---
title: "I SHALL FOLLOW WITH GRATITUDE AND OBEDIENCE"
type: "speech"
published: "2018-06-25T04:51:47+01:00"
updated: "2018-06-25T04:51:47+01:00"
source: "/blog/2018/06/25/i-shall-follow-with-gratitude-and-obedience.html"
speechYear: "1987"
categories:
  - "Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1987"
tags: []
---

<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
<h3 align="CENTER">January 25, 1987<br />
Belvedere<br />
Translator &#8211; Sang Kil Han</h3>
<p>The words &#8220;I shall follow with gratitude and obedience&#8221; are good words, aren&#8217;t they? What kind of people are we? What kind of work do we do? You say that we are religious people; what do religious people do? Well, the answer is rather simple: religious people are those who are heading for heaven. That is one definition of religious people. Therefore, those of us here are heading for heaven.</p>
<p>In your wildest imagination, what do you think heaven would be like? One certainty is that once people get to the spirit world everything is revealed; nothing is hidden. People have many shells here on earth; so much is concealed under clothing and other coverings. But in the spirit world everything will become very visible. Would you find that fearful or interesting? Someone answered both!</p>
<p>Imagine a person walking down the street completely naked; that is the kind of situation we will face in the spirit world. Our life on earth should prepare us for such an exposed existence in the spirit world where nothing can be hidden. We should expect all aspects of ourselves to be apparent to others.</p>
<p>More is demanded of people in the spirit world than on earth. One reason is that, unlike earth, heaven is the home territory of God&#8217;s administration. God is in control of everything there. Heaven can be roughly divided into three layers, each with its variations of courtesy, language, manner of address and lifestyle. In the spirit world there are differences in ethics, beauty, language, and many such things and people are expected to uphold these standards.</p>
<p>When people are elevated from earth to heaven, they are given no chance to modify themselves in preparation; they must go just as they are. Even at the most unprepared level, people should still be able to distinguish between good and evil. That is a primitive but basic human capacity.</p>
<p>People on earth can be roughly divided into three categories: those who are committed to the good side, those committed to the bad side, and those who are in a position to choose either way. Heaven is for good people and hell is for bad people. Even on earth these distinctions between good and bad people are often apparent. They are visible in the United States, for example. Some people lead an obviously undesirable way of life; in any community you will find such people.</p>
<p>It is obvious where violent people and gangsters are heading, but what about drug abusers? You might consider them in the middle, but if you are a bit more discerning you would call their way of life clearly bad. A person may be violent or part of the Mafia, but that affects mostly his generation. Someone in the next generation may change his path and become a good person. By contrast, drug abusers pass their burden on to their descendants; their children are affected regardless of what they do.</p>
<p>Gangsters and bad people in general can repent deeply and be transformed. There have been many examples of such changes. But drug abusers hurt their bodies and minds and they cannot change so easily. Furthermore, no matter how much they repent they cannot erase their effect on the second generation. So their condition is worse. If some parents had not abused drugs, their children might have been born as geniuses and become great scholars or outstanding citizens. But parental drug abuse can inflict physical maladies and deformities on the children and make them very miserable. This is a serious crime to commit against one&#8217;s own children, and it can wash away the foundation of goodness of an entire family.</p>
<p>When Satan wants to destroy something especially good, drugs are the most effective strategy. If Satan is devoted to destroying a country, the United States is his first choice. Drugs and drug abusers are rampant here, so can this be considered a good country? No, it is the worst country in the world in this respect. If drug abuse becomes out of control, God may withdraw His blessing from this country. Should such Americans to go to heaven or hell? You said hell. That is your own answer.</p>
<p>Would you like to see the United States perish? Who can save this land? Conventional Christians can also become enmeshed in drugs. Even moral and ethical people can be drawn into that way of life, so who in the world has enough power to save them? Somebody has to do it. There must be some group that hates drug abuse and is indignant at drug abusers. Such a group must rise above indifference and recognize that drug abuse is the enemy of God and mankind. They need to rescue drug abusers by whatever means necessary. Can we expect today&#8217;s Christians to do that job? We need to be filled with enthusiasm and longing to take up this task; we need to save these people.</p>
<p>But not everyone believes in the Moonies; not everyone feels Moonies can be trusted. Sometimes I feel that way too! Are you real Moonies? Do the real Moonies outnumber the fake or half-hearted Moonies? Upon close examination, there seem to be few real Moonies, few people deeply committed to the Principle.</p>
<p>I have been bearing the burden of the United States and the entire free world; now I want to transfer it to your shoulders. Are you ready to carry it? Moonies are good at taking things; if someone brings something to you, you will take it. Moonies will do a little good-just a bit- but then claim to have accomplished it all.</p>
<p>You may consider such an attitude ambitious, but it is actually thievery. A thief tries to take everything with little effort. If you closely study such a person, would you call him good or bad? If a group is like that, you would call it bad too. If I am the head of that group, am I automatically a good person or a bad person? When you pursue the question this way, you realize it is a serious issue.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s think about what constitutes a real Moonie. Are there many real Moonies? When a person ponders a given task, analyzes it thoroughly, and then-if he thinks it is feasible-slowly sets to work on it, is he a real Moonie? How about someone who responds to a new challenge by resolving to learn it quickly and then carry it out, is he a real Moonie? In your opinion, do religious people usually know what is ahead of them? Does a religious person know what he is going to do in the future? Can he predict his environment? No. A religious person trusts everything to heaven and carries on.</p>
<p>A good example from the Bible is Noah. Did God tell everyone in Noah&#8217;s family and community what was going to happen? No, He revealed it only to Noah. Furthermore, God did not command him to build the boat on the seashore but on a mountain top. People might not have had so much difficulty believing in Noah if his shipyard had been by the sea, but anyone building a boat on a mountain top would be considered crazy.</p>
<p>If Noah&#8217;s wife opposed her husband and called his work absurd, the children would most likely adopt her attitude. Why did God choose to work this way? Why doesn&#8217;t God explain things to everybody? When history is in transition to a new era, when mankind is being lifted up to a new world, people are first asked to deny everything. Without denying existing criteria and existing customs, no one can make the transition to the new world.</p>
<p>John the Baptist dwelt in a wilderness and lived off locusts and honey, the wildest sources of food. Try to imagine how he appeared to people. His clothing was the bare minimum; it was never washed or mended. With so many holes in his garment, the wind passed through it freely. How many baths do you suppose he took in a year? How do you think he smelled? He didn&#8217;t have any apparent dignity.</p>
<p>Not only was John&#8217;s appearance strange, but his message was unfamiliar as well: &#8220;Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.&#8221; People didn&#8217;t find those words in the Old Testament. John the Baptist was shouting out a message they had never heard before, a teaching with no biblical grounds. You can imagine that when he called out for repentance, his listeners would retort: &#8220;You repent. I have no reason to repent; I have been following my tradition. You repent because you are trying to go against the Bible.&#8221;</p>
<p>Do you think it was easy for someone to remain a disciple of John for very long under those circumstances- or even to become one? His disciples must have eventually run away. People consider John the Baptist a great person now, but this is how he appeared then. It was extremely difficult for people to persevere in such an environment.</p>
<p>Even Jesus seemed to be nothing more than a carpenter, and not even an independent carpenter at that. What authority or dignity did he have that people could respect and understand? Very little. When he said he was the son of God and asked for their full faith and trust, was it easy for people to follow him? No, it wasn&#8217;t.</p>
<p>When you consider all the obstacles, whose circumstances might be most favorable to faith: those of Noah, John the Baptist, Jesus, or Reverend Moon? In the eyes of the world, at least I dress well and say reasonable things. People can test my words and discover that they are always reliable. Even then, people have not found it so easy to believe me. But compared to the three biblical figures, whose situation is more conducive to faith? Thank you for believing in me!</p>
<p>Consider the importance of faith in these various examples. Of course, every demonstration of commitment is important, but the impact varies according to the circumstances. In whose time was faith most important: Noah&#8217;s, John the Baptist&#8217;s, Jesus&#8217;, or now? You say that faith has the greatest value now, but in whose time was it the most difficult to believe? Noah&#8217;s. Those who have the biggest faith receive the greatest reward in heaven, right? Those with the highest faith occupy the highest positions.</p>
<p>Do Moonies have the highest faith? You say yes, but something is inconsistent. You said that faith has the greatest value now, but the faith of people in Noah&#8217;s time, when it was hardest to believe, must have been greater! Faith has its judges. If someone from Noah&#8217;s time were to evaluate today&#8217;s religious people and distinguish between degrees of faith, what would he say about the Unification Church members? How would he rank you in comparison to others? Would he assign you to the highest or lowest realms of heaven? Noah and the people of his time would not want to elevate you.</p>
<p>Are you still serious about getting to the highest heaven? If so, you need something upon which to base your hope. What kind of grounds do you have for such a far-fetched hope? You might say home church, but first let us reason it out.</p>
<p>Comparing Noah, John the Baptist, Jesus and Reverend Moon in understanding rather than faith, who understood the most about the future? Who was the most competent? Who knew God&#8217;s will thoroughly and had 100 percent confidence in it? Do you think Noah proclaimed that a big judgment was coming in 120 years and pleaded with people to have faith? Do you think even John the Baptist was exactly sure of what he was talking about? Do you think Jesus knew precisely what was going to happen in the future?</p>
<p>If someone had placed Noah or John the Baptist in prison and subjected them to the kind of torture I endured, they might have been broken. They might have succumbed to temptation. But history records that I came here singlehandedly from the Orient, confronted the white people in this highly developed country, told them they were wrong and proclaimed the right way. And I have won. After returning from Danbury, I am even more confident of the need to change the current condition of this country. I am 100 percent certain, and I am working at it day after day.</p>
<p>In Noah&#8217;s time, people&#8217;s knowledge and faith were only partial, let&#8217;s say 30 percent. But now when our knowledge is 100 percent, if you have even 30 percent faith, the total is still 130 percent! Your faith may be similar to those who followed Noah, but your additional knowledge raises the total that much. In Noah&#8217;s time, nobody but Noah knew much about what was going to happen; the others just carried on with faith. The same was true at the time of John the Baptist. His followers knew very little but somehow they trusted that John was correct and had faith in him. For Jesus&#8217; disciples it was much the same.</p>
<p>Now suppose you have the same faith as the people of Jesus&#8217; time. Your degree of faith may be 30 percent, 70 percent or more, but still it can&#8217;t really be called faith because it varies from time to time. Once we gain confidence and make a determination, we must keep going, regardless of rain, sleet or even bullets.</p>
<p>Jesus lived in a very small country; Judea and Galilee were not large at all. Israel was smaller than many states or provinces of modern nations. It takes only four hours to drive around that area today. Even if the whole world opposed Jesus, it was a small world. Our world today, however, is much more vast and has developed a high level of technology. When this world opposed me, the persecution was far greater.</p>
<p>Our situation today is unique in many ways. I have been imparting to you maybe five times the knowledge available in the past, in addition to tremendous faith. I have carried out my mission, teaching each of you to do the same. I have shown you the how and why of everything. Now you should have a precise idea of what is going to happen.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t think of this as simply my words or merely advice from one of your contemporaries. Ask Noah about it. Put yourself in Noah&#8217;s position and see if you don&#8217;t gain a clearer perspective of today&#8217;s situation. The people of Noah&#8217;s day didn&#8217;t grasp anything, but here in the Unification Church you understand so much.</p>
<p>On the other hand, none of you knows exactly what course I will take in the future. The president of the Unification Church in the United States does not know. None of the leaders know. In some ways, not even Mother knows where I am going next. Then whom should you follow? You say you will follow me, but what if I should make a mistake? This is a serious question.</p>
<p>Today we have achieved almost everything; there are few areas remaining which require faith. Once we know everything, faith will no longer be necessary. We are reaching that point.</p>
<p>Forty years ago when 1 announced what the world would be like in the future, people had a very difficult time believing it. Forty years ago I knew these things and I taught them; there was nothing I did not cover. I predicted the world&#8217;s situation today and what we would have to do. This means that we have truly come a long way.</p>
<p>Do you think I made a sudden appearance on this earth? God spent thousands of years making preparations for this time. I can say this and you Moonies can accept my word, but others will gain this insight by observation. When people realize that the impossible and unimaginable things I foretold 40 years ago have become a reality, they will perceive that God invested thousands of years in preparing for me and has been continually guiding my path.</p>
<p>Korean people understand me better than anybody. They heard my words and witnessed my deeds 40 years ago. Of course it was very hard for them to believe then, but now they see what those 40 years have produced. In Korea today great numbers of people who are not even our members believe in me. Whatever I predicted has come true and I am still going strong. Therefore, they feel it makes sense to agree with my words and expect me to carry out my promises.</p>
<p>God labored for thousands of years to arrange my course in life and even my very birth. For 40 years before I came, God had been preparing America and preparing Christianity, reforming the Christian churches. America was ready and Christianity was prepared for the course I would take. Multitudes of lives were sacrificed during World War II. For what purpose was that foundation laid?</p>
<p>We have come so far that now when I state publicly that America needs to be transformed centering around the Unification Church, people can nod and say, &#8220;Yes, that is probably right.&#8221; Not being members of the Unification Church, they do not know all the details, but they can understand the main point. People realize that when I announce something big, it eventually becomes a reality.</p>
<p>More and more people will seek my advice. .N candidate for office may come and ask whether an idea he has fits into God&#8217;s plan. But I will never go to someone and ask him to help our cause. Who is the subject: the one who receives help, or the one who helps? It is the one who helps, of course. That is why I am the subject. I am glad to help, but I endured many hardships in order to reach this point.</p>
<p>Do you realize that there are many other people who take religion and spirit world very seriously? There are sincere Christians who go to the mountains to pray, enduring much suffering to commune with God for long hours. They are praying for the savior to come to earth and for God&#8217;s will to be done. Do you know how earnestly they pray for the Second Advent? They have been waiting for a long time. This is the kind of foundation Christians have been laying over the centuries. Compared to them, how much have our members sacrificed on God&#8217;s altar?</p>
<p>For hundreds of years Christians have been praying, but they never found the answer. Some people prayed for the Second Advent for 50 years and died without seeing it. Still their foundation remains. But you Moonies know the precise time! Where did that knowledge come from? Did you earn it? Did you work so hard and pray so earnestly that God revealed to you the precise time? No. I earned that knowledge and I gave it to you.</p>
<p>This is a serious point. Even without accomplishing anything, you know so much. If you really understand this, you can connect directly to the topic of today&#8217;s sermon. How large is your basis for gratitude&#8217;? Could you buy this knowledge with millions or even billions of dollars? A century ago, or even as recently as 70 years ago, you could not have received the knowledge available today, regardless of what you did. Yet you have received this priceless treasure without paying any sum of money.</p>
<p>Since you have been given such knowledge free of charge, you should maintain a proper attitude toward it. Something valuable should be treated with care, respect and devotion. My concern is whether you have adequately displayed these qualities.</p>
<p>There are many Japanese members here. They came all the way to America without knowing the language and they suffer here with us. Did they come because Japan is a poor nation? No. Their only reason for being here is that they are following me. When I asked them to come, they came in obedience and faith. They feel tremendous gratitude that I trusted them enough to give them a very difficult mission. The more difficult the mission I give them, the more grateful Japanese members are to me for considering them great people.</p>
<p>If I love you and if you want the maximum love from me, my expression of love is to give you the most difficult task to perform. Would you want an easy mission or a difficult one? When you ask for a difficult mission, do you mean it? The most difficult missions I could assign include witnessing to Kim Il Sung and Mr. Gorbachev, so that we can turn Russia upside down, or influence the important people of North Korea. These are very difficult missions. Even if it is not realistic for you to expect such a mission, still you should think seriously about it.</p>
<p>You may feel these missions would be overwhelming, but how would they compare with a command to open the gates of hell? To liberate hell would be more difficult. When you see how great the challenge is, would you still be confident enough to do it? In order to open the gates of hell, you would need not only to approach hell but to enter it. In hell, people will kick you, scratch you, pull on you and do everything imaginable to you. In spite of this, would you persevere?</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s make one more comparison. Which do you think is easier: to open hell&#8217;s gate or to create heaven here on earth? They have different levels of difficulty. Since Satan already has his kingdom here, you might say it is more difficult to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. If I entrust you with such a mission, you must at least have the key to open hell&#8217;s gate and the blueprint for building the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.</p>
<p>You say you are willing to try to open the gates of hell, but I don&#8217;t think you have the key. How do you propose to do it? Likewise, do you know the blueprint for the Kingdom of Heaven? Do you understand exactly how to go about establishing heaven? You say yes, but the Principle doesn&#8217;t show how to carry out these tasks.</p>
<p>Today you understand that the two greatest challenges are to open the gates of hell and to build the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. These are the two most difficult missions. To accomplish them we need a qualified individual, a qualified family, a qualified race and a qualified nation. It actually takes a nation to carry out these missions.</p>
<p>In selecting a country, would I choose the least developed country or the most developed one? The United States is the most developed nation, yet this country is on the verge of destruction. At least a third of the people seem paralyzed by drug abuse and immorality. If God looks throughout the land, can He find a person or family to dwell with? Very few places or people qualify. Everyone seems so individualistic. Individualism is what God hates the most and what Satan likes best.</p>
<p>Actually there are no good alternatives to the United States. No matter what other country I may consider as a possible candidate for the task, my mind always comes back here. Even though the people are numb to evil and individualistic and all that, it still seems to me that this country is unquestionably the best hope. The United States is actually composed of the world&#8217;s elite. From Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the prime, Abel-type people have come and are investing their hopes here. The United States is the land of hope. Those who long to achieve something on earth still consider their best opportunity to be here.</p>
<p>I have been studying every angle of approach for this country, searching for ways to bring Americans to their senses and revive them. I have been painstakingly exploring every means of awakening this country.</p>
<p>When you go to home church, notice how differently you are treated now than you were three or four years ago. You find the atmosphere warmer, don&#8217;t you? I am getting attention; my words and actions are being noticed. People will tell you that what I am saying is good. That is why they are paying more attention to my extensions, you members. This is the first step toward understanding me.</p>
<p>People are realizing not only that Reverend Moon is not bad, but that I am much better than what they supposed. People&#8217;s minds are turning. It is also becoming evident that those who hate me are violent, unethical people or are communists. The rest of the people welcome what I say and do. Young people on the campuses are becoming aware that the Moonies&#8217; philosophy of marriage is really great. Students have a lot in common, whether they are Korean, Japanese, American or German.</p>
<p>Germany, for instance, has barred me from entering it for the past seven years. It has been a very fussy country. But even though I have not been to Germany for the past seven years, I have made a foundation there just as if I had been present. Germans take the Unification Church very seriously now.</p>
<p>There are three guiding principles for the world to choose among: democracy, communism and Godism. People throughout the world were inspired by the potential of democracy, especially in the United States. But the reality is that Republicans and Democrats continually fight among themselves. They are virtually unable to accomplish anything. It is clear that democracy as the United States knows and practices it cannot be the model for the world.</p>
<p>People recognize that communism cannot do the job, either. Although democracy is inadequate, many people prefer it to communism because communism opposes God and is so oppressive. Intellectuals have recognized the accomplishments and shortcomings of democracy; they also know that communism is out of the question. Now that the fruits of communism and democracy are apparent, people are beginning to consider Godism as the answer.</p>
<p>Over the past four years I have worked very hard and made an unshakable foundation. Scientists and scholars, theologians and philosophers have been mobilized toward one consistent goal: making an ideal world. I have outlined the blueprint for the ideal world and explained God&#8217;s will to retired military officers. Ministers have realized that Christianity is wavering and unable to do the task. Journalists, politicians and business executives have been told about God&#8217;s ideal.</p>
<p>I have devised a model seminar that lasts three days; whoever goes through this program will start to focus on God. No one can change a person in three days by military or political power. The media cannot accomplish this. But I have established a course through which people can willingly and gratefully change in God&#8217;s direction. More than 200 political leaders have gone through it; they find the experience intense yet enlightening.</p>
<p>A dramatic confirmation of the power of the truth took place a few days ago in Korea. People were demonstrating in Inchon against the government, accusing the military leadership of corruption and asking people to invite Kim Il Sung to come down and establish a communist utopia. One person was so convinced of this, he said he would argue his points with anybody. Policemen, professors and intellectuals came to debate with him and try to dissuade him, but he would not listen to any of them. He had absolute confidence in Kim 11 Sung and the communist cause. Everybody seemed to have given up.</p>
<p>Then one member humbly approached the group and was given permission to speak, based on the reputation of the Unification Church for accomplishing things. For three hours our member spoke very intensely and the procommunist man responded, &#8220;I never heard such things. Where did these ideas come from?&#8221; Then he cried and acknowledged that he had been wrong. In just three hours not only that individual was saved, but people around him were affected as well. He said he had been to every school and university throughout South Korea, establishing programs and organizing demonstrations. He said there were many people who think like he did. &#8220;Godism is the ideology that can lead all people,&#8221; he concluded.</p>
<p><i>(In English:) You </i>are standing on the foundation that can produce such phenomena. How grateful you should be for your situation. That&#8217;s true! Compared to all the sacrifices that have gone before you, your situation is so good. No matter how hard people worked in the past&#8217; they could not reach the level you have attained. This is the reality. You didn&#8217;t know it clearly before. This is a most precious ideology, a most precious teaching. Our situation is so fortunate. How can we compare it to God&#8217;s situation?</p>
<p>Until now, we did not realize how much we had. In reality, we have not been going a very faithful way. We must follow the timetable of history from a clear perspective, from a principled viewpoint, from God&#8217;s idea.</p>
<p>You analyze too much. You say that America is different from Korea, from the East. What I am teaching is not a Korean or Eastern system. This is God&#8217;s system, God&#8217;s organization. He works through me. The point of origin is God, not me. You call things Oriental custom, but Oriental people have opposed me. For 40 years they have opposed me. If I were following Oriental custom, why would they oppose me? Because I do everything the opposite way, they automatically resist me. They have been divided into camps, one side against the Unification Church and one side supportive. They have been fighting for 40 years. Now it is different.</p>
<p><i>(Translation:) </i>No matter what I tell people from other countries, they believe it. Compare this to the attitude of the American Moonies. You demand to know things clearly. With your attitude, do you think you can lead, teach and save the world? It is a very, very difficult situation.</p>
<p>You have been giving God and me so much hardship. Is what I am saying true? You have to change your situation or you cannot approach God. You have to develop a different attitude. You are called Moonies, so you must be the same as me. For a long time I have been lonely, working every day to make a foundation. My situation has been so difficult. You didn&#8217;t know it. I have waited such a long time.</p>
<p>You should be thankful and grateful. I have always been grateful to God, no matter what happened. You are here as a result of your ancestors&#8217; dedication. This is the culmination of history. Millions of people have lived on earth and are now in the spirit world. You should live gratefully, with no complaint. A complaining attitude does not work in the spirit world. You will have to settle accounts for everything done in this world. Time is flying. Like an arrow that is shot from a bow, time goes out and disappears. You cannot stop its passing.</p>
<p>Many ministers, priests and theologians have spent all their lives learning the Bible. They know Christian history thoroughly and they understand the situation of Christianity but they don&#8217;t understand the Principle. Likewise many scientists may be brilliant, but without knowing the Principle they are lacking the most wonderful theory and ideology.</p>
<p>This is the best tool for building the ideal world. You cannot find such a teaching anywhere else. My whole lifetime has been spent on it. This knowledge brings power, spiritual power. Be brave. Go everywhere. This is your task. When you leave your house, there are no boundaries to limit you. The atmosphere of the world has changed.</p>
<p>A lawyer has told me that he didn&#8217;t believe in me at first but now he confesses, &#8220;Father, you were right.&#8221; How about you Moonies? You absolutely need me. There are many things you do not know; therefore, you need me. God knows. I know. How much have you been grateful during my lifetime? You don&#8217;t know what will happen ( after 10, 20, or 40 years. You complain about your wife or husband, but think about the great happiness that could come after 40 years!</p>
<p>In Moses&#8217; era, things were ten times more difficult. When you are pushed into a corner, you can call out to God and He answers, &#8220;I am here.&#8221; Persecution is part of the indemnity course; God allows it to continue. I went through 40 years of persecution, 40 years of indemnity. You must continue in this way. You are my children: therefore, you have the same course as mine.</p>
<p>If you say you don&#8217;t like home church work, you mean you are satisfied to go only to the lowest level of heaven. But everyone longs to reach a high level of heaven. Strive to be more grateful. Obedience is difficult.</p>
<p>The principle of a single central figure is absolute. Looking at things from a normal perspective, two central figures might be more convenient, but when there is only one, no disputes can arise. God always chooses one key figure who has no parallel among his contemporaries. In Noah&#8217;s time there was only one central figure. In the 20th century there is only one central person, from God&#8217;s providential viewpoint. Who is it? Reverend Moon. God doesn&#8217;t want a second person, no matter how famous or powerful he may be. God wants just one person.</p>
<p>God&#8217;s world is absolute, not complicated by many concepts. So you have to be obedient. You find obedience difficult because you analyze things too much. When you continually analyze things, you eventually come up with a different way. The way of obedience is less complicated, so it&#8217;s easier.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not only your father, I&#8217;m also your leader. I am learning English even though the only time I have for studying is after midnight. You are young people. At your age, I didn&#8217;t have this kind of atmosphere. Your situation is so hopeful. You should develop the attitude that the task is possible, not impossible.</p>
<p><i>(After speaking in Japanese for about 10 minutes, Father asks the Western members if they understood what he was talking about. Then he continues in Korean.)</i></p>
<p>Think about the courses of Noah, Abraham, John the Baptist, Jesus and me. You have to surpass all of them. There is no reason why you shouldn&#8217;t be able to do it because I have pioneered the way. The followers should be able to outdo the pioneer. Since you aren&#8217;t as tall as I am spiritually you should try harder, work harder, and accomplish more so that some day we can be together on the same plane. You don&#8217;t want to be ashamed in the spirit world.</p>
<p>Harmony, not conflict, characterizes the spirit world. Its guiding principles are balance, gratitude, love and harmony. The reason we undergo such tremendous hardship here is so that we can live in harmony with heaven. You need to round off your rough edges here. You should learn to appreciate things. Thus your ears must be trained to recognize great sounds; your eyes need to cherish godly beauty, not worldly beauty. There are many things you need to learn to value.</p>
<p>lf you are willing to take on this task, I won&#8217;t have to worry about your gratitude. If I started complaining about you, what would you do? The more grateful you can be the sooner the course of indemnity will be over. Actually, I felt like complaining but there are so many of you, I would have to complain in too many ways, so I decided to hush up!</p>
<p>If you resolve to be obedient, I won&#8217;t have to worry about obedience. If you follow even in difficult circumstances, Satan will become very unhappy and will limp along. If you complain, however, Satan will dance and rejoice. The only way to defeat Satan is to be obedient. All the outside world will admire you if you do that. Now you understand the theme today, &#8220;I shall follow with gratitude and obedience.&#8221;</p>
<p>Our motto for 1987 is the <em>Unification of the Fatherland</em>. That is a very difficult task. It is not just a concept. It is a real activity with tangible results. The only way to accomplish it is through gratitude and obedience.</p>
<p>Suppose I ring a large bell in the World Mission Center at 3:00 am, calling everyone together, no matter how tired they are. Would you assemble without complaining? Well, let&#8217;s wait and see! Actually, your obedience has usually been rather restrained. You need to learn absolute obedience. I have often heard Americans mention the word absolute. Let&#8217;s have absolute gratitude and obedience. I don&#8217;t like a mediocre or half-hearted response. My desire for 1987 is absolute obedience and absolute gratitude.</p>
<p>Those who can say, &#8220;Yes, Father, I may not be so capable, but I can agree with your wishes and I will work to fulfill them,&#8221; raise your hands. Thank you.</p>
