The Words of the Beutl Family
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The Words of the Beutl Family |
My dear brothers and sisters,
In the first part of this letter I offered you quotations from Kwak Jin-man who spoke about our task as Cain children of True Parents to be a protective layer in order to prevent a situation of Satan being able to directly attack the True Family: “The Cain children of True Parents are supposed to be protective layers, to unite with True Children and create the necessary foundation upon which the True Family can stand, and thereby prevent attack and invasion from Satan directly into the True Family.”
Because we did not fulfill this responsibility well it was possible for Satan to move in and out of the True Family freely as Father told us. After so many years of sufferings and tragedies in the True Family, who will take responsibility for this most sad situation?
Actually it should be us as a worldwide Unification community. Do we really feel responsible for this setback in the providence of God, who wanted the family of the True Parents of Mankind to be the living embodiment of True Love as Ye Jin Nim wrote in her letter? She takes responsibility that more efforts have not been made to raise the True Family.
Whose responsibility would it have been to raise the True Children to manifest True Love? According to the principle of restoration our True Parents were not free to give their children as much love as they wanted to because they had to love us as their Cain children more than their own children. This means that in turn it was our task to offer the True Children the True Love they needed in order to grow to become a living embodiment of that highest quality.
Do we look for excuses when we consider this fact, e.g. that we were not in direct contact with True Children, or do we recognize our failure to support the True Family by ourselves lacking in the core task of being an example of manifesting True Love in our daily life?
In the August 2001 edition of Today’s World internal guidance by Betsy Jones for Blessed couples is published including one photo with the commentary: “In 1971, when we were known as the Unified Family…” Are we still known as a unified family of Unificationists whose hearts are one in their desire to support the True Parents and their children or do we find inner divisions within our movement?
Who feels responsible for internal issues of disunity to be resolved? True Father has called for unity among us as brothers and sisters worldwide at many occasions, especially in situations when the True Family was faced with another sacrifice and suffering due to a lack of foundation on our side as Cain children.
Kwak Jin-man speaks in his testimony about his direct experiences with Hyun Jin Nim whom he describes as very bright and very humorous compared to Heung Jin Nim who was more introverted in character: “Hyun-jin nim makes very witty remarks and makes people laugh. He is much more outgoing; he would sing a lot in front of leaders. Hyun-jin nim is very sharp.”
Jin-man mentions one situation when he went to Hyun-jin nim’s room on the third floor where he had a flag of the Harvard University and also at the front of his desk a very tightly filled daily schedule: “When Hyun-jin nim was a middle school student, he was very much driven and focused and goal orientated to study hard and do sports and whatever was necessary to do well. True Father was always encouraging True Children to represent their family well and excel in all areas. Particularly, I remember that in school Hyun-jin nim was very focused on preparing himself to represent True Parents. The schedule was very, very tight. He disciplined himself. Actually, Hyun-jin nim was the top student in middle school and the captain of the football team and of the lacrosse team.
Hyun-jin nim disciplined himself to wake up early. He must have woken up quite early, because he would ride a bicycle to the YMCA in Tarrytown, which was at least several miles from East Garden, and swim a couple of hours a day to make his body fit. Afterwards, he would ride his bicycle back and go to school…”
Jin-man speaks also about the fact that Heung-jin nim, Hyun-jin nim and Kook-jin nim were really close: “The passing of Heung-jin nim was devastating to Hyun-jin nim, and I’m sure for Kook-jin nim as well. Hyun-jin nim is a lot more outgoing, but there was a noticeable change in his character during that time; he became much more introverted, much more reflective, and during that time, he physically grew. I think that was when he had gone into high school. In terms of height he really grew, and at the same time he became very skinny. He looked like a different person, before and after. His legs became very thin and his face became very slim.
Later he confided in me, ‘You know, the passing of Heung-jung was very difficult, very tough. I really regret that I was too focused on studying, too focused on achieving my goal and didn’t spend enough time with Heung-jung.’ That always is a heartache; he felt sorry to Heung-jin nim. I know that was a very difficult time period. His character changed.
Many people misunderstand Hyun-jin nim a lot because he seems tough, right? Pretty strict. He talks in such a straightforward way. But you know, when Hyun-jin nim was young, he was different. I think Hyun-jin nim still has a very humorous side. Sometimes the comments he makes are very, very funny. Of course, he has that side too, but after Hyun-jin nim began assuming more public responsibility from 1998, I noticed that as years went by, he became more serious.
To be an elder brother, to wake us up and to put us in our place is not a pleasant job. Once Hyun-jin nim told me, ‘True Parents are true parents. They have parental hearts; they will forgive us for anything. They will forgive us over and over again. They will trust us, no matter what. That’s the nature of a parent, isn’t it?’ Sometimes Hyun-jin nim says, ‘In a house, you need an older brother. You need an elder brother figure, who needs to give discipline, to straighten things out, especially if children take advantage of their parents!’
Obviously, nobody would enjoy it. Speaking straight and pointing things out is not pleasant. Most of us would avoid the situation or gloss over it and never really confront it. Hyun-jin nim always challenges. He doesn’t settle for mediocrity or middle ground or some compromise that’s less than ideal.
We only want to bring out the positive, bright spots, even if the whole report is not so positive. We tend to accentuate the positive part. You know, sometimes Hyun-jin nim is troubled by the less-than-true communication that takes place within our movement. He almost says, ‘Why do I have to be the one who has to bring the bad news to True Parents? Why do I have to be the one to point things out that I know are painful to True Parents? As a son, I don’t want to do it.’
That’s one aspect of it. The other aspect is that Hyun-jin nim sometimes scolds blessed parents and leaders, but it’s out of love and because he does care so much. It would be so much more convenient and it wouldn’t damage his image or him at all if he just smiled and said nothing...
Hyun-jin nim often tells us that the secular world is not the problem. No matter how invincible, how powerful it may appear, it is nothing; the issue is internal. We need to straighten our Unification house. We need to get it right and we need to be proper representatives of True Parents and the ideal.”
Isn’t Hyun Jin Nim concerned about what is indeed a core decisive point? Yes, he is. He wants us to be true representatives of God and True Parents, Unificationists who are vertically aligned with the True Family and united with one another in honest and sincere relationships.
Jin-man explained further about the path Hyun Jin Nim went: “When he started this course, he confided in others and wanted to bring unity of Cain and Abel in our Unification house, because that is how we can liberate True Parents; that is how we can be the proper vehicles to accomplish God’s dream. Somehow, as I see the progression of Hyun-jin nim’s course from the beginning until now, I realize how difficult restoration is and how Satan’s presence is so real. I cannot deny how powerful it is -- he tries to attack and tries to prevent and tries to infiltrate at the most crucial points, in the most crucial relationships, at the most crucial, vital moments.”
I think that most of us can offer many examples where Satan succeeded to invade in situations and instead of victory some failure came about, even though the mistakes made seemed only small -- like not cutting the doves. Personally I experience it again and again how important it is to go until the very end, to give one’s utmost best, in order to go beyond the realm where Satan can claim our efforts and investment.
Hyun Jin Nim is dedicated “to bring unity of Cain and Abel in our Unification house, because that is how we can liberate True Parents; that is how we can be the proper vehicles to accomplish God’s dream.” Are we deeply aware of this fact? Is it also our desire to liberate True Parents by uniting as Cain and Abel -- by going beyond the Cain Abel position thinking to become true brothers and sisters of one loving family under God?
Jin-man shared about his attitude:
“I trust people’s basic intentions, and I am not blaming anyone. I am in no position to judge, but sometimes, unknowingly, being in a leadership position allows us, in one sense, to be manipulated and utilized by Satan, causing division or a delay in God’s providence that causes so much pain and agony. I don’t want to go into it so much more. But somehow I know there are many misunderstandings about Hyun-jin nim. I know who he is, the real person in front of me. I know his heart and I know his actions probably better than most of you do, right? [Yes.]
One of the things that I hear people say is that Hyun-jin nim is very tough, but you have to understand it’s because of the providential position and the responsibility and the need and urgency. If he didn’t care, if he didn’t take it seriously, he wouldn’t put himself through this. I know it’s not easy to speak out straightforwardly. It takes a lot of courage, you know? And when you do that it shows your trust, your trust in the maturity of our leaders and blessed families and that we will be able to understand his intentions and understand his heart. But sometimes, I guess, we disappoint. Hyun-jin nim is walking a very lonely course. Father has said he walks a very lonely course. I think Hyun-jin nim’s course is very similar.
No one can truly understand the gravity and magnitude of Father’s responsibility. Can any of us really fathom it? We can’t. It’s not possible. You know how much in their history Heavenly Father prepared the Israelites to receive Jesus, don’t you? The very people who were prepared to receive Jesus were the ones who turned against Jesus and crucified him. I remember Hyun-jin nim telling me once, during one of his tours, ‘You know, I’m afraid the Unification Church could make the same kind of mistake.’ He worried that we will cause so much detriment to God’s providence and we will prolong and delay it.”
My dear brothers and sisters, can we grasp the meaning of what Jin-man is sharing here about the attitude of Hyun Jin Nim and his heart that is deeply concerned about God’s providence? If we really do, then we will never fall into the trap of judging him but will do our utmost to support him in his very difficult position as eldest son of our True Parents here on earth who is worried that we do not repeat mistakes of the past but fulfill our God given responsibility to be one in heart.
Jin-man asked: “Actually, you know that the True Children are direct sons and daughters, the direct lineage, the Abel children. And you know that those in the first generation are the ones who were restored and received the blessing and were engrafted to True Parents’ lineage and are accepted, therefore, as Cain children to True Parents, right? You, the first generation, are in the Cain position and younger brother and assistant position, the unity of which is so vital.”
We are in the position to assist the True Children, to support them, and therefore we each have to ask ourselves how well we have been doing in this respect so far. Because the ones whom we are supposed to help are struggling with one or the other issue we must first see if we lacked in being a true support for them so that such a situation could come about.
The unity among us as brothers and sisters and as blessed families is indeed vital just as well as our unity with True Children. We are supposed to support them, and if we did not do well in this respect so far then this is another reason for joining Ye Jin Nim in her 21-days prayer condition of repentance as there is a lot to repent for.
About the position we are in Jin-man explained further:
“We in the second generation are more like nieces and nephews to True Children. For example, Jun-sook nim is my younger sister. Even though she is my younger physical sister, I always call her Jun-sook nim. Even my father and mother call her Jun-sook nim, and I call [their daughter] Shin-yea nim and all the True Grandchildren -- nim, because of their being in the third generation of the lineage.
Strictly speaking, the second generation should be the foundation for True Grandchildren. Did you know that? Parents, did you know? Anyway, the point is that we -- especially the first generation -- should have that strong unity. I think that is essential and important for God’s providence to move forward.”
We know that we could not harvest as much as we would have hoped for in our mission work during the past years and decades. But are we also aware that the reason does not lie somewhere -- difficult to find out -- but clearly in me and you, in our not uniting fully with the True Family and with one another?
We may talk about unity and say that we are doing not so bad after all but in reality it is our True Parents and True Children who had to bear the heaviest cross, with our True Father and True Mother taking again and again responsibility for our failing to live up to the required heavenly standard, paying extra indemnity in order to move the providence forward.
Jin-man made a comparison as he addressed STF members and parents:
“I heard you guys walk and run a lot, and you get ankle injuries and have knee problems and other joint problems. Joints are where all the pressure converges. When I look at Hyun-jin nim, his position is unique in the sense that Hyun-jin nim connects vertically, he connects horizontally, and he connects the front and back. He is right there at the joint, at the vortex in which there are pressures both intergenerationally and on a horizontal level -- related to Cain and Abel -- and within the True Family as well. There are front and back relationships and all that pressure.
In one sense, True Parents are the historical form of all of human history, right? Encompassing the past, including all of human history and posterity, True Father stands horizontally on levels from the individual level to the cosmic level, the eight stages from the servant of servants to God’s position. On every providential stage, Father takes responsibility. However difficult, however great the pressure, he takes responsibility, doesn’t he? With Hyun-jin nim, in a sense, generation to generation and within the Unification house and also within the True Family, all these issues and all this pressure converges. You can imagine that it is not an easy position, and I know it’s not an easy position.
When I look at True Parents and the True Family, and when Hyun-jin nim is standing in front of me, I cannot utter anything in the face of that. I can just bow down. The only words that I can say are “I am grateful.” I am grateful that they are there and that they are taking responsibility. And I am truly grateful for this vertical axial line, and I am truly grateful because I know that course is very, very difficult.
I am right beside him, and I’ve seen many, many things, and I’ve indirectly experienced many things. Of course, Hyun-jin nim doesn’t go into a lot of this, though sometimes he expresses a glimpse. You cannot fathom, you cannot imagine what he goes through. He tries to inspire you and invest in you. He always wants you to really do your best and has high expectations of you, so that you will rise up and work with him, unite with him and really move the providence forward; isn’t that right?
He calls you his elite troops that he puts so much trust in, okay? I hope that you will take pride in this and respond to his call, because he really needs you to be his right hand. When I look at you guys, I see you have so much potential, so much more potential than I do or any of the older ones who went through many turbulent times. I expect, especially as we turn to the peak culminating point of God’s providence in 2012, that you will play a vital role as you graduate colleges and enter into leadership.
I hope that I have been able to connect to you, to bring some aspect of True Children closer to your heart. I hope that in the future I can share more of the victories and challenges. I am sure that we can grow together and that we can support True Parents and bring victory together, right?”
This attitude of working together is indeed crucial so that our Heavenly Father can receive our offerings and bless our efforts. May we all have a humble heart to accept all of our brothers and sisters internally and not keep the ones outside whom we cannot understand or find difficult to love because they do not behave in the way we think that they should…
Sincerely yours,
Nikolaus