Hyung Jin Moon, author of the photo essay "The Moment" and collection of reflective essays, "A Bald Head and a Strawberry," spoke at UTS on May 30...

Mr. Moon, a student in the Masters of Theological Studies program at Harvard University, shared his thoughts on theology and its study with UTS students, faculty, staff and local community.

Moon extolled the simple life, explaining how he, though the youngest son of Reverend and Mrs. Moon, practices his spirituality by cleaning floors and doing laundry. He reminded students of the Founder's continued call for the study of theology, as the subject matter that is closest to God, and his emphasis upon the simple but beautiful spiritual environment of Barrytown.

He told the students to connect their future with the world, to realize that they are not separate from the world. "Listen to the grassroots; tap and release the creativity in everyone."

He called the members of the audience to deepen and broaden their perspectives. "We have Unificationists all over the world, who practice Muslim, Buddhist and all sorts of traditions. They all are blessed, so we have many religious traditions in our community. We have to balance ecumenism and evangelicalism, to maintain our identity and also develop it. Abonim (his father) has held both together. Religious unity is essential in our age, and this is an integral part of our mission."

In response to a question regarding his personal spiritual experiences, he said that every day is a mystical experience. "The sunset, seeing your children growing, doing potty for the first time, or the first time they try to speak to you. It is more a miracle to walk on the ground than on the clouds."

After his talk, Mr. Moon, with his wife Yeon Ah and two of their four children, walked the UTS grounds, sharing the lovely spring afternoon with students and local families. As he has created an interfaith meditation garden surrounding his home at East Garden, he encouraged President Hendricks to add statues of the Buddha, Confucius and other faith traditions to the UTS collection of Christian statues.

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