The Words of Young Oon Kim
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The Words of Young Oon Kim |
Miss Kim arrived in the USA on January 4, 1959.
(After presentation from the American Family:)
I wish I had prepared some speech, but I already gave my prepared speech on God's Day. Well -- I am very thankful to you and appreciate what you have done tonight. If this were just a performance of this night, I would not be happy, but since this is your genuine expression of your love to Father and me, everything you did made me happy; and in my heart, sitting on this chair, I asked Father to accept everything because it is He who should receive all thanks. I was a weak, fragile,.empty vessel, and whatever is done is His work.
Therese asked me some time ago, "Does it seem like just yesterday, or a long time ago?" In terms of vividness -- recollection in feeling, it seems like yesterday. The anxiety -- I can feel it! Things happened day and night, hour after hour. From time to time I received telephone calls during the night. At 2:00 in the morning someone called; "I believe this Principle,!" At 5:00 a.m. Bill called regarding his marriage. "Should we separate, divorce?" At 2:00 p.m. he would come to the Center: "You are going to kill me!" He was possessed by a spirit.
This is an extreme case. As someone pointed out, many people came and left. With each one I really poured myself out. Each one was a representative of America. What I do for him may be indemnity for the rest of our work. This I learned from our Leader. Not because everybody is a child of God or because of human rights -- beyond that: Each one is a representative of the whole country; I always treated each one that way.
When I was young I envied one of my Christian friends who used to invite ministers to her home. I wished my family were Christian and I could invite all the saints of the church, ministers and deaconesses, and treat them to good food. I wished I could! I am so grateful that we now have such a fine family, that we can invite anybody and everybody -- with good food and a loving atmosphere. Father answered my unspoken prayer.
Our Leader never, never sleeps in an unknown house. He may visit, but always he comes back and sleeps in his room. He doesn't accept invitations too easily. But when I came to the group, I prepared his bedding and invited him, "Could you come to my house?" He brought three or four women -- old ladies who had followed him from the beginning. He came and ate the dinner I cooked. He slept in my bedroom in the bed I had prepared for him. I slept in my mother's room.
That was the first and last time he ever accepted an invitation to sleep -- not just eat in someone's home. My house was the only house. On that occasion I also expressed: I envied my friend's freedom to invite. "Now, you are here." That’s all I said, but he understood.
Now I often feel that joy. Now we can invite the President or Vice President. (To Therese:) Can we not invite even the Pope? (Laughter) Particularly since we obtained this house, we feel such freedom. I don't know -- in the future you may have your own families. But you shall cherish fond memories of this time for years to come.
Looking at each of your faces -- all different. Like different kinds of flowers; different kinds of animals in the zoo. All different talents and personalities. Some serious, some cheerful. Some with beautiful voices, some with hoarse voices. This makes a good chorus, a good choir.
So, how I overcame all the difficulties is really a miracle. Therefore, I am afraid to be born again and go through all this again. I might not overcome as well as I did. I am not confident I could go through this once again. Therefore, I'm happy that reincarnation is not true.
Whenever I send members to new mission fields, I foresee all the difficulty, depression, loneliness, and discouragement. Whenever i receive their letters, I feel as if I am there with them. Therefore, I would never do it again. But, thinking back, I have felt and sensed and experienced God's love so much, and His power so much. And if this life is going to be just once -- and it will be just once -- I am grateful that I have chosen this course of life -- or that God has chosen me; to have something to look back on.
If I had just a cheap, happy life, I would have nothing to look back on. From this point of view, I am determined to go through another decade with even stronger determination, because I would like to have more to look back on. Is that selfish?
After the first decade it is not too large, but the foundation is now laid through the effort of dedicated members of our group. I scold each one of you so often, so freely. But in this world I am most proud of you, and I know these are most precious people I have in the world. Our goal is the Heavenly Father -- to become like Him. Therefore, you shall be more scolded. Our Leader will scold you even more.
I see my faults in you, Whenever I scold someone, I return to my room, and say, "Father, I have no ill feeling toward that person, because I find the same thing in me." I suppose that's why I am easily forgiven by Father. Whether I see strong points or weakness, I learn a lesson. But to make myself humble, to make yourselves humble, rather stress weakness. Always I restrain bragging and boasting, not because I am negative, but because I like to express the minimum. This is different from Americans. They speak of the positive so much, and very little of the negative. I do the other way because I cherish the positive side so much.
Marking this day we will start a new decade -- a second decade. I don't know how many members we have. We have not many members. But I am not discouraged. We will expand and grow, expand outwardly and grow inwardly as quickly as possible, so that strong foundation will be laid in America; to change America and the Western world. To change the outside world will never be fulfilled if we fail to change the inside world. Therefore, we have to be 100 percent honest and sincere. Without changing inside, we cannot change outside.
I asked someone from India some time ago how large Gandhi's voice was. He had a small voice. Such a small, thin man. He always had to use a loudspeaker. His method was nonviolence, non-resistance. His influence was so great, not only in India, but in the whole world. He was a religious man, but we are more religious than he. If Gandhi could have done that much, with Father's help -- no, as His instruments can we not do even greater work than Gandhi?
I am sure you all have good ideas, plans, and resolutions for the new year and new decade. I am very happy to have prepared the Leader's life story – 2,000 copies. It will last several years.
As I have been doing in these few years, I will be behind you, and it is you who will fight in the front line. Often I see in each of you the unusual quality you have. Because of that, Father has chosen each one of you for this foundation work. This pioneering work. Let the masses of people pursue their own interest. In that kind of life they will find only emptiness, despair, and frustration. But to lead any worthwhile life, sacrifice is absolutely necessary.
I spoke to some of you the other day. Sometimes I compare my sister and myself. We led two entirely different lives. She is a happy person. She married very young, at 19, and had children. She is still living happily with her husband. Her children were blessed by the Leader.
Here I have rejected all opportunity for ordinary happy life and have chosen this way. Some people think I am lonely, but they don't know how happy I am. They only think of me in a narrow sense -- because I don't have family life. But if I had such a small family, I would never be satisfied. I would suffer so much, because I am not born for that kind of small cage. I am not born to that kind of life. If I feel any loneliness that I have to pay for this greater joy, greater family. So it's only fair for me to pay that much price.
So, if you have to sacrifice, certainly it is a privilege. God has greater things as reward for that sacrifice. You know God. You are closely related to Him. Any price you pay will not be wasted. Then, if we are desiring and hoping and striving for the greater welfare -- in a most true sense -- of the country and the world, someone has to pay the price. I read Gandhi's life. He and his wife were separated for many years. Nehru was in prison for a long time. He lost his wife. He was a lonely man, perhaps. But how much he has done for India! No one else can do that. He had to pay the price.
If you want everything that worldly people want, plus God's blessing, plus the welfare of this country -- that will never work out. As long as God exists, with His law of justice, and as long as you are recognized by Him, however small price you pay, it will not be wasted. It will be rewarded 100 times more. So we are no longer alone, We have this many in our family. We understand each other, each other's problems. We know our goals. If someone feels weak and frustrated, others can help to raise him up again.
Even with a lesser ideal, or a less noble motive and purpose, many sacrifice their life. Salvation Army people, Catholic priests and nuns -- many people devote their lives for a lesser ideal, a less noble cause. And they think of nothing else -- only devote themselves.
I need not preach to you. You have seen, you have experienced, and you have felt the most precious thing in life. I am always proud of the American cooperativeness. Americans are noted for their individualism -- individuality. Yet, Americans always seem to be the most cooperative. This is a beautiful thing. Always remember this cooperativeness, this unity, this love, from which we get strength and comfort God also is very pleased with this unity, and He can work with us.
If we are separate, our talent is limited. Our power is limited. But being part of a group, we can do such great work. When we bought the Masonic house -- a larger house than this one, but cheaper -- we were two waitresses, one hospital orderly, and one mailman. Now we have ten, twenty times more than four people.
When the whole prospers, we all prosper. "He will increase, I will decrease." No, that is not our philosophy. When each one prospers, we all prosper.
I am very thankful for your love and dedication. I have reserved talking about you in a bragging way to our Leader so that he can discover for himself and be happy. I have written in a very moderate way. I sent a long letter on Children's Day. Usually after the ceremony our Leader gives some remarks. This time he dispensed with remarks and just gave my letter to be read. He said, "She is doing such substantial and responsible work." Without flowery words, I just state facts. Not one word of exaggeration. As it was, I reported. I gave a minimum report about you in order that he may find out for himself and have joy. Thank you very much.