Address to the International Leadership Conference
Seoul, Korea, August 21, 2013
On behalf of the Organizing Committee for the various events being produced in relation to the first anniversary of the passing of Rev. Sun Myung Moon to the spiritual world, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this International Leadership Conference. Welcome to Korea.
Father Moon passed away one year ago. Many people asked me if, after the passing of our beloved founder, I thought our movement might become weak and start to fall apart. After all, they asked, “Father Moon was such a dynamic and strong leader; there may be no one who can fill his shoes.”
I understand this question very well, and it is a reasonable question.
However, although the passing of Father Moon came as a shock to many of us, and we are saddened by his absence from this physical world, I am completely confident that the movement he began when he was just 15 years old, on a lonely mountainside in North Korea, will not only survive; it will thrive.
After all, from 1960, Father Moon was never alone, but had his equal partner and beloved spouse, Mother Moon, always at his side. No matter what challenge they faced, she was always there. Father and Mother Moon always have stood together as one unified couple, the True Parents. Even though Father Moon has passed on, his “better half” is with us, and she leads us with great wisdom and strength.
Furthermore, we have Father Moon’s words, expressed in so many volumes and texts. And, not only do we have the published volumes of his words, we also have these words recorded on video tape, showing the broader context, facial expression, body language and audience. In this respect, we are so very fortunate.
Earlier this year, according to Father Moon’s direction, we celebrated Foundation Day as the beginning of a heavenly realm of peace. At that time, Mother Moon laid out her vision for the year 2020, a seven-year plan for the growth and development of our movement. In carrying out this vision, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the UPF and the Women's Federation for World Peace each have an important role to play.
Almost every morning I meet with Mother Moon to report on a wide range of matters related to our worldwide movement. I can say, without any hesitation, that she is fully in command of our movement. She is completely centered on God and is completely obedient to the will of God, our Heavenly Parent. I am continuously amazed and humbled by her faithfulness and her dedication to Father Moon’s vision and teaching. No one understands his heart better.
Over the next few days, you will have the chance to study about Father Moon’s teachings, his life and his accomplishments. I hope you will invest yourself fully, and I hope you will be inspired and filled with insight. Father Moon’s teachings are truly precious, and his life course is marked not only by suffering and persecution, but by the consistent blessing of divine providence.
On the day after tomorrow, we will travel to Cheong Pyeong, where Father and Mother Moon lived for many years. In this beautiful and spiritual setting we will commemorative the anniversary of Father Moon's passing. I expect a wonderful day. Of course, it will be a day touched with some sadness and melancholy. However, it will also be a day for expressing our appreciation to God and True Parents, and making our determination to go forward in building a world of lasting peace.
I wish you well in all your deliberations and look forward to having an opportunity to get to know each one of you.
This International Leadership Conference is only the beginning of the important work we have to do together over the next several years.