천일국 경전방

Chapter 7 :The Education of Reverend Sun Myung Moon 7.1 In what environment did Sun Myung Moon grow up? Korea in the 1920s, the time that I was born, was going through a very difficult period - during which there was a three-year famine. It was also a time when a new struggle against Japanese oppression started, based on the March 1st Movement [a nationwide uprising against Japan's colonial rule in 1919]. I was born based on the foundation of the difficulties my family had to undergo in relation to the March 1st Movement. (168-68, 1987.09.01) I was born in 1920 during the Japanese colonial administration of Korea. I have experienced firsthand the pain and sorrow of a weak nation trampled on by a powerful neighbor. During my youth, I thought seriously about how to bring salvation to this tragic world of war and evil. (229-79, 1992.04.10) In my family, there is a tradition to not let hungry people leave our house empty-handed. When we had a guest, we would never just send him back where he came from. We had such a family custom. We gave food to many people from all parts of Korea. During the Japanese occupation, as the Japanese came and made people's lives difficult, many escaped to Manchuria. As our house was by the highway, people from all the eight provinces of Korea dropped by and had a meal. My mother made food for thirty to forty people every day. She followed this family tradition throughout her life without uttering a word of complaint (111-310, 1981.03.09) Our house was located by the highway and well known for our tradition; there were even times when we had some thirty people in our living room. Though my mother had quite a temper, she never complained about having to cook for them and having to serve her father-in-law as well. (198-149, 1990.01.28) My grandfather had two brothers, and the youngest of them (Moon Yoon-guk) was a Christian minister. He was the North Pyeongan Provincial leader for the March 1st Movement as well as being a member of their national planning committee. He led school staff members, church followers and residents of Osan town in the Mansei Resistance March. Consequently, the Japanese police arrested him for organizing the march and imprisoned him for two years. After serving out his sentence he was forced to live in hiding away from his hometown and passed away in Jeongseon, Kangwon Province. (20-209, 1970.02) My father (Moon Kyung-yoo) was known to be a man who could live without laws to regulate his actions. If he owed money, he could not bear the idea of being in default, and always acquitted his debts on the due date with interest. He kept his promises without fail regardless of circumstances. He was exemplary in this. My father knew all the songs in the 400-page standard hymnal and would not take it with him to church on Sunday. When I asked him why, he said, "It's cumbersome to have to carry it around. I'll probably end up losing it anyway. I'll leave it at home." Then I asked him how he was going to sing the hymns, to which he replied, "What do you mean how will I sing the songs? I'll follow everyone else's singing, and if I don't know the words, I can always look at the book of the person in front of me." That's how he memorized all the hymns. (45-136, 1971.06.24) My mother (Kim Kyeong-gye) was an exceedingly strong woman, resilient and as tough as a battle-hardened soldier. I take after her in terms of muscular physique and sheer physical strength. (139-52, 1986.01.26) Looking back upon my life as well as my family's experiences, I see that at one point God gives a blessing but later He is harsh and merciless. Our family experienced much grace at the time of my great-grandfather, but by my grandfather's time, we underwent a course of indemnity. Indemnity would always follow a blessing, similar to the history of the Israelites. After receiving ten blessings, there would have to be that much indemnity received. In order to keep something strong, and to leave a seed, indemnity must be received. Especially if it was to leave a seed for the clan rather than for the family, Satan would pour more trials onto the family than the blessings they had received. Therefore, until I received the call from God there was great confusion in my family. Our family lost its entire fortune, including some of its members as well. Prior to my embarking on this mission, there had been indemnity in three generations of my family. There was indemnity during my grandfather's generation and during my father's generation, and in my generation my older brother paid indemnity. (29-208, 1970.02)