The Words The Kwak Family
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The Words The Kwak Family |
Ladies and gentlemen:
On behalf of Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, I wish to thank each of you for your participation in this New ERA Seminar on Unification Theology and Lifestyle.
During this past week, you have been introduced to the teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon through the presentation of lectures on the Principle, and you have had an opportunity to speak with members of the Unification Church in your group sessions. I hope that you are now able to understand, at least in part, the motivation behind the many activities which Rev. Moon has begun. This afternoon, however, I would like to present a different type of introduction to Rev. Moon and his vision for the world.
I have known Rev. Moon for more than a quarter of a century, and I can say without any reservation that the most important aspect of his life is his deep spiritual connection to God. His first priority in life is being a minister of God to the world, and everything he does pivots around this central calling.
From my contact with Rev. Moon, I have come to know the intensity of his prayerful communication with God, and the spiritual power which results from He has an insatiable appetite for prayer. Typically, Rev. Moon sleeps less than three hours a day, preferring to spend several hours each night in prayer and meditation. He maintains this rigorous schedule even now, at 65 years of age.
Before he entered prison in Danbury last July, he usually began his daily public schedule with a seven o'clock breakfast meeting with church elders and department leaders. He did not even allow himself the pleasure of dining alone with his own family. He is always on the front line in his work for God. He often traveled, visiting and meeting the members of our various departments and local church centers. He not only preached to our congregation every Sunday, but he would spend hours every day giving words of guidance and inspiration to members and guests of the Unification Church. All of his activities are motivated by his desire to serve God and humanity. In all my years with Rev. Moon, I have never seen him take a vacation from this intense commitment to God.
While in Danbury prison, he performed the humblest tasks without complaining and went out of his way to help other prisoners with their chores. He had already forgiven those who convicted him. Rev. Moon's English is not fluent, and in any case prison regulations prevented him from teaching his beliefs to the other prisoners; but many of them were attracted, nevertheless, by his example of humble self-sacrifice and are now sincerely studying his religious teachings on their own. Rev. Moon would never have told me this himself; during my visits to him in prison he never discussed his personal situation. Instead, these stories have come from other prisoners who were released from Danbury. Even in prison, Rev. Moon willingly accepted every difficulty as the price he must pay to fulfill his devout commitment to God.
How does Rev. Moon view God and Jesus? Unlike many people today, Rev. Moon does not see God as merely a human concept or projection. Rather, God is an independent reality, a living being who takes an active part in our lives. It is God who created us, not we who created God. Rev. Moon also believes in the real existence of a substantial spiritual realm. In everything he does he takes into account the presence of the Living God and the spirit world. Through the teachings of Jesus, through the Bible, and through his own prayers he has come to know not only that God is real and personal, but also that God's heart has been filled with intense pain because human beings have not been able to understand God's situation. Because he knows how sorrowful God is, Rev. Moon always prays with tears in his eyes. If you ever have the chance to listen to one of his prayers, though you may not understand the Korean words, I am sure you will perceive the depth of his communication with God just from the sound of his voice.
As for Jesus, Rev. Moon feels that he was a real man, not just a meaningful myth. He feels that the Messiah is a real person whose life must be a model for our own lives of faith. The Messiah comes to work with God in solving the problems of the world, both physical and spiritual. This view of the Messiah presents each of us with a great challenge; and Rev. Moon takes this challenge very, very seriously.
Rev. Moon emphasizes that the Unification Church was established not by him, but by God. Because of this, Rev. Moon is confident that when he passes on to the spirit world the church will continue to develop and grow, just as other God-inspired religions have done in the past. Without God's support it actually would have been impossible for the Unification Church to even survive to this day, because it has undergone so much persecution in its short history. The fact that the church has thrived and prospered in the midst of the most severe difficulties is a testimony to the spirit that moves it.
People hold many opinions about Rev. Moon, some of which are based upon misinformation and distorted facts about his church and his activities. Public ridicule by the media and other groups, however, has never hindered Rev. Moon, because he sincerely believes that he is doing the work of God and that God is assisting his work. Rev. Moon is deeply spiritual, but he does not want to be a spiritual hermit. Instead, he chooses to work actively to close the gaps that exist as barriers between nations, peoples, cultures, races, and religions. He is righteous, flexible, strong, tearful, and compassionate. He is a man who can lead this world back to God.