On the same day the Washington Times announced the firings of three top executives — all Unification Church members — the daughter of Rev. Sun Myung Moon delivered an allegorical sermon about a conflict between two brothers that appears to track closely to a feud said to be playing out within the Moon family.
Delivered Sunday at the church-owned Manhattan Center on west 34th Street in New York, In Jin Moon’s sermon centers on a “wonderful garden” owned and cultivated by a family before harvest. The garden is seized by an elder brother in defiance of a younger brother, according to notes from the sermon given to TPM by a church member, and authenticated by another Unificationist.
The sermon goes on to explore the question of what the younger brother, “knowing that the garden actually belongs to God, and to his parents,” should do. And it touches on the elder brother’s paid “workers,” who, if they love him, In Jin says, should walk away.
The Washington Times was founded by Rev. Moon and is now controlled by his son Preston Moon. Sources have told TPM that Preston is locked in a feud with the rest of his family, and that when he ordered the shakeup at the Times, he did not consult his father or younger brother Hyung-jin, whom Rev. Moon has selected as primary heir. According to a newsroom source, the three executives were fired after they sided against Preston in the conflict.
In Jin, a Columbia- and Harvard-educated reverend, is the head of the United States branch of the Unification Church. In last Sunday’s sermon, she asks, according to the notes:
“If the family had a wonderful garden that everyone had worked on in preparation for the harvest, what if the elder son said one day that the garden was all his? And that all who trespass will be thrown out. What then should the younger brother do, knowing that the garden actually belongs to God, and to his parents?”
And continues:
“If the older brother took the garden by force, and the mother is telling him to give it back, if he is mature enough he would realize what he had done and return the garden back to the family and ask for forgiveness. He would let his parents determine what he deserves. If he did that and the younger son was standing there encouraging him to do the right thing, then the younger brother would not have left his position, but he would be the catalyst, inspiring his elder brother.
We all know that there is a process involved – the elder brother may not understand his mistake and may even want to take other people’s gardens. He may not realize for a long time that he has made a mistake.”
Finally, In Jin addresses in her parable the elder brother’s workers:
“Or, there could be workers who worked under the elder brother, who received a salary from him. They must realize that if they continue to support a leader that steals from God and from his family, and they do so only because they receive a salary, they are not being a true friend or subject (employee). If they loved him they would have the courage, and exercise their power – and walk away. That is love.”
The U.S. headquarters of the church in New York has not commented on any aspect of the shakeup at the Times.
Here are the full notes:
“In Jin Nim gave an example using her 2 sons. If the family had a wonderful garden that everyone had worked on in preparation for the harvest, what if the elder son said one day that the garden was all his? And that all who trespass will be thrown out. What then should the younger brother do, knowing that the garden actually belongs to God, and to his parents?
Some people who are friends of the older brother may say to the younger brother – you just need to love the older brother more, love Cain more, let him have everything, just unite. Maybe he did this because you were such a bad brother.
Others may say to the younger brother – go and fight with your elder brother. Go claim the garden back.
What should the younger brother do? He should continue to love the older brother with all his heart and might. But he also needs to do the right thing. He needs to confront his brother with love and tell him that what he stole does not belong to him – it belongs to God and to the family. “Please remember the common direction, which is our TP” [the True Parents, Rev. Moon and his wife] – and “you have to be willing to lose everything in order to gain everything.”
If the older brother took the garden by force, and the mother is telling him to give it back, if he is mature enough he would realize what he had done and return the garden back to the family and ask for forgiveness. He would let his parents determine what he deserves. If he did that and the younger son was standing there encouraging him to do the right thing, then the younger brother would not have left his position, but he would be the catalyst, inspiring his elder brother.
We all know that there is a process involved – the elder brother may not understand his mistake and may even want to take other people’s gardens. He may not realize for a long time that he has made a mistake.
If this elder brother had friends who really loved him with all their hearts – if they could see the situation as his friends – the kindest thing they could do would be to tell the older brother that what he is doing is not right. They should tell him that they want to be with him, but because of what he has done they must walk away from him.
His friends would want to give him the opportunity to work his situation out with his brother and parents – and therefore, out of their love, they would walk away from him.
Or, there could be workers who worked under the elder brother, who received a salary from him. They must realize that if they continue to support a leader that steals from God and from his family, and they do so only because they receive a salary, they are not being a true friend or subject (employee). If they loved him they would have the courage, and exercise their power – and walk away. That is love.
If we read Proverbs 3:27-28 (Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you), we learn that we should not withhold something for another day from someone who deserves it now.”
