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Rev. Moon's Visit to Sri Lanka -- My Personal Experience
David Kroon
July 9, 2006
On November 24, 2005 Rev. Moon was visiting Sri Lanka for the first time -- I heard about his visit and decided take a week's leave from my work in Japan to attend the event. I was to hit two birds with one stone -- visit my father's grave, since I could not attend his funeral when he passed away the previous year in 2004, and to attend Moon's event which I felt was special. If I would not go I may have felt guilty about it because it may be his first and the last visit to Sri Lanka. As a former member who believed that Rev. Moon was the messiah and True Parents (unique among Unificationist) felt that I had the filial responsibility of doing my part. I do not dismiss the notion that he is the messiah to come as promised in the Christian bible, but some of the activities sanctioned by him I do not approve of such as CPL (Chung Pyung lake) etc. I feel that I have the maturity to say no to some things that I do not approve of and still be filial to the best of ability and understanding of the promised one to come. If I look at the life of Jesus, and if I was living during the time of Jesus, and if he had been accepted by the people of Israel and been king of kings as prophesied in Isaiah, do you think his followers would not be the same as the followers of Rev. Moon today? I do not think there would be any qualitative difference, they would be the same -- arrogant, proud and stupid. I am sure there would be many who will get hurt by their attitudes -- like myself.
It is easy for people to believe in a physically dead and spiritually resurrected Jesus and make him a deity, but living, eating and drinking would be difficult as it is with Rev. Moon, and would need great faith and courage. The projects that Rev. Moon as founded such as the world scriptures is something for all people around the world of different faiths to take note. I may add -- it is the only book I know that gives a comprehensive view of all the major religions and brings them under a common umbrella of ethical and religious values. The world may not give him credit for some of the works that he has founded, because of the controversies surrounding the exploitation of present and past followers. It is a matter of time for people to recognize that no human being is perfect or ideal, even though the human mind may desire someone to be ideal. However, the idea put forward by the Unification Movement founded by Sung Myung Moon is powerful and an idea to come. As someone said, "And idea is much powerful than an invading army, and an idea to come" I believe that idea is Unification Thought. If someone can propose a better idea of the world, I would like to listen, but so far nothing has come forth as unification thought. As I know the only counter proposal to atheistic communism was unification thought coined Godism.
However I did make the trip to Sri Lanka, in hope to assist in the mobilization. It seemed that the Japanese mindset was at work. I called the center, and wanted to speak to the central figure, the central figure's wife answered the phone and said that it is better for me turn-up for the event as there was no room for me on the mobilization or any errands where my skills may have been essential. It really did not matter as I could understand what a mayhem it could have been trying to fit into an already existing mobilization structure. Finally I was able to contact the central figure, and was requested to turn-up for the event so that I could assist in the stage preparation with my spiritual father (the one who introduced me to the Unification Church). In which I did turn-up early that day to assist in the preparation, when I turned up at the hotel there was no one present, I was told by the hotel staff that the event was to take place in the evening. So there was nothing much I could do but sit and wait. Finally my spiritual father arrived and was glad to meet me. However, I tried to do my best in what ever way I could but felt been pushed to the fringes or marginalized from the event. For example I was not given a staff badge, so that I could easily move around, every time I move out of the event hall and come in again I am stopped by security, and I have to talk my way into the event hall again and again. I was sent on an errand to the place where Rev. and Mrs. Moon are supposed to sit and talk to the members, because I did not have a badge I was not even allowed into the room. I do understand the paranoia among members when they are supposed to take care of the messiah. However, it did not matter to me, but not giving me badge or pass was it done intentionally or unintentionally I am not really sure. If it was done intentionally it seemed to show some prejudice of me being present for the event. If it was unintentionally then I was not important and my presence was not necessary or probably I should have not been present -- an invitation too was not in the mail for me even though they knew that I was attending the event. Sadly -- forgiveness, love and unity are just lip services. I am afraid they do not walk the talk. The messiah is/was surrounded by sycophants in the past as well as in the present. The bible tells us that Peter denied Jesus three times it is not a coincidence that he did so; this is in fact; is/was the reality of man. The people surrounding Rev. Moon and Mrs. Moon think that they can go to heaven on the shoulders of Mr. Moon instead of walking the talk, and taking responsibility and growing up. This has always been the sad state of the Christian faith, instead of taking responsibility themselves.
After the event, I went to the Hilton hotel as I was assisting in the cleanup operations. It was the usual with members keeping vigil all night long protecting the Messiah from evil men like me -- I suppose. I was in the staff room talking to my former colleagues and friends of course I did not feel a heartistic bonding or re-welcome. Before the event I thought I may be welcomed like the lost prodigal son, however that was not the case, but an indirect judgment for leaving the church 9 years ago in an unusual circumstance. In the staff room I spoke to the leader of the Sri Lankan church; all I could do as a man was to apologize for the pain I may have caused them and try to unite with them; better late than never. I really wanted to join them and keep in constant touch, but that was not the heart I felt. I requested from him the possibility of roughing it out that night so that I could attend the Hon Dok Hae that morning with the messiah. However, he told me since you may have a lot of money, why don't you book a room in the hotel, then you could attend the ceremony in the morning. Which I felt was an insult and lot of sarcasm coming from him. If I was to book in to the hotel I would have never asked him, thanks for the re-welcome by the Sri Lankan church! With all this pandemonium going on in my head I forgot my coat with my camera and the contents of the speech, when I left the hotel to return home. While in the three-wheeler I thought I forgot something and realized that it was my coat with the camera. I quickly got the driver to turn around and back to the hotel. While I went into the staff room my coat was not there, I was really upset. I was told by one of the vigil keepers that they will let the hotel know about it, as well as for me to give them a contact number in case it turns up at the hotel. The next day I called my spiritual father, told him about it and arranged to meet him for lunch as he was leaving the country late in the afternoon that day.
We had lunch, and we kept chatting as well as shopping, in fact he is a good talker, probably a spin doctor and our relationship was very conducive, of course he has the gift to turn anything around and making it look positive. He gave me a photograph of his family to show me what a great family he has --I do understand how he must feel when the blessing has worked out fine for him. This of course is a human tendency to be thankful when life turns out good for you. I said to him just send me the electronic version when he gets back to England -- I am still waiting for it. In the meantime I called the hotel and reported my missing coat, and gave them my spiritual father's mobile number in case it turns-up. While I was chatting with my spiritual father a call came from the former regional leader of south Asia that he has got my coat along with my camera. While he came to the staff-room he thought he had taken Rev. Kwak's coat but mistakenly had taken mine. He could know it was mine, because my name was printed inside the coat, it was some relief for me. He said that he would hand it into the lost and found section of the hotel, and I said that would be fine, and he wanted to know where Rev. Kwak's coat was? When I was in the staff room, looking for my coat -- I saw a coat similar to mine in the closet. But no one seemed know whose coat it was. So I told him to have a look in the staff room closet, since I saw a coat similar to mine in there.
After a very conducive conversation and lunch with my spiritual father, I went to the Hilton hotel to pickup my coat as well as to say good-bye to the members who may be hanging around finishing up the final cleaning touches of the visitation. In the Hilton hotel I picked up the coat with the camera but minus the speech booklets. It did not matter so much to lose the speeches, of course in my mind I tended to doubt whether the speeches were taken out of the coat intentionally or unintentionally, but the main thing was that I got my camera and coat back. If I got the speeches it would have been good because it would have been souvenirs to keep.
After my visit to the Sri Lankan church, I said to myself this would be the first and the last I would want to get in touch with the South Asian Unification Church Family, Family Federation or what ever the alias may be. Gratitude, reconciliation and forgiveness are not in their vocabulary. Up-to-date no one as ever got in touch with me or wanted to know how I am doing? In other words it is GROGR (Good Riddance of Good Rubbish); each one is for himself/herself True Parents for us all. I was surprised to hear that the first Japanese Missionary; Mr. Hasegawa may have not been informed of TP visit to the region. Nobody seems to know where he is? So much for the hard work done in Sri Lanka and India for 20-30 years, Unificationism seems to be a generic term, but not in practice. For me changing the world is over, it was the past; it is time to change myself and move on. People who try to change the world make a mess of it, it is better to let the world be the way it is and change oneself/organization. I am glad to be affiliated with other like minded people through yahoo groups on cyberspace such as Uni4m and Global-Village-Inn. These groups have kept my flame burning in Unificationism with their pro and anti discussions about Unificationism. They have enlightened me and given me hope to see Unificationism from a different angle. Once again thanks to the Internet -- the guilt trips, and other psychological paraphernalia of the mind are set free. The famous saying that the truth shall set you free; for me the internet and discussion with other like minded people over the web have set me free and allowed me to express myself more openly than before.
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