MARVELOUS OR RIDICULOUS DRESS-CODE STORY?

Events do have- and solely have- the importance that one ascribes to them.                  

 Unificationists came to absolutely believe that everything Rev Moon did had a providential significance and a huge historical impact, while other people may just consider these happenings trivial and sometimes rather nonsensical.                                     

I happened to recently read this puzzling report from Andrew Wilson:

“Here is a paragraph from God’s Will and the World in English that I wanted to include in World Scripture, yet it is absent from the Korean text of Malseum Seonjip. The English edition preserved this marvelous story, despite its omission in the official Korean text:

(Rev Moon said :) “The day before yesterday I took a group of about twenty people to a seafood restaurant… When we were about to place our order, the waiter told us that we all had to wear ties to be seated, and he offered to lend us all ties. But the thing displeased me; I said, “No thank you,” and walked out of the restaurant with my group. The restaurant staff saw me as I was driven away in a fancy car. They must have wondered, “Why does a rich person like him object to wearing a tie?” They probably realized they had missed a great opportunity, but I will not visit that place again. They should not discriminate against people for not wearing ties. Even if they offer to make an exception for me, I will not give them my business. If they treat me like that, how will they treat black people? I want to stand up for you, because I know you are going through hardships.” Sun Myung Moon, “God’s Preparation for our Church, and Its Early Days,” God’s Will and the World (New York: HSA-UWC, 1985), p. 419. 

I already heard about that story and I found absolutely nothing glorious about it, even though Rev Moon was so proud to share it publicly. I am really surprised that Andrew Wilson and other Unificationists also think it’s a great story. 

Rev Moon erroneously imagined the whole world was unconditionally ready to submit to his every whim. When he went to this restaurant (a private business which didn’t belong to him), it seems he ignored the dress-code of the place, and obviously no one in his group had dared to tell him about it. When the waiter politely came and  proposed to provide him with a tie, he stubbornly refused and then he had to leave the place.

In fact, Rev Moon was not obliged to come and eat in that restaurant, but if he really wanted to eat there, he then had to comply with the rules of the place as any other customer would. Why make such a fuss? Hadn’t Rev Moon ever eaten wearing a tie before? Why would this fancy restaurant change its rules just because “it displeases Rev Moon”?  

Rev Moon imagined that when the restaurant staff saw him driving away in a fancy car, they asked themselves: “Why does a rich person like him object to wearing a tie?” I personally think if Rev Moon’s mind reading abilities would have been sharper at that moment, I bet he certainly would have noticed they had actually other thoughts in their mind to define him…(btw , unlike in other speeches, Rev Moon finally acknowledged here he was a rich person)

“If they treat me like that, how will they treat black people?” Wasn’t a kind of paranoia which made Rev Moon feel “persecuted” for being asked to merely respect a dress code? But then, as the cosmic champion of love and forgiveness, didn’t he poorly lose here a heroic and historical opportunity to demonstrate to the whole world his forgiving nature and loving heart... (by kindly enduring to wear a tie and enjoy a delicious meal paid with MFT members' hard earned money?

Furthermore, Rev Moon seemed to ignore that many people - black and white alike- enjoy going sometimes to fancy restaurants, happily wearing a tie if needed. I frankly can't see how specifically black people would recognize Rev Moon as a champion against discrimination, just because on that day “it displeased him to wear a tie”...

And then, how could loyal Unificationists (who were unavoidably going through hardships because they obeyed Rev Moon's orders) genuinely feel that Rev Moon was “standing for them” by simply refusing to wear a tie?

Isn’t this whole story simply ridiculous?

Definitely someone should tell Rev Moon about it.