평화의 어머니 4 - 6. 댄버리에 울려 퍼진 승리의 노래

[대태양/김현수]

평화의 어머니
4장 가시밭길을 넘어, 인류의 등불이 되어

6. 댄버리에 울려 퍼진 승리의 노래

1 "통일교회는 물러가라."

앞장선 사람이 외치면 그 뒷사람도 덩달아 목소리를 높입니다.
"청년들을 세뇌시키는 통일교회를 규탄하라!"
이런 비난과 반대는 늘 우리 부부 뒤를 그림자처럼 따라다녔습니다. 특히 1970년대에 워싱턴 모뉴먼트대회가 불씨가 되어 미국에서 통일원리가 들불처럼  번져 나가자 우리에게 반발하는 움직임이 조직적으로 일어났습니다.

2 하원의 도널드 프레이저 의원이 앞장서 국제관계소위원회를 만들어 청문회를 열었습니다. 통일교회를 제물 삼아 상원의원에 출마하겠다는 정치적 야심이 밑바탕에 깔려 있었습니다. 그러나 결과적으로는 자신이 판 함정에 스스로 매몰되고 말았습니다.

3 그럼에도 불구하고 반대세력은 쉽게 단념하지 않았습니다. 결국 문 총재는 1981년 10월 ' 탈세' 혐의로 뉴욕 연방지방법원에 여러 차례 출두했습니다. 그때마다 성명서를 통해 "이번 사안은 인종차별과 종교적 편견의 결과"라고 반박했습니다. 그리고 "나는 미국과 세계 인류를 위한 희생과 봉사의 삶을 살아왔기에 한 치의 부끄러움도 없다"고 밝혔습니다. 그러나 미국 언론들은 우리를 헐뜯기에 바빴습니다.

4 우리에게 비난의 화살이 쏟아졌습니다. 미국의 권력을 등에 업은 공격과 비난에 굴복할 우리 부부가 아니었습니다. 골리앗과 싸우는 다윗처럼 절대 두려워하지 않고 정면으로 맞서 대응했습니다. 그럼에도 고난의 십자가를 피할 수 없었습니다.

5 문 총재는 아무런 잘못이 없음에도 뉴욕 연방지방법원은 1982년 12명의 배심원단을 꾸렸습니다. 그전에 우리는 배심원에 의한 판정이 아니라 판사 재판을 요구했으나 법원은 이를 받아들이지 않았습니다. 미국 정부의 의도대로 1982년 5월 18일 유죄 평결이 내려졌습니다. 헌금 160만 달러의 이자 11만 2,000달러에 대한 소득세와 5만달러에 상상하는 주식배당금 세금으로 1973년부터 3년간 7,300달러를 내지 않았다는 것이 죄목이었습니다. 그리고 판결이 내려졌습니다.
"징역 18개월과 벌금 2만 5000달러를 선고한다."

6 유죄가 선고되자 오히려 미국 종교계와 민간단체들이 '종교에 대한 명백한 탄압' 이라며 곳곳에서 일제히 들고 일어났습니다. 그동안 통일운동에 관해 우호적이지 않았던 기성 교회에서 지지성명을 발표하는 등 우리를 옹호하고 나섰습니다.

7 수많은 사람들과 단체들이 무죄청원서를 제출했고, 재판에 항의하는 종교자유대회도 거의 매일 열렸습니다. 종파를 떠나 많은 양심적 인사들이 종교 탄압을 비판하는 시위를 벌였으나 1984년 5월 대법원에서 상고를 기각하면서 형은 그대로 확정되었습니다. 문 총재는 1984년 7월 20일 미국 코네티컷주 댄버리 연방교도소에 갇히고 말았습니다.

8 이 사건은 겉으로는 탈세를 문제 삼았지만 그 속내는 통일교회의 무서운 성장을 제재하려는 저의가 숨겨져 있었습니다. 정부 권력을 이용한 교묘한 종교 박해였습니다. 7300달러에 대한 형벌이 무려 징역 18개월과 벌금 2만5000달러라는 판결은 많은 사람들의 공분을 샀습니다.

9 미국 곳곳에서 수천 명이 항의했고 종교의 자유를 지키기 위해 일주일씩 문 총재와 함께 옥에 갇힐 것을 결의했습니다. 그러나 문총재는 미국을 영적 죽음으로 부터 일깨울 수 있다면 오히려 감옥에 가기를 마다하지 않았습니다.

10 전 세계의 통일교회 식구들은 걱정과 눈물로 매일 밤 기도를 멈추지 않았습니다.

"선생님이 가시면 우리는 어떻게 하나요?"
그러나 우리 부부는 의연하게 식구들을 위로했습니다.
"이제부터 새로운 세계가 시작될 거에요. 이제 미국뿐만 아니라 전 인류가 우리와 함께 할 것이고, 세계 모든 곳에 희망의 북소리가 울려 퍼질 것입니다."

11 1984년 7월 20일은 나의 역사 가운데서 영원히 지우고 싶은 하루였습니다. 문 총재가 집을 떠나 댄버리 교도소에 수감되는 날이었습니다. 우리 부부는 그 순간에도 식구를 격려하며 희망을 심어 주었습니다. 밤 10시에 이스트 가든을 출발해 댄버리 교도소까지 여러 식구가 함께 갔습니다. 나는 이미 강하게 마음을 먹었기에 조금도 흔들리지 않았습니다.

분노와 슬픔을 쏟아내는 식구들에게 문 총재는 당부했습니다.
"나를 위해 울지 말고 미국을 위해 기도하세요."

12 교도소로 들어가는 남편의 등 뒤로 진한 어둠이 내려앉았습니다. 식구들은 문 총재가 다시 되돌아 나올 것만 같은 마음에 교도소 입구에 한참이나 서 있었습니다.  나는 식구들을 다독여 발걸음을 돌리게 했습니다.  남편이 이국땅에서 억울한 옥살이를 해야 했건만 나는 저들을 용서해야 한다고 생각했습니다. 
"원수까지도 사랑하라. 그리고 위하여 살라."

13 우리 통일운동의 가장 근본은 '위하는 삶'입니다. 사지의 경지에서 자신을 희생함은 물론 한 발 더 나아가 억울한 누명을 쓰고도 상대를 용서하고 사랑할 수 있는 것이 댄버리정신입니다. 댄버리정신은 모든 것을 다 빼앗기고 잃어버린 처지에서도 하늘의 뜻에 따라 희생하고 용서하며 더 큰 가치를 위한 삶을 사는 것입니다.

14 돌아오는 밤길은 어두웠지만 내 마음은 어둡지 않았습니다. 미국으로 건너와 10여 년 동안 내가 겪은 일들은 강가의 조약돌보다 더 많았습니다. 세계를 뒤흔든 세 번의 대집회를 비롯해 대륙을 횡단하는 순회강연도 여러 차례 있었습니다.  그 힘든 노정만큼이나 문 총재의 억울한 수감도 괴로운 일이 분명했습니다. 남편의 투옥 자체가 감내하기 쉽지 않은 무거운 십자가였습니다.

15 내가 가장 힘들었던 것은, 그때 남편은 이미 예순을 넘긴 나이였고 미국이란 나라에서 혼자 수감생활을 한다는 것이 쉬운 일이 아니라는 것이었습니다.  더구나 유색인종에다 소수종교의 지도자라는 이유로 가해지는 박해였기 때문에 내 마음은 더욱 안타까웠습니다. 또한 나는 막내를 낳은 지 얼마 되지 않은 때여서 몸과 마음이 몹시 힘들었습니다. 그런 와중에 남편이 없는 공백 또한 내가 메워야 했습니다.

16 문 총재는 다음 날 새벽 나에게 전화를  걸었습니다. 
"하나님의 소명에 따라 기독교에 봉홧불을 붙여라, 이 말을 식구들에게 전해 주어요."

17 나는 그 말을 식구들에게 전하면서 우리가 지금 어떻게 해야 하는지도 들려주었습니다.
"지금은 하나님이 우리에게 주신 최후의 기회입니다. 지금까지 해온 일은 물론이고, 또한 지금 지시한 내용까지 온갖 정성과 적극적인 활동으로 꼭 성취해야 합니다.  여러분의 정성에 하늘부모님이 감동하고 사탄은 항복할 것이며, 역사는 새 시대를 맞이 할 것입니다. "

18 그러나 '불행은 한꺼번에 온다'는 말을 증명이라도 하듯 좋지 않은 일이 또 벌어졌습니다.  미국에서 우리 부부를 도와 활동하던 핵심 지도자가 갑작스레 행방불명된 것입니다.  공산주의자들에게 납치되어 뉴욕의 어느 지하실에 갇혀 죽음을 기다리게 되었습니다.  우리가 <워싱턴타임즈>를 통해 공산주의 활동은 물론 이념까지도 승공사상으로 반박하자 이에 대한 보복조치로 문 총재가 없는 틈을 타서 한 것입니다. 또 통일교회가 미국에서 꾸준히 공감을 받아 신도들이 늘어나는 것에 대해서도 악감정을 품고 있었습니다.  그들은 무엇보다 그를 해할 생각뿐이었습니다.

19 문 총재가 옥에 갇혀 있는 상황에서 내가 문제를 해결해야 했습니다. 나는 우선 침착하게 기도를 드렸습니다. 납치된 그의 귀에 내 목소리가 들리도록 간절히 기도했습니다. 그리고 친분이 있던 법무장관이자 상원의장 오린 해치에게 전화를 걸었습니다.
"우리 지도자를 납치한 것은 사적 원한에 의한 것이 아니며, 돈이 필요해서도 아니예요. 공산주의자의 소행이며, 종교에 대한 차별적 공격입니다"
"즉각 FBI를 통해서 수사하겠습니다."

20 어떤 사람은 FBI가 수사를 시작하면 범인들이 오히려 납치된 사람을 해칠 수 있으니 기다렸다가 협상을 하는 것이 더 좋겠다고 말했습니다. 그러나 나는 좋은 방법이 아니라고 생각했습니다. 나는 간곡한 심정으로 담판기도에 들어갔습니다.

21 그럼에도 상황은 더욱 나빠졌습니다. 납치범들은 그를 심하게 구타하고 전기고문을 해서 기절시켰습니다. 그는 차가운 지하실 바닥에 쓰러져 의식을 잃었습니다. 그때 저 멀리서 목소리가 들려왔습니다.
"시간이 없다. 저들은 오늘 밤까지는 너를 해치지 않을 것이다. 지금부터 열두 시간 이내에 그곳을 어떻게 해서라도 탈출해야 목숨을 보전할 수 있다."

22 그는 의식을 잃었음에도 꿈속에서 나의 기도를 들었습니다.  가까스로 정신을 가다듬어 탈출을 시도했습니다. 지혜를 발휘해 납치범들과 대화를 시도한 후 탈출에 성공했습니다.  그리고 다음 날 그는 무사히 집으로 돌아왔습니다.

23 살아 돌아온 그가 자초지종을 들려주었습니다.
"어둠 속에서 들려온 참어머니의 목소리는 저에게 하나님의 음성이자 계시였습니다. 제가 벌떡 일어나 저들에게 대항할 힘과 지혜를 주었습니다. "

24 만약 내가 납치 소식을 듣고 발만 구르면서 시간을 놓쳤거나 범인들과 협상하기 위해 기다렸다면 더 큰 불행을 당했을 것입니다. 또한 납치범들은 통일교회를 굴복시켰다고 기고만장해서 세상을 향해 떠들어 댔을 것입니다. 그것은 결국 사탄의 수법이자 그들에게 승리를 안겨 주는 것이었습니다. 그래서 나는 힘든 싸움을 벌이면서 단호하게 협상을 거절했던 것입니다.

25 마찬가지로 남편의 댄버리 옥고는 불행한 일이었지만 우리 부부는 그 일을 승리로 바꿨습니다. 어느 때보다 힘든 시간이었으나 한편으로는 가장 설레고 사랑과 연민의 정이 깊어지는 나날이었습니다.  남편 역시 애틋한 마음을 나누는 다정다감한 하루하루였습니다. 남편은 새벽 5시 기도를 마치면 교도소 공중전화로 나에게 전화를 걸어 "엄마!"하고 부르는 것이 하루 일과의 시작이었습니다. 면회 시간이 다가오면 남편은 언덕까지 나와서 나를 기다렸습니다.

26 어떤 때는 남편이 교도소 안에서 바닥 청소나 식당 설거지를 하다가 초췌한 모습으로 면회실에 들어왔습니다.  그 모습을 보고 어느 아내가 마음 편할 수 있겠습니까. 그러나 나는 서러움을 억누르고 항상 환한 미소로 맞이했습니다. 나는 면회를 갈 때 막내 정진이를 데리고 다녔습니다. 막 두 살 난 아기를 받아 안으며 남편은 즐거워했습니다. 잠시의 면회가 끝나면 남편은 밖으로 나와 우리가 탄 차가 사라질 때까지 손을 흔들며 전송해 주었습니다.   

27 나는 오픈카를 타고 다녔는데, 면회를 가서 언덕길을 오를 때면 남편은 우리가 도착할 시간에 보일 만한 장소에 미리 마중 나와 있곤 했습니다. 그때는 그리운 마음에 환한 웃음을 짓고 손을 흔들지만, 언덕길을 내려올 때는 눈물이 쏟아질까봐 바라보지 못하고 손만 흔들어 보이곤 했습니다. 남편도 우리가 보이지 않을 때까지 손을 흔들고 서 있었습니다.

28 그 슬픔과 억울함을 딛고 나는 문 총채가 옥에 갇힌 13개월 동안 교회와 섭리를 이끌었습니다. 전 세계 모든 식구가 안정된 가운데 흔들림 없는 신앙생활을 이어 가도록 했습니다. 처음 문 총재가 옥에 갇혔을 때 세계의 언론들은 과연 통일교회가 존속할 수 있을 것인지, 아니면 사라져 버릴 것인지 비아냥거리며 입방아를 찧었습니다. 몇몇 언론은 마치 기다리고 있었다는 듯 섣부른 장담을 했습니다.

29 통일교회는 스스로 와해될 것이며, 신도들은 뿔뿔이 흩어지고 말 것이다. 그러나 그런 일은 절대 일어나지 않았고 오히려 신도들이 부쩍 늘어 났습니다. 인류 구원과 종교의 자유를 위해 헌신하다가 억울한 옥살이를 하게 된 문 총재의 사연이 사람들의 마음을 움직였습니다.

30 문 총재가 수감되고 한 달 정도 지났을 때 국제과학통일회의(Internarional Conference on the Unity of the Sciences, ICUS)가 눈 앞으로 다가왔습니다. 우리 부부가 12년 전에 창설한 이 대회는 세계의 과학자들이 모여 과학과 기술의 미래를 토론하는 큰 행사였습니다. 창설자가 수감된 상태에서 과연 대회가 열릴 수 있을지 근심하는 사람들이 적지 않았습니다. 열리지 못할것이다 라고 비웃는 사람도 많았습니다.
나는 한마디로 논란을 잠재웠습니다.
"대회는 반드시 열려야 합니다."

31 1984년 9월 2일, 제13차 국제과학통일회가 워싱턴 DC에서 열렸습니다. 전 세계 42개 나라에서 250여 명의 과학자가 참석했습니다. 나는 과학자들을 만나 일일이 인사를 나누고 연단에 올라 의연하게 환영사를 낭독했습니다. 창설자가 없어도 국제대회가 성공리에 끝나자 과학자들은 고마움을 표했고, 교회 식구들은 몹시 감복했습니다.

32 국제대회는 거기에서 끝나지 않았습니다. 1985년 여름, 세계평화교수협의회가 국제대회를 맞이하고 있었습니다.  역시나 창립자가 수감되어 있는 상황에서 대회 개최가 가능할지 걱정이라는 이야기들이 들려왔습니다. 나는 선뜻 "변함없이 개최해야 한다"고 말했습니다. 대회 장소는 스위스 제네바로 결정되었습니다.

33 대회 의장을 맡은 미국 시카고대학의 정치학자 몰턴 캐플런 박사가 댄버리로 우리 부부를 만나러 왔습니다. 문 총재는 대회의 주제를 '공산주의의 종언, 소련의 멸망'으로 하라고 말했습니다.  케플런은 반대했습니다. 그때만 해도 공산주의가 막강한 세력을 휘두르고 있었기 때문이었습니다.
"사회학자는 일어나지 않은 일에 대해서는 논의하지 않습니다."

34 그러나 문 총재는 더욱 강경하게 말했습니다 .
"공산주의는 망하고, 소련은 멸망한다! 이 사실을 세계의 학자와 교수들이 모인 자리에서 선포하세요."

35 케플런은 망설이다가 물었습니다
"그 말 앞에 'maybe (아마도)'를 붙이면 어떻겠습니까?"
"안돼요, 내 말 그대로 하세요."
면회를 마치고 돌아갈 때 케플런은 몹시 고심했습니다. 그때 그는 세계적인 명성을 지닌 학자였기에 공언을 할 수 없는 입장이었습니다. 그런 말을 하는 것 자체가 그에게는 공포였습니다. '아마도'라는 말을 넣겠다고 세 차례나 말했습니다. 나는 케플런에게 아무 걱정 말고 문 총재의 권고를 따르라고 이야기 해 주었습니다.

36 교회 간부들도 조심스럽게 나에게 권했습니다.
"멸망이나 몰락이라는 말 대신 부드러운 단어로 바꾸는 것이 좋지 않을까요?"
그러나 우리는 그렇게 하지 않았습니다. 수년 내에 공산주의가 소련에서 몰락할 것을 알고 있었기 때문이었습니다.

37 1985년 8월 13일 제네바에서 세계평화교수협의회 국제대회가 열렸습니다.  세계의 저명한 대학교수 수백 명이 모인 역사적인 자리에서 '공산주의의 몰락'이 선포되었습니다.
"공산주의는 5년 이내에 멸망합니다!"

38 참석자들은 깜짝 놀랐습니다. 아직 일어나지 않은 일을 확신을 가지고 선포한 것에 놀랐고, 대회장 바로 앞 길 건너편에 소련대사관이 버티고 있음에도 소련제국의 멸망을 장담한 것에 또 놀랐습니다. 그러나 그 후 우리의 예측대로 소련의 공산주의는 막을 내렸습니다.

39 그때 우리 부부는 '섣부른 예언가' 로 놀림을 받을 수 있었습니다. 실제로 유명한 사회학자와 교수들은 우리의 선포를 드세게 비판했습니다. 하지만 그 후 소련이 해체되자 그들은 우리의 예측에 놀라움과 감탄을 그치 못했습니다. 옥에 갇힌 문 총재와 나는 세계의 앞날을 위해 하루도 쉬지 않고 그렇게 일을 했습니다.

40 억울한 옥살이라 해도 남편은 모범적인 몸가짐과 부지런함으로 재소자들에게 큰 감동을 주었습니다.  수감자들이 처음에는 '동양에서 온 이단종교 창시자' 라며 비웃고 시비를 걸었으나 곧 참스승으로 여겼습니다. 남편은 미움과 증오, 다툼이 지배하는 교도소를 변화시켜 사랑이 흐르는 곳으로 만들었습니다. 재소자들은 남편을 '옥중의 성자'라 불렀습니다. 간수들과 교도소 관리들도 감복했습니다.  남편은 모범수가 되어 1985년 8월 20일 자유의 몸이 되었습니다.

41 남편이 옥에 갇힌 것은 내가 갇힌 것이나 마찬가지였습니다. 남편의 옥살이는 2천 년 전 예수님이 빌라도의 법정에 섰다가 혈혈단신으로 십자가에 내몰린 것과 다를 바 없었습니다.  언제 문 총재를 위해할지 모를 세력들이 호시탐탐 기회를 넘보고 있었습니다.  

42 소련 KGB와 북한 김일성의 사주를 받은 적군파가 검거되기도 했습니다. 수감자들 가운데는 그들에게 동조하는 불손세력도 있었습니다. 그들과 함께 생활해야 하는 남편의 안위는 누구도 장담할 수 없었습니다. 그것은 예수님을 십자가에 내준 것과 다름없는 현대판 골고다였습니다.

43 그러나 우리 부부는 그 고난을 겪으면서도 결코 좌절하지 않았습니다. 나는 어디에 있더라도 하나님의 뜻을 위해 사랑을 실천하고자 몸과 마음을 다했습니다. 그런 고달픈 인생행로를 묵묵히 걸어 평화와 우주의 어머니이자 인류의 중보자 독생녀로서 소명을 다해 나왔습니다.

平和の母
第四章 茨の道を越え、人類の灯火となって

6. ダンベリー刑務所に響き渡った勝利の歌

「統一教会は出ていけ！」
先頭の人が叫ぶと、後ろにいる人々も一斉に声を上げます。
「青年たちを洗脳する統一教会を料弾する！」
こういった非難や反対の声は、私たち夫婦に、いつも影のようについて回りました。特に一九七〇年代、ワシントン大会がきっかけとなり、アメリカで「統一原理」が燎原の火のごとく広がると、私たちに反発する組織的な動きが出てきました。

まず、下院のドナルド・フレーザー議員が先頭に立って国際機関小委員会を立ち上げ、聴聞会を開きました。統一教会を生贄にして上院議員選挙に出馬しようとする政治的野心が、その動機の根底にありました。しかし最終的に、彼は自分で仕掛けた罠に自らはまる結果となってしまいました。

それでも、 反対勢力はあきらめませんでした。ついに文総裁は、脱税の容疑をかけられ、一九八一年十月以降、ニューヨーク連邦地方裁判所に何度も出頭することになりま。そのたびに声明文を出して、「今回の件は、人種差別と宗教的偏見の結果である」と反論し、「私はアメリカと世界人類のために犠牲と奉仕の人生を歩んできた。そこにおいて少しも恥じることはない」と発表しましたが、アメリカのマスコミが、粗探しの手を緩めることはありませんでした。

非難の矢が容赦なく降り注ぎましたが、アメリカの、権力を笠に着た攻撃と非難に屈服する私たち夫婦ではありません。ゴリアテと戦うダビデのように、私たちは決して恐れず、真正面から受け止めて対応しましたが、結局、苦難の十字架を避けることはできませんでした。

何の罪もない文総戡に対して、二ューヨーク連邦地方裁判所は一九八二年、十二人の陪審員団を立てました。以前から、私たちは陪審員による評決ではなく、判事による裁判を要求していましたが、裁判所はこれを受け入れなかったのです。アメリカ政府の筋書きどおり、一九八二年五月十八日、有罪の評決が下されました。罪状は、献金百六十万ドルの利子十一万二千ドルにかかる所得税、および五万ドルに相当する株式配当金にかかる税金として、一九七三年から三年間で七千三百ドルを払わなかったというものでした。
判決が言い渡されました。
懲役十八カ月と罰金二万五千ドルを宣告する」

ところが、このように宣告されるや否や、かえってアメリカの宗教界と民間団体が、「これは宗教に対する明白な弾圧である」として、あちこちで一斉に立ち上がったのです。それまで統一運動に対して友好的ではなかった既成のキリスト教会も、支持声明を発表するなど、私たちを擁護する側に回りました。多くの人々や団体が文総裁の無罪を主張して請願書を提出し、宗教の自由を求め、判決内容に抗議する大会もほぼ毎日、開かれるようになりました。宗派を超えて、多くの良心的な人々が宗教弾圧を批判するデモを行ったのです。

しかし一九八四年五月、最高裁は上告を棄却し、刑がそのまま確定しました。こうして、文総裁は一九八四年七月二十日、コネチカット州にあるダンベリー連邦刑務所に収監されることになったのです。

この事件は、表面的には脱税が問題にされましたが、その裏には統一教会の驚異的な成長を食い止めようとする意図が隠されていました。政府の権力を利用した、巧妙な宗軟迫害だったのです。七千三百ドルの脱税（もちろん言いがかりですが）に対する刑罰として、懲役十八か月と罰金二万五千ドルを課すという判決は、多くの人々を公慣へと駆り立てました。そうして、アメリカ各地で数千人が抗議し、宗教の自由を守るため、一週間ずつ交替で文総裁と一緒に監獄に入ることを決意したのです。

しかし文総裁は、アメリカを霊的な死から目覚めさせることができるなら、むしろ進んで監獄に行こうとしました。
「先生が監獄に入られたら、私たちはどうしたらよいのでしょうか？」
世界中の統一教会の信徒が心配し、毎晩、涙で祈持を捧げていましたが、私たち夫婦は毅然とした態度で信徒たちを慰めました。
「これから新しい世界が始まります。アメリカの人だけでなく、全人類が私たちと共にあり、世界のあらゆる所で希望の太鼓の音が弊き渡るでしょう」

一九八四年七月二十日は、私の人生の中から水遠に消してしまいたい一日でした。それは文総裁が家を離れ、ダンベリー刑務所に収監される日でした。私たち夫婦は最後まで信徒たちを励まし、希望を与えると、数人の信徒と共に午後十時、イーストガーデンを出発し、ダンペリー刑終所に向かいました。私は既に強く決意していたので、動揺することはありませんでした。

怒りと悲しみを露わにする信徒に向かって、文総裁は念を押すように言われました。
「私のために泣かずに、アメリカのために祈りなさい」
刑務所に入る夫の背中が、暗闇に消えていきました。信徒たちは、文総裁がまた姿を見せられるのではないかという思いからか、刑務所の入り口にしばらく立っていました。私は彼らをなだめ、帰途に就きました。

夫が異国の地で無念の獄中生活を送ることになったわけですが、それでも私は、アメリカを許すべきだと思いました。
「怒讐までも愛しなさい。そして、ために生きなさい」

統一運動の最も根本的な教えは、「ために生きる」です。死の境地において自らを犠牲にし、たとえ不本意に濡れ衣を着せられたとしても、相手を許し、愛することができるというのが「ダンベリー精神」です。ダンベリー精神とは、すべてを奪われて失ってしまった立場でも、天のみ旨に従って犠牲となり、許しながら、より大きな価値のために生きることです。

ダンベリー刑務所からの帰り道、外は真っ暗でしたが、私は心まで暗くならないようにと、自らに言い聞かせました。アメリカに渡って十数年、私は数え切れないほど多くのことを経験しました。世界を揺り動かした三度の大会をはじめ、大陸を横断する巡回講演を何度も行いました。その路程は多くの困難を伴いましたが、文総裁の無念の収監は、その苦院の最たるものでした。私にとっても、夫の投獄は耐え難い、重い十字架でした。

私が何よりもつっらかったのは、当時、文総裁が既に六十歳を超えており、アメリカという異国の地で刑務所生活をするのは、容易でなかったということです。しかも、有色人種である上に新興宗教の指導者だという理由で迫害が加えられていたため、私の心はより一層、痛みました。また、末の子供である情進がまだ二歳を過ぎたばかりだったので、私は心身共に、非常につらい思いをしました。そのような中で、文総裁のいない空白を、私が代わりに理めなければならなかったのです。

翌日の朝、文総裁は私に電話をかけてくれました。
「神様の召命に従い、キリスト教の信仰の炎を燃え上がらせよ。この言葉を信徒に伝えてほしい」
私はそのメッセージを信徒に伝え、私たちが今、何をすべきかについても話しました。
「今のこの時が、神様が私たちに下さった最後の機会です。これまでやってきたことはもちろん、今指示した内容まで、あらん限りの精誠と積極的な活動を通して、必ず成し迷げなければなりません。皆さんの精誠に、神様は感動し、サタンは降伏します。歴史は新しい時代を迎えるでしょう」

しかし、不幸が一挙に訪れるかのように、良くない出来事がまた起こりました。アメリカで私たち夫婦をサポートし、活動していた中心指導者が、行方不明になったのです。共産主義の影響を受けた者が彼を控致し、ニューヨークのどこかの部屋に閉じ込めていたのです。

私たちは「ワシントン·タイムズ」を通して、共産主義の活動はもちろん、その理念に対してまで勝共思想をもって反論してきましたが、これに対する報復措置として、彼らは文総裁がいない隙を狙い、復讐に出たのでした。また、彼らは統一教会がアメリカで引き続き共感を得て、信徒を増やしていることにも良くない感情を持っていました。このようなことから、彼らは何よりも、拉致した私たちのメンバーに危害を加えることしか考えていなかったのです。

文総裁が収監されている状況ですから、私が問題を解決しなければなりませんでした。私はまず、心を落ち着けて祈祷しました。拉致されたメンバーの耳に私の声が届くように、切実に祈りました。その上で、懇意にしていたオリン・ハッチ上院議員に電話をかけたのです。

「私たちのメンバーを拉致したのは、私的怨恨によるものではありません。これは共産主義の影響を受けた者の仕業であり、宗教差別に基づいた攻撃です」
「直ちにFBIを通して捜査しましょう」
中には、FBIが捜査を始めると、追い詰められた犯人たちが拉致したメンバーを傷つける恐れがあるため、そのまま待機して交渉するほうが良いと言う人もいました。しかし私は、それは賢明な策ではないと思いました。私は切実な心情で、談判祈祷を行いました。

あとから聞いた話によると、誘拐犯は拉致したメンバーをひどく殴りつけ、電気ショックを与えて拷問したといいます。しかし、冷たい床に倒れ、意識を失いそうになる中で、彼は遠くから響いてくる声を耳にしたのです。
「時間がない。犯人たちは今夜までは、お前を害することはないだろう。今から十時間以内に、そこを何としてでも脱出すれば、生きて帰ってこられる」

彼は薄れゆく意識の中で、夢を通して、私の声を聞いたのです。意識を取り戻した彼は、脱出を試みながら、知恵を振り絞って誘拐犯との交渉を重ねました。その結果、何とか脱出に成功したのです。こうして翌日、彼は無事に戻ってきました。
生きて帰ってきた彼は、私に一部始終を聞かせてくれました。
「暗闇の中で聞こえてきた真のお母様の声は、まさに神様の声であり、啓示でした。私が力強く立ち上がり、彼らに対抗するための力と知恵を下さったのです」

拉致の知らせを聞いた時、もし私が手をこまねいて、犯人たちと交渉するためにただ待機していたならば、時を逃して、さらに大きな不幸が訪れていたことでしょう。また、誘拐犯たちは統一教会を屈服させたといって有頂天になり、世間に向かって騒ぎ立てていたことでしょう。

それは結局、サタンの手口にはまることであり、彼らに勝利をもたらすことでした。ですから、私は苦しい闘いを続けながらも、彼らとの交渉は断固として断ったのです。

同じように、文総裁のダンベリー刑務所での獄苦は不幸なことでしたが、私たち夫婦はそれを勝利へと変えました。それまでで最もつらい期間でしたが、一方では最も感性が鋭敏になり、愛と慕わしい情が深まる日々でもありました。夫にとってもまた、切ない心情を分かち合う日々だったことでしょう。

夫は早朝五時に祈持を終えると、刑務所の公衆電話で電話をかけてきました。そうして、私と挨拶を交わすのが、一日の日課の始まりでした。面会時間が近づくと、夫は私たちが到着する時間に合わせて、あらかじめ車から見える丘まで出てきて、待っていてくれました。

ある時、夫が刑務所内での床清掃や食堂の皿洗いを終わらせ、疲れ切った様子で面会室に入ってきたことがありました。その姿を見て、心を穏やかにしていられる妻がいるでしょうか。しかし、私は悲しみをこらえ、いつもどおり明るい笑顔で夫を迎えました。毎回、末娘の情進を連れて面会に行ったのですが、二歳の情進を抱きかかえながら、夫はとてもうれしそうにしていました。

短い面会が終わると、夫は面会室から出て、私たちを見送ってくれます。私は、オープンカーに乗って行き来していたのですが、刑務所に向かう時は慕わしさが先立ち、明るい笑顔で坂道を登っていくものの、帰る時は涙がこほれそうで、真っすぐに夫を見つめることができず、ただ手を振ることしかできませんでした。夫も、私たちの姿が見えなくなるまで、手を振りながら立っていました。

その悲しみと悔しさを乗り越えて、私は文総裁が監獄に入れられていた十三ヵ月間、教会と摂理を率いました。全世界の信徒が安心し、揺らぐことなく信仰生活を続けられるように投入したのです。

文総裁が監獄に入った当初、世界のマスコミがあざけりながら、果たして統一教会は存続できるのか、それとも消え去ってしまうのか、と騒ぎ立てました。いくつかのメディアは、まるで待っていたかのように、根のない話を吹聴しました。
「統一教会は自ら瓦解し、信徒たちは離れていくだろう」
しかし、そのようなことは決して起こりませんでした。むしろ、信徒の数がぐっと増えたのです。人類の救いと宗教の自由を懸けて献身する中で無念の獄中生活をすることになった文総裁の姿が、人々の心を動かしたのでした。

文総裁が収監されて一カ月ほど経った時のことです。当時、私たちは「科学の統一に関する国際会議（ICUS）」を目前に控えていました。私たち夫婦が一九七二年に創設したこの会議は、世界中の科学者が集まり、科学と技術の未来について議論する大きな行事でした。創設者が収監された状態で果たして会議が開けるのか、心配する声も少なくありませんでした。「開けはしまい」と言ってあざ笑う人も大勢いました。

しかし、私はそのような状況に、一言で決着をつけました。
「会は必ず開かなければなりません」
一九八四年九月二日から五日まで、第十三回ICUSがワシントンDCで開かれ、世界四十数ヵ国から約二百五十人の料学者が参加しました。私は科学者たち一人一人と挨拶を交わした後、演壇に上がり、毅然とした態度で歓迎の辞を述べました。そうして、創設者不在の中、国際会議が成功裏に終わるや、科学者たちが私の元に来て、口々に感謝の気持ちを伝えてきたのです。信徒たちも、感服した様子でした。

国際会議は、それで終わりではありませんでした。 一九八五年の夏には、「世界平和教授アカデミー（PWPA）」が世界大会を準備していました。ところが、やはり創立者が収監されている状況ですから、大会を行えるかどうか心配している、という知らせが入ったのです。私はきっぱりと、「予定どおり開催しなければならない」と言いました。大会の場所は、スイスのジュネープに決まりました。

大会の議長を務めるシカゴ大学の政治学者、モートン・カプラン教授が、私たち夫婦に会うためダンベリー刑務所まで来ました。文絵裁が、大会のテーマを「共産主義の終焉、ソ連帝国の崩壊」にしなさいと告げると、カブラン教授はそれに真っ向から反対しました。当時、共産主義は依然として強大な勢力を誇っていたのです。
「社会学者は、まだ起きていないことについては論じません」
しかし文総裁は、強い口調で彼に言いました。
「共産主義は減び、ソ連帝国は崩壊する！ この事実を、世界の学者、教授たちが集った場で宣布しなさい」
カブラン教授は少し躊躇した後、尋ねました。
「その言葉の前に、「Maybe（おそらく）」と付けるのはいかがでしょうか？」
「いけません。私の言ったとおりに話してください」

面会を終えて帰る道すがら、カプラン教授はとても苦脳していました。当時、彼は学者として世界的な名声を誇っていたので、根拠のないように聞こえることを語るなどできない立場だったのです。そのようなことを言うのは、彼にとってまさに恐怖でした。

彼は、「おそらく」という言葉を入れようと三回も繰り返しました。私はカプラン教授に向かって、何の心配もせず、文総裁の言うとおりにするよう諭しましたが、教会の幹部たちも慎重になって、私に勧めてきました。
「『滅亡』や『崩壊』という言葉ではなく、もっと柔らかい表現にしたほうがよいのではないでしょうか？」

しかし、文総裁や私は、それを決して受け入れませんでした。数年以内に、ソ連帝国が崩壊することを知っていたからです。
一九八五年八月十三日、ジュネープで世界平和教授アカデミーの世界大会が開かれました。世界から著名な大学教授が数百人も集う歴史的な場で、「共産主義の終焉」が宣布されました。
「ソ連帝国は崩壊する」

参加者はびっくりしました。 まだ起きていないことを確信に満ちた口調で宣布したこと、また、会場から道を挟んだ向かい側にソ連の領事館が堂々と構えているにもかかわらず、ソ連帝回の崩壊を断言したことに驚いたのです。しかし一九九一年十二月、 私たちの予測どおり、 ソ連の共産主義は暮を下ろしまました。

大会当時、私たち夫婦は「当たらない予言者」として、からかいの対象となったことでしょう。事実、有名な社会学者や教授たちが、私たちの宣布を強く批判しました。しかし実際にソ連が崩壊すると、彼らは私たちがした予測に対して、驚きと感嘆の念を隠すことができませんでした。このように、たとえ文総裁が獄中に身を置いていても、私たち夫婦は世界の将来のため、一日も休むことなく歩んだのです。

無念の獄中生活ではありましたが、文総裁は模範的な態度と勤勉さで、服役囚たちに深い感動を与えました。彼らは、初めのうちこそ「東洋から来た異端宗教の創始者」と言ってあざ笑い、文句をつけてきましたが、ほどなくして文総裁を真の師と仰ぐようになりました。文総裁は怨みと憎悪、争いが支配する刑務所を、愛のあふれる場所につくり変えたのです。
服役囚たちは文総裁を「獄中の聖者」と呼ぶようになり、看守や刑務所の管理者たちまでも感服させるに至りました。こうして、文総裁は模範因として一九八五年八月二十日、自由の身になったのです。

夫が監獄に入れられたのは、私自身が囚われたのと同じことでした。文総裁の獄中生活は、二千年前、イエス様がピラトの法廷に立ち、孤独な身で十字架に追いやられたのと何も変わることはありません。いつ文総裁に危害を加えるか分からない勢力が、虎視眈々と機会を窺っていました。

ソ連のKGBおよび北朝鮮の金日成主席にそそのかされた赤軍派が、検挙されるという事件もありました。服役囚の中には、そのような勢力に同調する人々もいたのです。彼らと共に生活しなければならない夫の安全は、誰も保障できませんでした。ダンペリー刑務所はまさに、イエス様を十字架につけた所と変わらない、現代のゴルゴタの丘だったのです。

しかし、私たち夫婦はそのような苦難を味わいながらも、決して挫折することはありませんでした。私はどこにいても、神様のみ旨のために愛を実践しようと、身も心も尽くしました。そのような苦しい人生行路を黙々と歩み、平和の母であり、宇宙の母、人類の仲保者、独り娘として、使命を果たしてきたのです。

MOTHER of PEACE
CHAPTER 4 God's Light Shines Upon A Path Of Thorns
 
6. A song of victory rang out from Danbury

My husband and I were well aware of the many who opposed us. The charge of “brainwashing” was a recurring accusation. Scurrilous criticism always followed my husband and me. But such is the story of God's history, and we understood why. The movement against us in the United States reached its crescendo in the late 1970s. The Washington Monument Rally was the tipping point for those who hoped our movement would fail, and critics and fear-mongers now envisioned the Unification Principle spreading like wildfire throughout America. Donald Fraser, a congressman from Minnesota, took the lead on Capitol Hill, opening a hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We would be accused of involvement in a political scandal nicknamed 'Koreagate” in the press. It had nothing to do with us, except that we were from Korea, but it was gaining publicity for members of Congress.

After Congressman Fraser chaired the hearing that investigated, without result, our movement in March and April of 1978, he failed in his campaign to win a seat in the US Senate. In 1980, however, he became mayor of Minneapolis, and he later signed a proclamation welcoming my husband and me to that fair city.

With a congressional committee coming up empty-handed, those who wanted to convict my husband of something, anything, asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate us. Beginning in the late 1970s, our church was subjected to a full IRS audit. We opened our books, confident that we had done nothing wrong. For two years, we even provided a private office for an IRS team in our Manhattan headquarters building. “I have lived a life of sacrifice and service for America and the world,” Father Moon declared publicly, “I have nothing to be ashamed of. This case is the result of racism and religious prejudice.'

Although Father Moon had done nothing wrong, early in 1982, the US district attorney in the Southern District of New York, on the third attempt with a grand jury, finally succeeded in lodging charges of tax evasion against him. Our lawyer knew that the newspapers and television stations' persistent attacks on our movement rendered it impossible to convene an unbiased jury of New York City citizens. Also, it would be hard to seat a jury that could understand the complexities of such a tax case. Father Moon therefore requested a bench trial, but the court did not accept this motion. In pleading their case, the government lawyers confused everyone in the courtroom, no one more than the members of the jury.

On May 18, 1982, the jury handed down their verdict. My husband was found guilty of owing a total of $7,300 in taxes accrued over a three-year period, nearly 10 years prior. It is routine for people who underpay their taxes by far greater amounts to simply pay a fine. But for Father Moon, an evangelist from Korea? The judge pounded his gavel and pronounced his decision: “I sentence you to 18 months in prison and a $25,000 fine.” Upon this announcement, my husband immediately stood up, smiled, and walked across the courtroom, with his hand outstretched, to shake the hand of the government's lead prosecutor. The lawyer was startled. He turned his back on my husband, stuffed his papers in his briefcase and walked out of the courtroom.

American churches were paying close attention to our case. Holding church funds under the name of the pastor was common practice for them, and this became the basis of the accusation against my husband. If my husband were sent to jail, they could be next. When Father Moon was pronounced guilty, they rose up. With one voice, the National Council of Churches, United Presbyterian Church in the USA, the American Baptist Churches in the USA, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the National Conference of Black Mayors, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, the National Association of Evangelicals, and many others called the decision 'an obvious oppression of religion.” With them in our ranks, we founded the Coalition for Religious Freedom and Minority Alliance International, which organized rallies throughout the country to protest the verdict. Conscientious people of all denominations and political views recognized oppression when they saw it, and demonstrated on behalf of liberty.

On the foundation of this bipartisan support, we submitted an appeal to the United States Supreme Court. To our great disappointment, in May 1984, the Supreme Court washed its hands of it, thereby affirming the sentence. My husband's response? “It is the will of God.” He was not concerned about going to prison. He had already turned his fate into the next step of God's plan to awaken America from spiritual death. He was incarcerated on July 20, 1984, at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut.

This whole affair was not about taxes. It was about the world's most powerful nation having a panic attack over the growth and influence of our movement. It was a misuse of governmental and media power induced by fear and ignorance. But God always works in mysterious ways. The Christian community united with us as it never had before. Major clerics were outraged that what could be characterized as an administrative mistake could be punished by 18 months in prison. Thousands of clergy throughout the United States protested. Hundreds spent a week in Washington, DC, in the Common Suffering Fellowship. They studied the Principle and America's tradition of religious freedom, visited their congressional representatives, demonstrated outside the White House and proclaimed that when the government threw Father Moon in prison, it had thrown them in there as well.

Besides supporting this domestic ecumenical activism, Unification Church members around the world prayed unceasingly. Having no experience of the earliest years in Korea, they could not digest the reality that the Lord would be in prison. My husband and I comforted them. “From now, a new world will begin,' Father Moon counseled our members, our family and me. “Now, not only America, but all humanity will be with us, and the drumbeat of hope will sound throughout the world.'

July 20, 1984, is a day I wish I could erase from history. On that day, my husband left our home and was incarcerated in Danbury prison. As we departed at 10:00 that evening, he gave words of hope and encouragement to our members who had gathered at Belvedere. With several members, we drove to the prison. I was resolved not to reveal my emotions. Father Moon had asked the members to dispel their anger and sadness. “Do not cry for me,” he told them, “Pray for America.'

A feeling of deep darkness descended as we watched Father Moon enter the prison. We stood for a long time at the entrance, as if my husband might just turn around and come back out. With a deep sigh, I consoled everyone and we turned and walked away. My husband was embarking upon an unfair prison term in a foreign land, and I knew that I had to forgive the people who had put him there. It was our opportunity to practice our movement's most fundamental tenet, “Love your enemies, and live for their sake.”

Sacrificing oneself, even in the face of death, and going even further to forgive and love those who accuse and deceive, is what we came to call “the Danbury spirit.” The Danbury spirit is to give and give even after everything has been taken away, to forgive those involved, then to persevere, knowing something greater is bound to occur in accord with the heavenly will.

The road was dark on our nighttime journey home. My experiences during the more than 10 years of living in the United States had been more numerous than the pebbles along a riverbank. There were the speaking tours in which we had traversed the continent; there were the path-breaking conferences that reshaped the world of scientists, professors, theologians and clergy; there was the youth with boundless energy welcoming new life in God's love. That road had been strenuous but incredibly rewarding and, in that light, my husband's imprisonment was a painful pill to swallow, a heavy cross to bear.

As a wife, I also was dealing with personal pain. My husband was nearing 65 years of age, and facing prison life by himself in the United States, barely knowing the English language, would not be easy. It had not been so long since I had given birth to our fourteenth child. I had been with my husband every time he appeared in a courtroom, before a congressional panel, or speaking to our members. And now this. It was very hard on my mind and body. Amid all this, I had to fill the leadership vacuum created by his absence.

My husband knew my thoughts and focused himself, and me, and our movement, on the way forward. The first thing the next morning, there he was, on the phone. “Share these words with the members,' he told me, “Ignite the signal fire for Christianity according to the call of God.”

I shared his words with our leaders and members. Energized by my husband, I knew what we had to do. “Now God has given us our next opportunity,” I told them. “We must achieve what we are called to do, on the foundation of all we have accomplished so far. Through constructive activity and sincere spiritual conditions, God's heart will be moved. Our sincere devotion will bring Satan to surrender. Now is the time. History will record this as the welcoming of a new age.”

There is a saying that “when it rains, it pours,' and indeed, on my path forward, almost before I could catch my breath, I ran headlong into another unexpected misfortune. A core leader of our movement, who had pioneered the Principle in America and who had actively defended my husband and me in the United States, suddenly went missing. We soon learned that Dr. Bo Hi Pak had been kidnapped and was locked up in a cellar somewhere in New York City. His captors declared themselves ready to kill him.

We had been exposing communist subversion through The News World and The Washington Times and demolishing Marxist ideological claims before tens of thousands of American clergy through CAUSA. Communists were enraged that the religious freedom of the United States had allowed our membership to increase. Lacking the police apparatus they would have had in North Korea, one leftist cell's ability to act against us was limited. But now, considering us vulnerable with the absence of Father Moon, they resorted to violent criminality and kidnapped Dr. Pak.

With my husband in prison, I had to solve the problem. The first thing I did was earnestly pray that the saintly man who had been abducted would hear my voice. Then I phoned United States Senator Orrin Hatch. Senator Hatch was a warm-hearted and fair-minded man who had spoken out on our behalf during the congressional hearings.

“This abduction is not based on personal resentment, nor is it for money,' I informed him. “It is an attack on a man who is unmasking their wickedness through the media and through education.” Senator Hatch responded that he would ask the FBI to investigate immediately. Lawyers and my trusted advisors told me that the FBI opening an investigation would increase the likelihood of violence on the part of the kidnappers and that it would be better to negotiate. I could not agree and I continued my desperate prayer.

As Dr. Pak shared with us later, his circumstances soon worsened. The kidnappers beat him severely and applied electric shocks. He lost consciousness and fell onto a cold basement floor. At that time, he heard a voice: 'There is not much time, but they will not harm you further today. You will preserve your life if you escape within 12 hours. You can do it; use whatever means are available.”

Dr. Pak heard my prayers in a dream. He regained consciousness and determined to escape. Using wisdom, Dr. Pak got his kidnappers to relax the conditions of his captivity and managed to escape. The next day, he returned home. I met him soon after that, and he gave me a full account of what had happened. “The voice of True Mother, which I heard in the darkness, sounded like the voice and revelation of God. Your words awakened me suddenly and gave me the wisdom and power to outwit my captors.”

As such events unfolded, a very difficult time turned into a time in which I was full of vigor. My desire to impart merciful love only deepened. Each day was rich with emotions, including cherished moments in which my husband shared with me his affection. At the start of each day, after he finished praying at 5:00 a.m., he would call me from a prison payphone, and greet me with “My beloved Mother!”

I was permitted to visit him at the prison every other day. I would be driven there in a convertible, and when weather permitted, I would put the top down as we ascended the final hill on the prison grounds. Rain or shine, my husband always came out and waited for our arrival. With a longing heart, I would smile brightly and wave from the car. Sometimes he would look totally worn out, having just finished mopping a floor or washing dishes. What wife would feel comfortable seeing her husband like that? But I would suppress my sorrow and hug him with a bright smile. I often brought our two-year-old daughter, Jeong-jin, for he would be so happy to receive and embrace her.

When our brief meetings ended, my husband would send us off. As we drove back down the hill, worried tears would start to fall from my eyes. Wishing not to turn my face toward him and expose my weeping, I would just keep my face forward while waving good-bye. I knew that my husband would remain in place, his eyes fixed upon me, a prayer in his heart, waving silently until we were out of sight.

For the 13 months of Father Moon's imprisonment, I was coping with feelings of sorrow and injustice, but my responsibility to lead our church and the providence came first. I felt responsible for inspiring our members around the world while maintaining a firm axis with my husband, around which they would revolve, unwavering in their life of faith. With God's intervention, we actually enjoyed a sense of stability. When my husband was imprisoned, media professionals around the world gossiped and cynically predicted that the Unification Church would disappear. Some members of the media seemed to be anxiously waiting for that to happen, hoping to proclaim happily, “We told you so! The Unification Church is an empty shell cracking like an egg with nothing inside; its so-called believers are heading for the hills.”

That did not happen. Quite the opposite: the number of our members and allies only increased. People understood that the US government had sent Father Moon to serve an unjust prison sentence for the crime of dedicating his life for the salvation of humanity. In their innermost hearts, all people cherish religious freedom.

Despite Father Moon's incarceration, our global work for peace continued. The 13th International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS) was scheduled to convene within a month of his imprisonment. For more than a decade, this annual meeting had brought scientists from around the world to discuss the unity of the sciences centered on absolute values. Staff and the attendees needed to know whether the conference would be held. Critics of the conference scoffed, saying, 'It's all about Father Moon. Without him, they won't do it.” Ignoring this, I simply said, “We will certainly hold the conference,' and the preparations continued.

On September 2, 1984, our International Cultural Foundation conducted the 13th ICUS in Washington, DC. More than 250 scientists attended from 42 countries. I met and greeted them one by one, and took the podium to read the Founder's Address with confident resolution. Even though its founder was absent, the conference was a success. Scientists expressed gratitude and the staff members were happy. Everyone could see that this movement is of God and does not depend upon one individual.

The progress of our international conferences did not end there. In the summer of 1985, the Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA) was scheduled to convene a global congress in Europe. Once again, I heard about the worries of the planners and participants and I guided them as before, “We will hold it as planned.'

Geneva, Switzerland was the conference venue. Dr. Morton Kaplan, a renowned political scientist at the University of Chicago, was the president of PWPA. He sought my husband's advice about the conference and met us at Danbury to receive it. Those days, my husband, even from prison, was acting on Heaven's guidance to halt the advance of communism at America's doorstep, in Nicaragua. His inspiration sparked the American president, Ronald Reagan, to take action. As this was unfolding, my husband and I saw beneath the surface; we saw that communism's global reach camouflaged a serious crisis within and that its entire house of cards was soon to collapse. Years prior, Father Moon had prophesied that global communism would fall in the late 1980s, 70 years after its founding.

And so, to this University of Chicago political scientist, my husband announced our theme for the conference: 'The Fall of the Soviet Union.” Dr. Kaplan, looking at the global reality externally, objected. 'Sociologists don't discuss something that has not happened.” But Father Moon spoke with calmness and strength, “Communism will perish and the Soviet Union will collapse. You need to proclaim this fact at the gathering of scholars and professors from around the world.”

Dr. Kaplan again hesitated and asked: 'How about if we say “the possible fall”?”

Father Moon said, “No. It's not just a possibility. Believe me and do as I say.” As he departed with me from the meeting, I could see that Dr. Kaplan's head was spinning. He was a world-renowned scholar, and he could not speak what he considered empty words, much less convene a conference based upon them. He said three times that he wanted to tone down the conference theme. I told Dr. Kaplan not to worry about anything and to follow my husband's advice. He still was looking for a way out. With winsome eyes, he came up with, “Wouldn't it be possible to use a word softer than 'fall?” I didn't budge. My husband and I knew communism would collapse in the Soviet Union within a few years.

From August 13-17, 1985, the second Professors World Peace Academy international congress took place in Geneva, and hundreds of university professors discussed the fall of communism from all angles. They heard Father Moon's prophecy that 'Communism will collapse within a few years.” They pricked up their ears, having never dreamed of such an idea. They were amazed that we had the conviction to go against conventional wisdom and political correctness. Their nerves were a bit on edge for another reason as well. They were aware that the Soviet Embassy stood directly across the street from the conference venue.

Some renowned sociologists and professors criticized our proclamation, even quite harshly. But, as we had predicted, the Soviet Union was dissolved just six years later. Interestingly, when the Soviet Union actually dissolved, some of these same scholars explained it as if they had seen it coming, with very few noting that it was Father and Mother Moon who had first predicted what would happen and even convened a conference with that as the specific title. My husband and I just continued on, working for the sake of the future.

Even during his undeserved prison sentence, my husband greatly impressed other inmates with his exemplary demeanor and diligence. At first, the prisoners mocked him for being the founder of a strange new religion from the East and tried to pick quarrels with him. He handled it all with forbearance, warmth and dignity. As he had told me, he was looking forward to seeing whom God had prepared for him to meet there. Prisoners naturally are struggling with anger, resentment and selfishness, and he committed to make Danbury a place where love could flow.

Prisoners soon learned that Father Moon would spend his weekly stipend in the prison dispensary, and through the week, give everything away to lonely inmates. He held an early morning pledge service, and other prisoners gradually joined him. Some of the inmates came to consider my husband a true teacher; some called him the “saint of the prison.” Guards and prison officials were also impressed. The New York Post published a cartoon at the time of Father Moon's release, August 20, 1985. It depicted all the prisoners bowing to Father Moon, and one prison official saying to another, “Get him out of here before he calls a mass wedding!” My husband and I chuckled over that.

As his wife and the mother of our children, my husband's imprisonment was my imprisonment. The Danbury course parallels Jesus' trial in front of the Roman Procurator, Pilate, and the punishment of his crucifixion. The forces that wanted Father Moon to disappear were always looking for an opportunity. The American FBI apprehended Red Army operatives in the United States who had been sent by the Soviet KGB and North Korea's Kim Il Sung to assassinate my husband. Among the prison inmates were men who harbored the same irrational hatred as those who had kidnapped Dr. Pak. My husband was living with such men, and no one could guarantee his safety. It was a modern version of Golgotha, as if he were on a cross with thieves to the left and right.

Despite such circumstances, we threw our lives into the salvation of America. As a result, although we were harassed, accused and imprisoned, my husband and I never gave up and we never will, whether on earth or in heaven. One with his bones and flesh, with his thoughts mine and my thoughts his, I give my entire mind and body to practice love for the sake of God's dream. I have walked this exhausting life course silently as the one called to bring the human family together as the Mother of peace, to heal our suffering planet as the Mother of the universe, and to bring joy to our Heavenly Parent as His only begotten Daughter.

My husband once called me a High Priest. He said that in God's dispensation until this era, men were the high priests, but we are entering the age of the wife, and women need to fulfill the priestly ministry. It is women whom our Heavenly Parent is calling to serve as the mediators of forgiving, purifying and regenerating grace to all humanity.