God’s Will and the Ocean: Episode 84

God’s Will and the Ocean
True Father Speaks on: “The Heart and Spirit of Fishing, page 273-278
July 3, 1986, Morning Garden

You must understand why I started fishing for tuna in the first place. You must know why I designed this type of training. There are four major fishing areas in the world. One is in Norway and the other three are around the American shoreline. There are other fishing areas of course, but the major ones are right here. In other words, no matter what kind of fish you are looking for, you can find it in the waters around America and you can find it usually in great quantity.

The tragedy is that in general Americans don't appreciate fish and don't eat them. The fish go through a cycle, they are born and then die. In a way, it is a real waste to just die. Those fish are there to be eaten, either by a larger fish or by man. Fish are a high source of protein and nutrition. If we don't eat them, if we just let them die and go to the bottom, it is a real waste.

Furthermore, about six or seven years ago, America declared their fishing borders and foreign boats cannot cross over them. This declaration has become a political issue. Nations which really depend on fishing as part of their economy such as Japan, Italy or Germany have been protesting this boundary. At the same time, the American people do not care much for fish, so there is no one to initiate anything new in the fishing industry. Out of concern for the future, I began many of our educational projects and business ventures centered on the ocean. On the land, if you farm, it takes about twenty years to establish your foundation. However, if you begin an enterprise on the ocean, you can begin to see results after just five or six years. Better than gold, the ocean is waiting to be used by man. The problem is that people do not know or care so much about it. One of the reasons that Americans do not care for the fishing industry is the nature of fishing itself. When the large fishing vessels go out, they stay out fishing for three to six months. Many of the fishermen's wives stay at home with nothing to do and often they finally just leave with someone else.

Therefore, young people who are growing up in ocean towns don't think about getting involved in fishing at all. Instead they run to the larger cities where they can get a nice job in an office. For example, this city of Gloucester used to be very busy, before the 200 mile limit was set. Many foreign ships were coming in and out, buying supplies, loading and unloading, so the young people of this town could find jobs and work here. Gloucester was very busy indeed and at that time it was growing. However, after the declaration, many young people ran away and Gloucester became somewhat of a ghost town.

Without the boats coming in and out, without the young people staying to work here, who is the master of this town? Well, the Moonies appeared just a few years ago. When we first came here, people thought, "Moonies are the worst of the worst people." They looked at Reverend Moon as some kind of scary spirit and tried to kick him and all the Moonies out. Actually, Moonies are trying to be the best of the best people. Now their attitude has begun to change from being so nasty to more warm and welcoming.

Many people brought their luxury boats here. They sat on the deck with their big bellies showing from beneath their shirts and shouted at us, "Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" They said things with a very nasty feeling behind it. At first, none of us knew anything about tuna fishing. We had to go around buying different kinds of hooks and things. Some of the members went with me, but they didn't know anything either. Then, people would whisper in the stores, "Oh, that must be Reverend Moon." In some cases, a store would close its door when I came and they would say, "You cannot come in." Then, I said right back, "Open the door."

In the beginning, I would ask for some kind of fishing gear which I knew the store owner had, but they didn't want to show it to me. They would show me some equipment which was not as good as what I had asked for. I had to keep going on with endurance and patience, facing all these things. I didn't do it because I wanted to make my own profit; I kept going because I wanted to make these ocean cities alive again.

The Vision Behind Tuna Fishing

My goal is to develop once again the ocean cities in America so that fish and fish products can be exported to feed people all over the world. Some of you may be wondering why you have been called to Gloucester, such a small and insignificant town. You must inherit my spirit which overcomes persecution and difficult situations, because I have a vision of how to save the world and even provide food for the entire world.

The boats you are riding on were designed by me and built by the members. After nine years of experience, I developed the Good Go boat. When I first started building these boats, no one had any expertise. Mr. Kamiyama was at a total loss when he first heard my plan for the boats. He looked completely shocked and said, "What, we are going to build fishing boats?" He truly hoped that I wouldn't tell him to build those boats, but I said, "Build 150 boats in the first year."

Think about it. With so much money invested in such an expensive boat, each one was given to completely inexperienced members who didn't know anything about its value. With these boats, they were trained how to fish for tuna. With each boat that we produced, there was a tremendous amount of tears and sweat and prayer involved. You may not be able to see that, but that kind of spirit is built into each boat. If you truly understand this, you must shed tears when you ride on that boat. When I took my first ride on a Good Go, did I cry or did I just laugh without much serious thought? What do you think? Therefore, you must pray to have the proper attitude and inherit the spiritual and international connection to these boats. Each country around the world sent their members to help build these boats, and they put their tears and sweat into these boats. No one understood anything. We started virtually from scratch. No one knew what kind of material to buy or how to begin the first step. I know the value of each boat will be worth more than 100 thousand or a million dollars in the future. Why? Because people will say, "This is a boat built by Reverend Moon." For this reason, I instructed the members to buy the best quality of materials that they could find; they had to build the boat with the highest standards, not just so-so.

I know that in the future sometime, in each of the fifty states, even if they have to sell their capital building in order to buy one of these boats, they will do that. But now, some Unification members feel like they don't even want to look at those boats, that they want to run away from their boat. I see that kind of thing. My goal and desire and hope is built into this boat, but the young American members don't understand this and sometimes, they try to run away from this boat.

If you read the speech from when I began Ocean Church, you will see how serious and how important that message was. However, even after I gave that kind of explanation, many of them since that time went away from this Ocean Church activity. It's a shame, but I cannot give up. Even though I wanted to give this to American young people, they didn't catch their opportunity, so I had to bring young Japanese members to do the job. In order for you to find the most valuable and precious treasure, you have to go the most difficult path. That's true.

American members who are here this summer, did you come voluntarily or did you come because you were sent? Do you really want to be here? I don't believe you, yet. You will have to show me. I have watched so many American members leave and run away from this Ocean Church activity, even though there might have been good reasons for some to go. I stood by and just watched their coming and going. In the meantime, I never changed my goal and my spirit for this Ocean Church endeavor. Why? Simply because I know the value of it.

If you American young men go out fishing, who will point a finger at you? No one. However, everyone pointed at me because I was a Korean man. You must understand that with everything you go through, every difficult situation and every persecution, I have already gone through this course before you. Do you understand? I never retreat, but always move forward. People might have said this year, "Well, Reverend Moon was in Danbury prison last year and now he is out. His movement must have declined a little since he was there. Well, they had twenty or so boats last year, so maybe this year we will see only ten or so boats." Instead I went right ahead and ordered seventy boats to go out this year! Do you have the same spirit?

I think you are just like any other young American out there. You are the same type. You are shouting "No!", but I think you are the same type. What do you think? Is this true or not? I cannot trust you. You have to show me! When you bring results, then I can see you are different. From now, we are going the difficult way. Can you do it? Raise your hands. Can you do it? Those Japanese members who didn't understand my talk missed the chance to raise your hands. Please do not forget that the boats you are riding in are the best of the best fishing boats in the world and they are made by Reverend Moon. We built this boat, Moonie spirit built this boat. Not because we wanted to make money, but because we wanted to make the spirit of America alive again.

Until this city of Gloucester itself disappears, we will come here every year. We will take care of this town; we will take care of this ocean. We have about 200 people here tonight. Everyone has a similar situation, don't they? You have two hands and two eyes and all your limbs intact. I may indeed have the same features as you, but when it comes to the ability to lead people, to having a fighting spirit, to being able to go on, I have more ability than all 200 of you together. The difference is in my determination and dedication, in my spirit.