Joy Pople
January 7, 1982
Col. Bo Hi Pak:
Today we are celebrating a special day, the holy wedding of Hyo Jin Nim and Nan Sook Nim. This is a special moment in the history of God. Representatives of the Unification Church from around the world have come here to celebrate this most meaningful moment in history. In 1960 we were not a big enough movement to have a worldwide celebration of the Blessing of True Parents.
This day is the fulfillment of the Divine Principle, the fulfillment of the Unification Church around the world.
The seventh floor of the Manhattan Center waited silently for the 320 invited guests to arrive for the wedding banquet for the eldest son of our True Parents. White tablecloths, white table service and white candles added to the expectant hush. Korean, Japanese, European and international members sat down together and shared the joy of the occasion.
At ten minutes before six, Father and Mother entered, followed by Hyo Jin Nim and Nan Sook Nim, Mr. and Mrs. Sung Pyo Hong, Ye Jin Nim, In Jin Nim, Heung Jin Nim, Kwon Jin Nim and Sun Jin Nim. At the far ends of the head table sat Mr. Sung Young Moon, Rev. Won Pil Kim, Mr. Young Whi Kim and Col. Bo Hi Pak.
Mr. Young Whi Kim offered the invocation, and the newlyweds were called to the stage to cut their wedding cake. With the accompaniment of piano and flute, each guest received his plate of prime rib.
During the dinner, Col. Pak, the master of ceremonies, invited various leaders of our movement to come to the stage and sing for True Parents and the new True Children's couple. Dr. and Mrs. Mose Durst, Mr. and Mrs. Osami Kuboki, Rev. Jae Suk Lee, Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak, Rev. Chung Goo Park, and finally Col. and Mrs. Bo Hi Pak sang. Whole groups were also called to the stage for introductions and a song: 22 members of the 36 blessed couples were introduced; at Father's request, they sang "Sanae." Other Korean leaders came and sang, followed by European leaders and foreign missionaries (some of whom had just arrived only a couple of hours earlier, unaware of the event about to take place). Sixteen older children of Korean blessed couples who were the attendants of the bride and groom at the wedding also sang.
The prepared entertainment for the four and a half hour celebration also included several Korean songs by the New Hope Singers, the "Fan Dance," by the International Folk Ballet, and several selections by the Go World Brass Band, with vocalists including In Jin Nim singing, "You Light Up My Life."
Several leaders offered their reflections on the significance of this day:
Rev. Jae Suk Lee (president of the Unification Church of Korea):
There are several reasons for great congratulations on this occasion:
For one, Hyo Jin Nim has at last become an adult. In Korea, no matter how old you are, you are not regarded as an adult until you are married. I was one of the eyewitnesses of the engagement in Korea, and I know how much Hyo Jin Nim has changed since the engagement. Before, he was always shy and didn't want to mingle very much with older people, especially the leaders. But now he is proud, and his shoulders have become wider.
Also, I was an eyewitness of Hyo Jin Nim's great faith, at the time of his engagement. On the morning of November 22, 1981, when he was asked about the engagement, his answer was: "Father, Mother, do as you will. I am absolutely obedient to your will." Therefore, this engagement and wedding is an act of obedience, because he has true respect and faith in True Father and True Mother.
We 36 blessed couples have not had much opportunity for fellowship with the True Children, because we have been so busy. But it is such a joy now to find such absolute faith in Hyo Jin Nim. He was in Korea on December 28, his birthday. On that occasion he told us, "Father has suffered so much for mankind and all the world; I am the one who must vindicate him."
By nature, Hyo Jin Nim is a man of big heart. He is a strong, masculine man, but he has a great and soft heart. When he speaks of Father and Mother, he moves the hearts of all those around him.
It came to me as a great realization, although I had seen this same great heart in Ye Jin Nim, that we cannot compete with the level of heart that True Children hold for True Parents. All of us as leaders or members of the Unification Church make an effort to love and imitate True Parents. But True Children are born with that heart.
Now for the bride. Her selection was truly unexpected. After she was chosen, when we looked at her, we realized that the heavenly dispensation was upon her. She and Hyo Jin Nim seem alike, giving the impression of being brother and sister. Also, in a deep way, she imparts the same essence as True Mother. So I congratulate her from the bottom of my heart on becoming the daughter-in-law of True Parents.
By the holy wedding of Ye Jin Nim and now by this wedding today, we are truly embarking on the new age of the children. Through this consummation of the fruits of True Parents in this new Abel family, we all become a Cain family, and there is room for our salvation. I pray that the blessing of God will dwell abundantly on this new family, Hyo Jin Nim and Nan Sook Nim.
Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak:
According to God's ideal, the True Parents and the True Children absolutely need a pure and happy environment. Because we have not fulfilled our responsibility, although God prepared True Children, a true and wonderful environment was not prepared in which to receive them.
When those of us who are parents go on a long journey, our minds are sometimes uncomfortable when we think about our children. But imagine how True Parents, who have sent their children to schools in the outside world, must feel. Or consider how God must have felt when He sent True Parents to this world. We cannot compare our mind and heart with that of God and True Parents. True Children have grown up surrounded by sinful acts. Today they shared with us how their original mind has led them through all these experiences, enabling them to follow True Parents' guidance.
Therefore, we should be ashamed in front of Hyo Jin Nim and the other True Children and make a determination to devote ourselves in the future to the True Children and their families.
True Children are so precious; yet True Parents spend all their time and heart for our benefit. Even though externally True Children live with True Parents in East Garden, True Parents spend so much time traveling. Moreover, 24 hours a day, they live for us, their Cain-type sons and daughters.
I have spent much time with True Parents, but True Children spend only a few moments a day with them: they bow to them upon rising, before leaving for school, upon returning from school, and before going to bed. If True Parents had been able to spend more time with the True Children, imagine how much more their characters and hearts would be able to develop!
Of course, we can offer our congratulations to True Children, but we also have a debt to pay to them. The main Cain/Abel relationship we have to restore is as blessed couples before the True Children's blessed couples. Without the True Children's families, we would have no way to reach heaven. Therefore, we have to show loyalty to our Abel families, and then we can relate to True Parents.
This is still 1981 according to the lunar calendar. Because of Ye Jin Nim's Blessing in May of 1981, we were able to start the second 21-year course centering on the blessed couples. Because of this Blessing, we can truly start our course. Therefore, the blessed couples of Ye Jin Nim and Hyo Jin Nim are our eternal source of life.
Col. Bo Hi Pak:
Mr. and Mrs. Hong are surely a special couple, since both the bridegroom of Ye Jin Nim and the bride of Hyo Jin Nim come from the same blessed couple.
Mr. Hong joined the Unification Church in 1957. After going through elementary duties as a church member, he served as a regional director for ten years. In 1970, Father asked him, because of his educational background in pharmaceutics, to pioneer Il Hwa. Under his guidance, Il Hwa has developed many products to promote the health of the people around the world. He is truly a pioneer and a dedicated man. Mrs. Hong has been in the church for 21 years, the last 20 standing side by side with her husband. There are abundant stories of their dedication, too many to enumerate here.
Mrs. Sung Pyo Hong:
Ever since the Blessing of Ye Jin Nim, I have not been myself; my mind is somewhere else. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was not a dream. I was not truly prepared to come here for this Blessing, I came here hastily... my voice is hoarse. I need your support. It is not easy to become the mother of a bride.
The groom and bride were called to the stage, greeted with musical fanfare, applause, streamers and orchid leis.
Hyo Jin Nim [in English]:
First, I want to thank True Parents and Heavenly Father for giving me such a beautiful and wonderful bride... My feelings are very difficult to express with words. I am very limited. There is so much I want to express. There is no word to express my feelings... This is the first time I'm getting married! Father and Mother could not control their laughter.
I don't know how to call my... whether to call her "darling" or just by her name. Usually I call her in Korean shekshi [meaning bride]. It's the easiest thing for me to say.
From now on, I... we... will try to fulfill Father's goal and what everybody is giving me at this celebration. We'd like to thank all of you for giving us this great celebration. Good night.
Nan Sook Nim:
Father and Mother leaned forward to hear what Nan Soak Nim would have to say. She spoke briefly in Korean. Col. Pak asked Hyo Jin Nim to translate, and passed the microphone to him. Hyo fin Nim seemed at a loss for words for a moment, and then said, "We are supposed to be united; she said the exact same thing I said." Father and Mother laughed and applauded. Then Col. Pak said, "It's really heartwarming. I never heard such a great speech (as Nan Sook Nim's) in my life. She said, "First of all, I want to give my heartfelt appreciation for Heavenly Father and True Parents, who picked me for this position, of which I am not worthy. I am very young. I still have much to learn. I will strive very hard to live up to Heavenly Father's and True Parents' expectations. All can say is thank you very much, to Heavenly Father and True Parents, from the bottom of my heart."
Hyo Jin Nim:
We will sing a song, one of the favorite songs of Mother. I'd like to thank her for giving me the opportunity to come to this world so I could meet such a wonderful bride. They sang, "Got pan chi," meaning floral ring.
We only practiced one song. That's the best we can do so far.
Both forgot some of the words of the song. At the audience's insistence, they sang a second song, "Sarong he." Then Father and Mother came to the stage, and groom and bride greeted them with kisses. The other True Children and many church leaders also came to the stage.
Father:
I'd like to thank you for this wonderful celebration. I know Heavenly Father takes delight in this celebration.
I'm sure you don't know fully the Divine Principle implications of this day, but I hope I will have a chance to explain it to you on a later day.
I wish them well, first of all, the bridegroom, Hyo Jin, and the bride, Nan Sook, that both will make a heavenly family, inherit the tradition that True Parents have been erecting, and do even greater than True Parents. That is my wish and my prayer, and I believe that will be done.
Mother:
When this most memorable day came, I could not help but think back on those hard and difficult days of the past. Tears mingled with her soft voice. My heart is deeply filled with gratitude and inspiration. I want you to know that when I came as a bride to True Father, I knew nothing about marriage or, of course, how to bear a child. In these circumstances I gave birth to Ye Jin and Hyo Jin... and now they are already grown up and married.
Her tears of relief spoke more than words, and Father said softly in English, "This is a memorable day for her." Then Mother continued, Instead of speaking, I will sing. My heart is choked; my voice is choked. I cannot talk.
Mother sang "Arumda Unggum" meaning Beautiful Dream. Several times she was engulfed in tears during the song, and Father would take her arm in his and help her continue, softly singing the melody until she could take it up again.
Mother in English]:
I'm sorry.
Father [also in English]:
I'm sorry, too.
Then Father began to sing another song, asking Mother to join him in some of the phrases, kissing her on the cheek while she sang. Later he suggested that she sing a song. He sang along with her, three beats behind, teasing her as he often does, but she was not distracted; she finished the song perfectly. Father grinned at the end.
The two youngest True Children present, Sun Jin Nim [age 5] and Kwon Jin Nim [age 7], began dancing around and playing with the quantities of streamers that had been tossed onto the stage. Mr. David Kim and other leaders present took handfuls of colorful streamers and laid them around Hyo Jin Nim's neck and then placed some on Nan Sook Nim's head. Bit by bit, streamers were piled on the bride and groom until only their big smiles were visible.
Father began singing "Um Maya," giving both halves of the audience, as well as those assembled on stage, parts to sing. He asked Mother to sing, and commented in English, "She has a beautiful voice." Hyo fin Nim and Nan Sook Nim had to sing a few phrases in turn, separately and then together, and also Mr. and Mrs. Hong.
Finally, the dancing began, and three or four concentric circles of members -- the performers and church leaders -- joined hands and danced around True Parents, True Children and the new True Children's couple.
To close the celebration. Rev. Won Pil Kim led three cheers of mansei for Heavenly Father, True Parents and bridegroom and bride, and the crowd on the stage picked up Hyo Jin Nim and tossed him into the air several times, to the cheers of the audience. Finally, the band struck up the final march, and the curtains closed.