Bret Moss
June 2008
Dr. Frank Kaufmann, who on occasion would welcome Hyo-jin nim to his home where they would have late-night conversations lasting sometimes until dawn, eulogized Hyo-jin nim by saying:
The first thing to know about Hyo-jin nim is that knowing him more deeply in his most important aspect is not the fruit of your experiences with him or horizontal shared biography of times you've spent with him or things you've done with him. To know Hyo-jin nim more deeply is a matter of spiritual growth. This is true about the True Family in general and it's true about every one of its members in particular. Only God can reveal to each of us who Hyo-jin nim is, and for this it is not too late for any of us...
He ascends now and I guess my dominant feeling is-look out! Look out!...
His mission is media... And as Hyo-jin nim rises today as we speak, everything he was destined to do is going to happen unabated now. Just get on the wagon, please. Because we are going to see what he was meant to do and meant to be and free to do and free to be. Please, just get on that with him now.
Hyo-jin nim founded Gazer Productions, a non-profit entity, in order to carry out his vision for transforming society and culture through multi-media. In 2005, Hyo-jin nim invited me to work with him in developing a cable television and internet-based talk show as a beginning point for what he envisioned would one day become a world-class television broadcasting company. This opportunity came about when Hyo-jin nim's assistant and confidant, Ryuichi Fujita, visited me in Mexico City looking for a candidate to fulfill Hyo-jin nim's direction to create a television talk show.
I had been working in Latin America in the media providence for nine years following my graduation from UTS in 1996. I have known Mr. Fujita since 1992, and he was familiar with some of my novice efforts to use multi-media for God's providence. Mr. Fujita had been quietly attending Hyo-jin nim's family directly for six years at that time as the leader of a highly dedicated group of full-time Family Federation members living in New York, Los Angeles, Japan and Korea who share Hyo-jin nim's vision for multi-media.
In my late twenties, I had the good fortune and great honor to be studying at UTS while Hyo-jin nim was a UTS student in 1995. As a UTS student Hyo-jin nim co-taught a course called Life of Faith, with then UIS president Dr. Theodore Shimmyo. That course gave me a powerful glimpse into Hyo-jin nim's genius as a theologian and philosopher. Coincidentally, I also attended a course with Hyo-jin nim called Television Ministry. I happened to attend UTS with a large contingent of Japanese CARP members, many of whom had formed a club called Hyo-jin nim's Music Club, of which I was also a member. I will never forget the time when Hyo-jin nim invited all of the club members to visit Manhattan Center Studios, where he gave us a tour, shared his latest album and gave us each a complete collection of music CDs. That gesture made a deep impression, allowing me to experience his warmth, passion, creativity and generosity.
Two months after accepting the invitation of producing and hosting a television talk show under Hyo-jin nim's supervision, I moved back to my hometown area of Los Angeles after having been away for twenty-one years. The very same day I arrived back in L.A. I found myself on an airplane to New York to meet face-to-face with Hyo-jin nim for the first time.
If you've never had a one-on-one encounter with Hyo-jin nim, you might wonder or imagine what that would be like. I can assure you that in my case, the moment was as extraordinary and unforgettable as you can imagine. Fortunately, while in Mexico I had dreams of spending personal time with him, in which he treated me incredibly graciously. I say "fortunately," because upon entering his music studio on the grounds of the Belvedere Training Center and being seated in front of him, every ounce of my training in "being present in the now" was to be tested. After I introduced myself and responded to "So, tell me something about yourself," he spent what seemed like fifteen minutes silently gazing into my eyes from but a few inches away. I was suddenly faced with the profound depth of Hyo-jin nim's soul. In reality, probably sixty seconds had passed. I nervously tried to maintain a pleasant and attentive expression on my face while I prayed that he could find something worthy in me to be of service of him. As he searched my soul, I focused intently on conveying to him the message "I love you Hyo-jin hyung nim."
I was truly in awe of the extraordinary human being sitting in front of me.
He went on to methodically elaborate his vision for building a television company that would one day broadcast programs of the highest quality, surpassing the programming of industry leaders in the United States, such as CNN and Fox News. He said, "We must offer a product which is more righteous than conservative Republicans (in America) do... Our message has to be personal. Family is most important. It is a beautiful thing to have brothers and to be able to go and visit each of them and see how each is unique. That is a source of joy which all people long for. We have to find that which is unique in who we are when we go out to sell our product, that which distinguishes us from the rest."
I shared with Hyo-jin nim a concept for a web site called the Ten Biggest Myths, whose purpose is to expose modern myths that work in every area of life to perpetuate the fallen and sinful world. He encouraged me to create the web site saying, "Life is very short. We must give ourselves completely and live to leave a legacy It is meaningless for someone 10 years old to speak about what he could have done with his life." He also spoke about taking apart the secular world one step at a time. "People are mostly concerned about superficial things," he said. 'Whatever exists in the universe, good or bad, does so based upon a set of rules and laws. In order to dismantle something that is evil, we have to identify the rule or agreement that is keeping it in existence... People have to be given the opportunity to understand the root causes of their problems so that they can choose whether they want to go down a road that will bring them happiness, or suffering."
I told Hyo-jin nim, "I have a great face for radio. Perhaps it would be best to start there." He chuckled and said, "No, I want you to do television." After nearly a year had passed since we produced our first installment of the Defining Moment for Creating the Culture of Conscience, Hyo-jin nm made the following comments about our program during his Sunday sermon at Belvedere on September 10, 2006:
We want to pursue this because it's for the purpose of immunization, detoxification and straightforward education. A lot of people still, to this day have a kind of (negative] notion about the Unification Church, "Mooniest' that they still hold on to and that was influenced by broadcasters at the beginning of our ministry, in the early seventies. We still hold that stigma, and that is something that we need to detoxify We need to provide our people with information.
We can bridge the gap through this kind of understanding and build on the similarities that we have with others to create a positive outcome. We can grow into something more constructive... We should always try (to educate people] and if it works, that's great isn't it? That's the way it should
I think we can do it through education. Basically, that's the first step we can take on the twenty- first century platform.
Hyo-jin nim was our biggest promoter, asking people who came to visit him in his studio and leaders he met while touring Korea and Japan to log on to the internet to watch our shows. He loved to emphasize that in the future witnessing and education would not depend on visiting neighbors and knocking on doors, because "we will already be in their living rooms, on their television sets." He had also expressed his intention to visit Los Angeles and appear as a guest on our show in April 2008.
In addition to being available on the internet via YouTube, MySpace, Google, AOL, and Veoh.com, we broadcast the Defining Moment weekly on lime Warner Cable television throughout the greater Los Angeles area. We have also aired our programs via television in Seattle, Washington. Our web site has a feature whereby our viewers can e-mail a link to any of their favorite shows to anyone in the world.
Beyond our Los Angeles based studio, Hyo-jin nim approved our international expansion, which to date includes our London production led by Ajay Rai, a producer and host who has so far conducted over forty interviews. Future development will inevitably result in raising our professional standard, expanding our audience and producing our shows in other languages and in countries throughout the world.
In addition to the Defining Moment Television Talk Show; Hyo-jin nim repeatedly asked for a television program to address the practical challenges of everyday life in the external world, pertaining to scientific and technological advancement, such as developing a healthy lifestyle, education, housing and finance. A working title for this show is Smart Ideas for Creative Living. These are but two formats with a broad and extensive menu of shows Hyo-jin nim had hoped to offer as an expression of his love for True Parents and humanity. We hope to inspire and encourage second-generation members to provide the leadership for our future growth and development, including in producing and hosting new shows that we intend to launch in the near future.
I invite you to benefit from the wisdom and experience of our guests by watching our shows and sharing this wonderful resource with your family, friends, and associates in the spirit of creating the culture of conscience for all humanity.
Bret and his wife Korue, from Japan, are living in Los Angeles. He welcomes your comments and inquiries through the web site, www.defininginoment.tv.