Hyo Jin Moon

 

Leadership

 

Tarrytown, New York

June 25, 2006

Edited Transcript by Joe Kinney

 

How are you doing? Nice to see you again. Today, I would like to talk about the thing called ‘leadership.’ Leadership, leadership. Let me just start with a little opening of what I experienced within my absence for a few weeks. It was interesting. But I did go beyond because of the premise in which I started this on my own. I did share with people that I normally do not, on a personal coming together. Because I want to know, and I need to know.  

If you are going to make something right, I guess that is the first response. So I did. Unlike the way that I lived before for a decade, I did go out of my way to try to understand what is going on.  

I do not know about you, but all I can say is what I feel in front of you because that is the occasion. That’s really true. And if somehow through my experience, you make that connection, that is the only offering that I can give. That is about it. And that is the end of it. Nothing else. 

I did not expect Michael (Michael Jenkins) to be here today because I was going to talk about him. It makes me feel very uncomfortable, talking about somebody when he is sitting in front of your face. (Rev. Jenkins offered that he could sit in the back) No, no.  

Anyway, he took on a mission to be a president of the Unification Church of America. And prior to that, he had his own business and stuff. He had his own ups and downs and his own turmoil that he had to endure and conquer. Ultimately, transcend that.  

As he became the president, he gave that all up. Whether it is technical, it does not matter. But that is important. That attitude is important. That kind of sincerity is important. That kind of willingness to show that occasion is important. Commitment and basic virtues are important. 

Because what we are dealing with is, in today’s world, struggling to find ourselves based to be something great based on common sense. We’re not stupid anymore. We understand, regardless of what you are, across the boundary, across culture, borders, we understand there is some form of universality. And that notion of common sense is getting thicker and thicker, and deeper and deeper. 

And that is enviable, that is admirable. You can admire it. You can respect that, that action, that willingness to sacrifice the self for public life because of responsibility at hand. Now that is good. That is given. It is not extraordinary. But that is given because that is our standard. If you want to do that, if you want to live a public life, if you want to lead, that is what you have to do.  

You look at the world, especially when you focus on a monotheistic religion, they do have certain absolute kind of ways of looking at the world, and looking at the history, and looking at themselves especially in relation to God. Of course, Muslims and Jews and Christians have used Holy Wars within history as a battle to conquer. 

However, when you look at it in this present time, Muslims are basically still into that stuff. And Jews are, they would even, at this present time, they do have the policy of revenge. And when you look at Christians, of course it is a little milder version than the Jews’ right off-the-bat than revenge, they will retaliate against anti-Christ.  

In other words, they do have that sanctimonious something from a special prerogative that they feel because they understand absolute God, one God. That is about it. When you understand absolute God, the religion as we know it, that represents monotheism and can act in certain ways. It can further, it can never end, that kind of strife and struggles and conflict that we face today. 

Because, I am a violent person, violence will not solve everything. I do not think much about violence. I have been violent all my life, trying to fight my way through school. Just to be somebody, just to hold on to my name. If I have to strike you down just to hold on to my name, when you do not know me, I will do it. Why? I have no choice. because there is no help in sight, nobody’s going to help…  

And I have to live with this stuff. What you do, you live with it. It does not matter what. You want to be the best; you have to make it on your own. That is the American way, right?  

Having said that, what does that prove? How can we communicate with these people who still hold that kind of concept? Ultimately in the end, that is doable. When you allow that stuff, you open the flood gate, it is like opening the mythical “Pandora’s box.” Anything is doable now.  

Because apparently, based on violence, that is an apparent “no-no” and is an extreme measure. Anything less becomes questionable then. Then it is open to personal description, interpretation, and practice. It is nasty stuff.  

You try to do good, even when you say to yourself, ‘Oh, I haven’t done anything wrong; I have followed Father all my life. I gave everything.’ And when you start to take on certain things because you feel that you can, and you start to do things, you have to realize you are responsible, not your father.  

You cannot just say in the end, “I messed up. I am sorry. Forgive me.” And it is not going to go away. You can cry all you want, you can cry the river, but it is not going to remedy the problem that you have created, based on your holiness, your sanctimoniousness. And based on your sanctimonious attitude or perception or your reality, what you have done that is not sanctimonious, just tears alone would not wash it away. 

And if you believe that is doable, you have another thing coming. Do you know why? Because I always tell myself, people like me, like me, have no choice. Accepting the fact that I have no choice, that choice gives me freedom. It is ironic. It is paradox in itself.  

Think about it. God says, “Do not take the fruit.” That is a loaded question, isn’t it? And you do it, and you can get away with it? Obviously not, right? You cannot blame anybody else. Even from the very beginning, the nature of responsibility goes beyond your individual absolute of how you describe your perfection, or how you describe your obedience for that matter. 

How do you, as an object, define obedience and make that to be absolute regardless of what is in the air to be true that is grander than you? How does that work? Nobody has that kind of prerogative. Nobody has that prestige. No, it does not matter if you have a king.  

Look, nobody wants to be a king. They are crazy. I know my Father suffers. He lives a miserable life in my eyes. He lives in a fish bowl that is the size of a molecule. That is about it. And…  that is about it. That is where he dwells in, trying to be king in this world.  

But there are all sorts of people with charges, plus and minus, floating around his reality, creating stuff, becoming this one day, becoming that one day. That determines it. Do you know what I am saying? And that is a miserable life. And in the end, he is going to be accepted for it. He is going to be responsible for that stuff, all of it, absolutely, then have absolute Kingship. That’s it, and He knows it. I know it. Everybody knows it. And people that know Him to a basic point in a certain sense should try to help that poor miserable man. 

Well, hey, life is short, trust me. So having said that, let’s talk about leadership. What’s a good leader? What do you expect from a leader? You want a leader to be responsible. You want them to lead the way, to show you the vision, the vision. He is not going to sit back and tell you what to do; no he’s going to lead they way; he’s going to be responsible, stand in the front, do what is necessary, come hell or high water. It’s important. If it is that important that is what you are going to do, nothing less. That’s what you expect from a leader. 

Any guy can tell people to do stuff that’s seemingly right, given the authority and position and power, but are you willing to be responsible? Do you lead so that through your leadership you put so many people in misery that you will show them in the end, that their misery is not forsaken. 

You want people to be sincere don’t you? You want me to mean what I say to you, don’t you? You want me to be responsible for what I say to you. If I say bad stuff, then you blame me, and then I say “I’m sorry.” I’ll take what is coming. That’s about it. But that’s being sincere. That’s sincerity.  

I know what I am. I know what you are.  And if I am in a position of leadership, I’m going to do that first. And if for whatever reason (indecipherable) stuff comes at you a little bit heavier than your counterpart. How’s that? 

Dedication… What do you believe in? You have to have some kind of dedication otherwise you’re not sincere. If you have no dedication then you have no sincerity, and in the end you’re not going to be responsible. I know you, because you’re that kind of people, because you really don’t care about any thing other than yourselves. Only then can you start to see compassion. 

I know what I’m going for. I’m not as lost as that guy. Maybe I can help that person. (I) might as well. Right? You only live once, and if you’re willing to die for something, why not. Hey! Do a good deed a day. Your heart only beats so many times a week or 3,600 times an hour. Hey, anyway, that’s not important; you get my drift. 

But you have to count that stuff. That’s the meaning of you going to school and getting graded so you can get a better job. That’s about it kids. Do you understand me? There are kids here; I’m not talking to old folks here. Last time I came I really cursed it out; anyway I’m trying to make it up. Because every time I go away I get loaded up with stuff that just mind boggles me.  

If you want to do it right, you have to do it right, and it’s YOU, you deal with yourself; it’s YOU, that you see this problem and you’re supposed to look at it, not just based on your reality but, bla bla bla bla bla bla bla world. Hey man that’s crazy stuff.  

I know that you want to be my brother, and that’s where it should start; and forget everything else. Let somebody else count the clock and measure the points and measure the depth, and I don’t care… Fellowship, that’s important. You can’t do it alone. It’s too big of a problem that we have to handle, have to tackle. And when we know that we can’t handle it, propriety to me is just a superficiality. Who understands propriety? It’s not present. I don’t like to be played; I don’t like to be mocked. Don’t make me look like an ass by design because of formality.

Look, I understand the necessity of formality; it’s absolutely important. Why? Because it creates a shell, a boundary. Just because we choose the shell or what’s real inside how can we choose in that kind of scenario? You have to understand your limit; you have to understand who you are and try to work within and work out towards the shell so you don’t become wrinkled.  

You know there is a simple illustration like splitting a pie into four quadrants, the vertical and horizontal. God lives there (center?). If you can understand the misery of God in a wave form, you will be a great man or woman. I’m telling you. For the sake of this argument let’s just use the vertical stuff as an indicator for the sake of argument for this little story. When you feel up there (high on the wave) that stuff (bottom of the wave) is very small. The ups and downs are very very small, insignificant to understand God’s reality of up and down.

Do you understand me? It’s not going to happen; trust me; it will not last. Let me just, but it this way, I don’t want anybody to be hurt. I don’t want anybody to be maimed. I don’t want anybody going to jail for stupid things. If you know what you’re doing and you know what you did is stupid, and you go to jail, that’s what happens in the real world, Right? You get over it. Right? You do your time and get on and get over it and try to make the better of it. Right? But when you don’t know it, It can really, really hurt you. You know what I’m saying?  

How long can you persevere? Perseverance, we’re talking about common sense here, universal value, that we all know is firm regardless of stuff, understand me, to be somebody, in right, not in your choosing, but in judgment. Do you fear the judgment? I do. That’s why I’m trying to live the best that I can, so I don’t fear it. I know it’s coming, take it or leave it, what you see is what you get. And if I deserve (inaudible) then I deserve it, that’s about it; I can accept that. I’ll live with that as long as it takes. But I know it’s going to end one day. But that’s the worst case scenario, we all have a best case scenario too, but I’m the kind of guy who…. 

I think I was a very optimistic kid, as a child, but I became a very, as you see, kind of guy. I don’t know what the definition is. (laughing) Your definition is good. That’s about it. I’ll accept it, no matter what. Judgment will define it; I’ll take it, and in you. That’s what I am. I’m going to try to do better; that’s all I can do. Right?  

If I’m going to do this stuff, going to stand here and fulfill the shoes of this platform, that’s about it. I literally don’t give a hoot about what you think about me today. Let’s see what I can give you tomorrow. Will you allow me that chance? That’s about it. So be it. 

If something moves me, I’ll do it to the rest of my life. How’s that? And I don’t need to live too long.  But what ever it takes, I know I want to give the best of me. That’s about it. Do you have any idea how difficult being a leader is? Look at me. Anyway…  

Lastly I want to tell you, you have to be honest. These days people (inaudible) What you see is what you get and that’s how you live it.  

I didn’t curse too much, did I? 

I’ll see you next week.