ORDER NUMBER
77-05-01
REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON
SPEAKS ON
THE 23rd ANNIVERSARY
OF THE
UNIFICATION CHURCH
AND THE HISTORY
OF GOD'S DISPENSATION
May 1, 1977
Belvedere, New York
Translator - Bo Hi Pak
The Unification Church was formally established in 1954; however,
prior to the founding of our church a most incredible series of events
took place to lay the necessary foundation. I want you to understand
that God had been working for this new dispensation for approximately
forty years prior to World War II, fulfilling His promises to the
Korean people for the forthcoming great event of the New Age.
Through the Divine Principle you know that God has been working to
fulfill His will by having His vertical dispensation indemnified
horizontally. This morning I would like to reveal some of the
extraordinary works of God in connection with our Church's founding.
According to the Divine Principle, the history of God's providence is
developed on three different levels: the dispensations centering on
God Himself, centering on the angelic world, and centering on man. The
Old Testament era is the period during which God Himself worked
directly in the forefront; in preparing the foundation for the future
dispensation God was revealing the pattern of restoration. The New
Testament era is equivalent to the work of the angelic world because
salvation could only be achieved spiritually. The Completed Testament
era, or time of the Second Advent, is the era in which men on the
earth assume the major responsibility. Therefore, in order to
consummate human history one nation must be found whose history
encapsulates the entire vertical history of God.
Abraham made three types of offerings to God on his altar: a dove and
pigeon, a she-goat and ram, and a heifer. The intriguing part of
Abraham's offering was that there were two birds representing the
formation stage and two animals representing the growth stage, but
only one animal representing the perfection stage; this indicated that
perfection was yet to come. Korea was chosen as the stage for the
fulfillment of the last chapter of human history in God's
dispensation, and consequently Abraham's offering was to be physically
and spiritually manifested on the horizontal level in Korea. The work
of God Himself, or the equivalent of the Old Testament era, plus the
work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit together in the New Testament era
all had to be manifested in that land in order to fulfill the final
chapter of human history. The foundation for those events had to be
laid physically here on earth.
Eve's role in restoration
The ultimate goal of God is to find one perfected Adam, but that Adam
cannot come into being unless an Eve is found through whom he can be
perfected. In other words, even though Adam might be appointed by God,
he could never entirely fulfill his responsibility alone. In the
garden of Eden, Eve was responsible for initiating the fall of man;
therefore, unless an Eve can be found who can indemnity the fall in
the garden of Eden, Adam would have no way to assume the supreme
position of perfection.
Eve also had no way to reach perfection without Adam. In order to
reach her perfection, Eve must either create Adam, meet Adam, or give
birth to Adam. Bringing Adam here on earth is not the direct
responsibility of God or even the direct responsibility of Jesus, but
the responsibility of Eve, since Eve destroyed Adam in the garden of
Eden. Eve is the one who must give birth to Adam. At the time of Jesus
Christ, the role of John the Baptist was similar to the bride's role,
and through the execution of his mission the perfected Jesus was to
truly become the Messiah. These events of 2,000 years ago occurred on
the national level, but the coming of the Second Advent will take
place on the universal level, and Eve must take the role of John the
Baptist in bringing perfected Adam to the world.
The dispensation of restoration does not begin at the highest position
in heaven, but must always start from the lowest possible human
situation. Why is that? Ultimately Adam is solely responsible to bring
God back to this world and bring mankind back to God. As the man who
is responsible for all mankind, Adam should begin his journey at the
very bottom of hell and pass through every kind of human life and
environment on his way to the throne of God. In this way he can
embrace all of mankind in the bosom of salvation. Furthermore, the
Lord who is coming for that mission must ultimately serve Eve. He must
come all the way up from the bottom of hell and perfect himself, then
meet her and serve her almost as devotedly as he serves God.
Women have many qualifications, but the most precious title a woman
can have is that of mother. Adam must serve Eve even more than he
would serve his own mother. Another precious title that a woman can
win is that of a bride, or wife, and apart from her family the
greatest responsibility and glory that a woman can assume is that of
empress or queen of the Kingdom of God. When someone asks a woman,
"Can you be a true mother," and her answer is yes, then she is already
speaking in universal terms. Not every woman will become a queen in
God's kingdom; many more will become entitled to the roles of true
mother and true wife. But you sisters here all want to become
empresses also, don't you?
Who is authorized to bestow these titles upon women? God? Jesus, who
represents the angelic world? You women will not assume your true
rights until you meet the true Adam. That is principled, isn't it?
Since all the men ever to live on earth were fallen, then in the sight
of God women have actually never met a true man, and for this reason
were not able to assume their rights. Women have been mistreated and
miserable throughout history, cast out of their true position. They
have been exploited by evil individuals, evil families, societies,
nations, and by Satan himself. There have been many queens in the
world, but their positions still had no value because until women meet
the true man who is appointed by God they cannot assume the true
rights of the woman's role. When will that day of liberation come?
Women's liberation: preparation for meeting the true man
Christian history reveals the culmination of God's dispensation most
clearly. All the women of the world are waiting for the one moment
when the Messiah will come into this world representing the universal
man. Always in the past women have been exploited and abused, but in
1918 there was a liberation, and for 70 years women have been taking
positions above men, even trying to control them. This change in the
history of women will continue until 1988. The women's liberation
movement has certainly been successful in this country, with American
women seizing the role of empress.
In Biblical history women had no rights and the men assumed the major
role in God's dispensation, but that was an extreme situation and in
one sense American women have the right idea. According to the Bible
women are supposed to wear veils, meaning that women should be humble
and meek in preparation to meet the Bridegroom. But instead of just
taking off their veils women have even taken off their clothes!
Throughout the world women are accepted even when they are practically
naked.
In this country women have a commanding voice at home. In a typical
American home the wife is master of the house, while the husband is
like a servant; his shoulders are hunched over and he is always
checking to see what his wife's mood is. How about you women, do you
agree with that? The other day in New York I saw an incredible scene.
A bunch of poor, miserable men had gotten together in picket line and
were carrying signs proclaiming a men's liberation movement: "We want
liberation from women." Your laughing at that testifies that these
problems are real. Actually all those men are wasting their time
demonstrating; they should just join the Unification Church.
None of these things are happening at random. There is a reason and a
Principle meaning behind them. This is a critical time, and God is
consummating His entire history; 70 represents perfection, and so for
70 years women will be trying to assume their rightful, original role.
This is their time of preparation to meet the true man.
I understand the reason behind taking such initiative in America, but
it is also time for restored women to resume the objective aspect of
their original role. All you sisters, would you like to be recognized
for being feminine and charming, or would you like to be known for
being very courageous and tom-boyish? All you brothers who laughed,
would you like to have tom-boys as your wives or women who are
feminine and charming? When I was matching couples for the blessing I
asked the Western men what nationality they would like their wives to
be. 99% of them asked for Oriental women. I am sure it was very
embarrassing for the Western sisters to hear that all the men wanted
to marry Oriental women.
It would not be easy for most of you American women to have an
Oriental husband because most of them are shorter than you are. Would
you sisters like to have tall men or short men as your husbands?
Generally a man thinks that his wife should be at least slightly
shorter than he is, which looks very normal. God gave women the
privilege of always looking up to their husbands. They should not look
down on men; that is the Principle. God actually made women shorter
than men for the sake of women. If women were taller than men then
throughout history their lives would have been even more miserable
because they would have to do all the reaching for high things.
God thought a lot about how to create women. Instead of making women
taller than men He made women a little shorter, but with bigger hips.
Why? Because women are to assume two roles. First, in giving birth to
children women need a strong foundation, and second, they will be
living most of their lives in a sitting position, so God provided
built-in cushions. Men have narrow hips without cushions because men
are supposed to be active for the sake of women. From the very
beginning God was thinking that a man is supposed to take the
initiative and always be in action. A woman is to be objective,
receiving grace from her husband, and always sitting home comfortably
waiting for him. That is the way it should be. At the same time a man
should be masculine, and that is why he has broad shoulders and strong
arms. Going out into the world is the man's role.
Now the time has come for women to restore their original role,
particularly American women. Nowadays American men just do not want to
get married and become the slaves of domineering women. Sometimes
women get married intending to take advantage of men by divorcing them
later and getting their money in alimony. Currently in America a man
who is divorced more than once can become miserably poor because the
courts award everything to his ex-wives, while a woman who gets
divorced more than once gets richer and richer. Again, there is a
dispensational reason for this. Women are important in the sight of
God since they are in a position to take more of an objective role to
the Messiah when he comes. Previously Satan used women to take
everything away from men, but at this time God is using women to take
everything away from Satan; however, such actions will only be
justified if the wealth is subsequently given to God.
Where in American society can we find the true mother, true wife, and
true empress? This is the problem, and a re-creation process must take
place. We should re-educate women to become true wives and mothers and
then they will be eligible to become queens. Are you Unification women
being reeducated? Is your thinking different from that of ordinary
American women? Your answer is very spiritless. If you have to be
asked to answer willingly then you have not met the standard yet.
This phenomenon of women being able to rise and entrench themselves in
power is very recent, showing that the time has come when God will
elevate one woman to be the physical Holy Spirit. This is the time for
the birth of the true Eve. God is looking for the ideal woman who has
the qualifications and potential to become a true wife and true
mother, and eventually the true queen or empress of the universe.
Every woman is a candidate for this position, which is why women in
general have been given a chance to rise. But God is looking for one
perfect woman to summon out of the satanic world who has the potential
to become the true wife and mother and queen, in order to establish
her as the first God-centered wife, mother and queen.
The beginning of my public ministry
There were symbolic internal conditions that had to be fulfilled
before I was eligible to begin my ministry. You now know that the
appearance of the Messiah is drastically different from the
conventional belief about the Lord coming in glory. The history of
God's dispensation starts from the servant period of the Old Testament
era, continues through the adopted son's period of the New Testament
era, and culminates with the Completed Testament era as the period of
true son, true father, true husband, and true king. The entire
vertical history of 6,000 Biblical years has to be indemnified in the
life of the Messiah before the physical dispensation even begins.
This internal dispensational history that I speak of all took place
before 1947; my public ministry began after that year. The seven year
period from 1947 to 1954, the year that the Unification Church was
formally established, was the period in which I set physical
conditions. The first place I went was North Korea. That seven year
period was truly an incredible time. Having spiritually recovered the
qualification for lordship before 1947, I had to set the condition of
physical suffering in order to launch my own ministry, as well as the
organization which carne about in 1954. Those seven years were a time
of incredible suffering,
That foundation was finally laid in 1954, when the formal name of our
Church was established as the Holy Spirit Association for the
Unification of World Christianity, and our Church began as a legal
entity. From that year on through the seven years leading up to 1960,
I built the substantial foundation of our Church in preparation for
the installation of the True Parents in 1960. This was the greatest
fuming point of all; God's blessing came to Adam's family with the
blessing of the True Parents. The first seven years of the True
Parents 21-year course took place from 1960 to 1967. This was the
foundation for the heavenly family. My personal 21-year course, which
paralleled Jacob's 21-year course, also ended in 1967.
I worked to lay the national foundation during the seven years from
1967 through 1974. In order to lay the national foundation, the
members in Korea, particularly the blessed members, completely
sacrificed their family life. In that three-year period the Korean
family endured incredible suffering and tribulation. By 1972 1 had
already established a victory on the national level, and had begun
working on the worldwide level. Therefore, in 1972 a tremendous
movement was initiated in America while in Korea a fierce battle was
yet being waged, both spiritually and physically. The Korean family
members had gone out and were confronting tremendous physical
sacrifices. They were leading lives of physical torture during the
time I came to America to build the spiritual foundation on the
worldwide level. In other words, I began working on the worldwide
level while the Korean family was still working on the national level.
The dedicated efforts of the blessed families of Korea were symbolic
of the fulfillment of Jesus' mission.
In 1972, by undertaking the Day of Hope tours, I launched the
spiritual condition of my declaration of God's message throughout
America. Do you think I was victorious? America had never seen such a
man. For 3½ years I moved like a whirlwind through every state in
America, meeting this nation's leaders and receiving many
proclamations from mayors and governors, including Jimmy Carter, who
was then Governor of Georgia. At that time I received spiritual
acceptance from America. This is one most fortunate condition that
America has made. Even though many Americans have since become very
negative, America at least welcomed me when I first came. In the
future some Americans will beseech God, "Please forgive us. Even
though people don't understand now, please remember that as a nation
we gave Reverend Moon more proclamations than any other nation."
By the end of 1974 1 had successfully completed the Day of Hope
crusade in Los Angeles, and on December 26, 1974, 1 returned to Korea.
My return was needed to directly link to Korea the spiritual victory
that we won here in America on the worldwide level. My worldwide
victory must finally become a physical one, and in order to do that I
had to reap spiritual victory here in America, bring it back to Korea,
and then begin the physical worldwide dispensation from that land.
Worldwide dispensation on the physical level
The worldwide dispensation on the physical level began in 1975. That
was the year I substantially turned Korea upside down. On January 6,
1975, 1 invited all the prominent people in Korea to the banquet room
of the Chosun Hotel in Seoul, and there made the first address of my
public ministry in Korea, in my native tongue. I invited people from
all walks of life-die prime minister and government ministers,
clergymen representing all religions, scholars-all were in one room.
That was the first time they heard me speak in public. The banquet was
the beginning of the Day of Hope tour in Korea.
Before that time I had never made a public appearance or address in
Korea; instead I only spoke behind the scenes to our church members.
The mission of the Messiah must be manifested on a worldwide level,
and for this reason I first spoke publicly in America, which
represents the world. In addition, America is the Christian nation
which is playing the central role in God's dispensation.
In 1975, a most important dispensational victory was won in Korea.
After the Day of Hope banquet at the Chosun Hotel I went to every
major city throughout the Republic of Korea, declaring God's message
to tens of thousands of people; it was the most historical evangelical
crusade that ever took place in Korea. It was climaxed by the Korean
Rally for World Freedom on June 7, on Yoido Island, which was attended
by 1. 2 million people. At that rally I publicly declared that
communism is the foe of mankind and the foe of God.
It is most interesting that at that time the Korean government was in
the position of supporting me instead of opposing me. The major
Christian denominations were accusing the Korean government of
violating civil liberties, but their opposition to the South Korean
government could only benefit Kim II Sung of North Korea. However, the
Unification Church took a stand representing the true spirit of
Christianity, defending the South Korean government and declaring war
against Kim Il Sung. The Rally on June 7 was a most tremendous
dispensational victory. Why? When Jesus came 2,000 years ago, the
leaders of Judaism, the central religion of God's providence,
cooperated with the governments of Israel and Rome in crucifying the
Messiah. But in 1975 the Korean government and the Unification Church
members accepted me and raised me up in a most dramatic way instead of
rejecting me. It was also significant that representatives from sixty
nations participated in the Rally under my leadership.
The Christian population in Korea is said to be four million. The
Christian leaders saw how the Unification Church was able to mobilize
such a dramatic demonstration against communism, and to keep from
being outdone by us they hastily organized a rally against Kim Il Sung
that was held several weeks later. But even with 49 Christian
denominations supporting it, attendance at their rally was less than
1/3 of our 1.2 million.
The situation at that time was like a showdown between the Unification
Church and all the Christian churches, with the government looking on.
The Unification Church had won such an obvious landslide victory,
however, that the whole nation had to acknowledge what I had
accomplished. Shortly afterward the government decided to compete with
me and they also held a big rally against Kim II Sung, but even under
government auspices less than 1.2 million people came. The Korean
people just couldn't imagine how I could have been so successful that
year; it was almost as though some ghost had appeared and overnight
done incredible things.
By attracting world attention and gathering the representatives of
sixty nations, the June 7 rally accomplished a physical victory on the
worldwide level. On the foundation of all our successes I could expand
that substantial victory, and so I returned again to America, this
time with a different, heightened mission. My previous mission in
America had been on a spiritual level, but in 1975 1 came back to
America to fulfill a physical mission. You know what we have done in
this country since then.
The first three years of the third seven year course are 1975, 1976,
and 1977. You are the eyewitnesses of the Yankee Stadium and
Washington Monument campaigns which culminated in physical victory on
a worldwide scale. Initially I had planned to have the Washington
Monument Rally in 1977, but we were even ahead of God's schedule. The
purpose of the Yankee Stadium Crusade was to completely win American
public opinion in support of us, and to demonstrate our strength.
However, God was wiser, and He gave us rain that day, thinking,
"Instead of being deterred by the rain, I know Reverend Moon will be
spurred on to do more. I will give the rally a little sprinkle of
water so that he will even be inspired to work ahead of my schedule."
That was God's plan.
Within 100 days God's prediction came true. I was determined to
schedule the Washington Monument Rally ahead of time. However, the
total time devoted to the Washington Monument campaign only amounted
to forty days. We had to make plans and get all the permits, and that
took so much time that we didn't even know whether we could legally
have the Rally that year. By the time all the permits were secured
there were only forty days left, but I said, "The die is cast. Go
ahead."
The Washington Monument Rally will remain in American history, but not
just as a record-breaking religious crusade; its tremendous impact
will be felt even more in the days to come. Scholars in all the social
sciences and in all religions will research it very deeply, trying to
find out how one man from Korea could accomplish a rally that not even
the American government or any churches had thought about attempting.
Whether they like it or not, and whether they accept me or not, people
everywhere have to recognize my tremendous impact. This is one
decisive result of the Washington Monument Rally.
I have explained before what Washington Monument means in light of the
dispensation. No matter what difficulty or opposition comes to the
Unification Church, it will not disrupt our advance and prosperity. I
am the only one who can build the superhighway that will enable
mankind to reach God. God has three major headaches: the greatest
problem of mankind is communism, and we are the only group with a
solution to communism. Second is the decline of Christianity, and
third is the immorality of today's young people. Only under my
leadership can we bring new life to the young people of America. Does
President Carter have solutions to these problems? Are the Christian
churches posing solutions?
America's situation since World War II
In reality the decline of Christianity is like the rushing waters of
Niagara Falls. Even the famous evangelists and religious leaders
cannot reverse the tide. However, suppose today's Christians and the
media were open-minded enough to assist us in what we are doing. The
Unification Church has the conviction and philosophy that can reverse
the tide of decline in the churches within three years. There is a way
back to true life and we have a God-given solution. But because most
people have closed their minds and become negative they are
unfortunately missing this great opportunity to be revived. The entire
free world has become helpless, crumbling before the threat of
communism, yet the solution to communism is resting in our hands.
There is a solution for the present dilemmas of the world; there is a
way to liberate American young people from being victimized by drugs
and immorality. We have the solution, yet most people refuse to look.
Because you know the solution you are responsible for America. You are
going to save this nation and give the young people a new vision and
sense of morality. Through the victory of World War II, God gave
America the chance to influence a vast portion of the world; if
America had truly been God-centered then significant groundwork would
already have been achieved for the Kingdom of God. But what happened
after World War II? America retreated constantly from her worldwide
responsibilities, becoming dangerously isolated.
God has given America a most extraordinary chance to work for Him by
literally bringing the free world into a God-centered kingdom. America
was in a position to take the initiative for good in Africa, Asia,
Europe, and South America, but look at the world situation now. One by
one America has closed its door to those continents; already America
has almost entirely retreated from Asia. Unless this nation advances
in a new direction America will soon be trembling alone. Soviet Russia
had been demolished during World War II and was struggling to survive
against great odds, but even under those circumstances the communist
leaders expanded their power and influence in the world. If Russia
could advance in such a way in thirty years under adverse conditions,
then what can Russia do in the next five years, when world conditions
are much more favorable?
In the next five years this nation is going to face a very difficult
time of danger and crisis. America is like a locomotive racing toward
a cliff. I am the one man who is single-mindedly trying to brake that
locomotive. I am trying to turn this nation around by mobilizing you
handful of people. It may seem to be an impossible task, but you will
see that what we are doing is God's mandate. If I had never known God
then I could be America's worst adversary, even worse than the
communists. But the only reason that I have the capabilities I do is
because I know the dispensation of God. In looking at what America has
done to me, my personal reaction is sometimes an intense desire to get
revenge; I even sometimes feel that this nation cannot be forgiven.
But by knowing God's feelings I can suppress these emotions.
I have a dual position regarding America. I love this nation and I
want to be America's guardian, a real champion for this nation's
survival. At the same time my mission has a most fearful aspect
because if God were to say, "All fight my son, you have done your job.
Leave that country alone," then there would be no mercy given to this
nation. If God ever cut Himself off from America you would see for
yourselves how quickly this nation would decline.
I did not come here to take direction from the State Department or to
win the little green card that permits me to live in this country. I
have absolutely no inclination to stay in this country; I am only here
because of the mandate of God. Put yourself in my position; look at
what the media has done in the last 3½ years, portraying me as a
monster. How would you feel toward this country on a personal level?
From that point of view this nation has committed unforgivable acts,
yet if I were to leave, this country would be miserable.
You should not just know these things, but take up the responsibility
for them. Even more than 1, you have got to go and awaken these people
and turn this nation back to God. I am determined to train young
people to become responsible for this country. For example, I am now
training the seminarians; they are making up a new fishing net now,
and I have had them fishing in the icy water of the Hudson River to
see what kind of young men they are. They are not making nets and
fishing for the sake of making money, but to build their own iron will
and to become determined young leaders who cannot be stopped by
anything.
I do not only deliver sermons to you. When I get down to action I can
do anything, and do it better than anyone. Those seminarians are
really rediscovering me, finding out that I do not just have theories,
but that I have the kind of knowledge which can only come from
experience. I have studied fishing and designed several patented tools
for fishing. For instance, sometimes the hook gets caught in the
fish's mouth, and the fishermen have an awful time getting the hook
out. I have invented a small tool to push the barb through and get the
hook out easily.
One member saw me cutting the metal to make this tool myself, and he
said, "Father why do you work so hard? Why don't you just go to a
tackle shop and buy one?" I told him, "America doesn't have such a
tool; if I could buy this kind of tool then why should I make it?" I
invented a new net at Barrytown, one you have never seen. It is a
one-way-street net and once the fish goes into the net there is no way
it can turn around. Yesterday I had an appointment with the Belvedere
people but I had a new inspiration for the net and got caught up in
directing the seminarians about how to make it. We worked very hard
all night, and I could not come here on time.
Do you want to come fishing with me? I do not want you to come because
you just do not know anything about fishing; I would have to yell at
you and give you a hard time. How can I train you dumb people? Do you
still want to join me? We will have a national conference today with
all the state leaders and IOWC commanders. Today's conference will be
in Barrytown and they will represent all of you there.
The one reason I would accept this path
Through this dispensational history that I have partially described
this morning I have come to the position where all the debts in
history have been paid; we are now beginning to erect a new history
and I have declared the opening of the New Age. Based on the victories
which I have described, I was able to proclaim the Day of the Victory
of Heaven on October 4 last year. On February 23, the first day of the
Year One could be declared. Tens of thousands of spirit men have been
assigned to each one of you and if you reach out you will feel them
around you. If you feel you are accompanied wherever you go then you
shall be successful. You can fight hundreds of battles and reap
hundreds of victories. If you have gained confidence by knowing what
age we are living in and who I am, and you also know what victory has
already been won and what kind of foundation has been laid, then
wherever you go you can bring victory.
The foundation and cornerstone of the worldwide victory have been
laid. This year and next year we will expand our substantial strength,
aiming to raise up 30,000 dedicated young men and women in this
country. By mobilizing this force the three major headaches of God can
all be solved. The time will come when this nation and government will
say, "Reverend Moon, won't you stay longer? Don't go; we need you."
That is the time that I will go.
Many kings and queens and heads of state will urge me to come to their
countries and I will accept many of their invitations. Even now I have
many invitations but I decline them, saying, "I am more needed here in
America. I have a challenge and mission in this country. The fact that
I still receive opposition here shows that my mission is not yet
completed, so I want to stay. Are you Americans or Koreans? As
Americans you should love your country more than a Korean like me. If
you fail to do that then do not call me Father because you and I have
nothing in common with each other. I did not come here to serve Korea,
but to serve America. Are you Americans going to do more than I? Are
you ahead of me now or will you be in the future? I want you to be
greater than I am.
The past that I described this morning was a lonely path that I walked
all by myself; it is a lonely battle that I have been waging my entire
life, having no friend to understand me. For thirty years I gave this
message to the elder members of the Korean family and they nodded but
they never understood. Now, thirty years later they come to me saying,
"Father, now we understand what you said thirty years ago." That is
their honest confession. You may not understand what I am saying this
morning until thirty years later. This is always my situation.
I have always been a lonely man because no one has ever truly
understood me. No one wanted to volunteer to go this lonely path, and
the only reason that I would accept this responsibility was because I
knew that God also was deeply lonely and sorrowful . Without this
understanding I would never have accepted it. The true road of
restoration is not an easy one. Following me also is not an easy path
but a most difficult one. Many people, even yourselves, may not be
able to consummate this path in their lives. It is probably far better
for those who have no confidence to pack up and go live as they wish.
Along with everything else, much of my hard time here in America is
because of you. Without you no one would criticize me. I am so
well-known that when I go to New York I have absolutely no freedom. I
cannot even buy clothes or go to a cubbyhole of a restaurant without
people asking, "Aren't you Reverend Moon? Would you please sign this?"
I never have preferred this way of life, but since I did not want it
God gave this role to me. What can I do? I have become famous and I
want you Americans to also become famous; the American people love to
be proud f themselves. Please go ahead and make yourself famous for
doing the work of God, and after doing so you can become a shield
around Mother and me and we can relax a little bit.
Can you become famous in the name of God? If you cannot do that by
yourselves then I can make you famous. Do you prefer to become famous
on your own in the name of God, or do you want me to make you famous?
If you do not go ahead of me and really give yourself totally for the
sake of this nation, then when you go into the spirit world all the
Americans there will be pointing accusing fingers, jeering, "What a
poor American you are! You knew the dispensation and met Father but
how little you did!" You do not want to be ashamed do you?
When I put some American women into the Hudson River the other day
some of them became stiff and numb. I have a mammoth task to make you
into real women and then bless you. It might take ten years for you to
pass the test, but do you want to pass before you get married, or
after? It took God 6,000 years to restore one Adam, but that is using
Biblical terminology. Counting by our years it took many thousands or
even millions of years for God to recreate one Adam. Is ten years very
long for me to re-create a perfect Eve?
At the recent blessing here everybody's appetite was whetted, with
even young brothers and sisters asking, "Father, what about me?" At
East Garden one of the staff, who is only 23 years old, said, "Father,
can I be included?" I had to laugh at him, "You are hardly even born
yet!" On the other hand, in America you have every freedom to get
married, even five or ten times. Why don't you go ahead and exercise
your freedom? If you all go away I will have fewer problems.
This is the 23rd anniversary of the founding of the Unification
Church. These 23 years are just the external history of our church,
but the true history, prior to the founding of the Unification Church,
is known only to a few people whom I can trust. I was destined to
suffer-as a servant, an adopted son, a son, husband, father, and
king-more than anyone in those positions ever suffered in history.
This was my destiny, and by doing this I could totally restore those
who suffered on every level. This period of indemnity and suffering
shall be over by 1981 at the latest.
If white America fails to respond then God will raise up another
people or another nation that will come against the white people of
America. I do not have to defend my actions; I can just be silent,
waiting and knowing that God's timetable is ticking by. On the other
hand, however, since primarily white people are denouncing me, God can
send more young white people to us and in the future, more white
people will rise up in my defense. That is the way God will work.
Most of you are not truly qualified to be here
Before I came the universe was engulfed in darkness. All the many
philosophers and religious people knew nothing of the heart of God and
the meaning of the Bible, and when I revealed many things for the
first time it was like the sun rising. Now everyone can see the true
picture of God and history. I have not only discovered the truth, but
I have lived it, and through experience I know how this universal
truth will work.
The Unification Church is a school far greater than Harvard or Yale or
Princeton, and is a place where only the elite of the universe can
enroll. Harvard University can graduate a Ph.D. but that person can
only turn around and teach theories at a blackboard. Even a thousand
Harvards together could not create one son of God, but our school
turns out sons of God every day. Millions of dollars could not pay the
tuition at this school, and only a special kind of people can come
here. To make sure that only God's elite come to the Unification
Church God is purposely letting opposition and negativity be stiffed
up. In the face of negativity from society, those who can come to the
Unification Church have to be special. Under such adverse conditions
you could not join unless you have received special revelation from
God, or have a brilliant conscience and heart. That is why I say that
this is really a gathering of the elite.
Only those who are given direct revelation from God are actually
eligible to join this group, but all of you are like by-standers who
all of a sudden had some good luck. Why? The Divine Principle is
bringing people faster than the revelations are coming from God. This
is where the blessing of receiving God's revelation can be seen. Since
you joined the Unification Church by using your logic, then you
analyze and evaluate everything too much; when I give some direction
you stop and think about whether you will obey or not. However, the
person who has received revelation from God directly knows who I am
and does not even have to debate about following any direction I may
give. God has told them who I am and they can instantly respond.
You are not actually qualified to be in this school, but God has made
a special dispensation. You are like freshmen and sophomores in this
great school, just eager to soak up the truth like a sponge. How could
you ever say, "God, You must make me famous"? Just to be here is such
a privilege that you cannot presume to expect that you will
automatically receive the blessing. From God's standpoint it is
laughable for a person who is not even crawling to think about being
married. After 2,000 years even Jesus does not yet have his bride with
him. How could you assume that you deserve the blessing? You older
sisters may be thinking, "Father, I am thirty years old. It is getting
late! " But think of Jesus who is 2,000 years old.
You think you know me well, but you hardly know anything about me;
only God knows me completely. Actually you have met a most unusual
person. How are you different after meeting me? Those who say, "I am
an absolutely different person since meeting you," raise your hands.
What is the difference? You have been fund raising and witnessing and
getting all kinds of persecution and scornful treatment, is that what
is different? Have you just done all of those things passively and
reluctantly, or because a gigantic change has come about in you so you
can tackle those things willingly?
How do you know I really sacrifice myself for humanity? After a long
trip in the car my back aches very much, so would you buy me a giant
plane? When? You may answer, "When you need the plane we will buy you
one," but don't you know that I needed a plane the first day I landed
here in America? America is a huge country to travel around. The time
will come when contributions will come from all over the world from
people wanting me to buy a plane that I can fly to their countries.
But if I do get a plane the American State Department will say, "He
just sent his young people out and exploited them to buy his gigantic
plane." My buying a plane will bring even more criticism.
I have already done many things, creating factories to manufacture
many varied products and certainly before you buy me a plane I can
create one. These things are easy compared to the work of restoration.
The process of restoration is such a complex labyrinth that even for
me it is never easy. I am glad that you were not given direct
responsibility for restoration by God. You are lucky not to have
received that mandate.
Your only connection to me is the will of God
You will never know me fully. No matter what you think, even though
you call me Father or Master, you will never really know my true value
until you die. In spirit world you will all of a sudden discover how
much each one of you is indebted to me. In all of Biblical history,
starting from Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel, every mission ended in
failure. Noah, Abraham, Moses, all of the Old Testament prophets, John
the Baptist and even Jesus' mission all ended in failure. The record
of Biblical history is a record of failure. In my own lifetime I have
to mend everything and replace all those past failures with success.
Do you think that is easy?
The foundation you stand on in the Unification Church is truly
miraculous; all the historical failures have been mended properly and
put into one unified work of God. I have successfully laid the
foundation on the family level and expanded it onto the worldwide
level. Now I am ready to rest and welcome my Sabbath. Now that I have
done my job I can stand before the throne of God without shame and
say, "Father, I have done what You asked." Can you grasp the
significance of this? All the events in the history of God are not
some blind sequence of human behavior; there is a definite pattern and
formula behind them all. I not only unlocked all the hidden formulas
behind history, but I have put all of history together into one
victorious harvest.
I am a complex and difficult person to meet. If you meet me in the
wrong way you could be ruined. I have witnessed the destruction of
people who met me incorrectly. America and the world shall not be an
exception to this. I think it is impossible for you to understand
this, but I say it anyway.
I came to stop the destruction of the individual, family, tribe,
nation, and world, to brake this rushing locomotive that is racing
toward its doom. You also have the power to do that once you make up
your minds. Once you are firm in your commitment to serve God then God
will be with you; there is no exception to this. Once your mind is
completely set, then I know God will be with you.
God's work has been that of taking serious, drastic action to reverse
the rush of human history toward its doom. I am sure you have a
certain reservation in your commitment because this is so vast to
grasp and digest. You are in awe of what it means to have the weight
of history on your shoulders. Can you seriously say, "All right, I'm
going to lift up history. I can be the moving force to turn history
around." Have you ever thought about it and can you realistically feel
that weight upon your shoulders?
Equivalent to the Old and New Testament eras, many spiritual groups
appeared as the forerunners to raise up this one religious movement,
They all came to serve a certain purpose, but they are all gone and
the Unification Church is thriving now. From its very birth in Korea
the Unification Church has been controversial, really upsetting the
nation and world. Do You think this is a movement that will eventually
decline and disappear, or will we not only become prosperous
ourselves, but bring new life to the rest of the world? We shall
either be destroyed or enable the world to live. Either we will be
victorious or our opponents will be victorious. If down in our guts we
have the hidden potential power to transform our enemies into our
friends then nobody can doubt us. Restoration is very difficult, and
in living the Principle you have to follow the formula. There can be
no jump and each step must be taken with your entire life at stake. If
you are holding anything of yourself in reserve then you cannot ever
progress.
The 7,000 years of Biblical history extend from the original creation
of man to his re-creation or perfection. The indemnity for this 7,000
years must be encompassed in one man's seven year course. In one seven
year period of my life I paid the debt of 7,000 years of history.
Would God recognize that I had done that if I simply made an
announcement of it? Do you think Satan would acknowledge that? I waged
an absolute battle to go each step of that course. I had to literally
pay, so that even Satan could not find fault.
You are now riding piggyback upon that victorious foundation. You are
like a hitchhiker. I have acquired a car, and put gas in the tank and
become an experienced driver. You just happened to be nearby and I
said, "Come along." You shall be eternally grateful just to have had
the privilege of riding in this car, but do you as a passenger have
the privilege of telling the driver to get you food and give you
heavenly marriage? That is exactly your situation.
Outside of the will of God there is no connection between you and me;
I do not need you. I only give 100% of my attention to you because I
know God's desire. Do you understand? Actually you can contribute very
little to the fulfillment of the dispensation since it is already
done. Do I still need you when you are only a burden?
God cannot abandon this country upon which His will is so directly
resting; you at least have a chance to do something to help God's
providence here so that you can receive eternal credit in spirit world
for your accomplishment. If you have no strong desire to dedicate
yourself for the salvation of this country, then do not even mention
that you are a Unification Church member. If your goal is not parallel
with mine then you are no longer a member of the Unification Church.
Are you fully aware of what you are expected to do? You have no fight
to call me Father unless your purpose is parallel with mine. Before
you call me Father you must become worthy to be my child. Before I
speak about anything I live through the situation and fulfill it. Will
you do that too?
April is over and one-third of 1977 is gone. If America does not
change, if you make no remarkable headway in 1977 and 1978, then I
will have no further interest in this country and will go elsewhere.
You may rest and relax, but I will never do that. I will always
reserve the right to say before God, "There is nothing I have left
undone for the sake of America's dispensation. The American people
never responded to me, but Father, You know that I have done every
single thing I needed to do." Are you serious about the salvation of
this country?
You must go the path that I have gone
To find the path for restoration you have to search diligently and you
have to go every step. The secrets found in my search for restoration
have been revealed. I have completed that search and put the Divine
Principle together so that all can find it. All you have to do is live
it. I organized the 7,000 year history of mankind's failure into a
seven year course, and I have showed you how to walk that course. You
must do that, but you must be deeply serious about it, like Jesus was
while walking toward the Mount of Calgary. You must adopt the
seriousness of that moment.
Are you looking forward to the day of fulfillment and hope? You are
now burdened by the responsibilities of yourself, your family, tribe,
nation and world, and you must go individually, just as I have gone. I
have laid the superhighway of the Principle so that everybody can go,
but each one of you must actually do the traveling. In this seven year
period of time you will start by going the servant's path as
obediently as a lamb, then going through the period of adopted son,
the period of the son, husband and wife, father and mother, and
finally the emperor and empress of the universe. You have to precisely
cover this in seven years' time.
When you are triumphant in this seven year course then the past
emperors and empresses will bow down to you when you are elevated to
the spirit world. This is a very precious time because we can live
through this while on earth. I have been walking this path for forty
years here on earth and now I am asking you to successfully go this
course for only seven years. If you say, "Father, please give me an
easier task," then you have the mind of a thief.
When I began the Unification Church in Korea our headquarters was a
small shabby house. On May 1, 1954, 1 set up a small plaque in front
of that shabby house, probably the smallest sign you could find in
history, but the biggest words ever spoken: "Holy Spirit Association
for the Unification of World Christianity." The biggest words, but the
smallest sign and smallest house-that is the way the Unification
Church began!
The room was so small that when I lay down my head hit one wall and my
feet hit another wall. I was utterly penniless at that time, and that
shabby house was not even owned by the Church but was rented. But now
here in America, there is a concrete foundation laid in all fifty
states in terms of having physical centers. You are going to do
precisely what I did 23 years ago. You live in a small cubbyhole, but
every person who comes to you is treated like a king and queen while
you serve them like a servant.
If any of you state leaders wants to be served because you hold some
position, then you will never be successful. You have to start out as
a servant of servants, and go through each step. Unless you
demonstrate the true spirit of service you will never be successful
because the Unification Church was not built that way. You must go the
path that I went.
Unification Church women have to think, "God, don't worry about me. I
am not even worthy to look at any man as my husband. I am not quite
ready, and I would only be a burden to the man who would marry me. I
am perfectly content in what I am doing, and I will give every ounce
of energy for Your purpose." Is that how you think, or are you proud
women instead, thinking, "I am capable, and I certainly deserve the
respect and admiration of men?" Are you that confident?
Have you ever imagined having a beggar from the street as your
husband? Internally that beggar might be a godly man. Have you ever
thought, "I am not even worthy to receive this man as my husband"? I
started out as a servant of servants and you also must start out as a
servant of servants.
For the sake of God, and for the restoration of mankind there is
nothing that I cannot do. After you are successful in the servant
position you will be elevated to be an adopted son. But remember that
such a recommendation does not come easily. Does a master lightly say,
"You are even too good to be my adopted son. I will make you my son
and my heir?" That kind of recognition is not given freely. You are
starting as a servant. Will God soon pronounce His blessing upon you,
saying, "You are truly my son, and I am going to give you my blessing
to become husband and wife."
Unless you as parents have the firm conviction that you have been
totally liberated from Satan and from sin, how can you ever give birth
to a sinless child? Do you have the confidence to say, "My children
are born of God and no longer have anything to do with original sin.
They are not born of Satan and are eligible directly for the Kingdom
of God." That is not easy is it? Furthermore, can you raise yourself
up to be an emperor or empress so that when you go to spirit world the
highest possible saints will bow down to you? You are going to be the
ancestors of your restored family tree and those who carry your family
name shall be your descendants. I have covered that entire territory
and consummated it victoriously. The Unification Church is the school
where you can be taught, and I am now in the position to show you the
way.
My forty years experience and fulfillment can be organized so that you
can go that entire path in seven years. I am 57 years of age; 40 years
have lapsed since I started the dispensation at the age of 16. Ever
since I was 16, I have encountered intense experiences and walked the
thorny path. I am the pioneer who cleared away every obstacle and made
the broad, smooth highway ready for anyone to find and follow. I not
only laid the highway, but I created an automobile for you. All you
have to do is get a license to become a driver and then go to the gas
station to get gas. At least that much is your responsibility. If you
deny and reject even this small responsibility, then forget about
driving quickly to heaven; you will have to walk and nobody will
sympathize with your foolishness.
Will you drive on that highway? It is necessary that you complete your
seven-year course and establish your own qualification to be blessed.
You are not working for anyone else--the Unification Church, Reverend
Moon, or God--you are working for yourself. First you must become
victorious on every level, starting as the servant of mankind. I will
give you more and more detailed truth, expounding on everything so
precisely that you will realize, "I thought I had been a good member
of the Unification Church, but now that I understand Father's
criteria, I see how phony I am!"
Your blessing should come without your expecting it
Do not worry about anything else for these seven years, but become
literally crazy for God and crazy to serve mankind, forgetting about
yourself. All of a sudden I will say, "You are my child. The time for
blessing has come; I want you to get blessed." Then you might respond,
"Have three years passed already? Oh no, Father, I still have more to
do and I must become more mature." That is the natural response. In
the garden of Eden Adam and Eve were not to tell God that it was time
for them to get married. Instead God was to call Adam.
When a News World staff member wrote to me asking, "Father, I want to
get blessed. Can't you bless me," I wondered, "Does that brother
really know the Principle?" This brother here was extraordinarily
lucky; he was not even a candidate for blessing, but was just driving
the candidates up for the matching when he happened to be selected. He
never expected to be blessed at that time. That should be the natural
situation; if you really know the Principle you will know that this is
the way the blessing comes, just all of a sudden.
The True Parent's wedding in 1960 was not done on my own initiative.
God gave me revelation after revelation, insisting, "The time has come
My son. You shall prepare the altar to receive holy matrimony, and I
shall bless you." This is the Principle way. Even Mother never
considered herself to be Mother. She was just living as a member of
the Church when all of a sudden her name was called to be married.
Some members are thinking that they need the blessing or that they
deserve the blessing, but that is closer to satanic thinking. All you
have to do actually, is to find your path in the Principle and just
keep busy, running and running. Then all of a sudden you will find
yourself kidnapped by God for the marriage ceremony.
In the strictest sense, when I observe the American family members,
there is not even a single one who passes the test. If you die in the
state you are in then you cannot be fully elevated into the Kingdom of
Heaven, but will only end up in a middle level like a waiting room.
You need to be re-educated before you can enter Heaven. You cannot
avoid this Principle; you have to walk and live this Principle and
there is no room for complaint. Could I complain to God about having
so much hardship? Could I cajole God to come up with some kind of easy
path or solution for me? If I ever complained, God would say,
"Reverend Moon, you are not worthy to be my son. I will have to wait
for another man to come."
Dispensational history was only necessitated by the fall of man. I
founded the Unification Church 23 years ago, and I am giving you the
feeling that I had at that time. You must inherit that spirit and make
it your own path. This is the meaning of this day. You must feel my
heart of 23 years ago, and you too must be a pioneer of that day. My
situation was just impossible at that time; under those circumstances
could anybody even imagine that 23 years later I would lead events
like the Washington Monument Rally?
Only those who are deeply committed to God will remian
At that time I was always being investigated by the Korean government,
which was constantly trying to find some reason to put me in jail.
Under those circumstances could you have thought that someday I would
come to America and gather together all these young people and speak
at such fantastic rallies? At that time nobody else believed it, but I
know who I am and where I am going, and how successful I will be. The
basic determination I had then has never changed. Many people who were
following me have since become tired and left the movement, but the
movement still continues. Those who were self-centered just could not
stay but had to leave sooner or later. Only those people who can give
up their lives for the sake of the mission will remain. Compared to my
forty years, your seven years will pass very quickly.
Shall we go or not? Without any question, we absolutely must go. In
those seven years you must experience heartbreak and tears for the
sake of the family, society, and nation. You must spend anguished,
sleepless nights for the sake of others and the sake of the
dispensation. Do not try to get by in some easy way. In the same way
that I have struggled from the most lowly place all the way to the
point where I could receive God's greatest blessing, you must also
progress through every step. You have to realize that you are reaching
higher levels as you progress with the movement. Do you sometimes
experience uplifting feelings? These are not just your feelings, but
spirit world actually inspiring you. Spirit world has to be one with
you for every inch of your path. From this time on my teaching will be
more precise and analytical, and you will know the truth word for
word. You cannot avoid your seven year course.
You came to our movement at the most opportune time; in the shortest
possible time you can cover tremendous ground and be given full credit
for helping in the overall dispensation of God. You shall become a
person who can help pioneer the final chapter of God's dispensational
history. You are participating in the nick of time, and all you have
to do is get down to work. You have the great privilege Of working
together with the True Parents, which millions and billions of people
have been in anguish to do. They will not have that opportunity;
instead you -e the ones with me in person.
Even the people who come to join our movement now are one step behind
you because they did not help to bring the great victory in
Washington. You fought that battle together with me, and there will
not be any more opportunities like that in history. Now our task is to
win America and win the free world. The more you realize this the
greater will be the burden you feel, but that is the way it has to be.
With that realization you will know precisely what responsibility you
carry.
Your 7-year course
You have heard before about your seven year course, but you did not
feel it to the bone. Those who can say they are already committed to
it, please raise your hands. Have you prayed, "God, at this moment I
pledge to You that I will begin my seven year course. I shall no
longer follow the course of Adam and Eve who failed, but within the
seven year's time I shall finish the path of perfected Adam and Eve.
God, trust me." Have you had that showdown prayer with God? Then how
can you begin your seven years? The Bible predicts that in the Last
Days there will be seven years of chaos, suffering and hardship. All
of world history will be condensed into that seven year period of time
that the Bible describes. The Bible says that very few will survive
this period of suffering, and that is very true, because the only ones
who will remain within God's will will be those who are truly
determined and who truly know God, committing themselves deeply to
that seven year course.
As soon as you undertake that seven year course of your own you will
automatically draw opposition. Nothing will occur according to your
desire. If you want to go this way then Satan will be trying to block
every inch of your way and inevitably circumstances will drag you down
to the lowest possible level. You will be deprived of all honor and
left with nothing, feeling completely naked. God will use Satan to
push you down, but you must welcome it, swallow it and digest it.
What is the method to be elevated to the position of adopted son or
son? You must become a person who is ready to sacrifice yourself for
the sake of a servant. When you are willing to give up your life for
the sake of a servant then you will begin to find your life. At every
step of the dispensation you have to be willing to give up your life.
That is the quickest way to meet the heavenly requirement.
You must come to think of your own life as a trivial matter, like the
morning dew. When I discovered the entire meaning and secret of the
dispensation, then I felt the teachings of Jesus all the way to my
bone. I felt so deeply such teachings as, "He who loses his life for
My sake will gain it." Not just once but many times you must totally
give up your own life. That is the only way you can cover this ground.
When you give up your life and go beyond the seven year course, then
all of a sudden the universe will change and you will find your life
protected. I was ready to die for the sake of the mission during the
Yankee Stadium and Washington Monument campaigns. On the way to Yankee
Stadium and on the way to Washington Monument I prayed, "I am willing
to die for You. Whatever is required of me, God, Your will be done."
There were many assassination plots and threats but I never hesitated
to risk my life.
Those were truly extraordinary emergencies. Unless you can be in a
position of committing yourself to that degree you shall never
understand God's mission or know the heart of Jesus or become one with
me. Whenever you encounter hardship, you can see how miserable and
inadequate you are; at that time you can rediscover yourself and spur
yourself on to higher levels. This is my everyday life.
The best way for you to safely journey through this period is to put
yourself down on the lowest possible level, where you can even envy
the beggars, where even sitting down at a table to eat becomes a
luxury. Servants do not have the luxury of sitting down to eat at a
big table with napkins and wines and so forth. We must put ourselves
in the position of servant of servants.
With that attitude you can leap forward, and then you can understand
humanity. Until I was 30 1 never bought even one suit for myself, and
for the clothes I did get I always went to a second-hand store. I
never wore ties or used hair tonic or body care items. During those
years I put myself in a sinner's position; I never had the courage to
lift my face up but was always looking down.
Nature is asking to be seen by the true man, but unless I could
fulfill my dispensational role, I did not feel privileged to even look
at nature. I was so humble in my thinking that I wanted to hide in the
presence of nature. Now I go to movies, but at that time I never even
walked in front of a movie theater. Now I have graduated from that
path, and nothing can affect what I have accomplished. I have
perfected that course and transcended it.
I am like a rock and no one can entice me away from God's will. There
were many women who actually wrote love letters to me with their own
blood, showing their genuine devotion to me. The religious path is not
easy because of the many temptations around, and you have no idea what
it takes to lay the foundation. But I have done it and I am freely
sharing the fruits of it with you. No one has the right to complain;
rather, continually be grateful and put yourself in a meek position.
Even now that is my basic attitude toward God. After all the
dispensational success so far I still put myself in a humble position
before God.
For seven years in the Unification Church you will be crazy about
fulfilling your mission, forgetting about eating, sleeping, and
everything else. Even after your blessing I will give the couples
separate missions and for three years they will go their own
respective ways to fulfill another significant time period. Through
all of that you must be absolutely obedient.
You must have a true picture of yourself. Some members look very
substantial externally and seem to be doing a great job, but inside
they are empty people, who are not worthy in the sight of God. In this
period you will be given the opportunity to experience everything,
being cursed, or struck, feeling great hunger, and even envying a
beggar's situation. It will be a precious period, and then you will be
able to say, "I know the heart of God; I know Jesus Christ and I know
Reverend Moon." My hands are not so big but they have gone through
much. The Unification Church was built upon my foundation of
pioneering this hidden spiritual task. This foundation is not the
product of easy living, but of the most incredible suffering and
spiritual endurance.
When fund raising have you ever been kicked, hit, or spit upon by
others? When you taste these experiences then you must think, "This is
the path that was walked by all the saints and men of God in history."
Being spit at or hit is not that painful to bear, but being spit at or
hit by someone who was previously a member and who has now betrayed
the church is very painful. It is heartbreaking and you have to taste
even that. You will finally know Jesus when you experience these
things. Jesus had not only external enemies-the people who physically
nailed him down on the cross-but he had internal enemies who betrayed
him.
I have tasted prison life, not only under the communist regime but
also in free Korea. I can never forget one former member who came up
to me when I was being taken to the West Gate prison in Seoul. He
looked at me and laughed scornfully, "You fool! Are you still doing
this stupid thing?" I can never forget that man. At that moment I did
not say anything to him, but in my heart I prayed, "God, give me a
chance to testify to how righteous You are, and how I was obedient to
You." This is just one instance of personal betrayal; there are too
many to count. When I close my eyes and start to pray, tears always
come forth. I have experienced so much agony and pain and heartbreak
that I know God, and I am in a position to comfort Him.
Before God's expectation I have no way to sit still
No one understands me. My parents never understood, even my wife and
children can never really understand. My understanding of God is a
lonely understanding. You also can be a companion to that lonely God.
I always feel how vulnerable and weak I am, but I know that God trusts
and is depending on me to fulfill. When I see God's expectation I just
have no way to sit still. I feel, "God, You are Almighty. You can do
anything You want, but because of Your own precious children's failure
You put Yourself in a position of such suffering. You don't need to
suffer, but You have been helpless, waiting so long for some man You
could depend on. God, I really sympathize with You; I understand You."
If anyone truly knew me internally then he just could not help but be
crushed by sorrow. Spiritually enlightened people who can receive
revelations and instructions in their prayers are the people who stay.
When they pray about me God's response is always the same; He responds
to their prayer in tears because when God thinks about His lonely
champion here on earth God just weeps. The vast entanglement of human
history seems utterly impossible to ever reorganize, and even God
hardly knew where to begin the dispensation. But one lonely man found
the secret and lived through everything to bring the movement this
far. Even for God that was something to behold.
Day after day I continuously wept. My eyes became swollen and painful
because the tears poured out in gallons. I could not even open my eyes
to the sunlight. So many tears were shed in laying the foundation of
this Church. I will not explain this to you completely; you will never
know because I will not tell you. If I were to tell you then you would
be responsible to also go that way and I do not want that. I would
rather leave an easier way for you.
That is why I do not want every one of you to repeat my entire 40
years' experience; I want to have sons and daughters who can inherit
from me instead. However, if in your prayer you receive a glimpse of
my path and agony here on earth then you will certainly be blessed. If
you can understand this then in a short time you can do on earth what
would take many millions of years of experiences in the spirit world.
You will eventually know anyway in spirit world, but actualizing it
would take a millennium of effort. Here on earth you can cover that
same ground in the shortest possible time.
I am very sympathetic with Moses' position. When Moses went to the
mountain to fast and pray for 40 days and nights he could receive the
Ten Commandments, but when he came back down his own people had
created a golden calf and were worshipping their idol. Moses was
overcome with wrath, "How could you betray God in this way?" He flung
the stones to the ground and they shattered. I have felt that same
furious impulse many times. Moses went to the mountain and worked so
hard to win the truth for his people, but their hearts were so small.
I have a fiery temperament and when I see such utterly impossible
betrayal I just want to cut off that person and turn away. I have to
impose the strictest discipline on myself in this area; I have my own
credo and judge myself, saying, "Before you want to conquer the world
or be the lord of all creation you must attain lordship over
yourself." I want to conquer the weaknesses of my own temperament.
Your personal relationships are the key to everything
If you truly want to become sons and daughters, you have to inherit
the spirit of the True Parents-my spirit and my way of thinking. If
you would be a leader you must inherit my spirit. In whatever mission
you are doing, if all of a sudden you just burst into tears, feeling
such a sense of urgency and sorrow for God, then your mission will
definitely prosper.
We are talking about the universal salvation of mankind. We are going
out fund raising to earn pennies and dollars, almost begging. How
pitiful God's situation is! But you must put deep meaning into the
money you earn. Compared to the wealth of the world one penny is
nothing, but when your heart is resting in each penny you earn then it
shall become a gift of extraordinary value to God. The face value of a
bill may be one dollar, but no millions of dollars can purchase your
heart; when you have invested your heart in that dollar it becomes
priceless. When you receive the people's money and offer it to God for
the sake of their blessing, every deed of yours becomes holy and
divine. Then you feel such an urgency and sense of closeness with God
that sometimes you just embrace a stranger and in your heart you cry
out for the people. There have been many times like that in my own
life.
Once I wanted to rescue a prostitute, a young girl who came to be in
that pitiful situation. I loved her as my own sister, and wept with
her and truly uplifted her. At first she thought that I had an
entirely different purpose, but instead she found a big brother,
someone who really cared in the truest sense. That memory is as vivid
as if it were yesterday. That kind of deed is greater and more
precious than prayer.
When you are fund raising and working hard all day you may sit alone
by the roadside, feeling lonely as you eat whatever humble food you
have. In the middle of eating you may break out in tears. When you put
yourself in such a miserable position then you will feel God so
strongly. When you are selling newspapers you meet all kinds of
people. Do not curse them or yell at them if they do not want to buy.
They are busy people and sometimes they do not want to be bothered, so
when you stop them and they complain to you, you must accept them.
Your personal relationships are the key to everything. You do not
understand how much I am training and disciplining you, molding your
character according to the path that I have gone. I am taking you
along that same path. When I was in school I wanted to give my friend
a chance to be educated so I worked extra time at night in order to
earn his tuition. Earning money was very difficult at that time, and
it had to be saved penny by penny. Why was I able to do that? Because
I knew the true God.
If I had developed my skills in a secular way then I would have been
the president of many corporations by now. I would have been
successful and respected in an entirely different manner, but I never
undertook that direction. There is no one who has shed more tears than
I have, and God knows they were shed for His sake. I willingly chose
the route of suffering for God's sake.
I want to stand up for you
I have been unreasonably treated by the people and persecuted. There
was no personal reason for going through that suffering. I never had
to put myself in that position. But I know God's position, and instead
of trying to be respected and admired by other people I wanted to side
with that lonely God. Do you think that I actually did not have
personal ambitions? As a young man I certainly had ambitions and
dreams but I cut them off and closed all those doors. That is the only
way I could have come this far. Even now many people think I have a
great deal of money but actually I am still penniless, even though I
can influence the spending of millions of dollars. Whenever I spend
money I always think of you. I never like just to spend money on
myself, eating out or buying clothes.
One time I took about twenty young members out to get them seafood in
New York City. The restaurant manager saw me but did not recognize me
and since I was not wearing a tie he said I could not be seated in the
restaurant. I said, "Thank you very much," and left. All of a sudden
he discovered that the twenty young people were following me out, and
he realized who I was. He tried to fix his mistake, but I simply said,
"No thank you." I am sure he knew that he missed a great opportunity,
but I will not go to that place any more. Is human value decided by
wearing a tie? If they treat me like that how will they treat black
people? They may kick them out. You are all suffering people and I
want to stand up for you. I do not want you to be mistreated.
Every penny you earn shall go for the restoration of this country, not
for personal things. The MFT members are working very hard from
morning to late at night, but they have no word of complaint toward
me. If it were not for Mother I would only change my underwear once a
week; it is only out of courtesy to her that I change every three
days. Why? I know your position, and sometimes you never have a chance
to change your underwear, and sometimes you have no time to do
laundry.
In the past I have gone through precisely what you are doing now; you
are truly inheriting my path. You and I are comrades with one thing in
common: We put ourselves in a position of suffering only because we
know God. If we have ever committed any crime, it is that of knowing
God. We willingly chose this route; nobody has imposed it on us, so
how can we complain?
Are we pursuing the wrong way and bringing destruction to the world?
Is knowing God a crime? The whole world is in chaos and communism is
expanding because people do not know God. The churches are breaking
down. No matter how miserable such a life might look, knowing God is a
privilege, and it is the one thing we cannot ever relinquish.
Who will take care of God on earth after I am gone?
A wise person will go all the way once he has made a commitment. Do
not go only half way or be mediocre because you will only end up as a
loser. If you want to become victorious then you have to persevere all
the way. In doing God's will I want to go the fastest way, never being
mediocre or half-hearted. For the sake of my followers I took every
precaution and checked everything about the Divine Principle two and
three times. I wanted to be absolutely sure that this is the true way
of God. A true researcher tests and re-tests to make sure of his
results before he announces anything to the world. I have tested this
out in every way possible. You can see then what an incredible
discovery I have brought to the world.
Since we are committed, we cannot afford to go just halfway. Is this
month of May a new beginning, far different from April? Let's go
forward with tremendous excitement. I am waiting for the kind of
champion who can defeat me. Many times I am sad, feeling that I cannot
afford to die because I know that even at this stage no one is
competent enough to inherit my mission. No one has given me that
comfort yet. I have given my life to God, but now who will love Him as
much as I do? This is my only concern. When I die, who will take care
of my God here on earth? I want to see someone emerge who can do that.
Is there anyone who could truly say, "Father, let me take care of your
God and my God. You can go"? The person who could live up to that
statement would be the center of the mainstream of history and would
never perish, but become prosperous.
Counting in the Korean way I am now 58, and in 12 more years I will be
70 years old; in 22 more years I will be 80 years old. Recently I had
a serious conversation with Hyo Jin, "As my son, do you know what road
you should take and what preparation you should make?" When I was so
serious even that most energetic Hyo Jin became very serious. I feel
that I can give myself totally for 15 more years, and in that time I
must find someone to succeed me.
I cannot afford to leave the world as it is, destined to more
suffering. I must leave behind a world that is being resurrected.
People think that after I die the Unification Church will die. Is it
true? Would you prefer the movement with me or without me? Indirectly
what you are saying is that after I am gone the movement will suffer.
As long as I live I want to bear the burden of persecution so that
after I leave the persecution will be finished; in my lifetime I want
to bring this movement to success.
As your generation reaches its maturity, our movement will soar into
prosperity. In my own lifetime I want to take care of all the bitter
experiences, suffering and turmoil of restoration. I have already made
up my mind to take the burden with me. How about you? Will you join me
in taking care of these, or are you going to wait for the easy time?
Do you wish this persecution would go away, or do you welcome greater
challenge and persecution? Have you made up your mind already? That is
the way you should be. Starting this month of May let us have a new
day so that a new history can be erected.
If you feel just like I did when I initiated our Church 23 years ago
then you are initiating your own movement in your own area of
responsibility, saying, "Today I too, am erecting a new church; I
shall be like Reverend Moon in my own area." Are you going to do that?
Those who are determined to go that way, raise your hands. Let us
pray.
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