. I want to share with you my observation of him during the many weeks that this trial continued.
His conduct during this period gave me a chance to see how his first priority is always to fulfill God's will. Most people faced with a similar situation would have been primarily concerned with what might happen to them personally. Yet Rev. Moon continued to guide the activities of our church as usual. Each morning before going to court, he gathered many of the church leaders together for a breakfast meeting. There he listened to reports and gave guidance to them for the development of the various projects. This selfless determination impressed me deeply. I could see that he does not just live for the moment. Instead, he lives with history.
God has made His heart known to Rev. Moon, and He has also made known to him the fact that the fundamental relationship between God and the human person is the relationship of parent and child. Further, God made known to Rev. Moon the central conclusions of the Divine Principle.
Just as Jesus inherited much from the Israelite religious tradition and environment in which he was born, so it is undoubtedly the case that Rev. Moon inherited much from the Korean Christian tradition and environment. Nevertheless, Rev. Moon's teachings cannot be explained merely in terms of these cultural and historical factors. The perspective of Rev. Moon is new, and this newness is the result of God's revelatory activity.
In our viewpoint, revelation is not poured over someone all at one time. Even to God's chosen people or to saints, revelation does not come at one time, but step by step. This is because for revelation to come, man's portion of responsibility is needed. In other words, a foundation is needed.
Rev. Moon's first disciple Rev. Won Pil Kim mentioned that in the early days of our movement, it happened several times that early in the morning or late in the evening, Rev. Moon would call him, "Won Pil. Won Pil. Get some paper and a pencil. Quick!" Then in a prayer position or with closed eyes, he would start to speak Principle and Won Pil Kim would take down his words.
Through this kind of revelation, the main points of Principle were revealed. Rev. Moon later added detailed explanations through meditation, prayer and research.
Through this process, the original Principle manuscript was completed. I understand this was by 1951. At that time Rev. Moon himself lectured this content to the early church leaders and members.
Some scholars suggest the term, 'Inspired Interpretation' to describe Divine Principle. This is partially true, because Rev. Moon is inspired by God, and has offered a re-interpretation of the Bible. However, the most fundamental essence of the Divine Principle came by direct revelation.
I believe Sun Myung Moon is the man whom God has chosen to reveal His heart and will to the people of this age. After having observed him for more than 25 years, I am convinced that he never makes any decision or takes any action without first having sought and obtained God's approval or guidance in prayer. God has worked through many central figures throughout salvation history, and I believe today He is using Rev. Moon as His instrument. He is a very human instrument, as I hope you will have felt from the experiences and anecdotes I am sharing with you today. Nevertheless, I would never have dedicated half my life to this church, were I not convinced that it is more than merely a human institution.
Rev. Moon teaches and guides the members towards three main goals. First he is concerned over the decline of Christianity. Too many Christians are believers in name only; their substantial faith is small. The reality of the decline of world Christianity is a clear call for a new spiritual revolution.
Second, he is concerned about young people and their vulnerability to the moral corruption of the world. We see a breakdown of the family unit and a corresponding breakdown in society. Reverend Moon upholds a heavenly vision and educates the members of the Unification Church to live exemplary moral lives. He wants to do his utmost toward building a new order for society and for our world.
Third, he is very serious to build a strong movement to deal with the problem of world communism. Communism denies the existence of God. It is misguiding people and separating them from God, thus preventing them from realizing their own spiritual potentials. Rev. Moon wants to expose the errors of this ideology by means of a higher truth.
Before such great problems can be solved, a proper foundation must be laid. Rev. Moon began by devoting himself to God. As he began to establish his family he taught them that same devotion to God. His disciples and followers can inherit the same tradition, and so can nations and ultimately the world. Some day, all mankind will be able to understand God fully. Anyone who takes up such a challenge must naturally face incredible struggle and persecution. Reverend Moon began in darkness, empowered by God alone.
Though you may not have many chances to meet Rev. Moon directly, you can meet the members of his church. He is the one who has taught us; we trust that you can find the reflection of him and his teachings in our lives.
We live in an age when science has provided the external means to unify the world and to create the global village. Religions, which are to provide the true heart and motivation for world peace and unity, however, are themselves tragically divided against each other. Twenty years ago, Rev. Moon began promoting interfaith activities with budgets greater than that of the Unification Church itself, in spite of the fact that the church was so poor in those days that we often had to go hungry. This International Youth Seminar on World Religions is an extension of the activities begun then.
Please help him realize the vision he upholds. You are young, and your fullest accomplishments are still ahead of you. We in the Unification Church believe that the future will see a world in which people of all faiths are united in oneness. One world under God is God's ideal and goal. History is leading us toward such oneness, although this is not immediately apparent to many.
To fulfill this desire of God, young people must keep their minds open to people of all faiths and cultures. You must be reaching out to others in your hearts and not be narrow-minded -- or divisive. We must possess a clear vision of an extraordinary and glorious harmony that will enable us to see beyond the -- ordinary and limited conception of harmony.
We must march forward with great strides, overcoming historical divisions with hands outstretched in brotherhood. Only in this way will we be able to prevent war.
We are not mere passengers in the vehicle of history. Instead, we are pulling history, leading the world according to God's ideal.
Pause for a moment and think of the historic nature of this tour you are taking. I believe that this moment has changed history.
The historical founders of the world's religions reached out to non-believers, not with some worldly power, but with love. Theirs was a love which humanized and embraced, so that the world might become one.
Most of the followers of these religions, however, have not been able to carry on the original directions of their faiths. Also religions have failed to communicate with each other, fighting among themselves and even causing wars, instead. This is because most religious people have not been true to the ideals of the founders of their religions.
Reverend Moon has often urged us to overcome this painful situation. He has done so not only through his teachings or his sermons, but also by his deeds and the activities he has initiated. He continually works to resolve the separation between religions. This seminar is one manifestation of this goal.