Building the Kingdom of Heaven

Hyo Jin Moon October 22, 2006 7:00am Belvedere

Here are my notes from Hyo Jin nim's speech Sunday 22 October 2006. My ability to convey what was actually said is limited. These, at most, convey some sense of what Hyo Jin nim said and are not a verbatim record.

Hyo Jin nim's website is: http://www.canaanstation.com/ To see one of the projects that Hyo Jin nim is working on log on to: http://definingmoment.tv/

Joe Kinney

Rev. Andrew Compton is the MC. All welcome Hyo Jin nim and Yeon Ah nim and offer a bow.

(Hyo Jin nim bows to the audience as he approaches the stage.)

Good Morning.

I don't see many … I guess the parents didn't bring the kids today.

The topic is Building the Kingdom of Heaven.

If I have children (present here) I can ask some questions. Do you have rules at home, house rules?

That's where it starts when it comes to having anything. That's where civility starts, right or wrong it starts from home.

You should ask your children. The best way to understand the family situation is the children a general question about what is right and what is wrong.

If somebody doesn't know you they can take that and they can run with that till the end because that's how serious the family situation is.

In a difficult world where we have to deal with many other issues in an other-than-ideal setting. If it was ideal obviously you could literally understand the status of a family by asking questions to the children about what is right and what is wrong. You get a better answer, a more truthful answer, a more direct answer, not contrived answer, than from asking you.

So even on a family level you have stuff that governs your household and your house county, State, then Federal in America. Most countries stop at State; The Europeans are trying to federalize them selves because of competition with America which is the greatest nation on earth in terms of power and wealth.

We're a church. Our foundation is built upon Christianity. I did a video in the early '90s about "a portrait of Jesus." Still to this day Koreans carry this portrait of a blond haired, blue eyed Jesus. Europe carries the tradition of Christianity and has propagated it throughout the world, and takes pride in that.

There is a pride factor when it comes to European Christians. When it comes to Korean Christians, its tradition. They are indoctrinated into a certain way of thinking because they are a very receptive people when it comes to religion. Because of that tradition and because of who they are as a race those things come into play. They take certain things certain ways. They are very dogmatic about it. It's very difficult to introduce new interpretations into their way of thinking whether its tradition or pride, it's a very difficult thing.

You literally have to start from scratch going back to wherever they are and trying to build something from that, just purely out of logic alone and create some kind of explanation that dates back thousands of years which you can not possibly find factual stuff that they will demand. It is very difficult.

On the other hand America, yes it's a European white people's land, is a relatively new country, but they still pay attention to equality. They don't care too much about the pride; they don't care too much about the tradition, because you're relatively young and you have this idealism. That's the key in my mind. America is important.

If we're going to keep on trying to convince the world of what we believe America is the only place that will allow what we have to actually see the light of day. For the Korean people it has to be something special like white people with golden hair and blue eyes. It's mysterious; it's mystical to them. That's absolutely true.

When you're bombarded by a certain way of thinking that in its self is a daunting challenge because it's impossible for you to change no matter how much plastic surgery you have you can't look like blond haired blue eyed white person.

They believe that it can't be them. It has to be something else. Isn't that the picture in the end? Isn't that why we struggle with the concept of the messiah? Because he can't be something like us. He's got to be something different. He can't defecate, he can't fart, he can't even piss because he is the messiah. Some people just require that something is mysterious.

What is the mystery? You can ask your self what is the mystery of becoming a good parent? In America 50% of marriages fail. When a marriage fails the father and mother decide to separate. Obviously the children will suffer. The family will break up. It will be separated and destroy the essence, the value of the union that brought forth the family to begin with.

When you face that kind of constant challenge pretty much on a daily basis, that's almost a routine. It's almost something that you expect. It's almost hit-or-miss. That's the tragedy. It's not something that is certain. It doesn't have that kind of certainty and security that we deserve if we think about the ideal.

Before we talk about idealism we have to pull ourselves back and think about practicality. In reality that's the case. How do you talk about idealism even if America is prepared for that kind of setting in which Father can be what He claims to be? He will die soon. He's not going to live too long. He is an old man. That is a fact. He is not going to live a thousand years.

There is some kid that I know that goes around meeting with big shots and rich people, saying that if we eat certain stuff we can live 700 years. Maybe it's possible in theory. He thinks like that because he has money. He has access to stuff before it's available to everybody else. Good luck.

People like to think about all sorts of things that give them some kind of comfort. I guess living long is a comfort to them. "That's the purpose of living, living long and I do what I do and some how the world is working in my favor when I do what I do and have what I have and get what I want" What's that kind of stuff? It's not life. Then what? What if it doesn't happen? Well, too bad kid. It's about that person only. It has nothing to do with anybody else. Nobody will think that kind of stuff in general. No ordinary people will think that. That is just so beyond their reality. There are people who literally think like that. They're not stupid. They're smart people. They believe all sorts of stupid things.

What does that mean? How do you build the Kingdom? Even if you have a great opportunity, in my mind, in America. Why because they... In my mind in our church status it's an irony, that equality thing is actually a good thing for us in the long run in what we do because there's no other way to put that kind of stress on reality to all.

If we do our part correctly, if we present our self and at the same time we can show that we are who we say we are. In the end that's how you can make a difference. And if you can make a difference in America, if you can stand out, you can stand out everywhere as long as they believe in Christianity.

Moslems and Islam is indigenous to regions where there are tribes that have hatreds that are thousands of years old, they have successfully dominated that region of Africa and South East Asia.

That's why America is important. We can fight fire with fire. Beyond killing each other and knowing who is greater at killing the other guy, we've got to have something more than that. That's why America is necessary before the spirit. The spirit talks about a lot of stuff that is absolute. If you struggle to think about spirit and never experience it. To be honest, I never heard God tell me to do something; its just trying to understand what I am, what I have to do.

America is a very important place because it will allow us to compete and prove that we can win; we're better than the other guy. Through our actions we can do it. The reason that we can do it in America is that equality stuff. It's not just based on a few people that winning comes. It's about raising the standard of all. That represents who we are. If we have to deal with religion, we should basically, in general know more about all sorts of different religions than any other followers of any other religion. In general you should focus on making sure that that becomes real. After that controlling of material wealth, What ever ideas that are out there that can make. Give access to the people, people who are in charge of doing something for the people in general. Go out of get as many ideas as possible and give it out. How to invest in this, how the stock market that, starting from that there are so many things that you can do.

Give people the understanding that we take for granted. Most people don't even care. We should care. We should know about every thing what ever the principles. If you have access to that stuff, you can make your own decisions. If they can do it you can do it because you understand the basics that they know. Sometimes if you're hesitant, kind of shy, what ever, it doesn't matter, stick together. Create a group so you can divide your risk. We have to in actuality be effective at something that we can take care of our self, our physical needs, our intellectual needs. And based on that whatever spirit says that God is willing to offer us it is going to happen. Only then the meaning will be true. Only then can you really digest and interpret that experience the ways it will benefit you to take the next step.

You can help others. It's important to know how to take care of yourself regardless of what happens and I think that is the duty of the church to do that. Other wise it is just words and nobody likes to just listen to words.

You have to take responsibility. Just on a secular human level as we know it we want justice. But what if we talk beyond that and think about idealism, the original stuff. Would the original stuff deal with right or wrong? If I cause something, if I'm willing to die for an idea I will do my best to make it back to what it was no matter how difficult it is.

But if I did something ... every body has a responsibility, but because of what I did all my brothers and sisters went their own way, do I want justice or do I want the ideal, if I truly care about the family and my father and mother. What would you do? What is the ideal?

I know what is ideal. Ideal is keeping your family, staying together, no matter difficult, you have to try, and I'll try at least. Because in the end what you have to try to do is do your best to become what you think God represents, what God is to you. That is the best you can offer. That is the best you can do. That is the greatest control that you can show to God, to the world and to your posterity.

You get a traffic ticket, you have to go to court; you get instant judgment. In the secular world or in a theocracy justice has to be practical. It has to be efficient. It gets served like fast food; it does. There a lot of people involved a lot of people who make mistakes. This is part of learning a lesson, because we all have to learn something to become better, but idealism is the ultimate law. That's why it's so difficult. A lot of people have cynicism because of the actual reality of history of religion. The actions that people have committed, the actual trials and tribulations are real and undeniable. Some people feel it more than others, but we all do to some degree and it's real. That's why this kind of cynicism comes to religious kind absolute stuff.

Someday, ideal world is the ideal world, people can change. We all have limitations but ask God right? That's where idealism comes from, understanding that. That's why we need to learn from our limitations. I don't mind sharing mine with you if it helps you. Why should you hide yours to me when it could help me? So unless we can give and take in all the Tree of Good and Evil, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we'll never be completely liberated; right?

To me that's a kind of mystical story, but in a sense it's true. I can understand what the old folks were saying. The less that you can deal with that in reality, subject and object relationship, because that's how it works to create order. From that you build love. That's how you create an ideal world. You truly care about relationships no matter what. If you can build that it doesn't matter what kind of misery, what kind of crazy stuff, chaos too, you will never forget you will never let that go. That kind of relationship always has a place and time. It will be timeless. It only takes a thought to get there, and you'll be right back to where you started, how it was. You will die someday. Think about what you will leave behind.

I'll try to do it as much as we can. I'll just pump it out to you and we'll get into that stuff too, more physical stuff, more realistic material stuff, information, because we've got nothing better to do. (Laughing)

Working together means a lot in America. We need to win here or it will be more difficult. Father is preparing for his dying and stuff. He has to do a lot of conditions, but the church is not catching up. That's why it creates distance because people can't understand it. Some of you have a hard time understanding it, how the heck can outside people who don't know anything about us to understand stuff, and crazy stuff if you believe all that's happening.

It doesn't work like that. To make sense to teenagers you have to have an impact on them, never mind people with accomplishments and pride. To build the kingdom, how are you going to achieve that? We have to raise ourselves. All of us have to know who we are, and know all the other people around you. That's the first step. That's the first right step we should take. We have to know everything about other people's religion. The fastest way to get it out, no matter what it is; that's the way we should do it.

First things first, we're a religious organization. Let's worry about steps afterwards, afterwards. Step-by-step.

Any questions that you want to ask me?

I'll take a few questions.

No questions?

Good. (Laughter)

See you later.