In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the founder of CARP, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, CARP hosted a writing contest for students to submit what inspires them about Father Moon’s legacy. Here is the third place entry:
By Karen Ishiguro, CARP Bay Area
World peace is made a living reality through the legacy of Rev. Moon.
Rev. Moon’s legacy reveals the fundamental truth that the family is the building block to world peace. Furthermore, the universal principle he taught was that the relationship between parent and child is the solution to the problems that humankind faces. Rev. Moon also shared that the nature of God is the desire is to be a parent to all of humankind.
Throughout my life, I could not see, appreciate, or have faith in the vision of world peace or a hopeful future that Rev. Moon, as well as my own parents, had dedicated their lives towards. Sometimes, I felt that this “blessing” of being born into the Unification Movement, in the midst of Rev. Moon’s work, was a burden for me to carry for the rest of my life.
Ultimately, seeing the positive impact of Rev. Moon’s teaching was enough evidence to give me the confidence to trust the foundation I was standing upon and take a leap of faith to try to uplift the weight within my heart.
The unconditional, parental love given to me throughout my life gave me the courage to confront the confusion in my heart and rediscover the truth of what Rev. Moon taught for myself. The more I sought to see Rev. Moon’s vision with fresh eyes, the more I realized that I innately practiced the universal principles, used the tools, and had the inner capacity to overcome the despair that myself and others experience. The truth I discovered was that my parents and Rev. Moon sought to uplift all of the burdens of humankind through their children, the future generation, me.
I, too, am inspired to dedicate my youth to peace because Rev. Moon’s path to peace also began after his commitment at a young age. In Rev. Moon’s life, he dedicated much of his time in raising young people. I feel a personal mission to continue his legacy by becoming a university professor to help empower young people to become peace loving global citizens. I believe it is my responsibility to keep Rev. Moon’s legacy alive by continuing my support of his beloved wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who shares the same vision to bring to fruition his vision of a world of peace.
What speaks true 100 years after Rev. Moon’s birth is that his legacy of giving hope for a peaceful world is the very key to unlocking the true potential of humankind and that we are capable of changing our future.
A hopeful world, a world of peace truly starts with me.
To humankind, Rev. Moon’s legacy is a blessing.