Gareth Davies
August 30, 1987
Hyo Jin Nim stands at a place marker indicating the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Left to right: Mrs. Joon Ho Seuk, Rev. Zin Moon Kim, Mr. lttetsu Aoki, Gareth Davies, Hyo Jin Nim, Mr. Michio Fujii, and Dr. Joon Ho Seuk.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23
On the evening of August 26, Hyo Jin Nim, the eldest son of our True Parents, led a small group of CARP leaders across a dried-up lake bed on the floor of Death Valley, California. After walking about three miles across the crusted, salty surface, they reached the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere -- 282 feet below sea level. On that spot, Hyo Jin Nim asked the others to join him in prayer.
As president of World CARP, Hyo Jin Nim had come to California to speak at a four-day workshop in Santa Rosa for members in CARP from the western regions of the United States. Many of the CARP members there had never seen him before, but before he arrived, everyone watched the video of the exciting CARP rally at the Berlin Wall, which had been led courageously by Hyo Jin Nim. The fiery spirit he showed in Berlin made a vivid impression on everyone; therefore, his arrival at the workshop generated a level of excitement too great to describe!
The Need for Courage
Hyo Jin Nim spoke powerfully and passionately at the workshop, recapturing the spirit of the Berlin rally. He spoke of the need for courage and commitment in the war against evil and of his expectation for CARP members to be the example of those qualities. "You have to be totally united with True Parents, cutting off completely from Satan. True responsibility can begin only after you cut off from Satan." He talked of the desperate need for young people to find true values in their lives. "Everyone strives for excellence, and everyone wants to possess things. Why is this? What are we striving for? Ultimately, we are all meant to experience and possess the love of God. It is in the love of God that we find the true freedom that allows us to give ourselves for the greater good."
Hyo Jin Nim himself is a clear illustration of the meaning of "fighting spirit',' and he urged all the CARP members to think of themselves as soldiers in a spiritual war.
We also had an opportunity to see other dimensions of Hyo Jin Nim's character -- his qualities as a parent, a teacher, a brother, and a loyal son of True Parents. Following his address, Hyo Jin Nim met with a group of CARP leaders for lunch. In fact, he did not eat but asked each of the leaders to either share something or ask a question. In response, he offered guidance to them that revealed his incredible depth of understanding and perception. When one brother asked how he could be more consistent, Hyo Jin Nim replied, "You need to know that Satan is very consistent. He is always there, so you must be determined. You must have more determination than the enemy. When you truly value something, you will do anything to keep it. You have to value true love in that way and never allow Satan to steal it from you. You have to constantly seek God."
The next day, Hyo Jin Nim visited the San Francisco holy ground at Twin Peaks. This was the first holy ground to be established in America, blessed during Father's tour in 1965. After quietly offering a prayer, Hyo Jin Nim asked the church members who were present to be seated. As he sat down on the rock and began to share his heart, many members were struck by the resemblance of this scene to so many of the photographs taken during the early days of our church, showing Father as a young man talking to a few followers on a Korean hillside. Again Hyo Jin Nim spoke very movingly of the need to find God and how God's love allows us to sacrifice gladly. "I do not exist when I am inside God. If I separate from God, then I exist."
A big cheer for Hyo Jin Nim after his speech at the West Coast CARP workshop.
I Will Conquer Hell
It was after this visit to Twin Peaks that Hyo Jin Nim asked about Death Valley and how long it would take to get there. This was another indication of his desire to share Father's course and to walk, quite literally, in Father's footsteps by going where Father had also gone. He is constantly testifying to Father and attributing every victory to him, claiming nothing for himself. It was in this spirit that a small group of us accompanied him on a journey that took us to the middle of the barren valley floor.
The prayer that Hyo Jin Nim offered there in Death Valley was a declaration to God of his personal commitment to his responsibility as True Parents' eldest son. Praying in Korean, he pledged: "I will conquer hell as True Parents' representative, taking the burden from them. I will be a loyal son, returning joy and glory to True Parents. I will take responsibility for the evils of this world." For Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, the president of US CARP, and Rev. Zin Moon Kim, the regional CARP IW for California, this was a unique and profound experience; they said it was the first time they had heard Hyo Jin Nim publicly offer such a deep prayer regarding his own personal determination.
For each of us in the group, this was time to make a personal commitment of real unity with Hyo Jin Nim. After his prayer, as he began to run the three miles back to the cars, our commitment was immediately tested. We ran as fast as we could to keep up with him. By the time Hyo Jin Nim slowed to a walk, we were all coughing and gasping, but we deeply felt that unity had been forged in that desert. Hyo Jin Nim had come to a place symbolizing the depths of hell and had pledged to be personally responsible for all of hell's darkest sins. It was a declaration of war on Satan, a war that can never be fought without that total loyalty and obedience that Hyo Jin Nim himself embodies.
Just a few days later, it was Eastern US CARP's turn to be energized by Hyo Jin Nim. On August 30, Hyo Jin Nim came to a three-day CARP workshop held in French Creek State Park, Pennsylvania. He was accompanied by Jin Hun Nim, the husband of Un Jin Nim and the eldest son of Chong Goo ("Tiger") Park, the first Korean president of US CARP. Following Hyo Jin Nim's powerful speech, Jin Hun Nim spoke of his deep gratitude and respect for Hyo Jin Nim and of the many challenges he faces as a member of the True Family. In a moving expression of brotherhood, Hyo Jin Nim immediately returned to the podium to testify to Jin Hun Nim's faith and courage. "I always wanted him to be my brother," he said. "My sister Un Jin Nim is very strong, very stubborn, so when it came time for her to be matched, I recommended Jin Hun Nim to True Parents"
In the afternoon, Hyo Jin Nim again gave a stirring demonstration of how one voice and one acoustic guitar can fill a room with spirited sound!
The entire experience for brothers and sisters was an education in the meaning of giving 100 percent, and it went far beyond the capability of words in conveying Hyo Jin Nim's sheer courage, commitment, and his heart of filial piety.
A Prayer for War Heroes
Before returning to New York, Hyo Jin Nim stopped to pray at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the scene of the bitterly cold winter encampment of George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War. In his prayer, Hyo Jin Nim appealed to the revolutionary soldiers who had died there to assist in the worldwide revolution that True Father initiated for the cause of global freedom. He prayed especially for George Washington, asking him to work alongside Father in that quest.
Through these two meetings in California and Pennsylvania, the entire membership of CARP was invigorated with a common spirit. Hyo Jin Nim's words, his actions, and his music were the means by which he injected True Parents' vision, passion, courage, and love into every brother and sister's heart. The deepest impression on everyone, however, was made by the seriousness of his personal commitment to fulfill his mission and to take the burden of responsibility from the shoulders of True Parents. As Hyo Jin Nim continues to "charge bravely forward;' the second generation will have to always be at peak performance in order to follow him, recognizing at the same time that this "Joshua" has the determination and the power to even raze the walls of Jericho on his own.