Here's How ChamBumoRon Elevates Father Moon
"He [Father Moon] was the one who had to receive Jesus’ call and, in order to fulfill Jesus’ hopes, to follow the path of the Messiah at the Second Coming. I don’t think the expression “only begotten Son” fits so well" (Han, Hak-ja, "Anniversary of True Mother's Visit to Busan").
Since, Mother Han has expanded her teachings on Father Moon's life in a manner that has ruffled the feathers of some believers. Three things stand out among her teachings:
- 1.) Father Moon is the 2nd Advent, born with a "fallen" lineage, not the Only Begotten Son, born with a "pure" lineage (see "Exiting the Womb" for an explanation into Father Moon's pure vs sinless lineage).
- 2.) Father Moon should not have married Seon Gil Choi in 1944 and had to pay indemnity by going to North Korea with absolute faith.
- 3.) Father Moon should have emphasized the teaching of the Only Begotten Daughter.
These three statements have caused some believers to assert that Mother Han is going against her late-husband, and thus are leaving the Family Federation. However, another, equally alarming trend has appeared as well: The lowering of Father Moon's status and value in some Unificationist circles--against Mother Han's will and teachings.
Some view ChamBumoRon as elevating the status of Mother Han, while diminishing the status of Father Moon. This claim could not be further from the truth. ChamBumoRon elevates both Father Moon and Mother Han as the True Parents of Heaven, Earth, and Humankind, clearly teaching the unity of Mother Han and Father Moon, from the perspective of Unificationist theology.
The Returning Messiah's Mission
According to Mother Han, the essence of the 2000 years of Christian history was"the providence to prepare for the only begotten Daughter of God" (Han). Father Moon also taught this (though it was not emphasized in most of his teachings):
"Ladies and gentlemen, please think about it. If Jesus, the only begotten son of God, had not died after coming to the earth, what would have happened? Since it is said that Jesus is the only begotten son, God would have sent his only begotten daughter. The two-thousand-year history of God after Jesus is the history of seeking a bride. It is the history of seeking a bride. Do you deny that" (Moon, Sun-myung. The Sermons of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Volume 6).
Since the 2000 years of Christian history was the search for the Bride-the Only Begotten Daughter-the Korean people, and the Christians among its population, had the responsibility to prepare the foundation for the birth of the Only Begotten Daughter. Upon the completion of that responsibility, according to ChamBumoRon, God could call the Returning Messiah:
"Once Heavenly Parent has confirmed the existence of the conditions for the birth of the Only Begotten Daughter, Heavenly Parent called the one who will become the Messiah at the Second Coming and had him prepare for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that Jesus could not accomplish 2000 years before" (CBR, 165).
If the Returning Messiah's most important mission is to hold the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and find the Bride, then unless the Bride can actually be born, the Returning Messiah could not possibly fulfill his mission, no matter when he came. Therefore, the conditions for the Only Begotten Daughter, the Bride (see "Exiting the Womb" for an explanation into Only. Begotten Daughter vs Bride) must come before the Returning Messiah is called.
Born v.s Called
This brings up the issue of the Returning Messiah being "born" vs "called." In a previous blog, I discussed how Father Moon himself said at times that he was born with a pure lineage, and at other times was born with a fallen lineage that needed to be engrafted. Father Moon's calling began on Mount Myodu in 1935.
In Exposition of the Divine Principle(EDP), the process of returning resurrection involves a person on earth completing the mission of a deceased individual coming. The example EDP uses is the Returning Elijah, John the Baptist:
"Spirits who could not complete their missions during their earthly life must return to people on earth who share the same type of mission as they had during their lifetime. When a spirit assists an earthly person to fulfill God’s Will, the person will fulfill not only his own mission, but also the mission of the spirit who has helped him. Hence, from the standpoint of mission, the physical self of the person concurrently serves as the physical self of the spirit. In a sense, he is the second coming of the spirit; hence he may sometimes be called by the spirit’s name and appear to be the reincarnation of that spirit. In the Bible, John the Baptist was to have fulfilled the mission which Elijah left unfinished during his earthly life, since he received Elijah’s assistance in carrying out his activities. Jesus called John “Elijah” because John’s physical self concurrently served as the body of Elijah" (Eu, 149).
As the 2nd Coming of someone, the person on earth inherits the mission of the deceased person, and thus stands as the deceased person's body. EDP describes the 2nd Coming of Jesus in the same manner: A child will be born on earth and take up the mission of Jesus. When ChamBumoRon describes Father Moon being called and not born, its based in the principle of returning resurrection: "Since Jesus had already gone to the spirit world, he could not take on a physical body again" (CBR, 167). Father Moon describes himself as being called by Jesus, not knowing his mission or birth-status prior to his mystical experience. Even in Father Moon's 2009 autobiography, he reflected:
"So why did God call me? Even now, at ninety years of age, I wonder every day why God called me. Of all the people in the world, why did He choose me? It wasn’t because I had a particularly good appearance, or outstanding character, or deep conviction. I was just an unremarkable, stubborn, and foolish young boy. If God saw something in me, it must have been a sincere heart that sought Him with tears of love. Whatever the time or place, love is most important" (Moon, Sun-myung, As a Peace Loving Global Citizen, 54).
Conditions for the Only Begotten Daughter's Birth Secured
Father Moon was a stubborn, loving, prayerful Confucius boy who converted to Christianity with his family around the age of 10. A year prior to his calling on Mount Myodu, Mother Han's parents came together in marriage in 1934, sealing the conditions for the birth of the Only Begotten Daughter:
"At that time, Pastor Lee Heo-bin testified to have recieved a revelation that 'if this virtuous man[Han Seung-oon] and woman [Hong-Soon-ae] marry and have a daughter, she will become the queen of humankind" (CBR, 132).
"Through this family Heavenly Parent confirmed and blessed the birth of the Only Begotten Daughter who would become the Bride at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (CBR, 133).
Father Moon's Portion of Responsibility to Become the Returning Messiah
After Father accepted the mission of the Returning Messiah, ChamBumoRon makes a very key, and perhaps shocking, distinction:
"True Father first had to fulfill certain qualifications based on the principle of creation and prepare the environment and foundation centered on Christianity to receive the Only Begotten Daughter sent by Heavenly Parent. Then, upon that foundation, by receiving the Only Begotten Daughter and participating in the Holy Wedding, he assumed the position of True Parent and the Messiah at the Second Coming"(CBR, 171).
Even though True Father was called to complete the mission of Jesus and become the Returning Messiah inn 1935, it was not until 1960, in the Holy Wedding, that he assumed the position of the Returning Messiah. CBR explains that True Father needed to create a foundation to "welcome the Only Begotten Daughter and hold the Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (CBR, 173). True Father's 3 main responsibilities were:
- 1. Discovering the Truth (Ibid)
- 2. Preparing a Christian Environment (Ibid)
- 3. Establish a Nationwide Foundation in Korea (Ibid)
At the end of Jesus' second worldwide Canaan course, Jesus was not in the position of the Messiah, but of John the Baptist. According to EDP, "the foundation of faith which John had laid for the first worldwide course to restore Canaan was invaded by Satan. Jesus himself now had to take on John’s mission and restore through indemnity the foundation of faith in order to set out on the second worldwide course to restore Canaan" (Eu, 270-271). Even though the foundation of faith laid by Jesus through the 40 day fast and 3 temptations resulted in Jesus rise from John the Baptist's position to the position of the Messiah, he still "stood in the position of a child (still in the role of John the Baptist with respect to that condition)" (Eu, 276). With the foundation of substance unestablished due to the faithlessness of the people, Jesus had no choice but to walk the path of the cross.
Even though Jesus rose to the position of the spiritual True Father, Jesus could not establish the True Parents on earth. Thus, Father Moon was called as the Returning Messiah to work with Jesus in spirit and become the physical True Father and establish the True Parents on the earth.
Just as Jesus needed to proclaim the truth, Father Moon needed to discover the unrevealed truth. Just as Jesus needed to recover the Jewish foundation, Father Moon needed to recover the Christian foundation. Just as Jesus needed to recover the foundation of Israel, Father Moon needed to recover the foundation of Korea. And, just as Jesus did so from the position of John the Baptist, Father Moon also needed to start from the position of John the Baptist, and rise to the position of the Returning Messiah and True Father after completing this responsibility.
Father Moon's 25 Year Course to Stand as the Returning Messiah
While Father Moon sought to complete these three responsibilities, he was not the Returning Messiah from the perspective of providential position and responsibility. Father Moon's course of 25 years was a period of intense trials, struggles, and tribulations. When one examines Father Moon's words during this period along with ChamBumoRon, a moving story unfolds: Father Moon, a young man of 16, began a course of fulfilling Jesus' responsibility without a connection to God through lineage.
In discovering the truth, Father Moon regularly brought his questions in communion with Jesus. Yet, in the end, Father Moon had to discover the truth of the WolliWonBon, the original manuscript containing the Principle, by himself. This took place over the course of 9 years through intense Bible study, tearful prayer, and resolute determination. Father Moon describes this time period in detail:
"I kept detailed diaries of all the new realizations that I had each day. On days when I had a great number of such realizations, I would fill an entire diary. I was receiving answers to many of the questions that I had struggled with over the years. It was as if my years of prayers and search for truth were being answered. It happened in a short time, as if a ball of fire were passing through me. During this time I had the realization, “The relationship between God and mankind is that of a father and his children, and God is deeply saddened to see their suffering.” In this moment all the secrets of the universe were resolved in my mind. Suddenly, it was as if someone had turned on a movie projector. Everything that had happened since the time humankind broke God’s commandment played out clearly before my eyes. Hot tears flowed continuously from my eyes. I fell to my knees and bowed my head to the floor. For the longest time I couldn’t get up. Just as when my father had carried me home on his back as a child, I laid my body down in God’s lap and let the tears flow. Nine years after my encounter with Jesus, my eyes had finally been opened to the true love of God" (Moon, 78).
Father Moon is quite clear about the difficult course he had to go through to complete this portion of his responsibility to become the Returning Messiah and True Father. The same difficulty occurred in establishing the national and Christian foundations. ChamBumoRon summarizes these difficulties, and the victory Father Moon gained despite them:
"True Father established, on a conditional basis, the providential environment in which the Only Begotten Daughter could be received and the Holy Wedding held...they overcame persecution and opposition for the Holy Wedding to be held" (CBR, 184).
Was Father Moon's First Marriage a Mistake?
ChamBumoRon is clear: Father Moon was victorious in completing his responsibility to become the Returning Messiah and conduct the Holy Wedding. Father Moon, by himself, as a man like you and I, completed this enormous task to fulfill Jesus' hope. Yet, Mother Han has mentioned that Father Moon should not have married his first wife, Seon Gil Choi, during this 25 year period.
What was Father Moon trying to do? He was trying to discover the truth, create a national and Christian foundation, and find the Bride. The fact that Father Moon mistook Sun-kil Choi for the Bride, or did not realize that restoration through marriage was not necessary, does not denigrate Father Moon in any way; rather, it showcases the absolute faith, love, and obedience he had towards fulfilling God's Will at any cost.
Father Moon sought out the truth through prayer, communion with Jesus and the spirit world, and intense Bible study. That journey was surely filled with stumbles and troubles along the way. The same occurred with finding the Bride. Father Moon sought God's advice any way he could, even if it was through the spirit world or prepared people. Father Moon describes meeting his first wife, Seon Gil Choi:
"When I arrived, I found that the aunt whom I had asked to arrange my marriage was in great distress. Apparently, the woman I had met was refusing to consider anyone other than me as her partner and was causing great trouble for her family. My aunt took me by the arm and led me to the Choi family home. I explained to Seon Gil Choi clearly about the kind of life I intended to lead. “Even if we marry now, you should be prepared to live without me for at least seven years,” I told her. “Why should I do that?” she responded. I told her, “I have a task that is more important than family life. In fact, my reason for getting married has to do with my ability to carry out God’s providence. Our marriage needs to develop beyond the family to the point where we can love the nation and all humanity. Now that you know that this is my intention, do you truly want to marry me?” She responded with a firm voice: “It doesn’t matter to me. After I met you, I dreamed of a field of flowers in the moonlight. I am certain that you are my spouse sent from Heaven. I can endure any difficulty.” I was still concerned, and I pressed her several times. Each time she sought to set my mind at ease, saying, “I am willing to do anything, as long as I am able to marry you. Don’t worry about anything"(Moon, 81-82).
What stands out is Father Moon's concern about Seon Gil Choi. Even he was not fully if she was the Bride prepared by God. Their marriage was not the Hoy Wedding, but rather a ceremony officiated by Rev. Ho Bin Lee:
"My future father-in-law passed away a week before our scheduled wedding date, so our wedding was delayed. We were finally able to hold our ceremony on May 4, 1944. Normally May is a time for beautiful spring days, but on our wedding day it rained heavily. Rev. Ho Bin Lee of the Jesus Church officiated" (Moon, 82).
The wedding ceremony featured many difficulties: rain, delays, and the bride's father passing away right before the wedding. Father Moon viewed Seon Gil Choi as a determined young woman, was unsure if she was the right woman to marry. Yet, he did, and later in life explained its providential significance:
"I had a family because it was God's will for me to connect my family with the church and with the country, but I was unable to connect my family with the nation or the church. I had to start from the beginning again. I had to establish all the indemnity conditions until I could recover everything that had been lost. If a letter came, I used to send it back or tear it up at the front gate. I treated any kind of news as my enemy. Sung-jin's mother had to make a living selling apples with Sung-jin strapped on her back. She was even chased by the police. Even though I heard this news, my heart was unmoved. After having realized this, Sung-jin's mother should have passed over the peak and come back to me. She had to go through a seven-year-course. The mother should have cooperated with the child. With the mission of Eve, she should have sought out her husband, who had not yet established the vertical standard on earth, and for seven years on earth, she should have embraced the baby and raised him more beautifully than any other prince. I had already explained all of this to her when we got engaged" (Moon, Sun-myung. "Father's Life in His Own Words-Part 31").
Despite this providential understanding, Mother Han has stated giving up his family in going to North Korea was part of the indemnity that needed to be paid as a result of not marrying the true Bride, the Only Begotten Daughter:
"Father’s mission was to fulfill the mission he had received from Jesus at the age of 15, which was to fulfill what Jesus had wanted to accomplish on earth. That was the path of the returning Messiah. The person with the mission of the returning Messiah should ideally not have a family before meeting the only begotten daughter. This situation, however, occurred in the South. God asked Father to go to the North. Why so? After a time of witnessing in North Korea, Father in the end went to the Hungnam labor camp, and then eventually, due to the intervention of the UN forces, he could move to the South...Father received the date of the Holy Wedding as the 16th day of the 3rd month in 1960. Father, however, was not in a position to decide on his bride. Thus he could not select anyone" (Han, Hak-ja. "Heavenly Top-Gun Kickoff Ceremony 2024").
Father Moon's Absolute Obedience to God
Father Moon also talks about how God would decide when and who he would marry for the Holy Wedding:
"I was forty at the time, and I sensed that the time had come for me to marry. All I needed to do was wait for God to tell me, “The time has come, so get married,” and I would do as I was told" (Moon, 196).
Beginning in 1944, Father Moon, through consulting the spirit world and elder figures, searched for a spouse in order to fulfill certain conditions in the providence of restoration. However, in 1959, as he approached 40 years old, Father Moon did not decide on a spouse, and relied solely on God's direct instruction. Father Moon's understanding of the Bride and marriage evolved over the course of his 25 year course as he continued to discover the truth, build the Christian and national foundation, and communed with God and Jesus. His course to fulfill his responsibility was not a smooth, one-shot path. Rather, it was filled with numerous external difficulties and his own growth to rise to the position of the Returning Messiah. As EDP states over and over, All things reach perfection after passing through the growing period" (Eu, 43). Neither Father Moon and Mother Han were exceptions.
The Victory of Father Moon's 25 Year Course
Since the Holy Wedding marked his completion of his portion of responsibility to stand as the Returning Messiah, God's portion of responsibility was to bring the Only Begotten Daughter to Father Moon at that time. After first meeting Mother Han in 1956, at the end of 1959 they began to have many serious discussions, and eventually overcame persecution to hold the Holy Wedding on the 16th Day of the 3rd Month in the Lunar Calendar.
To criticize Father Moon for mistaking his marriage with Seon Gil Choi as part of God's providence, or to criticize Mother Han, his beloved wife, for revealing this new and deep aspect of Father Moon's course, inhibits Unificationist believer's relationship with True Parents. Father Moon had a growing period. Growing periods are not perfect journeys. Everyone stumbles, and yet Father Moon stands out as a man who always got up until his responsibility, the Holy Wedding, was completed. Even after that, he still took responsibility as the Returning Messiah to create a substantial, not just conditional, Christian and national foundation for the Only Begotten Daughter and, together, the True Parents. Mother Han, one in heart, mind, and thought with Father Moon, continues, including through ChamBumoRon, to fulfill and complete the mission he began.
The core message of ChamBumoRon is simple: True Parents are equal in status and value, and they completely one. The fact that Father Moon had a growing period does not diminish his value, status, or position as the Returning Messiah. His presence in my heart grows with this understanding. Perhaps ironically, ChamBumoRon is the key to developing a greater, deeper, and more profound relationship of heart with True Father in this new era of the Unification Movement.
Works Cited
Ed. The Value of True Parents in Heaven's Providence. Heavenly Parent's Holy Community: Cheon Mu Won (Seoul, Korea, 2025).
Eu, Hyo-wan. Exposition of the Divine Principle. Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Seoul, Korea, 2006).
Han, Hak-ja. "Anniversary of True Mother's Visit to Busan." https://familyfedihq.org/2023/05/anniversary-of-true-mothers-1960-visit-to-busan/
Han, Hak-ja. "Heavenly Top-Gun Kickoff Ceremony 2024." https://familyfedihq.org/2024/02/heavenly-top-gun-kick-off-ceremony-2024/
Moon, Sun-myung. As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen. Washington Times Foundation (Washington D.C, 2009).
Moon, Sun-myung. "Father's Life in His Own Words-Part 31." https://www.tparents.org/Moon-Books/FathersLife/FathersLife-31.pdf
Moon, Sun-myung. The Sermons of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Volume 6. Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Seoul, Korea).
Comments
Post a Comment