Lady Liberty is a reminder of why America has been blessed.

In 2012, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon addressed religious leaders at the first Coalition for American Renewal Symposium.

“I firmly believe that God has blessed America not for itself but for the sake of the world. As a “shining city upon a hill”, America is to give hope to all as a model of a unified world. America is to e a place where people of all races and backgrounds can discover the deeper basis of human value; that “under God” all have been endowed, equally with the same essential rights. America is meant to be a living demonstration that all people of the world are to be one family under God.”

Today, the International Young Leaders Assembly visited the Statue of Liberty during their cultural excursion of New York City. Although the United States has sometimes struggled to manifest its founding principles by uplifting the dignity of all people, Lady Liberty stands are a reminder of why the United States has been blessed.

Read the blog post that appeared on Global Peace Foundation about the beacon of America’s values.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land
Here at our sea-washed, sunset fates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus wrote this poem about Lady Liberty as part of an effort to raise funds for the completion of the statue. The poem now adorns the inner wall of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal.

Lady Liberty stands at the mouth of the Manhattan harbor welcoming the world’s weak and tired, those worn by the troubles of their old world, and promising a new life of opportunity and freedom.  She embraces every person who comes to her shores,  honoring the sacred value of each life.

She has become a symbol of the principles that the United States was built on and continues to work towards, an iconic representation of international friendship, cooperation, human dignity, hope, pride and compassion.

Although there are stains on the history of this young country, Lady Liberty continues to stand as a beacon of hope and promise.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship between France and the United States. She is an example and result of international and national cooperation. The statue herself was funded by the French people. However, there were insufficient funds to erect her pedestal. The symbol of America’s values and vision was at risk of being lost. Yet, many different Americans: artist, business and community leaders, middle and upper class, collectively took ownership to support the project.

Journalist and entrepreneur Joseph Pulitzer was one such person. In his publication, New York World, he ran the following appeal.

“We must raise the money! The World is the people’s paper, and now it appeals to the people to come forward and raise the money. The $250,000 that the making of the Statue cost was paid in by the masses of the French people- by the working men, the tradesmen, the shop girls, the artisans- by all, irrespective of class or condition. Let us respond in like manner. Let us not wait for the millionaires to give us this money. It is not a gift from the millionaires of France to the millionaires of America, but a gift of the whole people of France to the whole people of America.”

The popular appeal raised $100,000 in six months, enough for the pedestal. Most donations were under $1, which equates to approximately 125,000 Americans funding the project.

The Statue of Liberty was erected in 1886, a result of ownership over common vision and values, and teamwork from every tier of society.

In 1986, she would again become the centerpiece of the American the spirit of shared responsibility.  The fundraising effort for her restoration fund is the most successful private-public fundraising effort in American history.

Lady Liberty stands as a symbol of hope to many weary immigrants, and an icon of human dignity and compassion. No matter where you came from or what your story, she welcomes you with her warm light, guides you to her shores, and offers refuge.  Lady Liberty embraces all walks of life, for she acknowledges that all life is sacred, as how God intended.

She is much more than just an amazing engineering feat.  She stands as a symbol of liberty, justice, love, and the idea that all of humanity is one family under God.  She reminds us all that we have a responsibility to one another to protect and ensure a brighter future for each generation that is to follow.

original article appears on www.globalpeace.org

The post Statue of Liberty Reminds America Why It Has Been Blessed appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

Moral and Innovative Leadership: Building Healthy Families, Ethical Societies, and a Global Culture of Peace

Carter Presidential Center, Atlanta, Georgia 

Your excellencies, honored guests, and distinguished participants from around the world. It is a distinct pleasure to welcome you from the four corners of the world here to the United States and to this fourth annual Global Peace Convention. I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Georgia Senator Emanuel Jones, and Dr. Robert Schuller, for hosting and serving as Co-Chairman of this Convention. To the members of our Global Leadership Council, to the many distinguished Latin American Presidents, and to the dignitaries from 40 nations assembled here today: thank you for your visionary leadership and ownership of our mission of peace.

The Global Peace Convention

The Global Peace Convention started in Southeast Asia in 2009, in Manila, capital of the Philippines. We then moved to the continent of Africa, in Nairobi, Kenya, where president Kibaki was patron of the convention. Next, in 2011, we were in Northeast Asia, in my birthplace of Seoul, Korea; and finally this year we have arrived in the Western Hemisphere and my adopted home here in the United States. Thus, this convention brings together the fruits of those past conventions as well as of the numerous festivals, service and community development projects, character development programs, and partnerships that we have had the great fortune to initiate and develop with many of you in this room today.

The theme of this year’s Convention is “Moral and Innovative Leadership: Building Healthy Families, Ethical Societies and a Culture of Global Peace.” It is particularly fitting that this should be the theme for our gathering here in this great city of Atlanta, Georgia, a place rich with history, faith, and more importantly as a center of the civil rights movement. As a man of faith and student of history, I have always looked at that movement not just as a struggle for civil rights but as America’s “Great Awakening” of the 20th century – one of the great spiritual movements of American history which were the harbinger of transformations to come. Today we must rekindle that spirit and take it to a still higher level, laying out a path not only for American renewal but for a hemispheric and even global awakening that will offer a new perspective for peace and harmony in our time.

Where America’s True Strength Lies

Ladies and gentlemen, the United States may be the world’s sole remaining superpower, but we need to be clear about where America’s true strength lies. It is not in U.S. military might, greatly stretched in Iraq and now in Afghanistan. Nor is it in America’s geopolitical and economic dominance, now challenged by its debt crisis and questions about its leadership in the Middle East, Asia and the international community.

I believe that America’s true strength lies in its moral authority as a nation rooted in spiritual principles and values which has championed human rights and freedoms at home and abroad.  This is a nation with the aspiration to become “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”   It was this vision that inspired millions from all corners of the world regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality and religion to make the long and perilous journey to a new nation filled with hope and opportunity. In order for the United States to exercise genuine global leadership in today’s more complex and fragmenting world, it must rekindle that position of true servant leadership, offering its inclusive national promise to the world.

Now more than ever, the United States must look to its unique founding ideals as the basis for a new Renaissance in the 21^st century rooted in universally accepted aspirations, principles and values.   Just as the European Renaissance gave rise to the Reformation and the Enlightenment and, thereby laid the groundwork for our modern world, a new global movement for change needs to arise, anchored in the past but bringing a fresh, new vision for the future.  This is a time for bold leadership, that is guided by a universal aspiration and tied to those time-tested principles and values that form the basis of our common humanity.

In the course of the last century, the United States has been the catalyst for positive global change, challenging European colonial imperialism, and creating international assemblies to foster peace through dialogue and reason.  The League of Nations after the First World War, and the United Nations after the Second World War, were created as a result.  During the Cold War era, American leadership, and faith in human rights and fundamental freedoms, paved the way for the eventual collapse of totalitarian, communist regimes around the world. The historical role of the United States in shaping, and then leading, the world to where we are today, is undisputed. The question then is what should be America’s role going forward, as we look to this new century and the challenges that it brings.

Three Thematic Challenges Facing America and the World

As a concerned citizen and peace advocate, I see three major themes that the U.S., needs to address as a global leader in the 21^st century, together with the world community. The first deals with the religious dimension of U.S. engagement in the Middle East and the contemporary challenge of sectarian-fueled extremism and violence. The second is near to my heart as a Korean-American, namely the resolution of the Korean conflict. The final theme addresses the need for greater hemispheric integration between the United States and its southern neighbors in this era of the Pan-Pacific rim.

The current approach to addressing terrorism over the last eleven years has embroiled the United States in the ever changing politics of the Muslim world where religion and tribal affiliations are  powerful socio-political realities. How does the United States meet the threat of Islamist extremism without alienating mainstream Muslims and igniting a wider conflict along religious lines? Moreover, the rise of a potential nuclear Iran with its regional ambitions, coupled with the instability of the Middle East, makes for a still more volatile situation.

Further complicating matters is North Korea’s link to the Iranian nuclear program and its role as the arms supplier to rogue regimes worldwide. Given these challenges, the resolution of the Korean conflict is of paramount global importance. What should U.S. and international policy be toward the Korean peninsula given the threats to regional stability, and international security?

Finally, there is the question of the future of the Americas. It is clear that the Hispanic community will be ever more influential in the domestic, social, political and economic life of the United States. Whether considering immigration, socio-economic opportunity, or regional trade and partnerships, it seems clear that the future of the US and the hemisphere as a whole lies with greater integration and cooperation. This becomes even more important given the rise of China as a significant competitor and growing force on the global stage.

A Nation Founded on Principles

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me repeat: to provide global leadership in meeting these challenges,  the United States must rekindle its founding ideals and find in them the inspiration for dealing with today’s realities. This nation was given birth through the declaration of certain universal transcendent principles and values that uplifted human dignity and freedoms. Those “self-evident truths” formed the foundation of a new nation in which a common commitment to shared ideals and values bound us together as “one nation under God.”

I have traveled widely around the world and gained a unique perspective that has enabled me to appreciate the distinctive genetic code of America’s greatness.  As a student of history I have often asked myself, “What is the essence of the American Dream?” I came to the conclusion that the American Dream is not about the democratic political process or the free market economic system. Processes and systems are external structures that succeed or fail depending on the spirit and values that infuse them. The secret of America’s success lies in the vitality of the spiritual principles and values that motivated the American experiment and were poured into the structures of the new nation.

They are conveyed in the Declaration of Independence, a secular document that nevertheless enshrines spiritual principles that form the basis of our modern notion of human rights.   Its ringing words declare : “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” They make clear that those rights and the human dignity, freedom, and responsibility that flow from them, are not granted by any human power or institution but come as our natural heritage from the Creator and, therefore, cannot rightfully be abridged or denied. They are a shield against tyranny and corruption. In this context, the First Amendment to the Constitution is of particular importance, guaranteeing freedom of expression and religion. In so doing it set a precedent that has made a global impact, protecting and promoting essential freedoms of conscience, worship, and speech everywhere.

It is in these core principles that America’s greatness lies. It was to them, for example, that Dr. Martin Luther King appealed in his powerful and charismatic speeches that transcended sectarian religious differences and spoke to the larger humanity of us all. He said that the civil rights movement was not just a struggle for African-American equality but the pursuit of a timeless ideal rooted in the fundamental principles that shaped America’s founding.

From One Nation under God to One World Family under God

This moment may prove to be a historic crossroads, for the United States, and for the world. The time is ripe for a new spiritual awakening that galvanizes the community of righteous and faithful citizens around universal principles and shared values, not just in the U.S. but throughout the Western hemisphere and the world. In other words, humanity needs a vision that is more powerful than the forces driving us apart. American founding ideals gave rise to the vision of One Nation under God – a nation where people of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds could live together and create the model of a unified world. The time is ripe for this model to be expanded to the global level — from the nation to the world.

A shared spiritual vision for humanity is the objective needed for these challenging times. Such a vision is found in the simple but profound idea that all human beings, everywhere, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion, are part of “One Family under God.” Political authority cannot mandate, nor can money buy, the virtues needed to resolve conflicts and build ethical societies. We need a new framework rooted in our shared spiritual aspirations and principles that give rise to the values needed to build peace.

Moral and Innovative Leadership

What do I mean by moral and innovative leadership? First, it has to promote a “greater good” that can benefit not only the individual but the larger society, nation and eventually the world. This is the moral orientation of the leadership I am describing. For it to come to fruition it has to be guided by a vision or aspiration and a clear set of irrevocable universal principles and values that could have the breadth and depth to encompass the diversity of the human family.

Secondly, it has to harness mankind’s natural creative need to advance and develop the human condition. This is the innovative component of leadership. As you all know, every culture has examples of extraordinary men and women who propelled humanity forward in the fields of philosophy, ethics, the sciences, athletics and the cultural arts, by freely exercising their God-given talents even to the point of challenging existing paradigms. Although many faced difficulties due to religious, societal and legal constraints of their time, it is fair to say that the modern world with its greater freedoms and advancements has benefited greatly due to the sacrifices of these innovators.

Three Thematic Challenges Addressed

Ladies and gentlemen:

When fundamental human aspirations are expressed in universal principles and given form through shared values; and when moral and innovative leaders rise up to give them practical substance; then we will see profound change in our societies, nations, and world, and the dawn of a new era of harmony and peace. In particular, this will provide the key to resolving the three challenges facing America and the world, that I laid out earlier.

Interfaith Cooperation Based on Universal Principles

In order to meet the threat of global religious conflict, a new type of interfaith movement must appear, much like the civil rights movement of the 1960s which addressed the injustices suffered by African-Americans through an appeal to universal principles and values. This era should be one where people of every faith come together on the foundation of such principles and values in a new Great Spiritual Awakening. The promise that America makes to its citizens through the First Amendment must be extended to all the world’s peoples through such an interfaith movement.

On that common foundation, people of faith must stand together to uphold those principles and resist the violent appeal of religious extremism. I want to recognize the representatives here of Nadhlatul Ulama from Indonesia, one of our major international interfaith partners. NU is the world’s largest Muslim civic organization from the world’s most populous Muslim country. NU promotes a moderate and peaceful vision of Islam that supports the Indonesian polity based on unity in diversity and respect for religious freedom. They act vigorously against Islamist extremists whose actions are contrary to Islam’s core principles and mission of peace.

Here in America, the Coalition for American Renewal is building a grassroots network among religious and civic leaders to revive the American founding spirit and apply it in practical social and educational initiatives nationwide. It is upholding First Amendment freedoms, particularly freedom of religion, which is the foundation for freedom of conscience. I also want to recognize the many other interfaith partners in this room from around the world, such as the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, who are building peace through track two diplomacy.

A Principled Approach to Korean Unification

With Korean unification, the Foundation has taken an innovative approach that has altered the framework of the debate. To start with, we challenged the idea that unification was impossible or could only be achieved over generations.   Our Global Peace Leadership Conferences put it on the table as an imminent possibility. Next, we took it out of the exclusive top-down realm of high international politics and made it a popular, bottom-up campaign that engaged ordinary Korean citizens. Through the Korea United campaign we have engaged a broad-based coalition of 400 grassroots civic organizations with an innovative values-based approach to Korean unification.

Finally, and most important, we shifted the debate away from the process to a focused discussion on the desired outcome – what sort of a nation, governed by what principles, should a united Korea be?  Thus, for the first time, a grassroots movement for Korean unification, based upon spiritual principles, has emerged. Ultimately, unification based on such principles is urgently needed to resolve the threat of North Korean nuclear arms and nuclear proliferation.

A Great Hemispheric Awakening for the 21^st Century

Work to promote greater integration within the western hemisphere, between the Americas, is already under way. Yesterday, eight former heads of state of Latin American countries, with the committed support of several others, met at the Carter Center to kick off the Americas Summit. This afternoon they will announce the founding of the Latin American Presidential Mission. Building on earlier meetings in Paraguay in 2010, and in Brazil last year, and the Asuncion and Brasilia Declarations that emerged from these meetings, they are developing a blueprint for the closer integration of the Latin American countries and a deeper connection between North and South America.

The project is not just about diplomacy or economics. At its core is the affirmation and propagation of our common spiritual roots and of the same “self-evident truths” that informed America’s founding. Upon such a foundation we can experience a Great Hemispheric Awakening and see the opening of a new era in the history of the Americas that will have a positive impact throughout the world. In particular the western hemisphere can establish societies that value human rights, freedoms, and responsibilities. These will stand as beacons for the aspirations of people everywhere and bulwarks against authoritarian regimes that deny those rights.

Worldwide Initiatives

Significant initiatives are also being undertaken with many dedicated partners in Africa and Asia. There are distinguished African leaders here today who have worked with GPF to forge national campaigns of social cohesion that have stemmed the post-election violence in Kenya. Also here are African religious and political leaders who convened recently at the United Nations in Nairobi for the Africa Conference on Volunteer Action for Peace and Development. There, 25 partners launched Africa’s own multi-national regional approach to a peace corps, engaging African youth in international service.

In Asia, young people are being engaged in development in rural villages such as the All Lights project that brings solar powered lighting to communities that are not on the electrical grid. This effort reaches out across Southeast Asian nations.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen: The demands of this moment in history are great, but so are the opportunities to forge a bright future for humanity. Now is the time to revive America’s founding vision and expand that dream onto a global stage through the universal vision of “One Family under God.” This should be the clarion call of our age.  In the words of my father, who committed his life to the cause of peace, the time has come “to tear down the man-made walls of race, culture, religion and country, and establish the peaceful, ideal world of God’s cherished desire.”

The power of one human family united, can quell the turmoil of conflict throughout the world—from the strife and poverty of Africa, to the conflict in the Middle East, and the final remnant of the Cold War on the Korean Peninsula. As Americans and global citizens, let us make a solemn pledge to expand this dream to all people and lead the world to peace through the vision of “One Family under God.”  Then, as surely as light overcomes the darkness, an era of peace and prosperity will emerge from the depths of distrust and hatred, both at home and in the far corners of our world.

Join with me and all our partners, and dare to dream the greatest dream of all, that we can all live as One Family under God, and make that dream a reality.

Thank you for your support and engagement in this great work and may God bless you and your families.

Thank you.

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The following is the address delivered at the Coalition for American Renewal Symposium on behalf of Dr. Hyun Jin Moon by the international president of the Global Peace Foundation, Mr. Young Jun Kim.

The Coalition for American Renewal is a national leadership network dedicated to renewing our vision and empowering our citizens to build an America that lives up to its founding ideals.

Special Address – Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon
Coalition for American Renewal National Symposium

Atlanta, GA – September 20, 2012

Distinguished faith leaders, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning. It is very meaningful that this Coalition for American Renewal National Symposium is being convened here in Atlanta at this critical time. The issues to be discussed are of great importance, as our nation faces significant challenges at home and abroad. On the one hand, our interconnected world can erupt in conflict and violence with bewildering intensity when religious sensitivities and emotions are provoked. At same time, the barrage of political messages during this campaign season heightens the sense that we have become a highly polarized and fragmented people, with dim prospects of solving problems collaboratively.

In my view, it is significant that faith leaders from different perspectives and backgrounds have convened here to discuss issues that play out in the civic square, both domestically and globally. While contentious issues usually involve political dynamics, solutions can be most readily found by beginning from principles and values. Given the wisdom common to our various traditions, faith leaders who recognize our shared responsibility to the common good can contribute to solutions in unique and innovative ways.

Strong political rivalries are not new to our public discourse. While political divisions contribute to our polarized environment today, in fact the root cause is more fundamental. Politics has its place in civil society, but America’s overall health does not begin and end in the weighing of political fortunes.

In fact our nation did not come into existence as a result of an election. America was given birth through the declaration of certain transcendent principles. Those “self-evident truths” were to form the foundation of a new nation in which common commitment to shared ideals and values would bind us together as one nation under God.

Those same principles and values inspired great acts of courage and self-sacrifice throughout our history, and were the catalyst for grand achievements. If at times we would stray from the path of justice and truth, our principles and values would point the way back to the fertile ground of liberty.

Unfortunately today the awareness and teaching of these founding ideals has been on the wane. As a result, a modern and more diverse America is less able to recognize what defines our unique national identity and makes us one people. The current polarized environment has resulted from the breakdown of consensus around shared values. That consensus was to be forged through our common awareness of the essential meaning of our founding principles and the fundamental values implicit in them.

We need to re-establish a firm and widespread understanding of those sacred principles as a vital first step toward renewing America. To heal our nation and bind it together again, a great awakening is needed that rekindles our vision, sense of providence, and common purpose. For as expressed in Proverbs so long ago, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

America’s Core Principles

I firmly believe that America is exceptional because of its core principles. As an American by choice who has traveled throughout the world, I have gained a unique perspective that has helped me to recognize and appreciate the distinctive genetic code of America’s greatness. Of course, it was in the Declaration of Independence that these ideas were first codified.

The idea that our rights are endowed to us by God is the first important principle of American exceptionalism. Throughout the world, human value had been determined either by external factors such as class, race, cultural mores or family lines, or sometimes even by arbitrary means, as when assigned by the fiat or whim of an all-powerful despot.

In contrast to that, the American Declaration asserts that God directly endowed each individual with an intrinsic authority and claim to rights. This authority cannot be usurped by any earthly power. A just government, therefore, is one that derives its authority from the governed, and functions to secure the blessings of liberty for all.

The Declaration pronounces a second essential core value of American exceptionalism – that all people are created equal. In stating that we are “created” equal, it asserts that our intrinsic value is forever linked to the Creator’s motives and intentions in having created us. The faith traditions of America’s founders had revealed to them that God’s motive for creating pertained to love. The equality of humanity, pronounced in the Declaration, is an intrinsic value established by the parental character of God’s love for every human being.

Further, to be an American, does not require a particular racial makeup, cultural or religious background. America is about transcendent principles, intrinsic values and self-evident truths. It is the consensus forged around these shared values that is the glue that binds our nation of diversity together to stand as “one nation under God.”

America’s founding documents established a model of groundbreaking importance, acknowledging the Creator as the source of our inalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence, and creating a system that recognizes the primary authority of the people in the Constitution. America is first and foremost about ideas, so of particular importance is the First Amendment, guaranteeing our freedom of expression and religion, and setting a precedent that has made a global impact for the essential freedoms of speech, conscience, and worship everywhere.

The Spiritual Roots of America’s Heritage

In my view, the most important dimension of America’s historical background is its spiritual heritage. The early Americans were firm believers that the hand of God was intimately involved in the affairs of humanity. In believing that God is good, their faith caused them to envision an ultimate destiny of goodness and fulfillment. Thus, reliance on divine providence was their guiding light through trying times.

America’s first settlers saw themselves modeled after the pilgrims of the bible, linking their quest with biblical figures such as Abraham, Moses and the children of Israel. They too were called by God with the vision of a heavenly nation of freedom and deliverance; a nation for the glory of God to be proudly lifted up as a shining city upon a hill and a beacon of hope for the world.
The story of America’s first English settlers is well known. But we should also remember that America had another “pilgrim” narrative. Although less recognized, in my view it is equally significant to America’s spiritual heritage. These forgotten “pilgrims” came not by choice but through coercion, chained in pitch darkness to the hull-bottoms of slave ships. Those vessels were christened with names like “John the Baptist” and “Brotherhood;” somehow oblivious to the cruel hypocrisy in such names, given their wicked and inhumane purpose.

These other American pilgrims found a different path toward the shining city of freedom. It was one that resonated with the suffering path of Christ. While bearing the chains of slavery, they had discovered in the story of Jesus, a divine promise; that there is a redemptive power in the path of undeserved suffering. Their hopes for liberty, justice and equality for all, were firmly anchored in that faithful vision.

Though on different paths, all of these pilgrims, men and women of faith, are the forbears of the American dream. Long before the Declaration was penned, these pioneers had planted deep roots of faith, believing that the promise of liberty is given to all. Their faith carried them through trials and tribulations in pursuit of that promise, in the process forming the deep and varied spiritual heritage of this nation. The fulfillment of that dream remains a work in progress, requiring our continued leadership and investment to make it a living reality.

I firmly believe that God has blessed America not for itself but for the sake of the world. As a “shining city upon a hill,” America is to give hope to all as a model of a unified world. America is to be a place where people of all races and backgrounds can discover the deeper basis of human value; that “under God” all have been endowed, equally, with the same essential rights. America is meant to be a living demonstration that all people of the world are to be one family under God. It should bequeath to the world these self-evident truths that have defined America’s unique contributions to religious freedom, innovation and prosperity, and the principles of just governance. Blessings are meant to be shared with all.

Common Mission for American Renewal

Recognizing this, we naturally must consider whether our nation today is aligned with God’s hope for America. In fact, observing the history of similar nations so commissioned by God, we could conclude that a nation’s fortunes will rise or fall in direct proportion to having accommodated or frustrated God’s purpose.

So where does America today stand? Are we on the right path? Is America a moral and ethical nation that pleases God? Have we been true to the covenant and exceptional path that God had sealed with our forbears? If we make an honest assessment, I believe that we must conclude that America is far short of those expectations, and in dire need of renewal. In fact, to right our path should be the highest priority for every leader of faith in America.

America’s faith leaders should be the stewards and evangelists of God’s hope for America; our national purpose. It is their duty to acknowledge and articulate that God has a purpose and providence for America today. Together we have a common mission to address three important areas of concern.

First we must address the unchecked rise of God-denying ideas and behavior. The impact of America’s popular culture that promotes unfettered appetites and desires is speeding the nation to the precipice of moral collapse. Only if we stand together can we reverse this trend. American public life should be strengthened under the guiding light of virtues rooted in America’s faith traditions.

Second, we must address the lack of trust and cooperation between those who affirm a belief in God. Differences in denomination and faith tradition, race and culture have caused us to remain separate. Yet, people of faith have much in common, especially regarding basic human and family values. It is vitally important that people of faith work in common cause to promote shared values, so that in partnership we can exert a focused and positive moral influence on the public life of our nation.

Third, we must address the dire impact on youth resulting from moral confusion and the breakdown of the family. We must uplift and strengthen the family as the spiritual cornerstone of society, essential to molding good character and shared values for succeeding generations. We need moral and innovative leadership with vision and clear ideals that inspire and guide our youth.

The Coalition for American Renewal can be instrumental in addressing these great tasks toward the fulfillment of our national purpose. A leadership network like CAR can play a significant role in mobilizing a grassroots movement that effectively engages the shared values and common concerns of America’s diverse faith communities into the civic square. From the town halls of Main Street America, to the halls of power in our nation’s capital, CAR can give voice to the concerns and moral suasion to the recommendations of this great force for good found in men and women of faith across our nation.

The Coalition for American Renewal was launched in Washington D.C. at the Faith Leaders Summit held in 2010.

On a very practical level, I believe that CAR should highlight the significance of the First Amendment and champion its proper application. That means first of all to promote the inclusion and proper role of faith in our public discourse, engaging the dynamic interaction of faith communities in building consensus on shared values. That is the common mission of all people of faith in working together toward the greater good of an ethical society. At the same time, religious freedom is our sacred right, and we should uplift and uphold our First Amendment guarantees to freedom of worship and expression. A dynamic civic square that includes the contributions of faith communities building consensus on values, combined with robust and diverse expressions of religious freedom, provides a rich environment for the fruits of liberty to flourish.

I applaud and encourage the efforts of the Coalition for American Renewal to awaken the spirit and commitment of our citizens to address the serious challenges before us. Engaging, organizing and mobilizing people of faith and conscience in grassroots initiatives that put our principles into action is a timely and essential undertaking. The re-awakening of America to its sense of providence and resolve to be an effective model for a pluralistic society that honors God has major implications not only for the USA but the entire hemisphere and world.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am joining today in that call for awakening. As faith leaders let us take up our common mission to awaken the American spirit and character, that together we can rise above political and other divides, and build an America that lives up to its founding ideals.

May God bless you and your families.

For more speakers at the Call for Renewal Symposium visit: Coalition for American Renewal on YouTube.

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Friday, September 21, 2012

Atlanta – Notable faith leaders, civic activists, and social entrepreneurs gathered in Atlanta, Georgia for a conference hosted by the Coalition for American Renewal to address pressing social concerns in America. Global Peace Foundation International President Young Jun Kim delivered remarks on behalf of Dr. Moon who was unable to attend.

The Coalition for American Renewal is a national leadership network dedicated to renewing our vision and empowering our citizens to build an America that lives up to its founding ideals.

Dr. Moon wrote, “America is meant to be a living demonstration that all people of the world are to be one family under God.”  What has made America great, he observed, is its spiritual legacy enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. He urged participants to help America fulfill its role by “engaging, organizing and mobilizing people of faith and conscience in grassroots initiatives that put our principles into action.”

Interfaith through putting faith into action was a common conclusion.  Rev. Robert Thompson, Chair Emeritus of the Parliament of World Religions said, “No matter what we think or what we say we believe, what we do is our real religion.” He observed that although no two religions are alike, there are common principles like the Golden Rule that appear in in every faith tradition.

Rev. Robert Woodson of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise has worked in the toughest neighborhoods in the United States tackling issues like gang violence, drug abuse and prostitution. “The superiority of your principles and beliefs has to be shown by producing a superior way of life,” was the wisdom he imparted to participants.

Ms. Barbara Metzler, an expert in volunteering, nonprofits, and philanthropy, shared stories of “passionaries,” a term she coined to describe people of faith who put their compassion into action, to illustrate how one person’s passion and conviction can change the world.

Co-Chairs of the Coalition for American Renewal, Dr. Robert A. Schuller and Dr. Paul Murray, closed the conference with a commitment to continue dialogue and cooperation, and make CAR “the voice of leaders of faith and conscious” in the public square during this “defining moment” for America.

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