“The Universe is with you!” Peace Ambassador Greets Innovationist Convention

Rev. Mama Joy, an Ambassador for Peace and follower of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han, addressed the National Convention of the Center for Political Innovation (CPI) in Chicago on August 15, delivering an impassioned message about faith, reconciliation, human dignity and the need to work across political and ideological divides.

CPI founder Caleb Maupin introduced Rev. Mama Joy by explaining the unlikely relationship that has developed between CPI and members of the Unification movement. Maupin recalled that several years ago he visited the church after hearing they were involved in working toward better relations between the United State and North Korea: “I walked into Manhattan Family Church and I said to them, ‘You want peace with North Korea, and I would like peace with North Korea, and maybe we're a little bit different, but I believe in God and you guys believe in God. Let's talk,’” Maupin recalled.

Introducing Rev. Mama Joy, Maupin pointed to the dramatic reconciliation between Rev. Sun Myung Moon and North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. Despite Moon's history as a fierce anti-communist who had been imprisoned in North Korea, Moon and his wife traveled to the DPRK in 1991 and met with Kim. Maupin argued that their subsequent relationship demonstrated the possibility of moving beyond the ideological conflicts of the Cold War.

“If we can think beyond the 20th century, and we can think about meeting with people and working with people we wouldn't normally work with and going outside of our comfort zone, the world can be a better place,” Maupin said. He thanked the visitors from Chicago Family Church for similarly “going outside of their comfort zone” by attending the CPI gathering.

Maupin presented Rev. Mama Joy with CPI's “Innovator Award,” saying the recognition was intended not only for her personally but also for her movement and Dr. Hak Ja Han. Maupin expressed CPI's opposition to Han's imprisonment in South Korea and support for her release, describing the prosecution against her as politically motivated.

“We love what you have done in this world, and we stand with the Mother of Peace, and we want her to be released immediately,” Maupin told Rev. Mama Joy as he presented the award.

Rev. Mama Joy said she had initially been uncertain about attending the CPI event. After researching the organization and watching videos of CPI speakers, however, she said she recognized something familiar in its members' desire for social change.

“I want to honor you in your striving for peace. I thank you for your courage,” she told the audience. “Actually, you're making a difference in life right now. Because when you are on the side of righteousness and for peace, the universe is with you.”

Introducing herself as “Reverend Mama Joy” and “an ambassador for peace,” she spoke about her own experiences as a descendant of African slaves and said the teachings of Rev. Moon had helped her overcome decades of anger about oppression and racial injustice: “The greatest opponent to you in anything that you do is not that which is outside of you, but that which is inside of you,” she said. “We have no enemies. We've just got to overcome our own self, our own inadequacies, and stop fearing the light that God has given to us.”

A major theme of her address was the possibility of people with sharply different beliefs working together without abandoning their own convictions. Quoting Dr. Han's call to work with people in the political, religious, business and ideological realms, Rev. Mama Joy told the audience: “I don't have to be like you and you don't have to be like me. But can we agree that we need peace?”

Rev. Mama Joy also praised CPI members for their willingness to publicly advocate their beliefs.

“You are on the front line, CPI. You're on the front line,” she declared. “And I'm here to be supportive of that.”

She concluded by urging those gathered to continue working together despite their differences and to leave something behind for future generations.

Following her remarks, Maupin noted another point of common ground between the two movements: Rev. Moon's advocacy for a tunnel across the Bering Strait connecting Russia and Alaska, a large-scale infrastructure proposal that CPI has also promoted: “That’s a vision that's been around for a long time,” Maupin said, “and I hope both of our communities will keep the Bering Sea Peace Tunnel in our hearts.”