Rev. Moon has been a Phoenix in His Life

Mayor Nils Steen Egelien

Mayor Nils Steen Egelien, President, Norwegian Korean War Veterans’ Association:

First of all I love Korea. As a young man of 20, I served in the Norwegian Army Hospital in Korea during the Korean War. Even though 60 years have passed since that time, the experiences during that period made an unforgettable impression on me. I came in contact with a culture which I learned to respect deeply, and I met people who expressed their gratitude more than anybody. The miracle that Korea has accomplished in the time since then is not a coincidence but can be explained by the greatness of the Korean people.

Secondly, many years later I came to learn about Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his work for world peace. I have come to know later that Rev. Moon was a prisoner at that time in a North Korean labor camp and managed to escape only after the intervention of UN forces.

It is fascinating that I am now standing here in Norway and giving a greeting to the man who was freed by the UN forces in Korea that I was a part of 60 years ago.

From Misery to World Leader

Just as Korea has been a phoenix, rising from ashes to become a leading nation in the world, Rev. Moon has been a phoenix in his life, rising from misery to become an influential world leader. Due to his unstoppable and uncompromising efforts for global peace, he has run into much opposition. His direct and clear words, regardless of the regime or external circumstances, stirred up problems. But he had the courage to speak, whether it was under Japanese occupation, in communist North Korea, or in the United States. Every single time he ran into trouble he came out of it victoriously. The charges against him proved false, his enemies vanished, and he rose like a phoenix.

His strategy to advance the quest for world peace was not by force or material means but by offering service—often to the degree that his enemies turned around and became his friends and allies. Rev. Moon’s strength is his quality of leading a godly life, regardless of circumstances. He has proved it again and again, and it is this quality that qualifies him to stand as a unique world leader and gives him true authority.

One Family Under God

He came from a tiny village in the North but his vision is global. Over and over he speaks about humankind as one family under God. When he started his mission a couple of generations ago these words were too big for many people to relate to, but he has stayed faithful to his vision. By going a course built on realistic principles and values, he has made remarkable progress. His words are not only words, but they reflect his life and stand as an example for all of us. If we all join our forces and support the work of Rev. Moon, I believe the utopia of one family under God will surely be realized.