1. A Passion for Justice and a Fierce Love for the People

World Scripture

And if God had not repelled some men by others, the earth would have been corrupted.
Qur’an 2.251

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.’”
Exodus 8.1

Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
John 2.13-16

Whoever of you sees something of which God disapproves, then let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart; and that is faith of the weakest kind.
Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 34 (Islam)

Those are the future saviors of the peoples Who through Good Mind strive in their deeds To carry out the judgment which Thou has decreed, O Wise One, as righteousness. For they were created the foes of Fury.
Avesta, Yasna 48.12 (Zoroastrianism)

My mission, today, is the same as it was at the time of the Prophet. I shall strive till I eradicate impiety and injustice, and till I establish a rule of justice and truth, a humane and heavenly regime.
By God! Have the Quraysh given up realizing who or what I am? I have fought against them and defeated them when they were infidels, and now I will fight against them to remove their tyrannous, unjust, and impious rule. Today I am as much their well-wisher as I was during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, and my courage and determination have not diminished.⁴
Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 38 (Shiite Islam)

How can he be said truly to love, who exacts no effort from the objects of his love? How can he be said to be truly loyal, who refrains from admonishing the object of his loyalty?
Analects 14.8 (Confucianism)

A man should share in the distress of the community, for so we find that Moses, our teacher, shared in the distress of the community.
Talmud, Taanit 11a (Judaism)

And I [Moses] looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made yourselves a molten calf; you had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. So I took hold of the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes. Then I lay prostrate before the Lord as before, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin which you have committed, in doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure which the Lord bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you.
Deuteronomy 9.16-19

I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
Thomas Jefferson³

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.
Sir Winston Churchill

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

What kind of person is a true leader? He is able to deal with every difficult situation. Misery and hunger do not dissuade him. Though he encounters tragedy and weeps bitter tears, he never thinks of turning back. Even in the face of death, he continues to push forward. He does not mind suffering losses in the present as long as his actions will benefit future generations and advance the purpose of God.
(118:41, May 2, 1982)

Don’t be pulled by your circumstances. You yourself must pull your circumstances.
(Way of God’s Will 1.3)

The path of a person who upholds goodness is not smooth. Not many people welcome an individual who strives to cultivate a character of exceptional goodness, especially as he tries to separate the evil environment from his surroundings.

There is opposition when he tries to build a family of goodness, and even stronger evil forces surround and oppose any attempt to build a tribe of goodness.

If he were to lead that tribe of goodness to expand to a nation of goodness, tremendous evil forces would no doubt raise their flag against him and try to block his way. And if he were to try and lead that nation of goodness to establish a world of goodness, then evil nations, rather than helping the nation of goodness on its way, would no doubt oppose it in every way possible.
(36:52, November 15, 1970)

In order to become a person capable of carrying a great responsibility:
You must establish the foundation that you can master your circumstances and build upon them.
You must be the most outstanding in advancing the Will of God.
You must be foremost in considering the whole purpose.
You must be concerned about your subordinates and pray for them before you eat or sleep.
You must think that you exist for them, not they for you.
You must want to add your effort to whatever gifts God has given you.
(Way of God’s Will 1.3)

Jesus visited his disciples after his resurrection because, although they betrayed him, he could not betray the pledge he made to them. A leader cannot be at ease until he carries out his pledges.
(Way of God’s Will 1.3)

Does anyone respect a leader who thinks only about the present and not the future? I don’t believe that any leader of a nation is like that. A great leader has a vision of the future and inspires the people to endure suffering for the sake of the future.
(97:88, March 1, 1978)

Leaders can never lead without tears. True leaders are those who foresee that their nation will face trials and train their people before the tribulations come by driving them into suffering and hardship.
(Way of God’s Will 1.3)