The Words of the Cooper Family

The Most Unusual Family

Simon Cooper
February 4, 2011


True Parents speak at pledge (the column of red fruit on the holy
table were an incredible display of strawberries -- we should try
that locally)

Day 2 in Korea: today I opted for the hard marble floor in the front, rather than the comfortable chairs in the back -- pledge service again this morning together True Parents on the Day of Victory of Love. This is the day we have in our tradition to commemorate the passing of Heung Jin Moon who passed away as a teenager in the 1980s. This morning his wife, Hoon Sook Moon, who is an international ballerina and also the wife of Hyo Jin Moon (Yeon Ah Moon) conducted a ceremony where they served food to their deceased spouses, and to the others from Rev Moon's family who have passed on to the spirit world early. As they performed this ceremony with great care and respect, their parents in law looked on in deep thought, also remembering what must be one of the hardest things -- to see your children pass on before you.

Hoon Seuk Moon spoke about her experience of being taken care of by her parents in law filled with emotion and expressed also in her tears. Yeon Ah Moon read one of Father's messages where he explained about how he turned the death of one of his son's into an offering for God's work in this world and the next. I guess we have all heard the tragic appeals of parents on the radio who have had their children murdered by a knife or a gun in London, and they simply don't want their child's death to be in vain, but at least for something good to come out of the pain, and for others to be saved. He spoke about how his son would have done anything to protect his father's life that was often threatened in the 80s.

Father kept us with him right through until almost 1 pm. Again, proving that at 91 yrs he still has a memory like an elephant, picking random people out of the crowd, and asking them about different specific members of their family, guiding people in their mission, sometimes strictly. At one point he said, "The atmosphere is getting too serious, let's sing." And we went through a whole series of songs through which he continued to interject and convey his heart. Basically, his life has been so unusual and out of the ordinary it is almost impossible to second guess him. That is hard with most people but with him things are always on such a different level. I got to observe his ability to go from humor, to concern, and on to frustration with all of us, and then back to a more conciliatory tone.

At one point he shared about how God created human beings in order to feel love, and from love happiness can begin. Well, there it is in a nutshell.

Several other members of his family sat through the entire morning with us, just the small grandchildren didn't last the full program.

The hardest bit for me was when he asked a couple of his disciples to talk... and talk. And I guess some people found it interesting, those with a bigger mind than mine. One of them even pulled out their ipad. Thought that was quite cool. But they spoiled it when they mentioned that they can get the whole bible on their ipad. Yes, of course, and on one's phone too. But there was a glimmer of tech cool for a moment.

Who else can keep such a large group of people, probably more than a thousand or so, sitting listening to what sometimes seems is small talk, for 5 hours? I guess when our life means so much to others, or when so much of the blessing in another's life has been born out of our life's actions, then maybe we can be able to entertain people for half a day or more with what is on our mind and not have them make polite excuses.

God bless Rev Moon. God bless True Parents and their family -- which includes you. 

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