1473 lines
494 KiB
HTML
1473 lines
494 KiB
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<h1 class="page-title">Category: <span>Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</span></h1> </header>
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<article id="post-1659" class="post-1659 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<h2 class="entry-title">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/the-secret-of-total-success/" title="Permalink to THE SECRET OF TOTAL SUCCESS" rel="bookmark">THE SECRET OF TOTAL SUCCESS</a>
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</h2>
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<div class="entry-meta">
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:38:39+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/the-secret-of-total-success/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:38:39+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<div class="entry-content">
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">December 19, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>This is the time of Christmas; so are you thinking of your hometowns and missing them? If you say no, you are not being honest. Why does everyone naturally think about their homes at Christmas time? It is human nature to return in our memories to our past whenever something special happens, whether happy or sad. We think back to our homes because that is where our parents were, our brothers and sisters, and all our relatives. We grew up in that place. Our physical bodies, as well as our spirit and soul, were brought up in our hometowns, so we always return there in our memories.</p>
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<p>Whenever you look at old pictures of your family, you can clearly see the family resemblances among the parents, brothers and sisters. All the memories of your youth are contained within your hometown-from childhood, through adolescence and on to young adulthood.</p>
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<p>As a baby you were taken care of by your parents, who changed your diapers, bathed you, and so on. Later they went through all your growing pains with you. I know many of you remember being spanked sometimes by your parents. You gave them problems at times and were bad boys and girls. All these experiences form your memories. Perhaps you fought with your brothers and sisters, hitting them and so on. All such bad things actually become part of the pleasant memories of the past in your mind.</p>
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<p>In your hometown you could feel comfortable asking a friend for some extra-special favor and everyone would think it was perfectly normal. Sometimes you might have insisted strongly on something from your relatives or neighbors and it was considered normal. When you started a fight with your brother and hit him first, perhaps you were the one to cry first so you got the most sympathy!</p>
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<p>The hometown can be characterized by warmth and love; once you leave it and go out into the larger society, you discover that warmth is lacking. Society is very impersonal and cold. If you make some mistake or do something wrong, you receive punishment without fail; there is no forgiveness. If you borrow money, you have to pay it back-with interest. You cannot expect sympathy or an easy time from people in the larger society. Your hometown is the place where you feel embraced by the people and everything there.</p>
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<p>Once you are grown up, you reach the time to get married. If you had to choose between getting married and going back to your hometown, which would you choose? Certainly anyone would prefer to have an ideal mate, rather than just going back home. Why is that? Nowadays in this secular society, men and women can be happily married one day and the next day have a quarrel and start thinking about divorce. Since you abandon your hometown in order to get married, you expect the marriage to be better. In what way should the marriage be better?</p>
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<p>In the Orient whenever men and women get divorced they always go back to their parents’ home. That is true here sometimes, too. It is a natural thing for people that when they leave their homes, they go to live with their ideal mates. The realm of give and take between marriage partners, then, is supposed to be better than that in your hometown.</p>
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<p>A child can behave badly and get a spanking from his parents; then, within a short time, he has completely forgotten the incident. That is a precious quality of a child. The younger the child, the greater the ability to forget. This is one of the qualities which Jesus was referring to when he said in the Bible, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” There is no cynicism or sarcasm in a little child; he responds genuinely and simply. When you are kind to a child, he is happy and kind in response. When you are angry with him, he will run away from you. He is absolutely honest in his response.</p>
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||
<p>The husband and wife relationship is supposed to be better than any in childhood. That means although husband and wife fight sometimes, you should be able to put it behind you. No matter how much you love someone, if you have an attitude of holding grudges you can never have total success in that relationship.</p>
|
||
<p>What is the definition of a good husband and good wife? It is important to have a clear definition of those terms. How can the good student in school be determined? By his performance on tests. It doesn’t matter how handsome his face is, how tall he is or how much he weighs. The good student is determined by the tests. In the same sense, the good husband and good wife are determined by tests and how well they do. The husband gives the tests to the wife and she has to pass them; and vice-versa.</p>
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<p>Would you like to be tested every day or just once in a while? Does anyone actually enjoy taking tests? No one likes taking tests, but they are a necessity which we must go through. Which is the better test-the difficult test or the easy one? What is the standard of good and bad membership in the Unification Church? How do we define those things? Again, it is by passing different tests. In our church there are many different kinds of tests; fundraising is one, witnessing another, fasting is another, and receiving the three indemnity blows is another. When you see that a new, more difficult kind of test is coming to you, is that a good or a bad sign?</p>
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<p>God is looking at His children and telling them, “I want you to be the very best child.” What is the standard by which God determines who are the better children? How can He decide? What kind of test would God devise? God created all things in the world-diamonds, gold, etc. He doesn’t lack anything, such as wealth, wisdom or power. What would be the criterion by which God would determine which of His children has the highest possible standard? When a teacher makes a test, he wants to check to see whether the students have learned the most vital, basic information. Thus God will make His tests to find out if His most important subject has been understood by His children. What is that subject? It is true love.</p>
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<p>What is true love? What is the difference between true love and any other kind? The most simple criterion of true love is that it is a giving love more than a receiving love. Parents want to give to their children, out of their heart of love. Should the children just continue to receive from their parents? Women always want to just receive love from everyone, isn’t that true? Women always wait to receive more and more love, but at a certain point you start to give that love back. What time is that? It is when you become mothers. It is the mother who expresses the most love in the beginning toward the children, rather than the father. The mother gives her love more intensely to her children because it is the woman who has been receiving so much love throughout her life.</p>
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<p>There is a basic law of nature illustrated in the way we breathe. When you inhale to your fullest capacity, can you continue to drink in more and more air? Certainly not. You must exhale after you have inhaled. Breathing out is just as important as breathing in. Likewise, when you receive, you must also give. When you eat food, you must also eliminate waste products.</p>
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<p>God loves and enjoys true love, the kind of love which gives to others. Who initiated that love-man or God? It was God, because He was the parent and as the parent, He is the cause of love. The causal being initiates the resultant being. The cause must take that initiative so the result can become a reality. Who gave you your hair and your eyeballs? It was the first cause. We are all results of that cause. Thus you can never say, “I am all by myself, alone and unique in the whole universe.” The resultant being can never take the causal position; the resultant being is in the passive position. Thus, the resultant being must search after his cause and seek interaction with that cause.</p>
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<p>How should we return to our origin, our cause? Since that cause initiated giving love, we can return to that cause by returning or reciprocating that love. Commonly in our world today, people think of themselves from an independent and selfish point of view. Yet no one is just “myself,’ but is the result of a cause. You are always connected with that cause. Therefore, people must find unity with that cause. Since we received the most precious gift from that cause, in order to return we must take an equally precious gift to the cause.</p>
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<p>You received life from your cause: therefore, when you return you should return with the most brilliant life. You received love; therefore, when you go back you should bring your most brilliant love. You must realize that your life is precious because that first cause of your life is most precious. It is your duty, therefore, to cherish your life. You want to be worthy of receiving love from that first cause; that love is precious and noble, so you naturally want to be equally precious and noble in order to return love of equal importance to Him.</p>
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<p>The primary problem of the world is lack of awareness that man is a resultant being; he is an objective being rather than a subjective one. Have you ever thought that you were a resultant, objective being accountable to someone else, or do you normally think, “I am free and independent; don’t bother me!”? The latter is the most general way of thinking in the world.</p>
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<p>There is nothing wrong with wanting to be independent, since you have your own direction and goal to return to that first cause. As long as that is the motivation of your desire for independence, it is justifiable. It is all right to seek to be left alone in order to go back to your cause.</p>
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<p>What do women need? Women need men. Do you women agree? How much do you need men? That relationship is on the horizontal level, with man in the plus position and woman in the minus position. American women don’t think that way, but it is true. Why can’t the woman claim the plus position? You are born to fulfill the minus position. Men are created as pluses. In the Oriental philosophy, men represent the heavens and women represent the earth.</p>
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<p>All people are resultant beings with a vertical journey to pursue-our unity with our origin. Then we have another journey-the horizontal one toward our horizontal cause. Evil originated in the lower place, which is earth. You women have the tendency to receive love all the time, but when you are called upon to give love, you protest, saying, “No, that is not my duty. Let somebody else do it.” Even the East Garden children have that tendency. Whenever I look into the drawers of the girls, everything is well organized and well stocked; everything that could be needed is there and accounted for. When I open up the boys’ drawers, they are messy and disorganized. They don’t even particularly care what they have; if somebody wants to borrow something from them, they just tell them to go ahead and help themselves.</p>
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<p>The girls accumulate many things and keep them organized. When the time comes for marriage, they pack everything up and take it away! If they present their possessions to their husbands without any reservation, that is totally okay. This is because the earth was supposed to present all things in offering to Heaven, to God. Thus women are supposed to make that kind of offering through their husbands.</p>
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<p>The beauty of universal law is that when you make an offering to God, you are not losing anything. The more you present to God, the more you increase yourself. It is a mutual prospering for both you and God. God’s mind is one of ideal love; He is an infinite reservoir of that love. The more God consumes, the greater amount He returns. Whoever gives to God will always be replenished by God. What can be lost? The more someone gives to God, the greater will be his return. This leads us to the clear understanding of why we, as resultant beings, need a relationship with the original, causal being. That is the only way we can grow to maturity and prosperity.</p>
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<p>Leaves on the very top of a tree cannot grow unless they have an interaction with the lowest part of the root, which is their origin and cause. Likewise when men have give and take of true love with God, their cause, they grow and prosper without end.</p>
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<p>You love God, don’t you? How much do you love God? Do you love Him more than you love yourself? He is more than you, greater than you and the owner of yourself; therefore, it is good to love Him more than yourself. He is the owner of true love, so we naturally like and love Him.</p>
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<p>If you assert yourself in an aggressive, stubborn way for the sake of returning to that first cause, your deeds can be justified. According to the same principle, you women should pack up everything you own and give it, along with your own heart and body, to your husband. There is no way in which you will diminish when you do such a thing, according to the principle of true love. You will prosper together and grow together.</p>
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<p>Husband and wife have dominion over each other out of love, not in any other way. Therefore, the most important criterion is this: more than you love your husbands, you women should love God. The same is true for men; God must come first. When you are united horizontally as husband and wife, you can go upward to the vertical level.</p>
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<p>The first cause divided himself up-God is divided into masculine and feminine-so in order to return to God, the two divided parts should come together as one unit. There is no other way. Men and women move toward each other and this is entirely natural. Unless you unite with your ideal mate here on earth you shall have no way to move vertically toward God.</p>
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||
<p>Why is marriage necessary? Is it because you need to receive love from someone? No, you marry because you want to form that unit which is responsible to God. Now you have the answer as to why men and women marry. Why is it good to have children? The ultimate destiny of mankind is to return to God, so having children is a necessary aspect of that. Each of you is looking forward to having a spouse, but that spouse is actually the intermediate instrument for returning to God.</p>
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<p>When the vertical and horizontal interact, their motion creates circular movement. In such motion, the heaviest elements settle in the center and the lightest elements go to the outside. The cause of causes is the heaviest element, God, who forms the center. What is the center of God? It is true love. Thus, the center of centers is true love.</p>
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||
<p>In the center of the universe is the universal plus, surrounded by smaller minuses. Among those minuses, there are also small pluses which unite with them to create larger and larger entities. These united plus and minus entities resemble the original cause. All together these entities are a “super-minus,” surrounding the “super-plus” in the center.</p>
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||
<p>In yourself there is mind and body. Which is more important? It is the true mind, which is in the center of your being. Anybody who has nothing to do with true love will eventually be rejected by the universe. God didn’t want anyone to be rejected by the universe; therefore, in order to sustain life here on earth, men and women must come together. That’s why marriage is God’s institution.</p>
|
||
<p>The plainest truth is that when the plus and minus of man and woman unite together, they create a bigger minus in front of their cause, God, who is the biggest plus. In that way plus and minus interact. That is the only way mankind can be sustained. Why do we need children? Children are necessary because through them, people can experience truly unconditional, sacrificial love toward them. That experience is actually training for people which allows them to understand God better and allows them to return love to Him. We receive parental love from God, so by understanding the intensity of that love we can be motivated to return it to Him.</p>
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<p>The criterion for loving is within your family. You must love God, the ultimate subject, more than your husband or wife, more than your children; when you do that you are doing what is right. God is the first cause and must be loved above all. When the love of God comes to you, it includes all the different aspects of love-men and women, parents and children; everything is included within that love. Your love is intense for your husband or wife. You must come to realize that you love God even more than that. Then God will tell you that you passed the test.</p>
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<p>Only through your spouse and the love of your children can you return to your origin, God. Universal truth is based on this. The heaviest center is God; the center of God is true love. When you reach that core center of God and become united with Him, you become a part of Him. You become like Him and become an original magnet. pulling everything toward you. From that position you can push and pull and every action you do is one of harmony and goodness. When you have been away from your lover for a long time and you suddenly meet up with him or her again, what do you do? You come together and feel like squeezing each other to death. You should think of God like your lover, so you feel like squeezing Him, too. God loves that and He will tell you that you have passed His test.</p>
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<p>God loves you-every part and function of you, including your eyes, nose, ears, everything. Husband and wife should focus more and more love toward each other, not seeking for themselves. The more intense your love, the closer you are getting to the center and by that you can interact faster and faster. The closer two objects are to the center of a circle, the closer they come together and the faster they can have give and take. Now we know why men and women must get together in marriage and have children; our central goal and purpose is to return and unite totally with our central, original cause, God.</p>
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<p>If Adam and Eve had completed their love and traveled this route, they would never have fallen. The same is true of you. Some of you think, “Why did Father have to match me to such a person? Everybody else got good husbands, but not me! Mine is ugly and not so good.” But that is your universal test, the hardest test God could give you. Since that is the ultimate test, if you pass it, you will jump into the center of God immediately.</p>
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<p>Your five senses represent the most holy, sacred love. When you touch your lover with your hand, it is like God touching him or her. That is wonderful and holy. Why shouldn’t we refer to each other as, “My holy spouse”? Anything godly is holy, so our husbands and wives should be regarded as holy, too. The saintly couple is such a couple. What is a saint? The saint is the one who concentrates on returning true love to God, his origin. A saintly man and woman make a saintly couple. When such a husband and wife get together, isn’t that better than returning to your home town?</p>
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<p>The Christmas season has come and I have been thinking about what I could give to you. This morning I am opening my “true love” package for you, my gift to you.</p>
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<p>When husband and wife conceive a child, they are brightened up by ecstatic joy and happiness. God created women deliberately to be greedy for love, always seeking to receive from others so that when the time comes, He can demand that you give that love forth to your children. When you become pregnant, you women often become very sick and weak, losing your appetites and energy. It is almost like a sickness, and pregnancy lasts for nine months. However the pregnant woman is happy anyway, even though she can hardly walk with her huge stomach. Once she comes near to her term, she is so full she can hardly sleep; her breathing becomes difficult and so on. Even though she knows it is because of the child that she is so uncomfortable, no mother will curse and blame the child. She just thinks of that child with total love and devotion! She can hardly wait to see him. That is the love of the mother.</p>
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<p>The child is really a “bloodsucker,” in a way. The mother’s blood nourishes the baby when he is in the womb and then when he nurses, she continues to nourish him. Childbirth is normally a very painful experience for the mother, but she immediately forgets the pain when she sees her baby and wants to nurse him at her breast. The woman who was so greedy for love becomes totally giving and unselfish toward her child. God is fair. He knew that He was demanding a lot from women, so He allowed women to be a little greedy when they are young. For that reason, also, He created women last-you are the “latest model,” very delicate and sophisticated instruments. You are the latest minus for the ultimate plus, God.</p>
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<p>The essentiality of God is based upon true love. This is why He can require of the world that we love Him. Loving Him is like loving yourself because it is the only way you can prosper and continue for eternity. God requires us to love Him so that we can receive love, too. Once we understand this fact, we can have bubbling enthusiasm.</p>
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<p>The ultimate reason for love is to return to God and become one with Him; there is no other reason. This earth and universe surround us like a second “womb,” and we are preparing here for another, ultimate birth. When you were in your mother’s womb you received all the ingredients you needed through the umbilical cord. By the same token you are growing through the channels of the universe-water, food, air-which are supplied to you. In order to meet your requirements, the universe is continually serving you with tremendous sacrifice to itself.</p>
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<p>The natural principle of survival of the fittest serves the purpose of returning to God. The lower forms of creation are actually honored and privileged to serve the higher forms so that they can return to God. Food, water and so forth are all created by God to serve the higher beings and aid them in their search for the love of God. By serving the higher being they are serving a higher cause. When you eat an animal as food, that animal is serving a higher purpose by becoming a sacrifice to you. That animal becomes a part of the cells in the higher being, you. It actually becomes part of a higher cause in that way. By doing so the goal of that animal has been fulfilled.</p>
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<p>That principle should work the same in the human world. For the sake of a higher cause you say to God, “Yes, Father, I can give my very life as a sacrifice for your purpose.” That is a natural tendency. All creations of God have the same goal and purpose: to journey toward their ultimate center, which is the true love of God. Once they reach that goal, they are reaching a relationship with the entire universe.</p>
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<p>When you eat you become indebted to that food because that vegetable or animal has sacrificed itself for you. You must fulfill their purpose by elevating them to a relationship with the highest being. You are like an ambassador for the entire universe; all of creation needs you to gain a relationship with God. You should look at the birds, the running water, the animals and so on with such a viewpoint.</p>
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<p>You should look at the universe as a gigantic museum and. all the things of creation as exhibits in it. At the Louvre museum in France, many people can observe the painting <i>Mona Lisa; </i>it is considered to be of priceless value. However compared with God’s museum, the <i>Mona Lisa </i>is nothing; the things in God’s museum are not only beautiful, they can also multiply themselves forever. No matter how wise a person you may be, you could never duplicate even one small thing which God has created.</p>
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<p>If you asked a blade of grass, “How old are you?” he would answer, “I am older than you. I was there in the Garden of Eden, long before you men were.” Ask that grass, “Who created you?” and he would answer, “The King of Art, Science, and Wisdom-God Almighty- created me.” Even the tiniest ant was created by God. What about the rattlesnake-would he bite God if he could? Even the snake has the ability to love. The male and female snakes certainly have give and take of love; they don’t bite each other!</p>
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<p>Knowing all these truths, the universe appears to you in an entirely different perspective. You can say, “All this is God’s creation and I am, too. Since I am a representative of God, I should appreciate all these things.” When you see everything as God’s creation, then there is nothing which is not lovable. You can love the mountains, the grasses, flowers, pebbles, animals. Everything is a lovable artistic work of God.</p>
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<p>Since you are a representative of the true love of God, everything in the universe will seek to be close to you. The flower will say, “Please take me and hold me. Put me in your house where I can be appreciated by you and your family.”</p>
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<p>Always remember that God is the cause and we are the result. As resultant beings, our journey in life is to go back to that cause. Your first home was in your family, which is the wellspring of true love for your life. For Unification Church members, Christmas time is a time when you like to gather at Belvedere and hear a sermon. Even better, you would like to go to East Garden and be with Father and Mother and the true family. Since school is recessed now, the children went with Mother yesterday for a short trip; I was supposed to join them but I decided that I would rather stay here with you children at Belvedere this Sunday.</p>
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<p>The mysterious secret of total success is to become men and women able to communicate true love with all things. By give and take between the vertical cause and the horizontal effect, you shall achieve everything in total success.</p>
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<p>Don’t ever forget this teaching today. Use your five senses with this point of view. Every action of your body, every day, should be done with the purpose of returning to the first cause. You can only return to that first cause with true love. Once you undertake this journey of true love, the universe will cooperate and help you. Nothing will hamper you, even national boundaries, cultural and racial differences.</p>
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<p>We are engaged in a marathon race toward the goal of our cause of true love. We must make a relationship with everything in the universe and steer ourselves continually toward that goal. For this reason, the Unification Church is interested in every field and every aspect of life; we go everywhere geographically-east, west, Africa, South America, Asia; we do fishing, laboring, agriculture, mining, aviation. There is no area in which we are not interested. That is because this universe is our home, our “mother’s womb” which we want to use to prepare for our future life.</p>
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<p>When men and women are truly in love, they occupy each other. The man is completely occupied by the woman and vice-versa. By the same token, we could say the same thing about God. When you have a true love relationship with God, He will be occupied by you. You will find your resting place right in the center of God.</p>
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<p>Where can you find the love of God? You have that longing feeling for the love of your husband or wife which you cannot forget at any time; such a feeling of longing describes God’s love. For this reason, you are precious and unique in this universe; you have total dignity and authority to represent God.</p>
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<p>Men and women must go through the center of their lives, which is God. Every person starts from different angles and different beginning points, but you are all aiming to get to that central point, your ultimate destination. Everybody wants to be Number One; that is, we want to get to that central position.</p>
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<p>Mother and I have 13 children now, so do you think God will say, “That’s enough. I am happy with that.”? The numbers of cells in one human body equals about 400 trillion. Therefore, 4 billion members of mankind must be too small a number for God.</p>
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<p>Children always want to receive the love of their parents. Therefore, all the people in the world are reaching for that central point of the universe, God. When a person directs his love toward his parents, he exhibits filial piety. When he directs love toward his country, he is a loyal patriot. When he directs his love toward God. he becomes a saint. The love is the same. For each of you to become a pious son, a patriot and saint is within your realm; in fact, it is your goal. You should become even more; you should gain the title of son and daughter of God. What more could you want?</p>
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<p>When I speak to you, do you divide my words into two parts-that which you want to hear and that which you don’t want to hear? Or do you listen to everything equally? Sometimes I test you. God certainly has tested me. Many times God has called to me, “Reverend Moon, are you truly my son?” I answer, “Yes, Sir.” He replies, “Then l want to test you to see if you really are.” Do you think I said to Him, “No, Father, don’t test me!” NO, I told God to go ahead and give me the toughest possible tests.</p>
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<p>I could foresee the types of tests I would have to meet, so I solved problems before they arose. Then I could tell God, “I already finished that test a long time ago.” Finally God said, “I have no more tests for you.” Then I said to Him, “Father, let me test You this time!”</p>
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<p>The Moonies are persecuted now and scorned by the world, but we are truly a great people, with great dynamism and honor. Who understands these basic truths now? The distinguished Harvard University professors don’t know it, the president of the U.S. doesn’t understand it. Only you small handful of humble people have been able to understand it. How grateful we must be!</p>
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<p>The mother’s womb is not a glamorous or beautiful place, but that is where life is conceived and grows. It is like a factory; factories are not clean and lovely places. That most holy place, the womb, has a lowly appearance. By the same token, Belvedere appears very humble, but this is the holy place where new life is being vegetated and nurtured. This former garage is the place where God is teaching His wonderful message.</p>
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<p>Husband and wife should look at this world like they were looking at the Garden of Eden, in which there is only one man and one woman. What if Adam had happened to be crippled? Would Eve have complained to God, “Oh, no, I want another man!”? Eve didn’t have that kind of choice. If Adam had been running around and had fallen down on a bush, he might have become blinded in one eye. Would Eve have said, “God, I don’t want a one-eyed husband!”? Consider yourselves as Adam and Eve for whom there is only one possible mate; it is your destiny.</p>
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<p>You men should look at your wives and think, “She is the only woman in the entire universe; she is the only Eve.” You may have been thinking about how ugly your husband or wife was, but when you start to look at your spouse from the proper angle you will see universal beauty in him or her. You should look at each other with universal eyeglasses and then your husband will look like a Heavenly Rock Hudson. With universal eyeglasses, nothing looks ugly in God’s creation.</p>
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<p>In the eyes of the secular world, life in the Unification Church may look miserable but looking with eyeglasses of universal true love, our life appears beautiful, sacred, holy and prosperous. Now that 1983 is coming, prepare for the new year with the determination to wear those universal true love eyeglasses. Look at the entire world with those eyeglasses; proudly proclaim yourself as a child of the True Parents and march forward to win the ultimate victory.</p>
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<p>God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1657" class="post-1657 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/emergency-time-period/" title="Permalink to EMERGENCY TIME PERIOD" rel="bookmark">EMERGENCY TIME PERIOD</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:35:05+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/emergency-time-period/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:35:05+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<div class="entry-content">
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">December 12, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Sang Kil Han</h3>
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<p>In the English language just a small difference between “y” and “e” changes “emergence,” meaning “to come forth” to “emergency,” which means a critical time. One letter creates a drastic difference in meaning.</p>
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<p>In the history of God’s dispensation, there have always been critical time periods during which indemnity had to be paid. Sacrifice is always required during these critical time periods. The people in Abel’s position are always the ones who must make the sacrifices and pay the indemnity. Abel’s ability to do this can lead the dispensation forward or their failure can bring a halt to the dispensation.</p>
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<p>God’s substantial restoration began with Israel, starting with Jacob on the individual level and leading up to the national level. Israel means “the victor.” There was a 21-year time period for Jacob’s indemnity condition. For Moses’ mission there was a 40-year time period of indemnity. Jesus was supposed to fulfill at least 40 years of life, which would have been his condition of indemnity.</p>
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<p>On the foundation of Jacob’s victorious family foundation, the tribal level of dispensation could begin. Moses’ mission brought the tribal or racial level to the beginning of the national level of dispensation. On that foundation, Jesus started the dispensation toward the world level.</p>
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<p>If Jesus had been able to go to Rome and teach the people there, the dispensation would have been carried on to the world level. That never happened, so after 2,O00 years we are still working on the level of the nation and once again moving forward to the world level of dispensation. Today America is in the position of Rome and is in the same position to welcome the messiah and move the dispensation forward. Now is the dispensational time period to restore the entire physical world and the entire spirit world.</p>
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<p>Until this time, the physical world and the spirit world have been separated and in conflict with each other. Persons in spirit world could only work with specific religious leaders or those of similar beliefs. Today, with the advance of the Second Coming, spirit world can relate directly with the entire physical realm, not just on a limited basis.</p>
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<p>Now is the time for restoration of relationship between God’s realm, the realm of Adam and Eve, and that of the archangel. In the original scheme, those four would have been united harmoniously. But since the fall took place, those four realms have been replicated by the satanic side: Satan, in God’s position; evil men and women; and evil angelic world. The pure, original standard became contaminated with evil elements. There are good men and women centered on God and there are bad men and women centered on Satan. How many more bad people than good exist in the world? Certainly evil takes the strongest, most active role in the world and is the most numerous. Who are those few who are centered on God and are situated clearly on God’s side? Simply stated, they must be the genuinely religious persons of the world.</p>
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<p>In the realm of religion there are both Cain and Abel elements. By the same token, in the realm of secularism not all people are so bad; some are in the Abel position and some in the Cain. The Abel people on the satanic side can be drawn into God’s realm; likewise, those Cain persons on God’s side can be pulled over into Satan’s realm. It is a common occurrence that people are dropping away from their religions and embracing the satanic standards, while those who have been non-religious are drawing closer to God’s side.</p>
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||
<p>While one possesses a physical body, it is rather simple to move from Satan’s side to God’s side, or vice versa; however, once a person is in spirit world it cannot be done. It is only possible with a physical body. Why is that? Only the physical body spans both the world of body and of spirit.</p>
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||
<p>In the Heavenly realm, the Abel people are closest to God and the Cain people are next to them. Then there is a borderline and beyond that is the realm of Satan. Closest to the borderline are the Abel people in Satan’s realm and closest to Satan are his Cain people. Thus, God continually tries to win those Abel people on Satan’s side and Satan is trying to do the same with the Cain people on God’s side.</p>
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||
<p>Within each individual, there is that borderline between God and Satan. Perhaps one person has every part of himself on God’s side, with only one foot straddling the line over to Satan’s side. Or maybe he has only his big toe hanging over into Satan’s realm and he thinks he is OK. But Satan can loop a string around that toe and try to pull him all the way over to the other side. Once Satan successfully pulls half of him over, he will claim the whole person. Satan will use winches and ropes and drag him completely over and God cannot do anything to prevent it.</p>
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||
<p>Between hostile nations, the borderline is watched very carefully. If someone steps over the line with just one foot, he is considered to have invaded the other country. He might argue that he was mostly on his own side, but that would not prevent the other country from claiming an invasion. By the same token, when a person sets one foot on Satan’s territory, he is claimed by Satan and God cannot do anything.</p>
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<p>According to this viewpoint, are you clearly on God’s side or are you still on the borderline, moving back and forth? If you are standing on God’s side, do your eyes still wander over to the satanic side? Now it is the Christmas season and you are involved in your mission work, which means that you probably have to make the sacrifice of not seeing your family during this special time. By dedicating yourself now’ you know you are offering that sacrifice for the sake of God and the world</p>
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<p>When Lot was commanded to leave the city of Sodom, he had no idea of where he was going or what he was going to do. He and his family were leaving behind familiar, comfortable surroundings and heading towards the unknown. When Lot’s wife was tempted by her past situation and she looked backward, she turned into a pillar of salt.</p>
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<p>This is a time of fundraising. Do you think everyone went out willingly or reluctantly? The Korean word for a highly changeable person is pyun duk. If you were such a person, you would move back and forth across the border line several times an hour. Sometimes a person will set one foot over the border once a month, just to see what it’s like. Another person might do that once a year; another, once every ten years; another, only once in his life. Or someone might never, in his whole life, set foot on Satan’s side. According to this broad spectrum, to which category do you belong?</p>
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<p>If you are a person who changes and leaves God’s side frequently, suppose you were to pray fervently to God. How would God respond to such a prayer? Just from an objective point of view, should God listen to and grant such a person’s prayer or shouldn’t He wait until that person has become more stabilized?</p>
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<p>God is called the God of love. Does that mean no matter how many times a person does something wrong, God will just blindly forgive him without some consideration of that person’s sincerity? If an incredibly changeable, untrustworthy person prays to God piteously, does God come closer to him or would He have to move further and further away from such a treacherous person? God looks at you with an eye of deep love, but if you squint at Him with a satanic eye and say, “God, I love you,” does that mean God should feel loved?</p>
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||
<p>Today millions of religious persons are praying to God. Certainly none of them is praying for the demise of America but instead pray for God to help America and the world. However. America is falling into a worse and worse condition; therefore, God is not granting those prayers. Likewise, every Christian prays for the proliferation and prosperity of Christianity but is that happening? On the contrary, Christianity is becoming weaker and weaker. That means God has not granted those prayers.</p>
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||
<p>What does this mean? Prayer is the most fundamental element of our religious life. When we pray, we must stay far away from that borderline between God and Satan in order to be answered by God. You must be cleansed and pure of past ambiguities before you approach God in prayer. Many people claim, “I prayed and prayed, but it never produced anything.” If someone is strongly within Satan’s domain and praying to God for satanic purposes, how can he complain that God doesn’t listen to his prayer? Why should God listen to such a prayer? God is a God of justice, so how can He just answer every person’s prayer, regardless of the quality or where it is coming from?</p>
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||
<p>How many really good Christians do you think exist who spend all of their efforts moving toward God’s side, not paying any attention to Satan’s realm? When God was about to demolish Sodom and Gomorrah, He told Abraham that if there were just fifty righteous people there, He would save the city. Abraham begged to God and He agreed that if there were only ten righteous people in the city, He would spare it. That means there were not even ten good people.</p>
|
||
<p>Even within the Unification Church, how many people are totally clear of the borderline and are, without a doubt, true sons and daughters of God? How about you, yourself, as a Unification Church member? Are you very confident to proclaim yourself as a citizen of Heaven, as God’s son or daughter? If very few of you can say that, what a serious situation this is for God. God created religions to save not only individuals but eventually to restore the entire world; this is not a concept but is reality. If, when God looks at you closely, you are not sure of yourselves, how miserable God would feel!</p>
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||
<p>This time period is a true time of emergency for God. God is asking, “Who is helping me in my time of emergency? Who will help me save the world?” God is in agony over this situation. When you deeply understand this, you cannot help but resolving, “I would rather spend my life in jail, as long as I can stay with You, God. If I am free, perhaps I would be tempted over the borderline, so I would rather stay in prison in order to guarantee my relationship with You.” How many of you feels so deeply the desire to be on God’s side that you do not even mind staying in jail and being beaten every day, as long as you are guaranteed of being on God’s side? Or are you the kind of person who thinks, “I want to do things the way I want; I don’t think about God so much.”? This is a very serious question.</p>
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||
<p>When you look at yourself from this standard, you should even feel ashamed for the way you have been praying in the past. “God, I was praying all the time out of shallow habit, but now I have come to see that I was in no position to pray to you. I am ashamed.”</p>
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||
<p>This is not only the emergency time for God, it is also the emergency time for the world; also it is a dire emergency for all religious people. Are you confident about yourself as a religious person or are you still the target of the satanic world? You, your family, your society and nation are very much involved in this emergency time. Do you think this is an exaggerated picture, or is it reality?</p>
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||
<p>Religions are struggling and panting amidst the satanic world now, but the day will come when religions, centering on Christianity. will be the predominant force for cleansing the world. When is that day going to come? That time was supposed to occur in the past-when the U.S. won in World War 11, they were supposed to sweep over the entire world carrying the Christian spirit, under God’s banner. But America lost that chance. At that time, China, England, and all the powerful countries of the world were sided with America and Russia didn’t have anything.</p>
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<p>We cannot change the past but we can see the events clearly. After World War II, America had the greatest potential for evangelizing the entire world. She never had the ability before that and since that time, she has gone into a sharp decline. That was the highest level for America-a God-given opportunity to do His long sought-after will.</p>
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||
<p>Looking at the 2,O00 years of Christian history. we can see that millions of Christians have prayed deeply and unselfishly to God. In the beginning of Christianity, what do you think was the predominant prayer? Their constant plea to God was, “Oh, Lord, please send Your son again as You promised.” That was very different from the kinds of prayers most people are praying today: “Lord, please help my family to be prosperous; bless my church,” etc.</p>
|
||
<p>We can imagine that Christians prayed consistently and strongly for hundreds of years for Christ to come again. Certainly that is God’s desire, too, so when would God do it? He would send Christ at the most opportune time for the world-the time when the Christian spirit was at the highest and there was every possibility that the world could be evangelized. That was the very time after World War 11. It is a reasonable thing to assume, just by logic. Of course, no one knew the preciousness of the moment because if they had, they would not have failed; but God knew clearly.</p>
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||
<p>Christians have been steadfastly waiting for Christ to come again-on a cloud. If he came on a cloud, perhaps wearing a parachute, he would come in the position of messiah, undoubtedly. But isn’t there any chance at all that he would not come on a cloud, but would appear as a regular person? What kind of a messiah would mankind need: one who descends from the clouds as a supernatural non-human being; or one who is one of us, with the same flesh and the same mind? Certainly, people need a real person to relate with in the position of Christ.</p>
|
||
<p>Jesus described himself as, “The way, the truth, and the life.” It really didn’t make any difference which manner he came into the world-even if he had come on the clouds, or whatever, they were not the way, the truth and the life. It was Jesus himself who was important’ nothing else. However he came to the world, he taught clearly about the way to live, the truth for mankind and how to gain life. ALSO, Jesus was “the love,” which was not recorded; he did not say that, perhaps because he could not go all the way, but he was the love for the world.</p>
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||
<p>Would mankind prefer to receive a messiah who came dramatically on a cloud, without teaching and being all those things which Jesus was, or a messiah who came normally but was able to convey those precious understandings? Certainly, mankind would value the second kind of messiah.</p>
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<p>Considering the realities of this world, when the true messiah emerges it is almost inevitable that everyone, including the religious world, will oppose him. Those who firmly believe that Jesus will come again on a cloud have rejected the Unification Church.</p>
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||
<p>Satan will do everything to stop and destroy the Unification Church. He is very accomplished at killing people and destroying goodness; that is what he consistently does. When God sees this situation, He feels like saying to Reverend Moon and the Moonies, “Be strong and healthy and please bring my world back to me.”</p>
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<p>If it is true that the Moonies are the only hope of God, yet they themselves are vacillating back and forth over the borderline between God and Satan, are those kinds of Moonies worthy of their name? They are more worthy of being struck by lightning, isn’t that true?</p>
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||
<p>Are you proud of being a Moonie? Perhaps when you first joined the movement, you were reluctant to identify yourself as a Moonie. Have you gotten over that now? When I was in the courtroom, I was totally confident that I was doing exactly what the universe needed. I never thought I should get some sympathy from the judge or anyone. No matter where I go, whether it be a prison or a palace, I must preserve the dignity of God’s position.</p>
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<p>You must be able to see the borderline but you must determine that it is out of the question that you will ever cross over it. God knows that Reverend Moon has had nothing to do with that borderline; therefore, do you think God trusts me? That is something no one else understands, so when others give me advice I must be the one to decide, ultimately, which is the one way toward God’s direction.</p>
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<p>Is it so unbelievable that an entire country would oppose me? Actually, it is a natural occurrence, given how sinful this world is. If the entire world of religion comes against me, I know it is because they are ignorant of what they are doing. It is common knowledge today that there is only one person who has been opposed by everyone, by the whole world. Yet what evil did he do to cause everyone to go against him? Therefore, I must be the champion of receiving opposition; perhaps it is in the Guinness Book! Is that because I am so selfish, or do I receive opposition because I am so faithful to God?</p>
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<p>Have you taken the same stance as I have? When Jesus went to the cross, all his disciples fled. Have you ever felt, “If Reverend Moon goes to jail, we will all go with him?” Jesus could not trust his own people. who were all of the same race and culture. You Americans are of a totally different race and culture than me, yet you say you will follow me wherever I lead. Can I trust that?</p>
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<p>You are from an individualistic culture; “I” is always capitalized. Compare yourself with the disciples of Jesus; their culture allowed them to believe in Jesus wholeheartedly because they did not have training in individualism. Yet you are the product of individualism; you look at what I say and do with a skeptical eye. You take what suits you and then discard what doesn’t because you feel you have that “right.” According to this situation, to what degree have you believed in me? You can easily say, one hundred per cent, but is it true?</p>
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<p>When you become aware of how far you are from the standard of a true Moonie, you will want to lower your head in humility. But from that position, are you going to give up and back away from God’s will, or move forward. It is very difficult to move forward, so do you really want to go? This is the reality of Jesus’ telling people that if they wanted to live, they would die, but if they were willing to die, they would live.</p>
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<p>Can you glimpse how difficult it has been for me to come to this point? If I go to jail, it is possible for all my followers to drop away from me and I will have to start all over again. I have seen this happen before and not just once. It happened in my own home country of Korea; so how can I trust that the people of America won’t do the same? If you can give some indication that you might be able to follow me 100%, I can have consolation. Yet, look at your situation: do you have a life of faith with tears? Most people do not see such a thing in Americans. How can you be worthy of being trusted?</p>
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<p>Does the path become easier as you go along, or more difficult? Many Americans joined without knowing anything about this situation; they just “tagged along” with the movement. Therefore, once things became really difficult they said, “This is too hard for me, so I will escape.” This is always a possibility. The attitude we must have is, “As hopeless as it seems now, what does God want?” Do you think God would like Reverend Moon to forsake America because it is utterly impossible to educate? Certainly not. This is very serious, both for God and for me.</p>
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<p>I have seen that Americans are very well-educated and knowledgeable, yet very individualistic and analytical. You must satisfy yourselves before you can do anything. I must weigh your potential with that of the African people, most of whom are uneducated and very simple and the South American people who are in-between. I must ask if they will function better for the sake of God’s dispensation than the North Americans.</p>
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<p>In the Bible it says that it is more difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to go to Heaven. In the same way it is as difficult for a rich nation to go Heaven. To realize the Kingdom of Heaven on earth through American people is just that difficult. However, it will be easier for a poor nation and culture, such as South America and Africa. Do you think my observation is well-founded?</p>
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<p>The only way to overcome this problem would be for you Americans to throw off the effects of all your education and sophistication and give yourself up in sacrifice for the sake of others. With that, we can have hope for North Americans; but if you want to keep everything you have and try to follow God, it won’t work. If you voluntarily take on a miserable situation, maybe there is hope for you. In fact, if you did that, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth could emerge very quickly. Even if we could establish the ideal in Africa or South America, still we must return to North America to do the same thing. Therefore, no matter how difficult it is, we must use North Americans for God’s dispensation-this is God’s will and it is what Reverend Moon and Moonies in the whole world want.</p>
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<p>How does this sound: we must live on the same standard as the African people, eating and living the same way they do. Can you do that? I know you Americans don’t want to do that. But I know God’s ways; therefore, what if I determine to make your lives miserable like the Africans? Will you welcome that?</p>
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<p>America is in the highest position, materially. Americans try to take the most trouble-free path to greater and greater levels of comfort. But God wants to redirect your paths temporarily, in a way that will cause you more difficulty. You want to continue to go upward, but the law of the universe requires that you must first go down, then move up higher and higher. If all Americans decided that they should adopt the spirit of God and Christ and start sacrificing themselves, that would be very good. That means that they would have to start living with a much lower standard than they are familiar with. At that lower point, they would experience greater unity and cohesion among themselves. When they started to go up again, they would go up much higher than they were before.</p>
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<p>You have always learned to try to progress toward easier and more comfortable ways of living; yet according to that way, you become less and less significant to God’s work. Ultimately, God has to leave you if you just pursue that way. God would have to leave this entire country.</p>
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<p>At this time of emergency, should our way of thinking be to get an easier and more comfortable way of life each day? Or shouldn’t we determine that each day should be a little more challenging than the one before? At this time there is only one way for America to continue its prosperity under God-by voluntarily tightening their belts and inch by inch lowering their standard of living.</p>
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<p>You may understand that what I am saying is correct, but you need to know the reasons why to support you in the future when you are trying to live by it. Until 70 years after the end of World War I and 40 years after the end of World War II, the whole world has been in turmoil. There has never been such a confusing, tumultuous time in history to compare with this time period. Especially since 1960 as the peak year of transition, things have been changing so rapidly most thinking people do not know what to expect. John F. Kennedy, Dag Hammerskjöld, and other public figures who had a righteous influence on the world died shortly after 1960. America plummeted from its loss of leadership.</p>
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<p>Intelligent, realistic people in the world do not see any hope for America. It seems to be a certain prey for communism. Therefore, many intelligent, but not so righteous American media people are deserting the sinking ship and supporting what they see as the coming communist domain here. Some intellectual professors honestly believe that communism is the only hope for the future, so they are helping to promote that. In this difficult atmosphere, Carter came into the presidency; during his term, 14 more American allies were sold out. Now Reagan has started to redirect the country in the right way, but he is receiving much unrighteous pressure from many quarters. The stronger the communist influence becomes here, the more Reagan will be opposed.</p>
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<p>Consider the conflict between the liberals. who are greater in number in the government, and the conservatives. What will happen here if liberals win in the struggle for power? The country must see the emergence of a group of dedicated, intelligent people who are opposing communism, proclaiming that with their lives they will cause communism to be eradicated from the earth. Who is that group? It is the Moonies. Even though we are just a handful of people, if America were inspired by us, the situation would be different. In reality, as a handful of people we are trying to achieve such a large goal and the majority of the country is going against us. It is logical that communists would want to stop us, but even the free world is trying to stop us. Where will this world go? Can Reverend Moon be solely responsible for that?</p>
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<p>Does Reverend Moon have a country of his own? Even Korea is not following along with me. There are only a handful of people around the world who are supporting me. I determined that these few people and I are going to sacrifice and dedicate ourselves for the sake of the world. Because of that, God has a tangible hope for the future of the world. Through this one condition, God can accomplish many more miracles.</p>
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<p>The situation of the Moonies is like God’s situation, desperate. Yet we know we can do it. Even when we are suffering on the point of death, if we can pray for God’s liberation and victory and forget our own situation, that is a miracle for God. As Moonies, we are opposed to communism because we want to bring all people over the border into God’s world. Can that possibly be an easy way to go?</p>
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<p>This is why we are living in an utmost emergency situation for God, this country, and the whole world. Jesus was described as the lamb who carried the sins of the world. Today, Reverend Moon should be described as the person who has the power and the duty to liberate the entire world and God. This is the reality. We can clearly compare the time of Jesus and the time of the Second Advent. Which was more difficult: the situation Jesus faced. or the one which the Unification Church is facing? Today’s situation is more difficult.</p>
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||
<p>When you visit the catacombs in Rome, you can learn a lot of things. Early Christians were so strong and faithful they would go willingly to be eaten by lions. Today we should literally do better than they, in order to liberate the entire world. We must determine that we would be able to die for the sake of the world, just as the early Christians did. You must make up your mind, “I am the independent soldier for the liberation of God and the world.” Unless each and every one of the members of the Unification Church do that, we cannot achieve our goal and truly be the hope for the world. This is the responsibility of the members.</p>
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<p>This is the 37th year since the end of World War II. America’s entire future will be decided in the next three years. President Reagan is providing hope for this country. What about the Unification Church? All Moonies must determine to change the tide of public opinion toward us in the next three years, or else America will be lost. I have my own strategy on how to achieve the goal of saving this country. I decided that through the court battle, I would change the public opinion of Moonies.</p>
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<p>For seven years, the American government has been scrutinizing and investigating Reverend Moon and everything I have done. If they proclaim that I have not done anything wrong, no one could say anything against us. There is no higher level of battle than this one, against the governmental authorities.</p>
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<p>You are following me, so you must determine that you can go through whatever difficulties or court battles you may encounter, anywhere you might encounter them. With that determination, the world will once again have hope in you. When such a determined attitude emerges’ God will seriously open up a way for us to march toward Moscow and reach the Russian people. With God’s help. victory will be on our side.</p>
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<p>I know God will be with us when we go to Moscow. This has been God’s goal. which He tried to achieve through Christianity; but Christians didn’t fulfill their opportunity after World War II. As a result, Christianity has declined sharply since then. Therefore, the Unification Church has emerged to accomplish that purpose of God.</p>
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<p>People who look at me without the knowledge of all these things cannot help but think I am a crazy person. Once they understand my reasoning, however, they will bow down and weep. Only God and Reverend Moon know how strongly God wants to see the liberation of Moscow and Russia. If you pray sincerely, God will tell you this truth.</p>
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<p>Are you the kind of person who just agrees with me with your mouth? Or do you really feel, “Father, your goals are my goals for life, as well.” You must prepare yourself to meet the challenge of achieving God’s goals. Perhaps you feel that you have been dedicating yourself very sincerely for many years, but now you must concentrate on starting your family and that relationship. Instead, you must realize that this is no time to focus on yourself, but it is an urgent time. You must be willing to take your new pregnant bride with you, on foot, marching to Moscow if necessary, instead of planning on flying in comfort there.</p>
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<p>Do you expect that I will take good care of you and buy an airplane to fly you to Moscow in? Which has more value and leaves behind the highest tradition for the world-if you flew in comfort on an airplane to Moscow, or if you marched barefoot there?</p>
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<p>Why do you think God allows the world to persecute us and make us suffer? I think it is good training for Moonies to go through, but it is only the beginning. Are you ready to face the truly harsh situation of walking to Moscow? Just because you have been in training, does that mean you are not also in a war? Maybe the war is just going on in America, but the world is at peace? No, the whole world is at war.</p>
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||
<p>Eldridge Cleaver is now traveling around the college campuses with CARP speaking out against communism, shaking the students into awareness. He is a very effective enemy who seemed to come out of the blue sky, so those communists who were trying to be discreet have come out publicly, even wearing T-shirts proclaiming their ideology. It is becoming very obvious now who are the communists. Therefore the communists are also facing an utmost emergency time, not just the Moonies! I have provided inspiration for the CARP members; even though I do not go myself to the campuses, [ have inspired the battles there.</p>
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||
<p>When I pray, do you think God responds? At the time of the early Christians, their standard of sacrifice was so high. Can the Moonies have a standard any less high? We have to be able to pray, even on the verge of death, “Oh. God, please send us to Moscow.” We can’t afford to wait thousands of years for that to happen, so we must be very intense at this time. If we tell God we are different from the Christians who have been praying to Him for thousands of years, He might respond, “I don’t see any difference. Your prayers aren’t any more intense than the Christians.” Then you will have to confront God, “No, God, we are different. Even though there have been millions of Christians praying intensely, they were praying for a smaller purpose-for the well-being of their denominations, their families, and their own salvation. We are praying for the salvation of the entire world and for Your own liberation.”</p>
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||
<p>You can tell God, “Father, you don’t have to send me to Heaven; that’s not what I am here for. I may go to hell, but I will be satisfied as long as mankind and You are liberated.” Will such a person be sent to hell? Never. That is the standard of the true Moonie-is that what you are?</p>
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||
<p>Are you capable of giving up the people and things who are closest to your heart, in order to accomplish God’s will to save Russia and liberate the people there? What if God told you that the only way to do that would be for you to send your wife to Russia and never see her again? Are you capable of taking her to the border and kissing her good-bye, saying, “I never thought I would do this but if you leave me, God will be able to bless the entire world, so good-bye and God bless you.” Would you be crazy or wonderful? If there is a person who thinks that way and is ready to literally do such a thing, wouldn’t God like to live with him for eternity?</p>
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||
<p>We know that this is the utmost emergency time. It is just like the time of the match between David and Goliath. David threw his stone with a simple faith in God; today, you are much more knowledgeable than David. You know the entire history of the dispensation and you understand why God must support you. David didn’t know why God supported him, but he had the confidence that he was going to liberate his own nation. You, however, have the world to liberate and your mission is more important. If God helped David, wouldn’t He be very anxious to help you? You have to have pride and confidence in that fact.</p>
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||
<p>Very soon the day will come when Americans will have to bow down in repentance for what they did to the Unification Church. When that time comes, our sole business will be to care for America. Have you planned what kind of responsibilities you will have in 20 or 30 years? As you rise up in society, you will have certain positions of influence. We will reach that point in the future, and that is why we are working so hard today. Are you determined to rise to this emergency time? Can you say, “Even if I lose my eyes, or my limbs, or my life, I will never stop short of my destination.” You should have no other goal in your life than to liberate mankind and God.</p>
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||
<p>One of my children told Mother and me the other day. “Because you are so completely public and the parents to the entire Unification Church, I cannot feel sometimes that you are my own parents.” Our children candidly feel distant from us sometimes. I thought about it and had to admit that such a thing must be true. Even if Mother said, “The children are right, Father. It’s not fair for your family, so why don’t you make yourself available for more family activities?,” my response would be to say. “No, I will not do that yet. If I had achieved my goals, maybe I would be able to do that, but I haven’t. Therefore, I cannot commit myself to anything else yet.” Do you understand?</p>
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||
<p>What if my family did not follow me? That would not stop me. If I had to choose between forsaking them and following God’s will, or the other way around, I would never forsake God’s will. I know that is the only way God approves of my being a family man. God can tell the entire world, “Reverend Moon has even forsaken his own family for the sake of the cosmos.” What about that? Was my decision right? What is your decision? Can you split your attention in half at this time, or direct it completely toward the ultimate purpose?</p>
|
||
<p>Are you going to follow my pattern, even more than I? If you do that, the world will come to life. The hope of God and the world is connected with such a commitment.</p>
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||
<p>No matter how humble your individual family may be, the important thing is what kind of attitude you have. I know that even if I cannot take care of my family, God will protect them and help them to understand the situation. Therefore, I can be relatively free of worry.</p>
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<p>There is no better place than America for the accomplishment of God’s will. There is no room for consideration of another person’s race or nationality when we are all working together for the sake of God, at this emergency time. Whenever Moonies get together. we will discuss the best ways to bring results for the sake of America and the world. As people of five colors of skin and all different nationalities come together in discussion of ways to liberate God and mankind, the world and God have hope. Without us, they have no hope. When we realize this fact, there is no room for any other attitude.</p>
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<p>Only by living this way will we digest this emergency time. This is the central thought of the Moonies. This emergency time of the world is very real. When we grasp this situation and we pray earnestly to God, God always responds and helps us. How much sin have you committed according to this standard? How much have you been up and down, changeable and undependable? Even other people do not approve of changeable people, so how can you expect God to approve?</p>
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<p>As Moonies, you have an understanding of God that is far superior to anyone else’s in history. If you are dedicated to the service of mankind, God can accomplish His goals, even though you are few in number. What a wonderful realization this is! You must know that this ability is the most precious thing you own-not even your own spouse is more precious.</p>
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<p>If you carry out your mission, you can possess the Creator and all of His creation. How wonderful that is! Will you do it? If so, then God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1654" class="post-1654 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/original-race-from-one-lineage/" title="Permalink to ORIGINAL RACE FROM ONE LINEAGE" rel="bookmark">ORIGINAL RACE FROM ONE LINEAGE</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:32:59+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/original-race-from-one-lineage/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:33:27+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">December 1, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>The literal translation of the title is blood family, a family or a people united by the same blood lineage. But you don’t use a phrase such as blood race, do you? So a better translation might be the original race from one lineage.</p>
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<p>Where did all of us come from? The key question is always one of origin. Consider yourself: what are you? You consist of mind and body. There are also various other symmetries and relationships in your nuke-up: right and left, up and down, etc. Everything is relative.</p>
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<p>When you look at your face, you may wonder why it happens to be the way it is. You can imagine some very funny variations. Suppose the various facial features were arranged differently. Everything might be upside down, for example. If your mouth were higher dun your eyes, your eyeballs would move up and down every time you brought food to your mouth. If your meal consisted of soup, every time a spoon carrying hot liquid went up, your eyes would declare an emergency! Then what if your nose were upside down, with the nostrils facing up? Any liquid failing from the mouth would enter those two holes and create tremendous problems.</p>
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<p>Why do the eyes happen to be in their particular position? If they were on the top of your head, you would have to make incredible effort to look down. Any time you try to select a better position for the eyes, you come to the conclusion that this is the best place for them. Generally speaking, the eyes are centrally placed. Why? It is so you can see straight; your eyes move back and forth at a 90 degree angle from your standing position, which is a vertical line.</p>
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<p>When you sleep at night, how do your eyes move: up and down, or right and left? When you are lying down, it doesn’t really matter whether the eyeballs move right and left or up and down. They still operate on a horizontal plane, don’t they? You probably never thought about that.</p>
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<p>What if you didn’t have eyelashes or eyebrows? Look at someone and try to visualize him without eyebrows. In the summer when you work hard and the sweat pours down from your forehead, what would happen if the eyebrows were positioned upside down like a bowl? The sweat would stay in the bowl and spill over into your eyes! It’s almost incredible how the features of your face are arranged.</p>
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<p>Now, when you look at someone’s eyes, you realize how strategically they are positioned and how well they are protected. The eyes are normally set in and the bones around them stick out. They are framed by eyebrows and eyelashes so they are well protected by their surroundings. In addition, the eyes are recessed and the eyelids extend over them, so liquids, including sweat, cannot get in. Suppose the hairs of the eyelashes extended over the nose. Have you thought about why them is hair around the eyes?</p>
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<p>Many people probably look at their face and take it for granted. But so many things were considered in the creation of that face; so much thought went into making certain that it would function perfectly. Incredible thinking was invested in the face.</p>
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<p>Suppose the eyeballs were immobile and the only way to look to the right or to the left was to move your face, or even your entire body. If the eyeballs didn’t move, the neck would have to work double, triple, or even quadruple time. It would protest to the eyes: “You rascals, you give me such a hard time!”</p>
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<p>Your eyelids don’t stay still; they blink steadily. But do you feel uncomfortable blinking? Does blinking inconvenience you? Are you aware of your eyes blinking? From the time you get up in the morning and as you do your mission throughout the day, your eyelids blink without resting. Have you ever thought about how your eyes have to blink all day long? If they remained open like windows, without blinking, what do you think would happen? Your eyes would dry out; they would become sore and bloodshot; the various disturbances coming into your eyes would make them painful. So think what a priceless gift of fortune it is to have even one perfect eye functioning for you!</p>
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<p>Suppose the line of your nose went downward and then suddenly turned up. Suppose it were circular. Suppose it ended right in the mouth. Why is there a slight bulge on both sides of the end of your nose? It is to keep any min or sweat from entering your nostrils. Any liquid coming down the top of your nose will fall to the side and never get into your mouth.</p>
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<p>Why is there a line separating each cheek from your mouth? Each line and each shape has meaning. When I look at someone’s face, I can tell a great deal about that person by the shape of those two lines. Those lines can tell me, for instance, whether a person works hard and sweats a lot. Your eyes also reveal a lot about you. Some people don’t look straight at you; they always look up or down. Other people constantly look from side to side as they walk. There are even distinctive ways of closing one’s mouth. Some people press their lips tightly and thrust them out. One person may shut his mouth, making a long horizontal line, while another points his lips out.</p>
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<p>What was the original kind of face? What do you consider the most natural face? Is it a smiling face? The original face may be that of a newborn baby crying and shouting out to the world. A brand new baby doesn’t just whimper, he puts his last ounce of energy into his cry. Actually, crying is an excellent exercise for an infant. His lungs contract all the way and his chest moves up and down; in this way he is exercising his lungs.</p>
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<p>A baby who has just been born makes a declaration of life as he cries out to the world. A mother loves to hear her newborn cry. If the baby doesn’t cry, something must be wrong. For nine months prior to birth, the baby was compressed into the small space inside the mother’s womb. It had no elbow room; it needed exercise. The baby has to be curled up into the smallest possible mass inside the womb. Finally, when the baby is born, his body can stretch out; his lungs expand and he starts to breathe.</p>
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<p>I don’t know what the medical books say about this because I haven’t read them, but I know what nature says very well. The newborn baby’s cry is a cry of joy, a cry of bursting into nature. It is an incredible outburst of life.</p>
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<p>Both crying and laughing are extreme expressions of feeling, linking emotional and physical functions. When you look at someone laughing, you see not just the mouth but the whole body is involved. It is awkward and unnatural for someone to laugh only with his mouth. Laughter is an emotional expression of the whole face and body.</p>
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<p>Another amazing thing is that tears are produced both when you laugh and when you cry. The emotions of laughing and crying are extreme opposites, but both are expressed by the same tears. Does that mean the two emotions are far apart or close? Is it bad to cry? Do you want to live a crying life? Would you want to spend your entire life as a crying baby? Would you prefer a laughing life or a crying life? One is an upward expression and the other a downward expression, so the two emotions are different. What kind of face would you want to wear daily? You say a happy face. Show me one.</p>
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<p>Happiness can be described as a smooth, natural and harmonious expression-a full circle. Unless your circle is completely full, there is no true happiness. We could say that the universe exists to fill the circle. The various parts of your body are rounded; there are no sharp edges. Even a person’s face is generally round; a person’s head is rounded. A round face and head are good.</p>
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<p>There are distinct features that differentiate Oriental and Western people. Oriental heads are normally broad in front, but short in depth, while Western heads are narrower in front but quite long. People usually evaluate a person’s attractiveness from the front, but I think the most important angle is the rear view. A good-looking person should be attractive from the rear, side and top as well; all directions should be perfect.</p>
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<p>When I look at someone’s mouth, it tells me lots of stories about him. From the shape of the mouth I know whether someone speaks bluntly and honestly.</p>
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<p>It is not easy to become a totally original, natural person. To be natural, everything has to be straight, parallel, and organized. It even means walking in the most natural manner possible. To conform to the original human standard is not easy; to reach the original level is an almost insurmountable physical task.</p>
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<p>It would be absurd to say that the intricate human body just happened by accident. By looking at the human face alone, one cannot deny the existence of God. You sometimes wonder how I can match so many couples in such a short time; now you have been given a glimpse into the process. This is a very elementary explanation, but it still offers some hints about how I get insights into people.</p>
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<p>A person’s chin and cars offer insights as well. A person’s chin generally protrudes slightly. Do you know why? It is for the sake of harmony. If all the lines go straight down, the face looks too flat, so the chin makes the face more interesting. The shape of the ears is absolutely beautiful. There are even three stages to the ear.</p>
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<p>Just as them are three focal points in the face-eyes, nose and mouth-them are also three distinct areas: from the hairline to the eyebrows, the eyebrows to the tip of the nose, and the nose to the chin. Each of these levels also has three distinct areas. Everything, even your fingers, has three parts.</p>
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<p>The features of one’s face are also proportionate to the face as a whole. When God gives someone a long face, for instance, He has to give him a long nose. Can you imagine how unbalanced a long face with a very tiny nose would look!</p>
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<p>Everything we are talking about hem is scientific. What does it mean to say something is scientific? The scientific process involves making logical, organized links between cause and effect. This whole discussion of facial features is very logical.</p>
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<p>Let’s talk about the ancestors of your eyes. Where do your eyes come from? Which do you think came first, the eye or the environment? Why did the environment come first? Before the eyes were even created, they knew there would be a sun; eyes were designed on the assumption of sunshine. Perhaps someone would claim, “No, no. The sun knew what kind of eyes them would be, so it adapted itself to them adjusting its brightness to give them enough light.”</p>
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<p>We might ask another question: how did the eyes know they would need some kind of moisture to keep from drying out? Whoever designed the eyes provided tear ducts and eyelids to protect the eyes from dust. So did that somebody create eyes first and then put dust into the air? No. Your answer is correct: the environment came first; nature came first.</p>
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<p>Therefore, it is obvious that even before they came into being, your eyes knew them would be sunshine, rain, sweat, dust, atmosphere, and so on to deal with. When the very first eyes came into the world, did they know they would encounter sunlight, dust and moisture, etc.? The eyes didn’t know that, but their designer did.</p>
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<p>Then who is that designer? You say God, but have you seen Him? How do you know He did it? We can conclude, very logically and scientifically, that before the eyes ever came into being, some intelligence which knew the circumstances of the atmosphere designed the eyes to function properly. If eyes had come into being on their own and encountered some unforeseen circumstances, do you suppose they would go searching throughout the universe for some hairs they had neglected to provide!</p>
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<p>Your eyes are like two windows opening out to the universe. So when you open your eyes, you are not just moving muscles but you are exposing yourself to the universe. You can acquire universal knowledge through them.</p>
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<p>Why do the eyeballs move left and right and up and down? Many people believe that everything happens by accident, that life evolved through random mutations. But you must recognize that there is direction and will in evolution. If there were no discipline in development, your eyes might have evolved in all kinds of ways.</p>
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<p>A crucial question in philosophy is which came first, consciousness or existence. If you say consciousness was the origin, you are calling it the seed of everything. If you say existence came first, you mean that matter is the essence of the universe. So what is the answer?</p>
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<p>How many eye doctors do you think there are in the world? Tens of thousands, right? If your eyes are healthy and don’t need the care of an eye doctor, that means they are protected and beyond the realm of knowledge of the doctors. All the intelligence of all the eye doctors together is not enough to fathom the eye. How many volumes of books do you think would be needed to describe all the knowledge about your eyes? What’s more, your eyes are not just physical organs; they perceive the universe. Therefore, a comprehensive book about eyes would also have to describe universal phenomena!</p>
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<p>In addition, your eyes, mouth, nose and ears don’t just function separately, but they are all interconnected. If you take a deep breath and hold your nose, for instance, you can feel your eyes and ears pop. How many books would be needed to describe the five functions of your face? Would one book be enough? A million books? That and many more. You have never seen anything more intricate, sophisticated, disciplined, or more organized than the organs of your face. What a lot of nonsense for someone to say it all came about by accident!</p>
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<p>Actually, each person contains the essence of the universe including solid, liquid and gas elements. To bring one person into existence would require mastering the total knowledge of the universe and projecting it into one perfect microcosm: a human being. So you are not an accidental phenomenon. It would be nonsense for a person to declare, “I don’t care about the universe; I have nothing to do with it. I happen to be here by accident.”</p>
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<p>Some people claim that human beings evolved from monkeys. All right, but who determined the way the monkey is? Who decided there would be male and female monkeys? Was there some clever monkey who chose whether it was going to be male or female? Perhaps a female monkey declared she wanted to be a male from then on. Suppose none of them wanted to be female, and all the monkeys ended up being males. What would happen then? Male monkeys ire tall, strong and powerful, while female monkeys are smaller and weaker, so maybe nobody wanted to be a female monkey. But does a monkey have the right to decide?</p>
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<p>The theory of evolution leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Who determined the direction of evolution? Who said that monkeys should become humans? Why shouldn’t the monkeys become more primitive and go back to being amoebas? Did the monkeys make up their mind to head one way and not the other? Who decided that life should evolve from a primitive state to a more advanced, sophisticated state?</p>
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<p>In order to become something else or to achieve a higher state, one needs extra energy. Where can one get that extra energy to invest? Can you say, “I don’t need anything. I will create my own energy?” Does created matter generate creative power within itself? When we really understand scientific logic, communism has no ground to stand upon. But scientists are too timid, in a way, to come out and declare it.</p>
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<p>When you think about it deeply, nothing is accidental in the human body. For instance, why do men have a beard and women not? Whoever designed men knew that men were going to sweat a lot; therefore, when the sweat comes out, it is absorbed by the hair instead of dripping all over the face. Everything has a reason. Nothing on your face or in your body is there without a reason.</p>
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<p>Which comes first, consciousness or existence? A long time ago I had many friends who were communists. I kept teasing them, “Oh, you conic from a monkey, so you are a monkey boy. Why don’t you evolve into a man? I’m a man, but you’re a monkey. You can be my friend when you conic up to the human level!”</p>
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<p>When you look into a mirror, you are looking at a mystery palace. How big a price tag would you place on your body? One human being is so precious that even if you offered the entire universe, it would not be sufficient compensation. What are the distinctive human attributes and qualities? We have consciousness; we have the ability to think. But any discussion of human lineage requires understanding of the original human beings.</p>
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<p>What was the original human being like? The original human being looked like you! Every person has the same number of features in his face: two eyes, two ears, one nose, one mouth. How many holes are there in your face? Seven: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and the mouth. The number seven comes from four plus three.</p>
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<p>Where can we find the number three in our face? It is divided into three levels and each part has three aspects of segments. Where can we find the number four? Your ears hear from all four different directions; your nose also deals with four directions. In the Bible, the numbers three and four are very important, as well as seven (three plus four) and twelve (three times four). Nature is designed around twelve months, twelve hours, and twelve directions, for example.</p>
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<p>The number one is a symbol of God. The thumb has two joints, representing God who exists in dual essentialities. The hands of an unborn baby are clenched, with the thumb inside the fist. Why is the thumb inside? Because God is the center of the universe; His position is the pivotal, inner position. The other four fingers of our hand have a total of twelve joints, signifying the twelve months, twelve directions, and twelve hours that represent the universe. So the four fingers represent the universe and the thumb represents God at the center.</p>
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<p>Your face is also a microcosm. The most mysterious part of your face is the eyes, because they represent God. The nose, at the center, represents Adam and Eve. The mouth represents all things of creation. A normal, healthy person has 32 teeth, four times eight, representing the whole. Also, the mouth deals with all things, represented by the food it takes in. Only the mouth takes in food but it also corresponds to the mind because words come out of the mouth. Of the five sensory organs, only the mouth has a dual responsibility: eating and speaking. Speaking is a spiritual function, while eating is a physical function. Taking in food deals with physical elements, while speaking deals with spiritual elements.</p>
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<p>The connection between your mouth and your mind is a crucial one. This is obvious, because when your mind feels it wants to go somewhere, your mouth should immediately say it wants to go. The mouth responds to the mind and is completely harmonized with it. This is another way of explaining that the mind and body are not separate; rather they are one harmonious whole. Mind and body cannot be separated.</p>
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<p>What would happen if your mouth disobeyed your mind? What if the mind said, “I want to go there,” and the mouth replied, “No, you don’t?” ‘Your mind would be saying “Yes, yes,” and your body “No. no.” Actually, in the original concept, there was to be no separation between mind and body. But what has happened? Do you sometimes feel a contradiction between your mind and body? Does your mind belong to the spiritual realm and your body to the material realm, or vice versa? Your mind deals with consciousness and your body with matter, but the problem is that we have found no way to harmonize the two.</p>
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<p>Disharmony exists on all levels, from the individual to the worldwide level. On the global level, two fundamentally contradictory worlds exist: democratic and communist. Their conflict has caused tremendous confusion and chaos. Do you have such confusion and chaos? Since you don’t, Moonies are number one! You are clever, aren’t you?</p>
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<p>This disharmony of the world was not the original intention. We can say that universal consciousness or intelligence is parallel with our minds; both have the same essence. Also, our body and the material world have the same origin. Is it possible that the two were designed to be fighting a the time? The original concept was for mind and body to be harmonized, but our problem today is that they are divided and contradictory.</p>
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<p>Throughout history, philosophers and secular thinkers could not determine why this division came about. Only religion has a clear understanding, teaching that man fell. To say that there was a fall means that something is out of order. Fallen men and women are like broken-down instruments that need to be sent back to the manufacturer for repairs. Who is the owner of all these broken-down instruments? It is God. Looking at such disorder, God thinks, ‘They need to be sent to a repair shop.”</p>
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<p>In God’s sight, religion is the repair shop, but there are many different levels of religion, from the most elementary to the most sophisticated. The Unification Church is one of God’s repair shops, but which kind? As our name indicates, we are the repair shop that brings unification; the end result of our work is unification. In the Unification shop, everything must harmonize; all parts must click together.</p>
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<p>I am the shop foreman. When I speak to you and rap your forehead. you feel good because you can say, “I am being remolded; I am in the process of being repaired.” Those who sit in front want to be fixed first. Clever people who want to be repaired first look for the right position!</p>
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<p>When you have a choice between a mediocre repair shop and an excellent one, which would you choose? Do you look for meticulous work? Do you want to be worked on a lot or just a little? Is the Unification Church repair shop an easy place, a mediocre place, or a hard place? Do you like such a hard place?</p>
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<p>Why is this a good repair shop? Once you have been through this shop, you become a superior product and everybody in the world wants you! Who can determine the quality of product you will become? You can. Compare what you get here with what you could get from the world. You have come to the right repair shop, haven’t you?</p>
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<p>Is MFT duty in the Unification Church okay? How do you like witnessing? You go through a great deal of hardship when people criticize and persecute you for witnessing, but is it okay? Why do you have to endure it? I know it is tough for you, but through this process you are being molded into a new being; you are actually elevating yourself.</p>
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<p>Are you confident that you can become a new person through following faithfully the Unification Church doctrine? Do you really mean it when you say yes? Once you are repaired, your mind and body operate in harmony what the mind wants the body does, and what the body wants the mind does.</p>
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<p>Do you find my way of thinking and describing things ordinary or extraordinary? You learn a lot in this repair shop, don’t you? How much tuition do you pay? If we were to charge tuition, it wouldn’t be cheap. You aren’t dumb! You know these are expensive lessons.</p>
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<p>Once you are repaired, I will give you a final test; every product will be tested, and I will seal you with my signature, Sun Myung Moon. Furthermore, I will give you a guarantee not just for one year or ten years, but for eternity. Once I sip the eternal guarantee, you will be welcome not only here on earth but everywhere. People will say, “Hem comes a perfect specimen. I want it.” Isn’t that what you want to be?</p>
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<p>To gain a worldly Ph.D. from Harvard University takes 10, 15, or maybe 20 years. But you have come to the Unification Church and learned incredible, extraordinary lessons. Can you say that three years or seven years is too long? At the end of your course, you will receive an eternal guarantee. A university degree represents competence in basically only one area, but I want you to become multi-faceted people, able to understand every phase of human life. The only reason I can lead you is that I understand every facet of human life.</p>
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<p>People admire champion athletes. But do you know who was the greatest wrestling champion of all? It was Jacob, whose opponent was an angel. God was the umpire of that competition. When you ask other people who is the most famous boxing champion, they might think of the movie Rocky, but we in the Unification Church think of biblical characters such as Jacob. How different the two are! There is no comparison.</p>
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<p>If there were a tournament for religious leaders, don’t you think I would be an extraordinary champion? In any competition, the important point is who will be the judge. Who will decide whether I am the champion? Jesus was the chosen contender and he fought in the ring, but did he win the battle? My opponents have always been nations or governments. In Korea, I faced the government, in North Korea it was the communist government, and here in the United States, the legal battle is defined as the United States of America versus Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Ultimately, when I go to Moscow, I will contend with the Soviet government.</p>
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<p>Today I am definitely struggling with the U.S. government. It is like Reverend Moon and Uncle Sam are wrestling! You Moonies form an incredible cheering section. Uncle Sam’s group shouts out, “Uncle Sam, you cannot be defeated. Go on. Hit him!” “Booo,” the Moonies reply. Who is the umpire? It is God. Even if the United States declares a victory, God will say, “No, you made a misjudgment. That is not the correct verdict.” Who will be the ultimate winner? The key question is always who will be the judge.</p>
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<p>To be a religious person, you need some religious purpose in your life. Is the Unification Church the right place to come? Among religious doctrines, does my teaching come first or last? Who knows? God knows. No matter how loudly you may declare it, I won’t believe you if you are the only ones saying it. But if God declares that my teachings come first, I will trust His word.</p>
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<p>I am a religious leader, but that does not mean I focus only on religion. I may speak about business, health, art, literature, science-every aspect of human life. All human pursuits, even journalism, should serve the highest purpose.</p>
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<p>The United States is a country with a free enterprise system. There are an incredible number of wealthy people and wealthy groups such as the Rockefeller Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, who should be serving this country. Therefore, when Washington, DC, the nation’s capital, ended up with only one, very liberal newspaper, The Washington Post, I waited for some rich people with a lot of resources to come forward and publish a patriotic newspaper there. Since no one did, I stood up and said, “Let’s do it.”</p>
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<p>Was creating The Washington Times a good or bad thing to do? For whose sake was the paper created? It was to serve America and the largest purpose. Ultimately, God shall be served. Did I get any personal benefit from it? No, but that is perfectly all right because I am not seeking personal benefit. I am a religious leader, but every day I have to deal with finances because there am so many projects that need money. People always come to me requesting funds for one project or another.</p>
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<p>There is a lot of money in the Chase Manhattan Bank, in the Bank of America, in the various Swiss banks, but my bank is a pocket bank! That’s the only bank I have. My pockets are always empty, however, because the needs are always larger than the pockets! I am always looking for more funds to support our various projects.</p>
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<p>When I wondered what I should do to support our projects, God said, “Reverend Moon, don’t you know there is a beautiful solution? We have great young people. Let them go out and bring in the necessary funds.” What kind of attitude should you have as you raise funds? Will you go in slow motion, or run and challenge the goal? Actually, the ideal motion is that of a fighting spirit.</p>
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<p>Also, since we need more people, I am sending you out to witness. Suppose God said, “We need not only a Washington Times but also a Boston Times or a Baltimore Times,” how should I respond? God is telling me we need all kinds of Times, so maybe we can create a Times Club-the Times Club News Companies! This is plural thinking, rather than singular thinking! Is it a good way to think?</p>
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<p>Such a connection of heart fills us with joy. We are happy people because even though we receive all kinds of persecution as we go out, when we get together we can laugh with heavenly humor, rejoicing over the truth.</p>
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<p>When God looks around, what location will He find most amusing? None other than Belvedere. Why is God’s attention so drawn to this place? Nowhere else can God find so many Westerners sitting in front of one Oriental leader and laughing. This in itself is an extraordinary vision of unity. Another aspect of Belvedere’s humor is that the Western world is a chair-culture, but here nobody cares about chairs. You can sit on the floor for hours and hours and enjoy yourself! So God must really love to look down at this unusual setting.</p>
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<p>Most pastors worry keeping their services short enough. Their sermons rarely exceed 15 minutes because they say no soul is saved after 15 minutes! They feel that the entire service should not exceed 40 minutes. But you come here and don’t even look at the clock. One hour, two hours, three and even four hours pass, and you still laugh. So God must find this a fun place to be!</p>
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<p>Is God really interested in this place? Where else can He find such an unusual assembly of people who work hard but give every ounce of their energy to serve the world? Where else can He find people who raise funds and never keep one penny in their own pockets? If there is a God, He has to be on our side. The conclusion is that simple.</p>
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<p>Let me ask you another tough question: To whom will you listen, your spouse, me, or God? Suppose I tell you that since you are over 30 you should start your family life, and then God suddenly overrides me. Whose direction should you follow? Certainly, if I give a certain instruction and God says no, you would follow the higher order. If you have a rare opportunity to go to the theater with your wife and suddenly I call you, would you still go on your outing? Would you cancel it?</p>
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<p>Would you like to live deeply indebted to others or be debt-free? One couple may borrow money to go to a movie, but another husband and wife make a love-pact and then leave for separate missions. Which life would you prefer? Are you sure you want the second one?</p>
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<p>This morning I have been explaining the universal principle that the mind and body need to unite and harmonize, centering upon truth. When you extend mind and body to the ultimate scale, they become the spiritual world and the physical world, or heaven and earth. One is internal and the other external. When they are harmonized, everything in between becomes harmonious and free from contradiction.</p>
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<p>I have also been helping you understand the significance of your face. Every day when you rise, look at yourself differently in the mirror. After listening to this morning’s sermon, look at your eyes in particular and by examining them, you can tell if your thinking is lowly and physical, or more lofty and spiritual. The eyes are clear indicators. Because the eyes represent God, their shape and their brightness reveal your story. When you ask your eyes whether they like this world of truth and spirit, they should say, “Yes, yes, that’s it!” When you have MFT duty and you tell your eyes you are going fundraising, will they cry or laugh?</p>
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<p>Your nose represents Adam and Eve, therefore, you should be straight, true and faithful. The nose develops last on the face, because Adam and Eve were the final beings created. Because the nose represents the center of the universe which is able to communicate with God, it is vertical. Also, the function of the nose is breathing. That is a symbol of mankind inhaling both the physical and the spiritual elements.</p>
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<p>Why do people get married? A nose functions properly when it has two nostrils. By the same token, a single man or woman is not complete. All your organs should function for the sake of truth.</p>
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<p>You should tell your mouth to speak the one truth. You have only one tongue, not two. Looking in the mirror, tell each organ you want to take in only the truth and digest only the truth. Don’t listen to anything that is lowly or ungodly. You are responsible to control the organs of your body.</p>
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<p>There are seven openings in your face, plus your hands and feet, making 11 items. Tell your hand not to touch anything except godly things. Your original, pure mind says your hand should not touch a woman’s hand until you are married. Your eyes should look only in the right direction, your nose should smell only the right things, your mouth should eat only the right things, your hands touch only the right things and so on.</p>
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<p>As soon as a man and woman see each other, 12 different organs, or instruments, are mobilized. The opposite sex is the most effective mobilizing force! If a woman asks her eyes what they would most like to see, would they answer another woman? No, they want to see a very rough, hairy man! What do your eyes exist for? They seek an object. Likewise, the nose seeks an object to smell. It is most logical that the organs of your body function for the sake of your object, not for yourself.</p>
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<p>Is a woman supposed to live for the sake of another woman? A woman’s original purpose of creation is for the sake of man. And a man exists for the sake of a woman. Therefore, men and women need each other; they have to meet.</p>
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<p>In what phase of your life do your faculties reach their peak function? It is when you have the greatest sensitivity to love-in your youth.</p>
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<p>American women usually don’t want to be in the lower position; they want to take the upper position and have power. They want to be in control. But biologically, God made women as a container. Therefore, in order to fulfill that function, you need to be in a low position. Only love brings a man and a woman together. A new baby, new life, is conceived in the very center of a man and a woman. This is where each of us originated.</p>
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<p>This brings us back to today’s theme: the original race from one lineage. Where did each of us come from? We came from the center of love of our parents. Which comes first: life or love? Love gives meaning to life, now let us ask which comes first: love or God? This is a very huge question, but the explanation is very simple: God also exists for love. Without the reality of love, there would be no reason for God to exist.</p>
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<p>This is clear from an observation of life. Human life didn’t precede love; it was love which created life. Where does consciousness originate? It is the same answer: consciousness starts from love. Even your eyes originate from love. Your eyes, ears and nose all look forward to living with love and going to a loving place; your entire body is heading towards the destination of love. You are searching after love.</p>
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<p>It is entirely natural for you to search for love because this was how your life began. When a newborn baby cries out, it fills the father and mother with joy. Would a mother criticize her newborn for crying? Even wet and messy diapers are a source of joy; the parents are glad to serve the baby by changing them. Do you write down a charge slip for every time you change a diaper or feed your baby so you can present your child with a bill later? Would you tell your child, “It took this amount of money to raise you, so please repay me”? A parent’s mind does not function that way. Parents always want to give mom and serve mom; they find joy in giving.</p>
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<p>As you keep on giving, do you find yourself depleted and empty? No, you will be replenished over and over, beyond what you have given. When you invest energy you receive some return. In the physical world, it is impossible to obtain 100 percent return on your energy output. The output is always greater than the return. However, there is one exception and that is the power of love. In the realm of love, you always get back mom than you give.</p>
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<p>God is eternal and cannot be diminished. For thousands of years He has been pouring out His love without becoming any weaker. By giving love, God has prospered. According to the laws of physics, fuel and energy are always needed to operate a machine, and eventually the supply of energy runs out. God has been operating this entire universe from the beginning until now and He has always been spending without receiving. He has been pouring out Himself, but He has never become empty because in the realm of love, the more you give, the more you receive. Therefore, everything balances out and a revolving action can exist.</p>
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<p>This replenishment of love is an incredible new discovery. Because of this, eternal life can be seen as very logical, even scientific. In the world of love, by giving you become more active and by receiving you be-come more prosperous. Therefore you can go on for eternity. You were born in love and you live and grow in love; you will continue for eternity in a love that will never diminish. This is the most beautiful secret in the universe. Do you follow?</p>
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<p>Eternal life is made possible only with love. That is why the philosophy or creed of the Unification Church is always to give out to the world. Can anyone of you say you have nothing to give? No, you can always give love true love that will never be depleted, true love that will never diminish.</p>
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<p>Think of it. When you know someone is giving you 100 percent genuine love, you want to reciprocate, don’t you? What’s more, you don’t want to reciprocate just 50 percent of what you received, but more than 100 percent. That’s love. According to the principle of love, when you receive 100 percent, you want to return 100 percent, or even 150 percent.</p>
|
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<p>Eternal love is created in the family. When individuals are joined as husband and wife and live together for eternity, their interaction is a spiraling motion that goes to the core and then heads outward. It is always circling in and out, in and out, like breathing. There is a mother’s side and a father’s side, but there must be some circuit of interaction between them; otherwise a child could not be conceived.</p>
|
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<p>The father and mother breathe in harmony and rhythm. Father and mother experience ecstatic joy when the child is conceived and take delight and satisfaction in its birth. We are born as individuals and grow up with brothers and sisters; then we become husband and wife and live with the universe. So we experience three levels of life while on earth. The final stage of life is linked to universal consciousness; human beings are the center of the universe and dwell in love forever.</p>
|
||
<p>What kind of world is the spirit world? It is the eternal world. It has no air like ours on earth but its atmosphere is love. There people breathe the air of love. All human beings are meant to experience this.</p>
|
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<p>The original race comes from the same blood line. We all go through three stages of life. These three stages create the heavenly four position foundation. We experience brotherly love, parental love, and ultimately divine love. Along the way, we become husband and wife and develop conjugal love.</p>
|
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<p>We start life in the watery atmosphere of our mother’s womb where we receive oxygen and nourishment through the umbilical cord. However, even inside the mother’s womb, lungs are developing for breathing air, which is the atmosphere of the next life. Do you follow? The unborn baby has a nose, but since the umbilical cord provides oxygen the nose doesn’t function until birth. However, along with the lungs, the nose perfects its capacity to function within the mother’s womb.</p>
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<p>When the time of birth arrives, the baby experiences a revolutionary shakeup! The previous system for receiving oxygen and food-the umbilical cord-is cut and tied. Since the former existence is severed, as far as the baby is concerned it suffers a kind of death! The end of the world has come! All its previous environment-the placenta, the umbilical cord-is broken, and the fluid that surrounded the baby drains away.</p>
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<p>But birth means entering a new womb-that of the universe. We are all living now in the universal mother’s womb. In the previous life, we lived in a liquid atmosphere; here we breathe air. While surrounded by amniotic fluid, we were preparing for this present atmosphere. By the same token, while living in this universal mother’s womb, we are breathing air but also we are developing our capacity for love. We are preparing for one final stage.</p>
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<p>Before birth, many of the baby’s capabilities we re latent; the nose and the lungs had developed, but they remained dormant. By the same token, the capacity to live in love which we must nurture while we am on earth remains dormant until we experience another birth. This new birth is a revolution like our first birth; it involves some destruction as well.</p>
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<p>In the spirit world we don’t need a physical body, a physical atmosphere, or physical clothes. There, we take off our shackles and see new horizons as our latent capacities begin to function. We put our ability to breathe love into action. In the sight of God, what people call death is actually a new birth and our entry into eternal life.</p>
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<p>To be able to live in that atmosphere of eternal love, we have to prepare our “love lungs” here. Thus in our short time here on earth, we must nurture our capacity to love and our sensitivity to it. Eventually, we will leave this universal physical womb and be born into the divine womb-the spirit world, the universe centered upon God. God exists at the core of love, so when we awaken into the new world, we too, can exist at the core of love. We can become. the center of love.</p>
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<p>When we are elevated to the sphere of God’s divine love, we have total freedom. We can have a body if we like; or if we don’t want a body, we don’t have it-we can be like God and function exactly like Him. Love is an absolute prerequisite for this; without love we would choke to death there. Once we are the center of the universe, we can go to the realm of perfect resemblance to God. Ultimately, every person is entitled to be exactly like God; when we move into the divine realm, God is in us and we are in God; we are inseparable.</p>
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<p>A seed represents a circle. A seed has a covering called a seed coat. Inside there are two parts called cotyledons and between them, in one comer, an embryo. An embryo contains the mystery of life. When it germinates, the two cotyledons provide its initial nourishment. Before you were born, who was the source of your nourishment? Your mother. Now, who is your nourishment? It is the universe.</p>
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<p>Like the seed, everything in this world exists in relationship: there are men and women, plus and minus, subject and object. People are like embryos nestled within this world. The child grows and flourishes, blossoming during the teenage years. Men begin to seek women and women seek men. Love-centered activity ultimately bears fruit: a child, which is another seed.</p>
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<p>The Unification Church teaches the incredible truth that God exists in dual essentialities. So we might say that God is like a big, super seed! Within God is the embryo, the life essence. In our life’s journey, we begin as an embryo, are born and grow throughout our lifetime so we can ultimately return to God and be like Him.</p>
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<p>We need to have give and take with the universe, but how can we keep it up for eternity? It is only by love. The virtues of meekness and humility will sustain love for eternity, because when one is meek and humble he meets no resistance. He can keep giving out and move wherever he wishes because there is no opposition. So the secret of being able to move without resistance is meekness and humility.</p>
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<p>Why must we be sacrificial? It’s not an easy thing. There is no better way to develop our capacity to breathe the atmosphere of love in the next world than by leading a sacrificial life. Sacrifice is the most dramatic and intensive way to complete the love lungs we need in the next world.</p>
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<p>All living things go through the same basic process of growth. When seeds germinate and receive sunlight, moisture, and various fertilizing elements they start to sprout. Plants go through three stages, animals go through three stages, and human beings also go through three stages. This is entirely logical.</p>
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<p>Look at a cricket. This little insect comes in the summertime and sings loud songs! The egg was laid perhaps in some warm place underground; it hatched into a larva, became a pupa and finally an adult cricket. The ultimate stage of the cricket is the flying, singing stage.</p>
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<p>Mankind also grows through three stages. When you reach the spirit world you will realize why you had to live this way on earth. Our ultimate goal is to become like God-to become perfect like Him and become friends with Him. The fear of death can be eliminated because there is no more death. In the truest sense, death is a new birth! Those who try to deny the existence of spirit world are pitiful people.</p>
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<p>Think of the launching of the Apollo and Columbia spacecraft. Once in orbit, they reach a zero gravity stage. They need no additional fuel to maintain their orbit because they meet no resistance at all. By the same token, once we are elevated into the spiritual plane of life, we will find no resistance. We will be able to travel throughout the entire universe in a moment, at the speed of thought.</p>
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<p>If there is a star made out of diamonds, wouldn’t you want to go see it? Perhaps there is a planet made out of gold and silver. These celestial bodies may be billions of light years away, so even by traveling at the speed of light you would not be able to reach them. But in the spiritual realm, you can go there on the spur of a moment-by thinking, you can be there instantly. So would you rather live here in this clumsy world for eternity, or upstairs?</p>
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<p>Each blessed couple has received a special kind of energy from me. When I gave you the Blessing, I actually gave you a special commission. The Blessing is like plugging into the outlet of the True Parents. As soon as you turn on the switch, You receive the energy of True Parents which enables you to fly throughout the universe without any limits. That is what the Blessing is all about: commissioning people as heavenly “supermen” and “superwomen.” Isn’t that good?</p>
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<p>I am eager to explore every comer of the cosmos. Given the physical distances of this universe, it might take many billions of light years, but in the spirit world everything is right in front of you. If you want to see something, it appears before you; you don’t even have to wait!</p>
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<p>Life on earth is a time of preparation. When you are elevated into the spirit world after your life in the Unification Church, will you look for me? In the spirit world there will be two types of people seeking me: those who really served God, True Parents and mankind here on earth and those who didn’t. If you are the first type, you can call me when you enter the spirit world and I will embrace you immediately. But if you didn’t live this way and didn’t develop your love lungs here on earth, I won’t be able to embrace you automatically.</p>
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<p>My responsibility is to guide you to pass the standard of the spirit world. No matter how difficult it may be, my duty is to push you out so each of you can meet its qualifications. Inside its mother’s womb, the baby is preparing to dwell in the atmosphere of air. By the same token, while you are here on earth, you should be preparing your love lungs for the next world. Are your preparations complete? I want you to attain the highest value. Will you be the center of the universe? Will you live for the sake of God, mankind, brotherly love and True Parents?</p>
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<p>When you are fully resurrected, you attain the same value as God. The creation of a human being is actually the creation of another God! This is an amazing truth. That is the true, absolute value of mankind. Today, people have lost that value. People have reduced themselves to dirt, below the level of even insects. Do you like that kind of life? So do you want to undergo this training?</p>
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<p>Some women in the Unification Church are very conscious of their beauty. “I was born a beauty queen,” they say; “but Father gave me this ugly-looking man for a husband. I can’t accept that. I just couldn’t live with him. Them are lots of handsome men out on Fifth Avenue in New York. Why couldn’t God and Father pick one of those for me?” Is that how you think?</p>
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<p>In some cases I matched a very sensitive woman to a dull, insensitive man. If she can love that man, her love lungs will really develop. When a sensitive woman can make a dense man become sensitive, she becomes a master genius! Actually, the all-knowing God created only 95 percent of our being, and He asks us to create the remaining 5 percent. So a woman can go to God and say, “You gave me 95 percent of a husband, so I will create the remaining 5 percent, making him a whole being.” The ideal woman resolves to create her husband.</p>
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<p>What do you think I am doing this morning? I am remolding, recreating you. That is the secret behind the ideal, to remake men and women. All morning long, I have been working so hard to remold you! Because love is the motivating factor, I am not even aware of how much time passes. I don’t think of hunger, either. When I speak like this for three hours I am working intensely to remake you, and I don’t feel any fatigue. But as soon as I return to East Garden, both my legs give out. Only love and desire could generate such intensity; I could never do this out of a sense of duty.</p>
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<p>We can reach perfection and become ideal people by passing through the three stages we have spoken about. Therefore we have to adjust our life according to those three stages. The original race means the race connected by the same blood lineage, linked together like the features of the face-eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. All races and all people are supposed to be linked like that.</p>
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<p>The eyes represent grandfather and grandmother. the nose husband and wife, and the mouth truth. This forms one family, one blood race in which everything is connected and no one is isolated. I exist for the sake of my grandparents, my parents, and my children. Grandparents exist for the sake of their children and grandchildren. These bonds must develop on earth, which is our workshop for perfecting these relationships.</p>
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<p>The original race is very precious. You are born with a certain face. Would you ever want to replace your eyes? No. For your grandparents to divorce and remarry would almost be like replacing your eyes, wouldn’t it? Your father and mother are like your nostrils. Would you like it if they were to separate and remarry? That would be almost like chopping the nose in half and replacing it. Don’t you want your brothers and sisters to be of the same blood race? You long for your original brothers and sisters.</p>
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<p>Something that is original has undergone a continuous process, from beginning to end. The original essence never diminishes or disappears. In conclusion, what is the meaning of perfection? In order to be perfect, you must master all the relationships within a family. You should be able to put up with all kinds of grandparents: bad, good, talkative, cheerful, whatever.</p>
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<p>If your grandmother cannot take care of her bodily functions and you have to clean up her urine and stools, can you do it without complaining? You should be able to deal with such a grandmother joyfully and happily. That is a sign of a perfect person. Your grandfather may be the most tough, stubborn, arrogant and demanding person, but you should be able to digest everything he does. You should become the kind of person that your grandmother will reach out to when she is dying, in order to thank you for serving her.</p>
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<p>You men may have a wife who fights you or even bites you-someone like Socrates’ wife or Lincoln’s wife but if you can digest her, control her, and work out a solution, she will eventually surrender before such genuine love from her husband. Or you women may have a husband who is ill-tempered; if so, you should be able to win him over.</p>
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<p>You should be able to gain the victory in the six different stages of love: grandfather and grandmother, husband and wife, son and daughter. The number six represents a satanic number, so there are six stages to overcome in your family. In the Bible Jesus said that your enemy is within your own family; your closest relatives can be your biggest obstacles. But later they will remember that they gave you too hard a time, and at the moment of their death they will say, “You are number one. I am indebted to you. I will give you everything because you deserve it.” Men and women who win such love are perfected people.</p>
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<p>Do any of you protest this conclusion? Do any of you think God will come down and say, “No, Reverend Moon, you are wrong. You are not conveying my teaching. You are giving your own teaching”? Or do you think He will say, “Reverend Moon, your definition of perfection is absolutely correct”?</p>
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<p>God’s perfection is similar. At the end of their life, all people will say, “God, please take everything I have; it is all Yours. My only desire is for You.” So God is in exactly the same position. Now you can understand that when people are hard on you, it is not necessarily bad. They are playing the role of difficult grandmother or grandfather, husband or wife, son or daughter. You can say, “Thank You, God, for this opportunity to develop dignity and authority.”</p>
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<p>Jesus Christ’s goal was to become a perfected man. The greatest saints followed this route he took. Today I am striving to achieve this goal of perfection. Since Mother is too kind and good, I need other women to give me a hard time. That is why I get such a hard time from you American women!</p>
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<p>What kind of person do you want to become? You should strive to develop the kind of universal mind God has. If you can think like God and act like Him, you will be perfected men and women. Even Satan will acknowledge your perfection. Then God can “I accept you.”</p>
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<p>Every day, all kinds of people come to Robert Morton, the editor of The News World, to complain about something, to demand favors, or to argue with him. They take his time and energy. Should he try to deal with them on their level, or should he just love them? If he can treat each person as his grandparent, parent, or child, eventually everybody will say, “He is very unusual, an extraordinary person!” Do you follow me?</p>
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<p>The family is your workshop, training you to pass the heavenly test. What an incredible opportunity it presents you! Once you have attained the highest possible standard, you will serve everybody as if they were your grandparents, parents, spouse, or children, and you will be welcomed, accepted, admired, and loved wherever you go. When you continue such a process in the next world, your dwelling will be heaven.</p>
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<p>Now you understand the training process which the original race from one lineage must complete in order to become perfected people and reach the Kingdom of Heaven. Would you prefer to hold on to your narrow way of thinking or adopt this gigantic perspective? You must make up your mind and then act on it. Will you do it?</p>
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<article id="post-1652" class="post-1652 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/our-pledge/" title="Permalink to OUR PLEDGE" rel="bookmark">OUR PLEDGE</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:32:32+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/our-pledge/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:32:32+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">November 21, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>Two Chinese characters represent the word “pledge” and they are pronounced “Mengseh” in Korean. The meaning in Chinese is symbolic and very profound.</p>
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<p>The Korean race originated in the Manchurian area of mainland China, but recent archeological studies show evidence of ancient Korean civilizations scattered much further west. Confucius himself is believed to be of that early Korean origin. The great Chinese king Chin She Wang, comparable to Alexander the Great, has also been linked with Korean origins by archeologists. All these things from the past are being revealed by scientific excavations of tombs and relics.</p>
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<p>I would like to start a project combining three great scholars, one each from China, Japan, and Korea, to uncover the roots of the Korean people.</p>
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<p>The literal meaning of “Mengseh” in Korean is to make a promise before the altar of God. It can also mean simply a promise for the future. We recite our Pledge every Sunday morning at 5:00. The first part of the Pledge deals with the original creation and the loss of that ideal through the fall of man.</p>
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<p>The second paragraph deals with restoration of the children that were lost. The third paragraph refers to the way in which God has fearlessly striven for the restoration of mankind and the world. Number four outlines the scheme through which the ideal will be restored step by step, beginning with the individual, family, society, nation, world and cosmos. The goal and hope for the future are projected in part four. Part five of the Pledge is the conclusion. It projects what we are going to create-one sovereignty, one nation, one people. etc.</p>
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<p>Let us look at ourselves and ask where we are situated now. Mankind is located between good and evil. between God and Satan, between Heaven and earth, as a result of the fall of man. Goodness and Heaven are the realm of God, while evil and the earth itself are the under the domain of Satan. Without question. God is the central figure of Heaven and He created the goodness of this world and the goodness of Heaven. Satan created the evil world and earthly hell.</p>
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<p>Heaven is organized with God at the center and the very best, highest spirits immediately around Him; close to them are the next highest spirits. and so on. Satan organized his realm in a similar way. He occupies the center of hell and surrounding him are the most evil spirits; close to them are the next worst spirits, with the layers filled with spirits of lesser and lesser evil as they go out. Between these two worlds there is a distinct boundary which keeps them separate.</p>
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<p>This is reality. and as human beings we are situated in either of these two areas. In spirit world there is a specific location designated geographically as hell. What is the division between Heaven and hell; where is Heaven? If men and women had not been present to respond to evil, hell would not have been created. Both Heaven and hell were created because of human beings.</p>
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<p>Mankind is composed of both men and women, with man being created first. Who initiated the fall of man? We always blame the archangel, but without men and women he would not have had anybody to work with. In the long historical process of striving for a world of goodness, women have been victimized and used more often as obstacles to that goal. During the past 70 years, the movement for women’s rights has become widespread and prosperous; prior to this, women’s rights never became a strong issue in the world.</p>
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<p>America is a country in which women have great controlling power over the men, who often behave like servants. This is actually a providential occurrence. Since God knew that the messiah was coming in the position of bridegroom, the bride’s position had to be elevated. Women must not be trampled into the ground, so God inspired the effort to give rights to women. Since the USA is a central country in the providence, American women had to play a central role.</p>
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||
<p>The providence of God could be looked at as a hill. During the arduous climb up to the top of the hill, men took the initiative and pulled the women. However once we near the top and start to go over, women have to take the initiative and lead the men. As the central representative of all men. the messiah comes to restore his bride. He has to find that bride and carry her over the hill. Before the bride is restored the women must play the leading role, but afterwards the men must regain their subjective position. Instead of going down the hill together, they will go upward toward Heaven. At the very top of that providential hill are American women, who are very important and very articulate.</p>
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||
<p>Homosexuality is rampant here in America today. One reason for this social phenomenon can be said to be the growth of women’s power. When men become afraid of women, they separate themselves into homosexual behavior. Likewise, women freely engage in lesbian behavior.</p>
|
||
<p>When men think of their ideal wives, they don’t generally think of stubborn, aggressive women. If Adam had been in firm control of Eve in the Garden of Eden, there would not have been any fall; she would not have been vulnerable to the enticement of the archangel. Therefore in the restoration process at the culmination of the providence, man must have a firm, guiding hand over woman. That is the way indemnity must be paid.</p>
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||
<p>In the secular world, women follow men but often with the intention of, controlling them or preventing them from doing something wrong When the ideal world is established, women will follow men but not with such a hostile purpose. They will follow out of a desire to help or serve the man. out of a spirit of total trust.</p>
|
||
<p>This morning’s message doesn’t make you women feel too good, it appears! The truth is that many men have been victimized throughout history because of women. In Western culture, men used to duel with each other for the right to a woman. If two men wanted the same woman, one or the other would have to die. Oriental culture has never seen such a phenomenon. The woman had to wait helplessly for the outcome of the duel; she had to accept the man who won the duel, even if she didn’t like him. Women never normally duel with each other. however. over the love of a man. A duel is almost like Eve pushing God and Satan into the position of dueling for her.</p>
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||
<p>Women were often regarded as a commodity throughout history, like personal property or jewelry. Conquering soldiers would take women as the spoils of war and those women would be forced to live with whatever man claimed them. The queen of a defeated nation could become a servant. The only alternative to living that subjugated way of life was to kill themselves. but women generally didn’t do that. They normally submitted to their slave situation in order to survive.</p>
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||
<p>Historically, the side of evil has been more efficient and aggressive in the struggle against goodness. Between a good man and an evil one, the evil man is more vicious in a conflict. Evil has no discretion, conscience or moral limitations. An evil man can do anything. killing and hurting without compunction.</p>
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||
<p>Between evil men and evil women, who are the most vicious fighters? It is the evil men. Genuine. good. lovely women have been the victims of evil men throughout history. What kind of women have normally been drawn into prostitution: the ugly. unappealing women or those who are good-looking? It was usually the attractive women. We can draw the conclusion that those women who pride themselves on their beauty are more likely to be victims of satanic attack. In wartime invasions. evil men go after beautiful women as their first targets. Dictators with absolute power always pick beautiful women as their slaves or concubines. This is illustrated in movies, novels. and historical archives.</p>
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<p>Evil men have robbed good men of their wives and daughters throughout history. Good men are supposed to have good women, but because of evil men. the good ones have suffered more. Thus women have been the source of great suffering to good men.</p>
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||
<p>In their greed and out of desire to make their women happy, evil men will do anything: organize gangs, rob banks, plunder diamonds and jewels. etc. Thus evil men have the capacity to satisfy women materially. However good men are usually poor because they will not resort to evil methods of gaining money to entice women.</p>
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||
<p>Men who are famous and very masculine-looking are often sought after by women. For example, Elvis Presley used to be chased around by women wherever he went. Women tried to kiss him and cried and screamed over him. If he had made an announcement to the world, “Any woman who likes me can come to see me tonight,” I’m sure millions of American women would have lined up, even leaving their husbands behind. Elvis Presley was like the king of rock music, but in the sight of God. did he fulfill a satanic or Heavenly role? Certainly the superstars of the secular world generally influence the world in a satanic way. Men and women who always worry about their appearance, watching their weight, putting on more makeup, and trying to be alluring to others, are making a basically satanic effort in the world.</p>
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||
<p>What is the standard of the Heavenly side? The Heavenly way is what Satan always rejects. For example people frequently say, “We don’t like Moonies or the Unification Church.” What kind of people are saying this: good, conscientious people or those who are more on the evil side?</p>
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||
<p>Many American parents today are pushing their children to go out and have lots of dates, worrying about them if they don’t. They are actually almost pushing their children toward a promiscuous life. On the other hand, here in the Unification Church I always direct people not to date. not to touch. not to have premarital sex. This teaching is completely opposite from the secular standard. Which do you think is the more Heavenly and which the more satanic?</p>
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||
<p>Do people raise commotion and criticize our church because we are so satanic or so Heavenly? What about you Unification Church members, do you like me? What about you women? Even though you like me, I don’t treat you in a warm. intimate manner; I normally don’t even shake your hand. However when a woman in the secular world gives the signal that she likes a certain man. he will immediately try to move in and claim her for himself.</p>
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||
<p>Sometimes beautiful, talented and intelligent women have heard that I am such a straight upright man and have joined the Unification Church in order to entice me. Of course, none have succeeded yet! If I paid attention to such women, do you think this religious crusade could have continued? God is always pushing me towards a certain goal. So I have no time to get involved with such temptations.</p>
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||
<p>When I came to the United States. I met many capable and charming women. If they tried to wink at me, do you think I winked back? On the contrary, I was likely to make a funny face. Women have the special gift of being able to attract others. The negative way of doing it is for the purpose of enticing someone; more positively, a woman can charm and delight someone. Whenever I see a woman trying to entice me, I become more stern and more severe towards them.</p>
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<p>Out of the approximately four billion people on the earth at this time, what percentage of them do you think could be classified as genuinely good? Perhaps you might estimate one percent; that would mean 40 million people. Are there that many genuinely good people in the world? In the time of Abraham, God announced His judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy those cities, so God promised to relent if Abraham could find ten righteous people in them. Abraham could not come up with even ten righteous people, so the cities were destroyed.</p>
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<p>Do you think New York City today is better or worse than Sodom and Gomorrah? It is worse. This means that New York, and actually every city on the earth. deserves fire and brimstone today. The angels told Lot to leave Sodom because God was going to destroy it. Such an order is about to be given to people in the world today, “Leave that place behind; don’t try to save anything, just come out of there.” What would you do in such a situation?</p>
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||
<p>Most of you Moonies are in a honeymoon mood now, after the July I blessing and the Korean blessing. Many of you are thinking of setting up your own sweet homes, but suppose God ordered you all of a sudden to leave everything behind, including your spouse? Suppose God said. “Husbands go north and wives go south,” what would you do? Would you protest and try to accompany your wives or husbands?</p>
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<p>In the perspective of history, this is not a normal time; it is a time of emergency. In an emergency such as a fire, you would leave a building through any possible exit, even if it were only a small hole. You wouldn’t wait to find the normal door. You might lose an arm, a leg, even break your neck trying, but you would still do anything to get out. If a hotel is on fire, the fireman would go in and even throw someone out the window if there was no other possible way of getting him out. That is an act of goodness in a time of emergency.</p>
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<p>I am like a fireman coming into a burning hotel. I am very busy gathering people and throwing them out of the burning building. In this emergency, do you think my actions are justified?</p>
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||
<p>Why am I speaking to you of such things this morning? Look at the evils of the world. God is a sad and suffering God who must look at this world and see the condition of His children. It is apparent when we look at this world that God must be experiencing terrible suffering. This is a vicious, dangerous world. Therefore. when you go out to do your work in the morning, you must be well prepared. Pray to God for help in meeting the difficulties of this world so you can return safely at night. When you return at night, look at yourself in the mirror your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands. Those are your most susceptible parts, most ready to commit sin. Ask each of your features, “Were you righteous today? What did you do?” You must control your circumstances, rather than being distracted and drawn away by your environment. You must be able to guide your circumstances from the central righteous position.</p>
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<p>You are being trained as leaders in the Unification Church so that you can control your circumstances, not become victims of circumstances. We must change the world, not become changed by it.</p>
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<p>You did not come to Belvedere for a picnic or as a joke. We came here to do battle, to gain the power to go out for the confrontation with Satan. You will either survive or die.</p>
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<p>When you go out, people point their fingers and call you, “Moonie, Moonie!” but that is actually a blessing because they are constantly reminding you of your mission. You can’t forget what you are doing. However, if people were totally embracing you as a Moonie and inviting you into their homes, that would be bad news for you!</p>
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<p>Throughout history, the good and righteous religions prospered during times of persecution. Why is that? Persecution actually protects people by spurring them on to greater discipline and devotion to their mission. As much as you are persecuted for your religion, God’s support intensifies. At the point where their persecution becomes so strong that it threatens their lives, God can distinguish the true believers, those who are truly faithful.</p>
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||
<p>Shall we avoid persecution in every possible way, or shall we confront it? Should we look for the easiest possible route, or go the toughest way? The most timeless teaching of Jesus in the Bible has been that of sacrifice and service, willingness even to die for the sake of others. That means we do not kill those who oppose us; we forgive them. We must embrace our enemies.</p>
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<p>God and Satan are engaged in battle. Satan abhors one thing above all: people who love their enemy. He has no way to deal with such people and is helpless before them. When people have that attitude, there can be no war, bloodshed, or confrontations. Satan always wants to create and wage war while God is always trying to stop war.</p>
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<p>When you are working on the front line, Satan will try to trip you up. using the people and things closest to you. This is why the Bible clearly states that one’s worst enemies in the pursuit of God’s way are often the members of one’s own family. In the same sense. the closest thing to your mind is your body; so Satan will always try to work through your body. In that way, your body is actually your enemy.</p>
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<p>God is telling you, “Don’t doze during the sermon,” but Satan is whispering to you, “Don’t listen to him; go ahead and sleep. You have every reason to be sleepy here because Reverend Moon constantly pushes you: he doesn’t understand you. Go ahead and sleep.” Satan can always give you some justification. “You worked at the News World all night last night. Naturally you have the right to sleep,” he might say. Satan likes to use the word “naturally.”</p>
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<p>We could draw a line representing the division between God’s realm and Satan’s. That which is above the line is Heavenly and that below is satanic. How does your own life measure up? Would more of your life exist below or above the line? When you live more time below the line. do you think you deserve Heaven or hell? You don’t like hell, so why do you permit yourself to exist below the line? It requires great concentration of all your faculties to stay above the line; without that, you become dull and loose, slumping below the line.</p>
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<p>Do you like Chinese food? If I were to tell you to go every day and eat Chinese food and enjoy yourself. would that activity be above or below the line? You should decide, “I could go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant every day but that would be pleasing only to my body, so I won’t do it. Instead, I will eat the most tasteless kind of bread.” Could you resolve to eat the worst kind of food and do the best kind of work? That is the way I am resolved.</p>
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<p>Compare the origins of two babies. One couple might go out to a nice restaurant and drink and dance, having lots of fun; afterwards they go home and conceive a baby. Another couple might be very poor, working hard for their missions and able to afford only the worst kind of bread to eat. But they pray with gratitude to God for giving them nourishment to allow them to continue doing their missions and afterwards, they make love and conceive a baby. Two babies are conceived, but the motivations of their parents are entirely different. Which of the two babies would have its start above the line. on the Heavenly side? Undoubtedly, it is the second baby.</p>
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<p>Among the blessed couples, there are many variations. One couple might have a very comfortable apartment or a good room at the New Yorker, living well each day with no hardships. Then there is the couple in which the husband goes out for his mission, traveling to the south while his wife heads north. both working like beavers. They might meet only once in six months to spend a night in a room at the New Yorker, and at that time conceive a child. Thus even in our movement. there are two different ways of having a baby. Which do you think is more sacred and Heavenly? Which way would you choose’.’</p>
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<p>The messiah, Jesus Christ. was born into the world and laid in a manger. The angels came there and gave praise to the son of God. They were the only beings around, so their songs were shouted out with great strength, since no one else was there to give praise. Imagine, however, if Jesus had been born in some royal palace in Rome. There would have been a large gathering of people. including prime ministers and important people. In such a case, the angels would have been just one of the crowd. Since the messiah was born in a lowly place, the angels had to shout out their praises with tremendous power and excitement.</p>
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<p>Reverend Moon came to this world with a mission. Would it have been more dramatic for me to have been welcomed by the world as a prince of God, dwelling in a golden palace, or to suffer in the lowest possible circumstances, trying to construct a victory for the sake of God? We are only a handful of people who know this wonderful truth, so how much more excited and inspired we should be! We have to face tremendous opposition from the world, and we have to teach them the truth. Do you have the power, energy and commitment to face the world? There is no way you can retreat in the face of all that opposition. You can move forward and endure any kind of hardship.</p>
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<p>Would you rather follow a God whose demands are easy and an easy-going Reverend Moon, or a fighting God and a fighting Reverend Moon? It is easy to say you want the harder way, but it is difficult to do it.</p>
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<p>It is more difficult to witness to people when their language and culture is entirely different from your own, but would you like to do that? When you white members go to black cultures. do you think it will be easy? Certainly you will be opposed initially. Likewise you black people, would you like to go to the white culture and make a breakthrough, or stay in the familiar black world? Which is more dramatic? The richest and most privileged people should go to the most primitive countries and the poorest people should go to the richest cultures. When they get to the affluent societies, they should suffer even more than before for the sake of that society. Is such a thing absolutely impossible? There is a principle and truth behind what I am saying.</p>
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<p>I have gone through incredible suffering, battles and persecution throughout my entire life, and I have not had even one entirely good day. Under such conditions I have been persevering every minute of every day. Compared to such a life, the one-time martyrdom of the first century Christians was much easier. Am I striving so hard now for my own salvation or for the sake of the world? The first century martyrs died for the sake of their own Heaven, without any concept of dying for the sake of the whole world. However. I am working every day to bring the world back to God and into salvation.</p>
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<p>Do you come here to Belvedere to listen to me so that you can build your own Heaven for yourself? That kind of person is not needed at Belvedere. Have you ever considered that Belvedere is like the “mother’s womb” of salvation for the world? In the future, long after all of us are gone. people will come here and touch this blackboard and say, “This is where Reverend Moon spoke and that is where all the members sat.” They will touch the walls, everything, trying to feel what it was like here. If some chalk dust still remained in the room from when I wrote on the board, those people would want to touch or feel even one particle of that historical dust.</p>
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<p>In the future, great numbers of people will make pilgrimages to this auditorium at Belvedere. Kings and queens of many countries will come here and kneel down to pray with tears. If you are living at that time, you will be able to proudly announce to those kings and queens. “When Reverend Moon was preaching, I was sitting right here on the front row and he even hit me on the head with a piece of his chalk. I have it right here. I have kept this piece of chalk for fifty years.” Those kings and queens will regard you as a sacred, holy person. Have you ever thought about the Unification Church rising to such a position in the future?</p>
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<p>Jesus was able to redirect the history of the past two thousand years, yet he lived only 33 years and had a public ministry of only three years. He was able to leave virtually nothing substantial behind, but look at how many things I will be leaving behind. Through the works and words I have spoken the world has hope.</p>
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<p>The very reason I bought Belvedere and East Garden was not for my own comfort, but for the sake of future generations. I know that they will need a holy land to visit, so Belvedere and East Garden will fill that need. I am leaving footprints for posterity.</p>
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<p>When I came to the United States. I had virtually nothing in Korea. I built a church there, but no home of my own. I am telling you this so you can realize what a precious position you are in today and how precious each of you is. When I leave the United States. you will come here to Belvedere to feel my spirit. At that time you will say, “I wish I could hear Father speak here again,” and you will cry and cry. Why don’t you do something about it while I am here?</p>
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<p>I want you to understand that what Satan hates the most is love. We must make a pledge to God this morning. Our determination must be to do the things in which God will have the utmost delight and Satan will hate the most. If you make that promise to God then Satan will kick you and persecute you wherever you go. As one man, I have been totally opposed by the world, including the communist world and the democratic world. Every nation, as well as organized Christianity, Judaism, and other religions have opposed me. Do you think that I am doing such evil things that I deserve this kind of opposition from the entire world? By any standard you may use to evaluate me, I am a force for goodness; in the sight of God’ I am faultless. The rest of the world hates me simply because I promised to God something totally pleasing to Him.</p>
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<p>When I first came to this country and visited New York, I saw Eighth Avenue, the street of prostitutes. I promised to God, “When I return, Father, I will take responsibility to clean up this street.” The secular world doesn’t appreciate that kind of moral stand, so they opposed me. In 1976 it reached a peak. Everybody was opposing me, like village drums beating so strongly against me. However, since that time the opposition has been declining and all their efforts only serve to make the name of Reverend Moon more famous.</p>
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<p>The Korean nation has been the one to oppose me the most. They called me a traitor, a shameful Korean-all kinds of names. But what do they call me now? The beacon of hope for Korea. They are saying that Reverend Moon is the only true patriot since our founding father, Tangun, five thousand years ago. Now there is a consensus even among the children that, as Koreans, they are proud to present Reverend Moon to the world.</p>
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<p>The Japanese at first called me by a scornful name, without any designation of respect. Later they gave me the title of teacher. Now they are referring to me as the greatest religious teacher the Oriental race has ever produced. They don’t want to call me just Korean, because they want to be included too, so they call me Oriental!</p>
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<p>At this time the Western world is striking at me to the highest possible degree, but have I been declining or retreating? On the contrary I am prospering and the opposition is declining. Even while facing trial in the courtroom I did not lose even one iota of my spirit.</p>
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<p>I want you to be aware of what is happening in the Orient. In that way you can measure what will happen in America. I began there at the worst possible level and have risen to the highest level of success. In New York, people are learning that Reverend Moon’s friends consist of Moses, Buddha, and Jesus. I keep good company!</p>
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<p>There has been a great change in Washington, DC. People there are wondering, “Who is Reverend Moon?” Discussions of the Washington Times often end up with one question, “Who is he?” Whether they like me or not they are weighing the issues and asking the right question. Once they start asking the right question, soon they will come to the right answer.</p>
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<p>People at least are concluding that what Reverend Moon is teaching makes sense. If that is the case. he must be at least a candidate for messiah. They are watching and waiting for one more step to be taken.</p>
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<p>Our detractors thought they could knock me down at any time, so they put up a strong opposition. However, nothing happened to me, while they have become weaker and are about to be defeated.</p>
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<p>God’s dispensation is moving up to the summit, the pinnacle. Going up takes the most energy, but as soon as we near the top, it becomes much easier. Communism is not the problem; the free world is the problem. As soon as the free world accepts the truth. communism will fall down the hill, pulled by its own weight and the force of nature.</p>
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<p>I have now climbed to the top of the tree. The world is making a final effort to shake me off and the wind is blowing strong from all directions, trying to dislodge me. I am holding on tight, so as soon as the world admits they cannot shake me off, the whole tree will be conquered.</p>
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<p>You are all holding on to me; would you also like to have someone else holding on to you? Right now people are clinging to me, but the line doesn’t extend far enough to reach all the way to the ground. As soon as the line extends that far, we will have a stabilizing line which will anchor us no matter how hard the wind blows. Nothing will be able to shake me off from the top of the tree and we will have three or four lines reaching up to me like ladders from all directions. People can climb up to me on those ladders. Therefore, you should welcome anyone who wants to hang on to your back.</p>
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<p>In the secular world people live selfishly and don’t want other people hanging on to them or stepping over them. But in the Heavenly world people offer themselves and let others use them as ladders to the pinnacle first. Some of your parents and brothers and sisters are trying to pull you back into the secular world, but the Heavenly world is the opposite. Here we push our brothers forward and children push their parents ahead of them. With this illustration, I want you to understand how tar the Unification Church has come and where we are standing now.</p>
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<p>Do you think the hurricane winds are blowing harder now than ever? Our adversaries thought that indicting Reverend Moon would put an end to him and the Unification Church and that no more young people would follow him. However they made a big mistake; it is not happening that way at all. Even while fighting the court battle, I continued my work. If I am put in jail, that will not be the end either. Would you respond, “While Father is in jail, I will stand around and wait for him”? No, I am sure our people will go to the State Department, the Justice Department, the While House, and demonstrate, protesting that the United States cannot torment a righteous man of God.</p>
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<p>We will not stand still: we have been given the marching order and we will not tolerate this. Our weapon is not a sword or rifle, but the truth, the most powerful weapon God has given us. Let the New York Times and the Washington Post write whatever they want: we shall keep them informed of the truth. Are you determined to do so? Do you have the confidence that you will do that ?</p>
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<p>We have already gone over the pinnacle and we are winning. We will let the world know that the Unification Movement is the toughest and most powerful movement of all. We are not resorting to violence. The U.S. Constitution and laws are on our side, so we simply demand that justice prevail.</p>
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<p>Personally speaking. I would enjoy having a few months’ vacation in a private place such as a prison. My job is tough-speaking here at Belvedere is hard work! To take off for several months and do nothing, just meditating and having fellowship with God, would be a pleasure for me. However. we cannot let that happen. We are going to do what Satan hates the most. Our pledge is to do whatever is pleasing to God and at the same time what Satan hates the most.</p>
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<p>Satan hates the idea of one sovereignty centered on God. He wants all kinds of divided, fighting sovereignties his tactic is to divide and conquer, having people fighting among themselves. But God’s message is to bring people together, uniting them. Therefore, the effort of Reverend Moon is to unite people, to bring denominations and religions and races together. Satan wants to see war between the races and the religions. Are the Christian denominations who fight among themselves helping God’s efforts? The Unification Church is dedicated to regaining God’s sovereignty in this world, to putting Satan out of the picture and exposing his work at corrupting people and inciting them to racial and religious wars.</p>
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<p>The basic motivation of Satan is self-indulgence. People drink, smoke, and bribe each other because of Satan’s influence. Since we understand that fact. we go the opposite way. Satan starts out big and self-important, but he always shrinks to the smallest entity: himself. His only thought is “Me first.” In the Unification Church we are taking the opposite course; we deny the individual, ourselves, in order to dedicate ourselves for the family. We dedicate the family for the sake of the nation; the nation for the world and the world for the cosmos. At the center. the individual is no longer just yourself but is connected with the universe. What you do as an individual is what the universe does; you are a public person.</p>
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<p>Satan’s way, however, was to grab for the largest level and then to fall down to the smallest level, himself. He fell even further down, all the way to the dungeons of hell where there is no way out. The person who lives on an individualistic. selfish level is in hell; the size of his selfishness determines the degree of his hell. The person who could sacrifice the world for his own sake is in the worst place in hell. Those who would sacrifice the nation or the society for his own sake are accorded a corresponding position in hell.</p>
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<p>However, even from those positions in hell, if a person begins to deny himself for the sake of something greater, his family, the society, etc. his acts will bring him up. Only unselfish, public actions can raise people out of hell, step by step.</p>
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<p>In modern day America, the most popular way of life is centered around selfishness. Do the young people generally care about the world, nation, society, or their fellow man? In general they are only oriented to seek fun for themselves. The journey of such Americans toward God must begin from that point of selfishness and when they achieve a certain level, they can become a Moonie. As Moonies, you go up and down continually and some of you never achieve the highest level, although that is a necessity. If you step too low, you can reenter the domain of hell. It is natural for your life to go through ups and downs; but your movements must take you steadily higher. You may go up, then down a little less, then up more than down, then gradually you are moving in an upward direction.</p>
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<p>For the Unification Church, the world is our stage, our center of concern. Therefore, if you go to Africa or Asia or South America and serve for the sake of the world, you will transcend the up and down level; you will jump right into the center.</p>
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||
<p>If you go to Africa with such a heart, you will truly become a central figure because you will be with God, the central figure of the universe. If you are truly aligned and one with God, you can even say, “Africa exists for me,” and God will not be upset with you. If Satan tries to accuse you, God will intervene and defend you because you are motivated by His heart. God may allow Satan to test you to determine whether you are truly with Him or not and Satan may give you many difficulties like He did Job. Regardless of Satan’s test, however, God’s man or woman will not be shaken.</p>
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||
<p>This has been my situation here in America. Satan has been testing me through all the opposition. It has been like a prizefight with Satan trying to knock me down. God is winning His ultimate, final victory and He is telling me, “Yes, my son, you are doing well. Keep going.” Don’t you think God is delighted to see the consistent fighting spirit of Reverend Moon?</p>
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<p>I want you to understand that the time has come for us to go completely over the hill and cross over to victory. However, each of you has a hindrance, like a “tail,” of fallen nature which you must be able to cut off in order to get over the boundary. If you cling to your own narrow identity as an American. that will stop you. Are you willing go cut that tail off? How can you do that? The answer is simple: don’t do anything that Satan likes and do whatever God likes.</p>
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<p>We are living for the sake of the one sovereignty of God, our Heavenly citizenship in the Kingdom of God. This is what God wants, and Satan doesn’t like one sovereignty at all. From the first day of God’s creation, He has desired a world of one sovereignty. This morning in the Pledge you said, “I am proud of the one sovereignty.” I am talking about that as a reality now, not just an empty dream. The time has come in which that point has been reached.</p>
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<p>What is your citizenship, then? You are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and independent soldiers of that Kingdom. You must resolve to take the difficult way; have pride and authority as the unique, historical independence army, fighting for the independence of the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>George Washington actually betrayed his mother country, England. If the Revolutionary Army had been defeated, he would have been condemned as a traitor; surely he would have been dragged to London and beheaded. Likewise, Satan is calling me a betrayer of his principality; I am a traitor to his sovereignty. He is telling me, “You are taking away my people and property.” This is similar to what the Queen of England felt about George Washington.</p>
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<p>Some of your parents believe that Reverend Moon is evil and that I am stealing their children from them. Consider the fact that God’s providence called for America’s independence. George Washington was God’s chosen champion, fulfilling a sacred duty. The independence of America was not the work of George Washington; it was God’s work. Washington was God’s instrument, like a messiah restoring sovereignty back to God.</p>
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<p>Historically, American independence was similar to our mission today, but on a smaller scale. People joined George Washington’s army because they believed in the cause and entrusted their lives to him. Among the descendants of those first Americans, God is summoning His independence army today. My position is like that of George Washington; I am asking people to join with me and restore a nation and world under God. That is our battle cry.</p>
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<p>Satan is accusing us of being traitors but from the Heavenly point of view, this is the most significant and sacred war that God has ever waged. As the heavenly soldiers of independence, your weapons are not rifles and swords but truth and love. God gave you those weapons with which to conquer and win the world. Truth is like a sword and love is like an atomic bomb. An atomic bomb sets off a chain reaction that creates enormous power; likewise, true love will create a chain reaction of goodness, expanding and multiplying. An atomic bomb is so powerful, it wipes out everything in its path: by the same token, true love can wipe out all the opposition and cleanse all corruption.</p>
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<p>Reverend Moon has come to work in the worst possible place in America: New York. It is the most famous. but also the worst place. Therefore, I established our headquarters in New York and launched the Home Church crusade there. This tactic is like the Inchon landing, in the middle of the enemy camp. Do you want to fight an intense battle or a mediocre one? As the commanding general of Home Church, I must be the most tireless and courageous soldier, pushing everybody forward for the sake of the one, Heavenly sovereignty of God.</p>
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<p>The Unification Church is truly a great movement; it is the unique beacon of hope in the sight of God. Communism will never conquer the world; but Godism, one sovereignty under God, will prevail over all the world. “One nation under God” was a wonderful slogan at the time of American independence. However, today our slogan is “One world under God,” a leap forward. America was supposed to be a spearhead for one world under God, but at the moment this country is the worst enemy to that goal. America must decline, then, because she is not following God. Therefore, American Moonies have the greatest commission to turn this nation from its atheistic attitude toward the concept of one world under God.</p>
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<p>Communism is proclaiming, “One world under communism and Karl Marx.” Can you permit that to happen? Should Africans, Koreans, or Americans be standing on the front line in this battle? Americans should be the ones and that is the reason I came to this nation. I never came because of American skyscrapers, her money, or her technology. I came here because Americans must spearhead this battle for one world under God. I came here to teach the new philosophy to awaken America, to point her toward the new goal. Is that evil? You must rally around me and form that new independence movement.</p>
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<p>Until this time in history, all independence movements were only for the sake of small groups or nations, but this movement is working for no national sovereignty, only God’s sovereignty. Therefore all five races of man, all colors of skin-white, yellow, black-have come together and are marching forward as one family.</p>
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<p>Which major race is marching forward now, at the head of the line? I foresee many Africans and Latin Americans joining the Unification Church, far surpassing the white people. If I had a satanic mind I might say, “Let’s just get rid of white people; they have done so much evil and committed so many crimes in the past. We don’t need them in the future world.” On the contrary, I came to the leading white nation, the U. S. A. Because of this historical fact. once the American people are awakened to the new ideology they will be the first to truly appreciate it. They will bow their heads in humble apology, asking to compensate for past evils by serving others. American people will not be saved by arrogance but by humility and service for others.</p>
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<p>Every Sunday morning you have been saying the Pledge, containing the words, “We are proud of the one sovereignty.” Although you have been saying the words, you have never taken them seriously; that is the problem. We are the final, ultimate independence army. There has never been in history an army like ours. We are fighting the unique, fundamental battle. Once we win this battle, there shall be no more war.</p>
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<p>Remind your body that it was made to participate in this volunteer movement for the Kingdom of Heaven. Tell your body, “Be strong. The time has come now for us to wage the battle.” You must be activated for the purpose of Heaven. All your five senses and all your organs must be immune to satanic influence. We must change the satanic environment instead of being changed by it.</p>
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<p>Although we may have children, we have no country in which to register them as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. You should desire to set up that territory of Heaven before you have children. Every minute of the day we must be determined to winning this battle for God’s sovereignty. You are candidates with reservations for the Kingdom of Heaven, but you are not yet registered as citizens. At this time in spirit world the Unification Church is like a paradise, still waiting for the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven. By the same token, we have not yet reached the goal of the Kingdom on the earth. We are moving to that point at this time; therefore, we are at the level of Paradise soldiers. Do you want to remain at that level? We must be committed to marching forward in this battle.</p>
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<p>I have another court battle to wage, but I will never lose the dignity of Heaven. The desires of God and all of spirit world are in harmony with us. We are privileged to be participating in this most glorious crusade.</p>
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<p>It doesn’t matter what specific activities you may be doing, whether you are selling flowers or sweeping floors in your home church area. Realize that you are working in order to bring about the establishment of the Heavenly Kingdom on earth. You can think, “As a volunteer soldier, I am selling these flowers to support the independence movement. I am not ashamed.” If you feel ashamed to be selling flowers for the sake of the independence army of Heaven, what is the meaning of dignity? How can you be ashamed?</p>
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<p>In our army, there are no ranks or classes. We all have the same, sole purpose: the achievement of God’s independence. Wives should not worry about whether or not your husbands have college degrees or not. You need only worry about whether your husband is fulfilling his duty as a true independence soldier.</p>
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<p>God has declared an emergency at this time in history. Perhaps you have seen that movie, “The Guns of Navaronne.” The members of that task force were totally determined and disciplined to achieve their goal. We must be more disciplined than they.</p>
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<p>Because you are the independence soldiers for the establishment of God’s sovereignty, if you fail this mission here on earth, you will be unable to lift up your face when you go to spirit world. That is why I am so serious, every moment of the day. When the Washington Monument Rally was over, I immediately set the next goal: the Moscow Rally. I would like to take the independence movement to Red Square and hold the greatest rally of all there. How much joy that would bring to God! You must be bold and strong.</p>
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<p>In the Pledge, we say that we are proud of one sovereignty, and then one people. We must help the poor and suffering people of the world. The Japanese members have been helping the American movement, rather than thinking of themselves. The U.S. has the responsibility of helping the rest of the world. Americans may love their nation, but God’s people must love this nation even more. America is more than just one nation; it is a microcosm of the world and therefore represents all the nations of the world. I am very aware of the fact that Korea is a very needy nation. If our movement invested all our activities. wealth, and energy in Korea, it could be instantly improved and the people there would accept me better. But because America represents the world, I am dedicating our movement at this time to help this country.</p>
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<p>You American people should love this country in the position of independence soldiers of Heaven. You should love this nation and all others more than their countrymen love them because they belong to God. America could never decline if Americans were giving that kind of love to the world. All around the world at this time. people are crying, “Yankee, go home,” because America has become a selfish nation. However, once they see America giving unselfishly for the world, they will start welcoming Americans.</p>
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<p>Is it a bad thing that Reverend Moon has come to this country to educate you Americans how to become great. to make America great? We raise money here in America and then spend it for the sake of the world. Is that bad’.’ God welcomes such a thing. America’s hope lies in serving the world. People today are becoming involved in such things as drugs. free sex, and homosexuality. Is that for the sake of the world? We Moonies don’t take drugs, smoke, drink. etc. What do we devote our energies to ? To serving the world. We are doing this because that is what Satan hates the most. Satan does not want to allow this to happen, because these things will cause his kingdom to crumble. However, God’s Kingdom will spread and grow. Therefore, the more people follow the teachings of Reverend Moon, the greater the joy of God.</p>
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<p>The third phrase of part Five says, “We are proud of the one land.” Who was the originator of national boundaries? It was Satan.</p>
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<p>The American immigration department is one of the toughest in the world. What if they started a new requirement for people coming into this country? Suppose they required each new immigrant to complete the 120-day workshop in Divine Principle. Think of the benefit this would bring to this country. Communism would be no problem. Within a matter of years, the whole nation would be restored. Once everyone was living according to Divine Principle, do you think America would need immigration offices? No, they could welcome every citizen of God’s world.</p>
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<p>That would begin a movement for all the national boundaries of the world to be abolished. Certainly the free world would welcome that. Ultimately. the result would be one world under God. Once a Divine Principle person becomes commissioner of immigration, or Secretary of State, such a thing could happen in this country without too much difficulty. What is wrong with such a thing, which would benefit the entire world?</p>
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<p>By then, we would not need to do fundraising. Every citizen would contribute to the Heavenly Kingdom by paying their taxes. In the present, everybody tries to dodge taxes in any way possible, but when the ideal world comes, all Divine Principle people will want to pay, even more than is requested. Satan certainly hates to see people giving more than is required for the sake of Heaven.</p>
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<p>Right now in Latin America. the Unification movement is working hard to confront communism and fight immorality. If North America refuses to listen to us, we will work for 21 years in Latin America. the way Jacob worked in Haran to eventually win unity with Esau. After we win the victory in South America. we can return to North America. bearing many gifts and in that way, we shall win the victory here If that is the fastest route, we should not continue to spend time here but should all go to South America.</p>
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<p>What if all the Moonies moved out of the U.S.? It would become such a boring place! Americans would not have anything of interest and they would long to have the Moonies hack. They might ask me to send some Moonies back: maybe they would even make a new immigration law giving tree passes to all Moonies.</p>
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<p>Regardless of what the world is saying. you must he determined to continue to go forward. Are <em>YOU</em> proud to he a Moonie?</p>
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<p>We are proud of the one land. Korean members are asking me to spend some money for Korea, since I am a Korean. American members are saying. “Please spend the money here; this is the best place.” However. the money is being spent for the sake of the world, wherever it will bring the best result in bringing the entire world back to God.</p>
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<p>We are proud of the one sovereignty, one people, one land. and one language and culture. When I go to South America, I will not feel that I am visiting a “foreign country.” I am at home wherever I go. When I go to South America, the unthinking person will say. “I want to go to South America, too.” However, the clever person will say, “I will go to Africa while Father is in South America because he will be coming to Africa next.” What would be your response if I asked everybody to go to Africa tomorrow. while I go to South America? By working hard in Africa, you would be able to restore a nation much easier than by continuing to work here in America.</p>
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<p>Have you ever before realized the exciting contents of our Pledge? When Sunday comes, do you get bored by the idea of saying Pledge, or do you say, “I wish Sunday would come every day.” Perhaps you would like to say it every hour? I know you rascals, though! You are always thinking Sunday morning comes around too quickly!</p>
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<p>God is fond of Moonies because we have such exciting contents to our lives. He never looks at people from an external viewpoint; He is always looking at your mind and your heart and taking His delight through that. You must pledge to God. “No matter how difficult it becomes, I will never let You down. I will make one sovereignty, one land, one people.” There is no better prayer than the contents of our Pledge. If you seriously recite the contents of the Pledge and live with them all the time. God will stay very close to you. Therefore, be strong and bold.</p>
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<p>Consider how small-minded you have been sometimes and what ridiculous things you have thought about. You can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven as simply a citizen of the United States; you must be a citizen of the world and the cosmos. By living and serving others for the sake of the world, you shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>If you live in an expedient, fun-seeking way, you will never have a place to settle once you die and go to spirit world. However, if you are a true Moonie. Living for the goal of loving the world and emulating the True Parents, nothing will be wasted in your life. When you are close to God and the True Parents, you must think the same things as they.</p>
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<p>When husbands and wives embrace each other. are you only looking forward to a small goal. such as your own apartment? How wide is your world? Let the world be your apartment. Even if you have to dress and eat like a beggar. when you are working for the sake of Heaven. you are living a dramatic life. Maybe you will be so poor you can only afford to eat pretzels from street vendors. The word “pretzel” sounds like “blessing,” so when you eat pretzels under such circumstances, you will feel you are receiving a blessing. I have eaten the simplest of barley meals and enjoyed them.</p>
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<p>I always felt I was going to Heaven, even when I was on the way to prison. When I was being escorted to the prison in North Korea, I raised my handcuffed hands above my head to wave to my followers and I felt no shame at all. I knew I was still on my way to Heaven. In my mind, I can still hear the sound of those handcuffs clanging against each other. Even then, I knew that many movies would be made in the future about that time and young people would be inspired by that sound.</p>
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<p>Jails in America, compared to those in North Korea, are like first-class hotels. In totalitarian regimes, jails are slow-killing death chambers. Many lice live in the seams of your clothing; when you press your thumbnail along the seams, it turns red from your blood, which the lice have been sucking. However, each of those lice represents a medal of honor in the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>Nobody else can compete with me because nobody else thinks the way I do. Any normal person would collapse and eventually die in such a prison as in North Korea, but I survived.</p>
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<p>Next in the Pledge we say, “I am proud of the one language and culture centered upon God.” Many American people think such an ideal is virtually impossible. People all over the world are trying to learn English, so maybe you American members think we should say, “I am proud of the one English language and culture centered upon God”? But what is the mother tongue of the Heavenly Kingdom? The mother tongue should be the language of the True Parents.</p>
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<p>Are there many True Parents in the world today? Once the world receives the one. central True Parents, many branches of them will spring up. Those branches will be connected, not all separated and different. When the wind blows through a tree, all the leaves and branches sway in the same direction. A culture is like the wind, like the direction of a given country.</p>
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<p>God happens to be working through Korea. so we consider Korea the fatherland of our faith. During its 5,000 years of history, Korea was invaded 931 times. Yet Korea was never totally destroyed; it always continued as a distinct entity. Korea originally was a gigantic empire, including parts of mainland China. It has continued to shrink because it never invaded any other country and has always been in the position to defend itself from attackers. Korea lost territory each time it was invaded and moved east, eventually to occupy the current Korean peninsula.</p>
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||
<p>The Korean people suffered incredible heartbreak, much bloodshed, and made great sacrifices. Because of the foreign invasions. Korean people have shed more blood than any other race, yet Koreans never sought revenge: they continually forgave their invaders.</p>
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||
<p>Korean people were very bold and strong whenever they were attacked. The Mongolian hero, Genghis Khan, built up a gigantic empire and, according to history. he was never defeated except on one occasion, when he attacked the Korean people.</p>
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<p>Korea was primarily conceived for a special dispensational mission. From the beginning of their history, Korean people worshipped God. For that reason, Koreans are peace-loving and, at the same time, brave and independent in spirit. That is evident in the Korean leaders of our church in America! They have a very stubborn spirit and they never give in. Ten Korean leaders may have ten different opinions and none of them will give in! There is only one person who can control them-me! They are very obedient and loyal to me. so whenever I make a decision they follow with no reservation.</p>
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<p>Koreans are everywhere and have become the center of controversy in many places. In the markets of New York City, they own so many vegetable and fruit stands that people think they are trying to take over! According to U.S. government statistics, Koreans have the smallest ratio of recipients of welfare among all the ethnic groups. The basic spirit of Koreans is to want to help others rather than to be helped. It is a great shame to Koreans to have to become a burden to others. This is the cultural background from which Reverend Moon arose. It is a natural kind of background for such a person as me, don’t you think?</p>
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<p>Nothing happens as the result of pure accident. including the reason why I was born in Korea. Another quality of Korean people is their absolute messianic fervor. Many revelations have heralded the coming of the messiah to Korea. I am not saying these things in order to propagandize for Korea. Its history is filled with stories of evil men plotting against good and innocent men. Korea has been an Abel-type nation tormented by Cain-type countries. Within the country as well, Cain-type people have always tormented Abel-type people. This is a persistent theme in Korean history. However, the good people always depended upon God.</p>
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<p>According to the law of indemnity, Korea was the most appropriate nation to further the providence and play a central role in human history. From that historical background. Reverend Moon’s spiritual ideology will spread to the entire world. This is not just my own personal, individual ideology. God gave His revelation through Reverend Moon. who must spread it clearly as God’s revelation.</p>
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<p>For thousands of years, Korean history has traveled through a labyrinth, yet it has always been heading toward a distinct goal. Because Korea served as an Abel nation, it has suffered throughout history. Now the Korean peninsula is surrounded by major world powers: China, that gigantic country of over one billion people; North Korea; Soviet Russia which borders close to the Korean peninsula; and Japan. The communists are trying to “unify” Korea by force, but the South Korean people do not want any part of that. The Unification Church, which has emerged from this land, will bring together not only North and South Korea but eventually the entire world. That is our claim.</p>
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||
<p>Which do you think is easier: creating a world language, or bringing people from all races of the world together and marrying them? Is it easy to bring young people from over 100 languages and cultures together and unite them under one parent, who matches and marries them? It is definitely easier to learn Korean than for black and white people to come together and accept each other as eternal spouses. I know you have been thinking that “one language and culture centered upon God” is impossible. Yet people are coming together in marriage without even knowing each other’s language, so unification is happening! Learning a language is just a technical matter!</p>
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<p>The original language of the Divine Principle is Korean, so if you want to become a true authority on the subject you must learn Korean. If one person studied the translated English version of Divine Principle for twenty years and another the original Korean version for only five years, who would be the true authority? If a dispute arose between them, the person who studied only the translation would have to bow to the understanding of the one who studied the original version.</p>
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<p>You are hearing my words through Col. Pak today. When I listen to his translation, I hear him leaving out many things; some things he doesn’t have time to say, some things he doesn’t remember, and all kinds of mistakes occur. Do you want to understand me directly in my own tongue or through an interpreter? You are children who have to have an interpreter to hear your father. even after all these years. You should be ashamed.</p>
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<p>You have not fulfilled your pledge of one language and culture centered on God. I came here and have been trying to learn English. in order to be able to communicate with you. If the parents are trying to learn your language, how much more effort should you be making to learn their language! I am certainly a lot older than you, yet you young people try to excuse yourselves because it is too difficult. Are you learning Korean now?</p>
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<p>What if, when you go to the Kingdom of Heaven. the only language is Korean? You would be in deep trouble! Later on. when the Unification Church becomes larger, the official language of our church will be Korean. All official conferences and meetings will be conducted in Korean. The Catholic Church has always used Latin for their official language.</p>
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<p>There have been untold difficulties in the world because of language differences. If the best encyclopedia was written in the Korean language, students around the world would surely learn Korean in order to gain the benefits of that encyclopedia. The encyclopedia of the Heavenly Kingdom will be compiled in Korean.</p>
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<p>There will be a permanent museum in the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you think the most prominent displays will be about the United States heroes, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln? Or perhaps they will show the accomplishments of Great Britain, or German technology? Or do you think the displays about the life of Reverend Moon and the members of the Unification Church, the soldiers of the independence army of Heaven, will be most precious? Your own faces are museum pieces. Do you want to be priceless museum pieces, or cheap ones? You must work at it if you want to be priceless. Certainly the entire spirit world will visit those museum displays. When the guidebook for the museum is written, which language would it be written in? True Parents’ language.</p>
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<p>Not learning Korean would be your eternal shame. Your ancestors will say to you, “You were on the earth at the same time as the True Parents, yet you didn’t even learn their language. Shame on you!”</p>
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<p>You spend a lot of time and money eating three meals a day and a lot of work goes into their preparation. You will probably eat tens of thousands of meals while you are on the earth. If you go to Heaven and proclaim, “I ate a hundred thousand meals on the earth,” nobody will even look at you. Such a thing will never be a source of pride. However, even though you may not eat so many meals, if you can say. “I learned Korean.” you will be regarded with great respect.</p>
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<p>I know many of you want to live in Korea but since it is such a small country. there isn’t room for all of you. Therefore, we would have to live in North Korea, as well. In that way, North and South Korea would be united, and then you could overflow into Manchuria and Red China. Soon we could make a UN resolution abolishing national boundaries. Don’t you think all the embassies would be glad to learn they no longer had to issue visas? Starting with everybody coming together centered on the Korean language, the movement to abolish national boundaries everywhere would automatically arise. When Kim 11 Sung in North Korea hears about this, he will tremble.</p>
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<p>Once we have one sovereignty, one people, and one land, it is most natural that we would have one language and culture centered on God.</p>
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<p>Next we say, “I am proud of becoming the child of the One True Parent.” Because we are all children of one Father, all the people of the world are our brothers. No one is our enemy; even the Russian people are the victims of communism and not our enemies.</p>
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<p>“I am proud of the family who is to inherit one tradition.” What is that tradition? It is the tradition of the parents. The purpose of creation is to build the Heavenly four-position foundation, the Heavenly family. Adam and Eve were the parents and God was the grandparents of their children. Three generations are necessary to make the four positions. God is the Origin, Adam and Eve are the product of His division, and the Union results in the children. The give and take between the horizontal and vertical elements makes the four positions strong. Within those relationships, we must learn how to love. Give and take is expressed in turning, circular motion.</p>
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<p>You are connected with your spouse, your parents and your children. Men are in the position of father, husband, and son. Women are mothers, wives, and daughters. When you love, you love your parents first, then your children, before you love your spouse. This is Heavenly law. Even in the secular world, when a couple gets divorced they often go back to their parents and they want to keep their children. Universal, natural law operates in people’s minds, moving their lives.</p>
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<p>The True Family tradition is the textbook of love. You are learning to apply that textbook to different levels, such as the society, nation, and world, based upon what you learn in the family. Contrary to the secular standard, we do not ignore the rest of the world and center only upon our families. We look at the family as a microcosm of the universe, so whatever we learn in the family we use as training and discipline for the way we must act in the society, nation and world.</p>
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<p>You should regard all elderly people as your grandparents, people of your own age as your brothers and sisters, and younger people as your children. In this way, you can relate to everyone. With the family as your center, you can reach out in any direction to any distance. The furthest extension of this circle is in Heaven; automatically you will be entitled to dwell in Heaven. There is no room for boundaries between people or separation based on races, religions, or cultures. There is never any war in such a concept.</p>
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<p>Because of the satanic element. we have not yet fulfilled this family tradition. We must expand the family tradition through sacrificial service, until we briny the entire world under God.</p>
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<p>Finally we say, “I am proud of being a laborer who is working to establish the one world of the heart.” through heart we shall fulfill the Heavenly ideal. We will tight anything that goes against that ideal, not with swords and rifles, but with these three weapons-the parent/child relationship, Heavenly tradition, and Heavenly heart. We must use these tools with our whole lives.</p>
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<p>The seven points of #5 of our Pledge are the things which Satan hates the most and what God loves the most. Therefore, these seven points are the battleground upon which God and Satan are fighting. You are at the center of this battle. You are learning to go beyond the family, all the way to the society, nation, world and cosmos; finally you will reach the Heart of God. We have to get rid of all traces of Satan in this world; only God’s vertical and horizontal lines will remain. Those individuals who are championing this great cause call themselves Moonies.</p>
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<p>From the Heart of God, we inherit the true tradition, gaining the true parent/child relationship; then we will fulfill the goal of one sovereignty, one people, one land, and one language and culture centered upon God. That is the Pledge we make every Sunday morning. When we make this Pledge, we are promising something to God and we must fulfill it.</p>
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<p>Today you have come to realize fully that the Pledge is not just a ritual of our movement. They are words we must live by and determine to fulfill, as the champions of God. They will become reality here in America and throughout the world. Those who are making this promise to God, raise your hands and say Amen!</p>
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<p>God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1650" class="post-1650 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/childrens-day-1982/" title="Permalink to CHILDREN’S DAY – 1982" rel="bookmark">CHILDREN’S DAY – 1982</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:31:35+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/childrens-day-1982/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:31:35+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">November 16, 1982<br />
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World Mission Center<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>Today we are celebrating the 23rd Children’s Day. During the past 22 years the world has changed and the situation of the Unification Church has also changed and progressed quite a bit. Historians will testify that the period from 1960 to 1982 has been the most fluctuating, volatile and extraordinary epoch in the entire history of mankind. But there has been a providential reason for these historical events. We can conclusively state that history operates according to the providential will of God. How, then, is God’s providence moving in our realm, in the reality of our human life?</p>
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<p>Many nations have become independent since World War II. In contrast to previous history, the powers which gained territory during World War II gave the conquered people the right to independence; many colonies gained independence. These lands had been going through a period of development, progressing like children, but after a time of growth they became independent, autonomous nations. Providentially, parental nations need to be raised up on earth; therefore, brother and sister nations developed in order to usher in the parental nations and support them, and colonies had to be elevated from the position of slave nations to that of children nations.</p>
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<p>As you know, the world has been developing toward two major blocs: the communist world and the free world. According to the Principle, one bloc is Cain-type and the other Abel-type. There is a sort of brotherhood among nations within each bloc. Those in the free world developed as brother nations, governed by a God-accepting, or theistic ideology. The communist nations also became brothers and sisters, but under a satanic ideology; they are creating another world under Cain-type, or satanic influence. Satan has always taken the belligerent, warmongering approach.</p>
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<p>As you study history, you will see that whenever nations fight, they always lose ground; as these Cain-type nations continued to fight and lose territory, they came up with a proposal, an ideology that claims there is no God. Since Satan is a spirit, in effect he is denying himself by making such a statement. But even at the cost of denying himself, he wants to repudiate God’s existence. Satan’s ultimate ideology is atheism, God-denying communism.</p>
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<p>History also indicates that Satan has always taken the initiative; he has always waged war first, he has always launched the first offensive. Whichever party takes the initiative in trying to knock the other down represents Satan and is always on the evil side. That is Satan’s nature. Look at the three world wars. In World War I, the satanic side attacked first; in World War II, the satanic side attacked first; in World War III, the confrontation with communism, you know exactly who is taking the initiative.</p>
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<p>Providentially speaking, World War I was the battle to acquire land, property and colonies; it was a territorial war. World War II was a war for manpower. Now the communist bloc and the free world are fighting to absorb more population under their wings, trying to gain people to support them. Continuing the style of World War II, in a sense, they are fighting for the people’s support. The ultimate battle of World War III is the battle to take control of God. Communism denies God and is trying to eradicate Him from this planet; the free world affirms God’s existence. Thus, World War III is a war of minds.</p>
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<p>The current world conflict is an ideological conflict, centering on the existence of God: one side denies His existence and the other affirms it. One side will win. If all the religious communities of the world unite and affirm God’s existence, we can make God manifest; we can prove His existence. But unless religions can play that role in these days, they will be demolished or extinguished.</p>
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<p>As you look at today’s situation, you see that the religious world is on the defensive; not only that, it is daily losing ground – Christianity included. Communism is gaining more territory, winning more people all the time.</p>
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<p>I want you to understand that World War I focused on territorial gain, World War II on population gain, and World War III aims to gain God, to decide His existence.</p>
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<p>Therefore, in light of this total picture, when is the most crucial time? It is now, because God’s presence on this planet is in question. In the history of God and man, this is the most crucial time. If we cannot win this battle, the whole religious world will lose its reason, purpose and ground, and eventually be extinguished. Human history is reaching this point. This is God’s perspective on human history.</p>
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<p>Therefore, the past 20 years have witnessed tremendous change and fluctuation. These years have seen the most crucial battles in the war between God and Satan. World events and the changes that have taken place reflect God’s emergency situation.</p>
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<p>Of course, God’s ultimate will is to bring the entire world into unity, but the two blocs keep fighting among themselves, weakening each other. Therefore, God had to make a new force emerge in the world during these past 20 years, a force that would be His champion, His task force. This is the Unification Church, created to do God’s will. This new religious force is declaring to the world that land and territory belong neither to one bloc nor the other – but to God. Furthermore, all people of the world belong neither to one bloc nor the other, but to God. They are children of God. Finally, the Unification Church declares that God is the parent of mankind.</p>
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<p>Many Christian churches have talked of God as Father, but without truly knowing what kind of Father He is. The various denominations – Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, etc. – call God Father, but what kind of God is He, and of which denomination is He the Father? Are there dozens, or millions of fathers? No. Just one Father. There is one God and one Father, but so many different denominations each claim Him as their Father. What a difficult time God has had! He doesn’t know how to respond.</p>
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<p>At the same time, each of the world’s religions has been claiming, “God is our God” Is there a Muslim God, a Christian God, a Catholic God, a Buddhist God, etc.? Will God ration Himself out and decide, “Today I’ll be a Muslim God, tomorrow a Buddhist God, and the following day return to Christianity”? No, that is not the way God wants to work. God wants us to join under one name. His contention is, “Unless you are united, unless you become one, you are not worthy of coming to Me and calling Me Father”</p>
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<p>As you know, God’s providential scheme is always focused on some central religion. You know that Christianity is that central religion. So God is saying, “You Christians have too many divisions, too many denominations. Because you are the central religion, you should be the first to become one” That is God’s mandate for Christianity.</p>
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<p>Just as the nations of the world became brother and sister nations after World War II, God wanted all religions to become brother religions. But selfishness was always the governing factor, even as history was moving toward brother nations. The United States accepted other nations as brother nations, for example, but always with the attitude, “I am the master; you come to me and listen to me” It should have said, “You are my brother; let me share with you,’ but that spirit has been missing.</p>
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<p>The victory of World War II brought virtually the entire world under the wings of the United States. If the United States had behaved truly unselfishly, it could have exercised its influence to help other nations around the world. It could have said, “I want to play the role of elder brother. This is the tradition or philosophy of the elder brother, so let’s unite around it and become one family of God”</p>
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<p>If the United States had done so, the world would never have reached the state it is in today. Other nations would have ceased struggling among themselves. Religious people would have said, “There is one God and one Father; therefore, beyond the distinctions of denomination or religion we are all one, and we should live in one true brotherhood” If that had been the concept of religious leaders, the religious community would never have fallen into its present condition.</p>
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<p>When the United Nations was born after World War II, it was a family of nations trying to unite the world. Its hope was to live up to its name. At the same time, a world religious organization should have formed, with unity and unselfishness as its theme. Then when the Unification Church came forward with a new ideology, it would have encountered no opposition.</p>
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<p>Thus when the political United Nations was formed, a religious United Nations should also have taken shape. Then the two forces should have worked together in pursuit of the one fatherhood of God and one brotherhood of man. When the new ideology emerged through the Unification Church it would have been accepted, because it would have been the very thing they had been seeking. The world’s political and religious leaders did not know that God’s ultimate will we. to unite the world and bring about one family of man; the, did not realize that God’s ultimate plan was to bring al] nations and religions together under the one fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. Still, they would have con eluded that the world needed a new ideology, and they would have recognized the Unification Church and its ideology as the answer.</p>
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<p>The United Nations was to have done the will of God from its formation. Atheistic, communist countries should have been barred from membership. They should have been told, “You are not entitled to be here; this is not your house” If the United Nations had taken this direction, centered upon the United States, a new providential history would have begun to unfold. But since the free world and the United States in particular failed to do this, the satanic countries took the offensive. Day after day, they tried to shatter the already-divided free world into pieces. Whenever you fail to live up to your responsibility, Satan inevitably comes and attacks you. This is an iron rule.</p>
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<p>The satanic side first attacked religion, then the young people, trying to draw them away from the church, and finally the institution of the family. Communism and Satan know very clearly that if you remove young people and families from the churches, religion can only collapse. Satan has been bombarding the United States and it is about to succumb. The United States has been a key victim in Satan’s strategy, and he has been very successful here. Since the United States did not succeed in winning over its brother nations throughout the world, internally it has become morally weakened. As a result, no one sympathizes with it or pays attention to it. “You deserve it,” people say.</p>
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<p>In the midst of all this, the Unification Church arose. It was supposed to have been accepted by the free world and by the world’s religions, but that did not happen. Because the United States failed to fulfill its role, world religions have not been united. Therefore, the Unification Church has existed in a lonely situation, opposed by both world religions and the United States.</p>
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<p>The United States, world religions and communism have Joined together to attack me, since I am a focal power. A central nation on God’s side, the United States, is now working with the communists to destroy me. Satan knows the situation very clearly; the only real problem he faces in the whole world today is Reverend Moon and the Unification Church. So he is amassing all the help he can to destroy us. He knows that the rest of the world will then become his.</p>
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<p>I am aware of how effective Satan’s tactics are. However, instead of retreating or taking refuge somewhere, I walk right into the heat of battle. I head straight for the trouble spots and the war zones. First I dedicated myself to knocking down atheism, restoring the churches, restoring young people, and restoring families. Wherever Satan is trying to destroy something, I head there and try to make it whole.</p>
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<p>My concept is completely different from that of the United States. This nation is focused primarily on itself and perhaps its neighbors, and principally on the white race. My focus is upon all people; I consider all races to be one family. My vision is global, and even beyond that. I can see the national situation, but at the same time I see the whole globe as one unit. So my standpoint is entirely different.</p>
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<p>Because of its restricted viewpoint and narrow way of thinking, the United States feels uncomfortable about my presence here. That is why this court battle came about. They are trying every method to get me out of this country. They see that I am an Oriental, a Korean, but my actions are not just for the benefit of Korea or Oriental countries. They see that I focus on the well-being of this country and the entire world. I am trying to rescue the United States from its present position and lift it up to a higher plateau, a higher standard. I know that is the only way we can bring God back home, the only way we can welcome Him back to the United States.</p>
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<p>The Unification Church has such a great name. Here all five colors can become one, all world religions can become one, and the entire world culture can become one. Our quest is the unification of heart and the unification of mankind. Don’t you think the Unification Church has the right name?</p>
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<p>After World War II, God gave the United States a great opportunity, but it did not seize it. Instead, it failed and lost territories, people and nations. What the United States lost, I have come to recover. The nations it lost, we want to restore; the people it lost, we want to restore. In order to revive America and bring this nation back to God, we need the spirit of General MacArthur. Therefore, we launched the “Inchon” movie project. The spirit of General MacArthur needs to come alive again in America, especially among its young people.</p>
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<p>Because America failed its mission, first it lost God, then religions were divided, people were divided, and world unity never came about. This country has a great motto: “One nation under God” Do you think the motto should be: “Ignore the rest of the world and don’t help it out; just eat well, sleep well and live well”? Is that what God is saying to the United States? Never. God wanted the United States to be one nation under Him and bring about one world under Him. That was God’s mandate. When the United States failed to do it, God allowed satanic attack to come upon this country.</p>
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<p>But we Unification Church members will never retreat even one iota, no matter if the United States or even the entire world comes against us. We shall move forward. We shall accomplish God’s mandate. Can you join me in saying, “America has already failed, but we shall restore its failure”?</p>
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<p>I knew that this critical emergency was coming up. The end of the fallen world is coming. To prepare for that time, I had to build up internal strength and lay an internal, spiritual foundation. Therefore, I established God’s Day, Parents’ Day and Children’s Day, in order to give a new understanding about God. We must clearly know God. Your skin may be brown, white, yellow or black – it makes no difference. Whoever listens to this truth arrives at the same conclusion: “God is my living Father and the Father of all mankind” This is Unification ideology.</p>
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<p>You are assembled here in this room because you have a historical responsibility. You came here to fulfill a historical task. Otherwise, you are unworthy to sit here. God automatically has to work with whatever church or movement proclaims to the world the unity of all races, religions, and nations – and not only proclaims it but seriously strives to accomplish it. This unity is the central theme of the new age, and those who labor to bring it about are the central players.</p>
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<p>When we have this ideology of one race, one religion and one nation under God, we can say to God, “You are our Father” Then for the first time, God will respond, “Yes, you are my sons and daughters; you are my children” This is the only time God can call people His children. Furthermore, He will say, “Not only are you My children, but your race is My race, your culture is My culture, your religion is My religion, your country is My country, and your world is My world.” Don’t you think God will say that?</p>
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<p>This is our starting point. No matter what people may say about God, we want to restore and protect the true God. This is our task – regardless of what communism, other religions, or other philosophies say. We stand for the true, righteous God, and we want to uphold and protect Him.</p>
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<p>God hears all kinds of prayers every day. But among them all, He is listening for one prayer: “God, I have brought the entire universe into unity” When God hears that prayer, He will wake up and say, “Is that true?” He will question you about that statement. Such a prayer will arouse God more than anything else. Think about it.</p>
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<p>All this time God has been listening to prayers from people of various denominations. He hears, for instance, “God, I am Presbyterian. You know how that Methodist church next door gives us a hard time. That black church across the street and the Mormon church down the road are not following Your will; they are satanic. Please give Your blessing to our church!” For 2,000 years God has been listening to such divisive prayers. How do you think He responds to them?</p>
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<p>If someone at least prays, “God, I haven’t quite united the world yet, but I have been working at it. Look, God, I brought this person in, this religion in, and this nation in, but I need a little more help” – God will quickly reply, “Oh, what do you need?”</p>
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<p>Suppose God were looking at various eyeglasses to decide which to use. He might try on Presbyterian eyeglasses, Catholic eyeglasses, Muslim eyeglasses, Buddhist eyeglasses, etc., and not find any of them appropriate. But the moment He puts on Unification Church eyeglasses and sees the entire world through them, He will exclaim, “This is it!”</p>
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<p>You resemble God. You bear His image, so can’t you understand the way He feels? How many of you members of the Unification Church really feel that we are destined to fulfill this mission of unification? Will the task be easy or difficult? Even if people of all five races come together, united as solidly as a rock, resolved to live or die together, and if all the world’s religions unite in devotion to this one cause, it still may not be enough. Our task is not easy.</p>
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<p>Do you sometimes complain about your mission? Perhaps you say, “I don’t like fundraising (or whatever it may be); let someone else do it, Father. I’d rather go some other way” Can you achieve the ultimate task that way? Suppose the entire mission were placed upon you, could you follow joyfully, willingly, voluntarily – even if the results were not guaranteed?</p>
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<p>What an important mission we have! Did you enter this room thinking, “If I fail my mission, heaven and earth will be shattered,’ or did you think, “Well, we might fail; but one way or another I shall endure. The Unification Church might be broken, but not me. I shall survive” Which attitude do you have?</p>
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<p>On my part, even if I am shattered into a million pieces, I shall preserve the Unification Church and our tradition. Even if the church is smashed, its spirit of Unificationism must march forward. It must fulfill its goal on the worldwide level. That should be our pledge.</p>
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<p>There is a new phenomenon in the Unification Church. After the July I Blessing and the Korean Blessing, members are saying, “Oh, my husband (or wife), my darling, we have to create something here” Before your marriage, you looked straight forward, without deviation, but now you are looking around in many directions. Is this new trend a good one? It could destroy our movement, the free world, and the entire tradition that God has been building! God married you so you could support each other and push each other toward the same goal. The mission has not changed even one iota.</p>
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<p>In giving you the Blessing, did I want you to march forward more hesitantly or more strongly? Our goal is the world. It is still in trouble; its people dwell in darkness. We have to reach out to that world to save it and restore it. When we reach the end of the world, I will look at each of you and ask where your spouse is. If he or she has been away, I will tell you to join each other and stay together. Then I might not allow husband and wife to be separated for even five minutes! The important thing is what you are going to concentrate on now: being with your spouse or saving the’ world. What is your decision? You say you want to save the’ world, but I think your answer sounds a little reluctant! You didn’t even want to say it!</p>
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<p>The same thing happens all the time between Mother and me. God gave us each other for mutual support. I keep pulling Mother and she keeps pulling me – but in the same direction and towards the same goal. If Mother deviates from this principle, the heavenly dispensation will not work. If I say, “Let’s go to South America ‘ she will reply, “Yes, Father” If the destination is Africa, she will say, “Yes, Father” If it is Korea, she will say, “Yes, Father; wherever you go” She deserves your applause.</p>
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<p>Maybe a hundred years from now we will hold another gathering like this in the spirit world. I will announce a special banquet and invite those couples who devoted their heart and soul while on earth to the fulfillment of God’s will. In the invitation, I will tell them, “I want to give a banquet for you couples alone” When you receive that invitation and accept it, you may wear anything you wish – any amount of rings, earrings, necklaces, etc., made of diamonds or whatever you like. You can have a diamond car, for instance! You will arrive at the banquet as a proud couple. Would you like to attend that banquet?</p>
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<p>In order to be entitled to attend it, you should run to do your mission every day. Don’t ask for personal favors. If your wife becomes too slow, urge her forward. You women can shout out to your husband to keep on running, even though you cannot keep up with him. As long as you encourage your husband, even though you collapse in his wake, I will give you credit for fulfilling the mission – because your mind and your spirit have gone all the way. What do you think? If your husband runs to fulfill the mission and you lag farther and farther behind, will you be sorry for yourself or feel victorious? Will you want your husband to push on and fulfill God’s will even though you may falter behind him? Or will you call out to him, “Darling, I’m tired; come back and pick me up”? Actually, I have told you that individuals cannot go to Heaven by themselves, but only as couples, so you would have a good excuse to ask him to come back for you! But which kind of woman do you want to become? I am very grateful for those of you who raised your hands as the first type. You are great women!</p>
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<p>You men, if your wife calls you to stay behind with her, how many of you would reply, “I have to go forward for the mission”? Thank you for raising your hands.</p>
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<p>You see, what is most important is not the husband or wife, but the mission. At this one time in history, God has given us this special, extraordinary mission. The mission is everything. If you fulfill it, you gain everything: your spouse and your eternal future. If you lose the mission, you lose everything else as well.</p>
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<p>We live on earth only once, and God has sent us at an incredible time of destiny. What a joy and what a privilege! What a great honor to live with this mission! Nothing greater is conceivable.</p>
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<p>Since I know that mission, nothing else bothers me, including the United States, the free world and even communism. Not only that, but as I charge bravely forward into the enemy camp, they will ultimately surrender. The tougher the situation I face, the stronger, more powerful and more determined I become. I can do this because I clearly know the mission, the end result, and the extraordinary opportunity that is at hand. I do not want to lose that opportunity.</p>
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<p>People sometimes receive special missions from the owner of their company or even from the president of their country. But this is not a presidential or a company order. It is an order from Heaven. Our eternal Father in Heaven is telling us, “You are chosen to do this mission” If it were just the president of a nation, you could leave the country; if it were the owner of a company, you could quit your job. But when God gives a mandate, since He is the Father of the entire world, where could you go to evade the mission? You might think you could escape it by dying, but not so. You will be picked up when you enter spirit world! If you succeed, you will be glorified.</p>
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<p>This Children’s Day is the day to make your pledge to God. There are three kinds of pledges you can make:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Well, Father, I will try to do it.</li>
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||
<li>I’m doing it now.</li>
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||
<li>Yes, Father, I have done it.</li>
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||
</ol>
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<p>Which of these three pledges can you give this Children’s Day? This is a very serious point. It applies to everyone, me included. Even I have not completely fulfilled the mission. I can say, “Yes, Father, I have done some portions of it, but others still remain incomplete” What about you?</p>
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<p>This morning you may have suddenly awakened to your mission. But I would hope that all this time you have been living with a sense of mission and dedication. So far, you have been doing all kinds of things your way, complaining about why the church operates a certain way, protesting about being asked to do something. “I’m not born for that,’ you complain.</p>
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<p>Think about it. Has the Unification Church been walking your way, or have we been trying to go God’s way? Ask your heart which way you have been walking. What proportion has been your way, and what proportion God’s way? Half and half Can you answer that you are living 100 percent for God’s will? Perhaps you came here expecting to celebrate a good holiday and enjoy the festivities, and now you feel like you have been hit by a sledgehammer! “I was knocked out again!” you exclaim. When I talk this way, do you feel discouraged, or do you resolve to do it with tears flowing down your cheeks? Are you holding your head up or down?</p>
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<p>I always feel this intensity in my mission. I feel that I am in a tug-of-war with all the various groups that are trying to pull me their way. I feel one thumb hooked to the United States, another thumb to Russia and her satellite countries, and my fingers hooked to various religions and groups. I am trying to pull them all in my direction. The spirit world is like a cheering section, calling out, “Reverend Moon, go on!” Sometimes I feel like a fire engine sent to quench an emergency fire.</p>
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<p>When I am deadly serious about this tug-of-war with the entire world, other things don’t enter my mind. I ignore sleepiness, hunger, family affairs and secular matters. You should do the same.</p>
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<p>For this reason I am unique and extraordinary. When God looks down on the earth, He cannot help coming to protect me. He has to, because He has no alternative. You too can motivate God to come to assist, protect and support you.</p>
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<p>What direction are you taking? Suppose I disappear for a while – like Moses, who climbed the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments, leaving the children of Israel down below in the desert for 40 days? Maybe you will do whatever you want. Maybe you will think that finally you have a vacation. Or would you determine to march across the desert to Canaan? The Israelites looked around for Moses, but he was gone. They must have said something like, “Oh, too bad. Darn it!” But suppose they had resolved instead: “Well, Moses has disappeared. He must be somewhere doing God’s will. Let’s become like Moses and go to Canaan”? Those of you who resolve to become like Moses raise your hands.</p>
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<p>If that is your reply, I can leave the United States with deep confidence. If I am away, you will become additional Reverend Moons, able to march forward even faster, won’t you? Theoretically, you younger ones should be able to go faster than me!</p>
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<p>If you really made this pledge to me, I feel I have been a success. I have nothing to fear. Now there are many Reverend Moons who can restore the world! God knows very well that I have no rest. Day and night, morning and evening, I am always working and pushing you people. If God looks down and sees so many other Reverend Moons doing the same thing, think how comforted He will be! He will feel true joy for the first time.</p>
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<p>Everything I have been doing in the United States has happened since December 18, 1971. That was the day I landed in this country to expand the providence in America. When I started the science conferences, many members – and even the leaders – complained about throwing money away to the scientists. Now after ten years of conferences, eminent scholars from around the world are begging to have an appointment to talk with me. But I don’t have enough time. If I were to grant one request, it wouldn’t be fair to deny the privilege to others. So I will see no one.</p>
|
||
<p>The academic community trusts and admires me, as does the theological community, because of the deep foundation which has been laid. Modern theology has hit a stone wall; theologians cannot break through it by themselves. I have pioneered opening up the wall and giving them new horizons.</p>
|
||
<p>My work has not ended there. I moved on to the news media. The fifth World Media Conference in Seoul, Korea, is another example. Representatives came from around the world and rallied around me, because they see me as the only hope for the world.</p>
|
||
<p>Somebody had to do it in order to bring all aspects of life into unity, in order to fulfill God’s providence. No one else was doing it. We are uniting the academic community under absolute values. The Unification Church is uniting the theological community under one God as the rallying point.</p>
|
||
<p>This year we launched the World Youth for God crusade. Young people from many different religions – Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Confucianists, Buddhists, etc. – would never have found a common ground otherwise. Only we could unite them under a common theme, “World Youth for God” People have urged me not to abandon the effort. “Reverend Moon,” they say, “you cannot give up because you are the only one who can do this” This is how I am bringing unity.</p>
|
||
<p>I knew that the ultimate satanic work of communism would be directed towards fomenting racial and religious wars. The only way to prevent such wars is to create one family of man, transcending race and color. The means of achieving this is the Holy Weddings. The power of the president of the United States could not accomplish true unity; certainly the power of totalitarian communism could not. Only God could bring the hearts of people together in unity, as a love race. What is the purpose? To bring all mankind together.</p>
|
||
<p>This group is still only a capsule, but it is a capsule that can be expanded to ten million, a hundred million, a billion people. What if a third of the population of the United States were Moonies? Would anybody dare persecute you or me? The Unification Church is bound to grow, because our vision is world salvation, beyond race and color. There shall be no limit.</p>
|
||
<p>I am not speaking of these gigantic things in a joking tone. This is absolute truth. There is absolute commitment behind these words. When I talked about such things 20 years ago, it sounded crazy. But impossible dreams have become a reality. In the next 10 years, our movement can accomplish 10 or 20 times as much as what we did in the past 20 years.</p>
|
||
<p>During the past 20 years, the news media around the world have come out and called me a bad person. But in spite of such persecution, the Unification Church has grown to its present worldwide scale. Once the news media and the world in general start to admit that I am right, that I am a good and just person, our rate of accomplishments will be multiplied a hundred or a thousand times.</p>
|
||
<p>In a long fence, when one post starts to fall down, it sets off a kind of chain reaction, and the whole fence may collapse. This is a shining truth, and a nation will inevitably come to recognize it.</p>
|
||
<p>North American newspapers describe me as “the controversial Korean evangelist,” or as an “industrialist” But in South America the newspapers describe me as “the most famous international spiritual leader, Reverend Sun Myung Moon” I always expected it to happen this way. If one side of the globe is in shadow, the other receives the sunshine. If it is dark in North America, something may dawn in South America. Moreover, the Western world is entering darkness and the sun is rising in the Eastern world. In the beginning, Korea and Japan both persecuted me, but now even the Japanese newspapers no longer describe me as a Korean but as the “world-famous spiritual leader coming from Asia”</p>
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<p>This is fair play. Things balance out. Whoever wants to live well in the secular life, eating abundantly, sleeping like a king, shall have the most miserable life in the spirit world. Those who devote themselves for the sake of mankind, for the sake of God’s will – though they may look miserable here and suffer hunger – shall be welcomed to the most glorious heaven.</p>
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<p>In a way, I have been the most wretchedly persecuted figure on earth. The world has given me all kinds of dirty titles; I have been imprisoned and tortured under the Japanese imperial government, communist North Korea, and even South Korea. I was virtually put to death. Nobody on earth has suffered like me. But in the spiritual world you will find me occupying an entirely different position.</p>
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<p>Just like me, Moonies are persecuted all over the world. We are not on the sunny side of the globe yet. Do not regret it, however, because this will result in a glorious future. The most radiant heaven is reserved for you. I took up this way of life, regardless of what may entail, because it is right and just. There is no better way of life on earth. This was my decision. Is it also your decision?</p>
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<p>As children, the best way to commemorate this Children’s Day is to promise your absolute loyalty, devoting your whole life. Those who want to make this pledge before me, raise your hands. Thank you very much.</p>
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<article id="post-1648" class="post-1648 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/standing-in-the-presence-of-god/" title="Permalink to STANDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD" rel="bookmark">STANDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:01:30+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/standing-in-the-presence-of-god/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:01:30+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">November 7, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Sang Kil Han</h3>
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<p>It has been only 40 days since I was here last, but doesn’t it seem like a much longer time? Why should such a short time seem so long? The time you spend while you are together with someone you love passes quickly, but the time you spend apart seems to go very slowly. The more you love someone, the more this is so.</p>
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<p>We can imagine the spirit world where we will dwell within the love of God. There we will live for tens, thousands, millions of years and the time will go so quickly; you can imagine how quickly the time would pass. Would people who are living in the love of God in spirit world ever pause to think about getting old? There is nothing but goodness in such a place; the days begin with goodness, progress in goodness and end with goodness. People always feel joy and happiness; they are free from anxiety or need, since every desire is fulfilled. Therefore, life in the eternal spirit world can be simply described as happy.</p>
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<p>Can you imagine such a place as Heaven which is full of love? When you are in God’s presence, you naturally say, “God, I really love You and I never want to be separated from You.” Let me ask you, do you love God? How much have you loved God? This is the most important element in our religious life. There is nothing just conceptual about God; God is as real as your own spouse. You have to feel that with every breath you take.</p>
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<p>Those whose relationship with God is only within the realm of concept are inevitably unstable people. Since we don’t normally meet with God constantly, there is nothing wrong with keeping God in our thoughts and dwelling with the concept of His constant presence. But if you just think about God once in a while and maintain a totally imaginary concept of Him, that is not enough.</p>
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<p>Is your love for God a realistic love, the same as I feel when I hold Jeung-Jin-Nim and love everything about her? Sometimes she drools, her nose runs, and she has dirty diapers but it doesn’t make any difference; she can do anything and I still love her. Have you ever felt that way for God? Such a love has no room for any rejection; whatever the beloved does is just fine.</p>
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<p>What kind of prayers do you pray? If you love God so much, do you pray to Him, “God, please help me!”? Who is supposed to offer the help, the one who loves or the one who is loved? According to human relationships, when you like someone you automatically want to give him whatever you can; you want to help him. How would it sound if you said, “I like you, so please give something to me.”?</p>
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<p>Which is the more normal way of relating: “I like him, so I will help him,” or “Since I like him so much, he should help me.”? Certainly it is the first. The person who has the second attitude is really saying, “I don’t really like you but I want your help.” This is because if you really like and love someone, you don’t expect anything from him; instead your desire is to give to him and to help him.</p>
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<p>This is actually a very simple thing. When you really like someone, you want to continually give to him; after a while, if he wants to give to you, that is fine. However, your desire is not to receive from him in the first place. Similarly, to like someone and give to him with the secret desire to receive repayment from him eventually is hardly a true attitude of affection. Such an attitude has very little value.</p>
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<p>There are some people who count up all the benefit they give to others and expect 100% return on their “investment.” If you gave someone $100 with the expectation of receiving it all back, then your love is worth only $10O, or even less.</p>
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<p>The question is, then, how much do you love God? Ten thousand dollars times ten thousand is $100 million. Do you like Him that much? What about one hundred times that? Ask yourself seriously this question: have you ever given anything to God that had real value? Do you really love God? Whom have you ever loved in the past in a comparable way? Do you love Him as much as you love yourself?</p>
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<p>When you are cold, you put on warmer clothes; when you are hungry you feed yourself. You take really good care of yourself, but do you do the same for God?</p>
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<p>You should know that this is a very important matter for your life. We all have only one lifetime; at the end of your life, the serious question you must answer will be how well did you actually love God. The question has already been raised by Jesus, as recorded in the Bible. He demanded of people that they love him more than their own spouses or children or anyone else.</p>
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<p>Love is of all different qualities. What is the standard for loving which we must be able to meet before we are actually qualified to say to someone, “I love you”? You must know where you are in relation to that standard. Jesus’ standard of loving included everything in a person’s life: his loved ones and his precious belongings-everything. Each person has a claim on his own environment, his family, his country and his world. All of that had to be abandoned, if necessary, in order to love Jesus; this was the clear-cut standard which the Bible records.</p>
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<p>Perhaps you think about these things and you pray with that attitude, but the true test is in how you live your life. Suppose you owned a whole country. If you really loved God, shouldn’t you be able to sell the entire country and dedicate the money to God’s service? When the citizens of your country heard about your dedication, perhaps they would be so inspired they would encourage you. On the contrary, perhaps those citizens would protest, saying, “No, we don’t want to be sold!” Could God be happy with such a gift? God would tell you not to sell that country.</p>
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<p>Perhaps such an idea is impossible, so consider if you owned a company which was very profitable and successful. What if you decided to sell the company? Some employees would encourage you, saying, “Yes, please sell the company and love God,” but others would protest, saying, “No, I don’t want to be sold.” Would God say, “Go ahead and sell them, anyway, even though they don’t want it”? No. God would not want to force them to be sold.</p>
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<p>Coming down to a smaller level. suppose you decided to sell everything you owned, even your home, and dedicate the money to God? What is your standard for loving God ? Each of you may want to do anything at all for the love of God, but you must realize the difficulties involved when you actually try to carry out your wishes.</p>
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<p>The value of God is greater than all the rest of the world; everything put together cannot equal the value of God. However, there has not been one single person who has had a love of such magnitude for God. For that reason, God has found Himself reduced to the value of just another small part of a person’s life. God’s value cannot be fully realized unless He has someone who can love Him according to the fullness of His true value.</p>
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<p>If someone has done nothing at all for God’s sake, yet freely asks His help at any time, what kind of sense does that make in terms of love? Perhaps you think you are ready to do absolutely anything for the sake of God. However, thinking is very different from doing. Thinking is very easy; acting is very difficult.</p>
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<p>When God calls out to me, saying, “Reverend Moon, do you really love me?” I answer, “Yes.” Then God asks. “What kind of love have you shown?” God wants to receive a huge love, in accordance to His true value. While I have been giving that kind of huge love to God. have you been helping me?</p>
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<p>Instead of talking about a country or a company. Let’s talk about our church congregation. Suppose I decided to hire out every one of you and dedicate the money to God? How would you respond? Would you say, “Yes, go ahead,” or would you protest, saying, “No, I don’t want to go!” Would you say, “But, Father, I belong to my family as much you, so I have to consult with my wife and children”?</p>
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<p>If those of you here cannot agree to such a possibility, then God can only say, “I have never had a group of people who were willing to be dedicated to me. My value isn’t even as great as a group of 300 people.” In other words, God hasn’t even received the love which was worthy of 300 persons.</p>
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<p>Unification Church members constantly think and say that they are willing and able to give up their homes and their countries, but the problem is that they are only saying the words. You have never done anything like that. so it is a problem.</p>
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<p>When you decide to go somewhere you must have the cooperation of your whole body-your feet, hands and faculties. If you don’t, it is impossible to move and you feel very tired. What about God? He knows the right way for mankind to move, but sometimes you are willing and sometimes you are not. Doesn’t God feel tired when you are not willing to cooperate? This is a serious problem.</p>
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<p>Recently 6,000 couples were blessed in Korea. For whom were those couples married? It was for the sake of God. That means every aspect of their marriage must be for the sake of God, not just the ceremony. Will you say, “I will dedicate my spouse and marriage to you, God, after we have had some time together”? That is not true dedication. Out of the 6,000 couples, how many do you imagine are truly willing to be entirely dedicated to God? That is a serious matter, too.</p>
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<p>Certainly God is worthy of having the entire universe dedicated to Him, not only 6,000 couples. Imagine if God told Jesus, “Dedicate the entire universe to Me.” What would have been Jesus’ response? Suppose Jesus had been able to gain Heavenly dominion over the Roman Empire? Would he have been willing to give it up if God demanded? Certainly, he would have done it willingly, in spite of the great difficulties involved in gaining dominion.</p>
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<p>Consider the immensity of spirit world. If God gives a direction to someone in spirit world, he must obey. If someone refuses to do what God directs, he must repent and then turn in the direction which God has directed him to go. If he had a different opinion from God’s, he must empty his mind and then follow God. However, it is very difficult to move or change direction in the spirit world. Even though a person’s mind desires to move somewhere, the feet might refuse to budge. Once we shed our physical body, it is much more difficult to change our minds and move in a different direction.</p>
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<p>Suppose I directed you to sell everything you owned and dedicate the proceeds to helping Africa. How would you respond? Would you jump to do it immediately? It is very easy to say yes, but doing it would be another matter.</p>
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<p>The schooling process involves many steps: kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and so forth. Kindergarten makes it possible for you to enter elementary school and each step does the same for the next step. Now you must attend the school which will enable you to live in the Heavenly Kingdom. How far do you want to go in your schooling? You must go all the way to the highest level, the PhD level for Heaven. The standard for that level is that you can love God more than anybody or anything else in the universe.</p>
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<p>At what level of schooling are you now? Suppose you went to spirit world and God asked you, “How much did you love me while you were on earth?” Could you answer Him, “Well, Heavenly Father. I wanted to love You but my wife prevented me from it.”? Such an answer is not acceptable. You must be sure while you are living that you are not only willing but able to love God.</p>
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<p>Jesus’ teaching was crystal clear on the standard of loving God. When one of his disciples asked him if he could go and assist in the funeral of his father, Jesus told him to stay with his mission and “Let the dead bury the dead.”</p>
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<p>Suppose someone were walking down the aisle to be married, the Wedding March was playing and God called him and told him to go somewhere else. God would not expect that he would go ahead and finish the ceremony, but instead would want to see him drop everything and obey His direction. Could you do such a thing?</p>
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<p>As you know, I was called by God to go to North Korea at a very crucial moment when I was on my way to get food for my wife and child, who were hungry. Regardless of my situation, God told me “Go now,” and to go to a dangerous place. If I had hesitated and tried to finish what I was doing before I listened to God, the Unification Church would not be anything today. Because I responded to God immediately, dropping everything else and doing what He directed, God could recognize that I loved Him more than anything else in the universe. Even though my first wife left me, God was able to give me a better wife and thirteen good children because of that early condition.</p>
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<p>By the same token, I am ready and willing to give up all that I have accomplished so far in the Unification Church; therefore, God would be able to give me even greater things. The entire universe would appreciate such a thing, as well. There has never been anyone who was able to meet all the expectations of God but we are about to accomplish just that.</p>
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<p>You must have a clear determination for your own life. You must think, “Even if I drop dead on the way, I will be so much better off than if I never began the journey. My descendants will be able to finish the task because I started it for them.” When you have such a clear vision of your goal, you will achieve it; but if you don’t, you might as well forget about it.</p>
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<p>A dramatic example of this was seen in the history of the Israelites, when they were traveling in the wilderness toward Canaan. They should have been so determined to escape Egypt, because it was the will of God. that they would have been willing to rush forward into the Red Sea. even if it didn’t open and they all drowned. At this time the Unification Church is engaging in an exodus on the world level-out of this secular world and into the Heavenly one. Therefore, each of you must face obstructions from your families and friends who try to hold you back, saying. Don’t go to those Moonies!”</p>
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<p>What is God’s purpose in leading people into Canaan? Why couldn’t people just stay where they are and try to create an ideal from there? It is because God needs to be able to call some place His own. God wanted the Israelites to go to Canaan and establish a nation where He could say, ‘This is the nation in which the people loved God more than anyone else on the earth.” That was the reason for the exodus. They had to know very clearly that God had such a clear purpose in leading them from Egypt. But we have learned from history that the Israelites complained and faltered and died in the wilderness; they became the prey of eagles.</p>
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<p>Why did they have to go through a wilderness before entering Canaan? There was a good reason-it was the responsibility of the Israelites to establish the condition of enduring difficulty and gaining victory by themselves.</p>
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<p>The Israelites hoped and waited for 4,000 years for the messiah, but were they supposed to just live happily ever after once he came? No, they had to work together with the messiah to establish the kind of country that loved God more than anyone else in history had ever done. Moses was their leader and he gave them their directions. There should have been no complaints; it was difficult enough. If they had followed faithfully, they would have successfully entered into Canaan.</p>
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<p>Today we are repeating the exact same process. We are repeating the 40 years of wilderness at this time on the world level, to enter Canaan on the world level. Canaan was occupied by 31 enemy tribes of Israel. Where is our Canaan and who occupies it?</p>
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<p>Moscow is where we “must go.” It is not a peaceful place which will welcome us with open arms, so why is God directing us to go there? It is because we must also go through our portion of responsibility on our own; only in that way can God give us the credit for winning our own victory.</p>
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<p>The 40 years of wilderness on the world level for the Unification Church is the time in which we must establish that we have loved God, collectively, more than anybody else in the past. What is the Red Sea of today? It is the red ideology of communism, far more formidable than any body of water. We must clearly realize now-and remember-that we have an historical task ahead of us. We must complete our 40 years in the wilderness, reaching our destination safely by following the command of our leader and establishing God’s nation. This is our whole purpose for being here.</p>
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<p>I came to America for this reason. God wanted me to come here and accomplish this on the world level, in a country which represented the world. America is not welcoming our exodus or our efforts to establish God’s country. The efforts of communists are strong, but we must be stronger.</p>
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<p>The Israelites slaughtered lambs and put the blood on their doorways as a sign that they belonged to God. By our doing home church, we too will have such a sign on our doorways. God certainly realizes that although you are Americans, you are treated like aliens when you go to home church. People do not consider you one of them, but instead call you “Moonie.” This is exactly what the Israelites had to endure. They took all their possessions with them on their exodus and we are in the same position. They dedicated everything to their new cause. This is why many new members of the church dedicate their belongings to help the cause of the church.</p>
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<p>When we stand in the presence of God, what would God want of us? Certainly it is clear that God wants to receive the largest dedication, the entire universe. We are the soldiers of Heaven; good soldiers do not think about whether or not they will get hurt. They just work for their victorious objective.</p>
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<p>As you know, you can jump forward and land on the target. However sometimes you can become too cozy at different stages on the way. Sometimes you feel so comfortable with your family, your home and so forth that you forget your purpose has not yet been achieved. You are still in the wilderness and you will become the prey of eagles if you stop moving forward. If you are not confident of winning over all the various temptations, you must authorize someone else to drag you to the goal. You should determine, “It is better to die along the way than to stay where we are.”</p>
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<p>Why must we do all this? We must fulfill God’s fervent desire to see someone on the earth willing and able to establish the condition for God to claim the entire world. As Moonies, you must be strong soldiers willing to fight on the world level for the sake of the love of God. Do you have that kind of clear-cut purpose? Moonies are the only ones who can give God true hope at this time.</p>
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<p>We have a reason to be thankful to God because He has given us this opportunity to be the ones to fulfill His hope. Our situation is unique in all of human history; therefore, you must be proud soldiers with the ability to go over all obstacles, no matter how difficult. God is asking you, “How far will you go? Where will you stop?” You must tell Him that you will go all the way to the goal. Can you do that?</p>
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<p>When good soldiers march. they never straggle and wander; they keep straight lines and proudly display their colors. When there is a command all the Unification Church members will be mobilized. God can look down and be so proud and say, “My victorious people! Amen!” and He will bless us.</p>
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<p>These things must not be considered only when you are attending Sunday sermons. You must have this kind of determination even when you are kissing your bride, or when you mothers are nursing your babies. Always your basic purpose in life must underscore all your activities. This is the way I have lived my entire life. I know clearly that God wants you to set the standard of those who have loved Him more than anyone else in history. Even if we must land in jail or even if we die, it is better to do that with our Heavenly pride intact than to give up. Of course, we must achieve our goal here on the physical plane before we go to spirit world.</p>
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<p>When I was flying across the Pacific Ocean on my way back to this country, I was thinking, “Accomplishing this goal is going to be difficult for American people but nevertheless this is the goal. They must go this way regardless of how difficult it is. They must not forget their goal no matter what.” This has been my prayer since returning to America. Although your fundraising and witnessing work is difficult, you must be able to go through it. If somehow you die before you achieve your goal, it is better than just giving up. You must not drop your responsibilities, even though the burdens may be so heavy; once you have done that you cannot pick them up again. We must simply keep going, now as in the past.</p>
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<p>More importantly, your activities must not be motivated out of obligation-because your leaders or I say you must. This is truly the only path and you must feel the desire to go, on your own. Our only chance for success is for each person to want to go, on his own, regardless of who opposes us. God is watching each of you, so you had better make this your own philosophy. When the Israelites lost their perspective and desired a different direction from Moses’, they all perished. Above all, you must do what you do because you want to do it. This is the most important element of success.</p>
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<p>Twenty-one years ago I predicted that there would come a time when the whole world would come against the Unification Church and that would be the sign that our time was drawing near. Today we see that such a thing is happening and opposition is all around us. We must go through these barriers, ready to face more opposition in the future. Although many have complimented me and called me a success in Korea and America, we must continue to consider our situation tentative. We still have the formidable goal of Moscow. Therefore we must never be content or satisfied; any moments of rest we have must be used as preparation for the fight ahead.</p>
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<p>When David stood in front of Goliath, he could not have ordinary thoughts and still win over that giant. We, too, must take the position of David and with the attitude solely of serving God, we must win the victory. With that determination, the Goliath country of communism will appear much more vulnerable.</p>
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<p>America will only come to our aid when we have won over Moscow and the whole world can see it. Have no wishful thinking that secular America will help us accomplish our victory; we must be able to do it on our own. You must realize that our opposition is not altogether bad; they oppose you because you are not worthy enough. When they persecute you and kick you, you must determine to become better than you are now; use your opposition as a lesson. In fact, they are kicking you to prepare you for going to Moscow.</p>
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<p>Can you say, “I am an American and I will participate in the American dispensation, but I can’t go to Moscow.”? That means you are resting here in America, but this is no place to rest. If you stop here, everything will come to destruction; you must have the attitude to go all the way to the end.</p>
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<p>We must go to communist China and the communist satellite countries too. We have many church members who have been imprisoned and even died in those countries, so how can you confidently think you are an exception? You may have to be next. I myself went through such a course, so you must resolve yourselves to take on that way, too.</p>
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<p>I have never thought I was in a safe place when I did my dispensational work; the higher the dispensation, the more the risk has grown. You should realize what level we have achieved and align yourself with my movements. It is your responsibility to set up your own condition of faith on your level which will agree with my level.</p>
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<p>What will be your attitude when I go to Africa? Will you just want to stay behind here. or will you say, “No matter what, if Father goes to Africa, I will go, too”? What if I had a big, huge ship located in the middle of the ocean and I called for you to join me there. Would you do it, determined to live the rest of your life there? Would you complain of seasickness and excuse yourself? You must determine that even if you died of seasickness, you would go on that boat in order to remain with me.</p>
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<p>If you were on that big boat. you might have to dwell down in the cargo area and couldn’t see anything outside. Only 1, as the captain. would be able to read the compass and determine where we were going. Therefore, you would have to trust in my judgment absolutely, isn’t that correct? Do you really believe in me?</p>
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<p>You do not know exactly what I did while I was in Korea the last time and what kinds of instructions I gave. The professors on college campuses and many organized Christian groups were astounded by the impact I had there. Just the assembly of 6,000 couples for the blessing was an incredible testimony to the Korean people, more than any words could be. After that, I was able to give guidance to many people. even those who were not members.</p>
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<p>Do you like to receive directions from me? Perhaps you feel burdened by these sermons. But in no time at all, you will receive word that the battle is finished and the victory is won. Then you will ask, “Where is my heavy load?” Don’t you think I have many heavy burdens to carry? I must take responsibility for hundreds of millions of dollars of expenses for the church around the world. Do you know why I receive most of my persecution? It is indirectly because of you. If even one of you behaves in a shameful way, such as getting drunk and acting wildly in public, automatically the shame is transferred to all the members of the church and Reverend Moon. Ask yourself how you have eased the burdens I must carry.</p>
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<p>Once you have gone beyond the national levels and ,rained victory, the injustices of the past can be redeemed. This is what I expect. Do you think it is good or bad to carry a heavy burden on your shoulders now? It is good. God is contained within that goodness. Can we say that God is truly victorious at this time? Only when God can claim His victory on the level of the physical world, man’s body, can He be truly victorious. God will be a substantial reality in the substantial world. Every part of your body must be that of goodness-your eyes, your legs, your arms. Always guide your actions by what God would do. If God would do something, then you can, too.</p>
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<p>What do you think would have happened had the Israelites successfully entered Canaan? We have no way of knowing, but chances are good that God would have sent the Israelites back to save Egypt. The same applies to you. Once you win victory, God will want to send you back to your hometowns and families, no matter how much they oppose you.</p>
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<p>God wants me to go to the communist world to win the victory there. My plan is to leave America, win the victory elsewhere and then return here to share that victory with the people here. At that time Americans will finally understand how wrong they were. God himself will be able to share in that victory.</p>
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<p>What do you think will happen once we have won this court case in America? The war will be finished here and I will feel free to leave at any time. Even if members beg me to stay here, I will follow God’s will and go wherever He directs. What about you? America” could be read “A merry car”-this country certainly has lots of beautiful cars and everybody wants to enjoy life and ride around in their beautiful cars. Do You want to stay here and enjoy the good life? Or will you be different from the rest of the country? You are Americans. but very far from the mainstream of secular life because you are anchored to the teachings of Reverend Moon.</p>
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<p>You must focus on goals, even at Christmas time when everyone else becomes very sentimental and wants to go home. When Lot was told to leave Sodom and Gomorrah, he obeyed immediately. However, his wife was much more reluctant and she turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back. The same principle is true of the Moonies. When Reverend Moon is told to leave Belvedere, East Garden, and Barrytown behind, what must be my attitude? I will go forward, never looking back. Sometimes my wife might call to me, “Look back here!” but I tell her, “No! You must follow me!”</p>
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<p>You have your spouses, your current responsibilities and projects, and perhaps you have some material possessions, but you must be able to drop everything the way I have described and follow God’s direction. The only thought we must have is how to accomplish the expectations of God.</p>
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<p>There are many PhD candidates in the audience today. Do you share my viewpoint like the rest of the members? Perhaps you have already decided that you will work as a professor after you graduate in order to restore other professors? Or do you think that the PhD doesn’t really matter, that the only thing important is to become a worthy child of God, pure and unstained your whole life? You must think, “Because I have a PhD, I will love God on the highest level.” Do you love God more than your PhD?</p>
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<p>Have you loved God more seriously and earnestly than your new husband or wife? Your relationship with God is more fundamental and important than that of your spouse. If you were desperately hungry, would you be able to think of God before food? Sometimes you men might have thoughts of an old girlfriend or lover and you feel an intense desire taking over a certain part of your body. That is the moment when you must command your body to subside and remember that it must love God first and foremost. This is a serious matter. It is not really your fault that as men you have strong appetites for love-God made you that way. The three strongest desires in human beings are for personal ownership, love, and food. The only way we are different from other people is that we are able to overcome those desires when we want to.</p>
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<p>If you owned two things, would you give the better or the lesser one to God? Actually, you would want to give God the better, but God would want you to give the better gift to someone else. People usually are greedy’ however, wanting to keep the best things for themselves Also people have tremendous desires for the opposite sex which can become obsessive. In your daily fight against yourself and your appetites, you ought to keep a diary and record each day whether you were victorious or not. At the end of your year you can tally up how many days of victory or defeat you had; each year you have to improve. This is not abstractions we are talking about but daily reality.</p>
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<p>We must live this way because we must prepare during our lives on earth for our eternal lives in spirit world. I have experienced every honorable occupation in order to understand what they are like. When God directed me to do that. I could only obey. I worked as a farmer because God told me to. I even fought with my fists, hunted’ etc. Certain members told me that drinking the blood of the deer was good to do, so I had to rise to the challenge and do it. Suppose God was watching me, observing that I could do anything challenging for the sake of His providence, but I faltered when it came to drinking the blood of deer. I would have stopped just one step short of doing everything God directed.</p>
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<p>The point is that I had to be willing to do anything for the sake of God and not limit myself according to my own concepts. I could go out and captain the fishing boats. As a result of that I have had an unlimited realm of activity and I can associate with a unlimited number of people. But if someone limits himself, he must be confined only to certain society.</p>
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<p>Therefore, for the sake of God’s dispensation, there must be nothing you cannot do. How would you like to be a spy for God? There are lots of spies in the secular world, so how about God’s world? Shouldn’t He, too, have spies? As you know, Moses sent Joshua and Caleb into Canaan to spy for the Israelites. Our members in the communist satellite countries are inevitably in the position of spies; they can never proclaim their religion openly without suffering certain imprisonment or death. Each of you must think that if something is good enough for God, it must be good enough for you. Do you understand?</p>
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<p>Moonies must be able to choose the most difficult way, the way of liberation for God. We must revive the foundation of Christianity and overcome moral problems. Will you follow my way, even though it is most difficult? That which is most difficult is also the most valuable.</p>
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<p>Whenever God gives a direction. we must be able to respond without hesitation. Are you going to continue the struggle upward now, choosing the steepest, roughest slope? It is going to be very difficult, so are you confident you can do it? In some armies. the soldiers are helpless without some command from the general. However, the better army can rely on the lowest level commander, such as a platoon leader, when the general is away because they already know what the general would desire. Certainly the second army would be the most successful.</p>
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<p>In the Unification Church. Reverend Moon is the general. Even when I am away, you must have the willingness to obey any other leader’s direction. That will make us the strongest army. Do you think the general would ever reprimand the soldiers for totally obeying their platoon leaders? Not at all. He will appreciate that and will be very proud of them; perhaps he can rest better at night because he knows he can trust his soldiers. Raise your hands if you only came to Belvedere today because you heard that l had returned. In the future, you should come to Belvedere whether or not I am here. Will you do that?</p>
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<p>I want each of you to become worthy of receiving all of God’s blessings. Do you resolve to do that? Thank you.</p>
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<article id="post-1646" class="post-1646 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/the-harvest-season-for-gods-providence/" title="Permalink to THE HARVEST SEASON FOR GOD’S PROVIDENCE" rel="bookmark">THE HARVEST SEASON FOR GOD’S PROVIDENCE</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:01:05+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/the-harvest-season-for-gods-providence/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:01:05+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">September 19, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>The word “providence” is used in relation to several factors. Besides mankind, God, of course, is involved; and the planet earth is the place where the providence has unfolded. The earth represents the material world and mankind lives on top of that material foundation. God presides over all of mankind. Therefore, the three factors involved in the completion of the providence of God are earth, mankind and God, Himself.</p>
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<p>These three do not bear fruit separately but come together to bear fruit. There must be a season for the harvesting of their combined fruits, as well.</p>
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<p>When God began His creation of trees and plants, how many seeds do you think He created for each kind? Always God uses one perfect unit to initiate forms of His creation. He devised the pattern through which multiplication can occur: one seed multiplies and starts the infinite process of growth and multiplication.</p>
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<p>One seed is not just a solid entity because inside of it there are several elements. The aspects of plus and minus interact within a seed and produce a plant. When you peel off the cover of any seed, there are two pieces inside and in one corner there is the small germ or embryo of the plant which is to grow. These three elements are covered by the skin of the seed. The universe can actually be summed up in the beautiful microcosm of one seed.</p>
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<p>All of life exists like a seed; it has both plus and minus aspects, and also an embryo inside which is the origin of new life. The skin of the seed protects it from outside influences. By the same token, there is a protective “skin” around the universe and that skin is none other than love. The skin covers the seed tightly and prevents the two pieces of plus and minus from separating from each other.</p>
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<p>In mankind, love brings plus and minus together, covering them up and creating harmony between them. When plus and minus come together within the protective skin of love, the embryo, which is the origin of life, can sprout. The universe itself interacts with the tiny plus and minus within the seed. It is natural and even necessary that men and women love each other because in that way we, too, reflect the law of the universe and its strength.</p>
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<p>The earth has a north pole and a south pole and they exert a constant magnetic power or pull upon each other. Everything on the earth is pulled by that magnetic force. By the same token, everything in the universe is pulled by the magnetic force of love. When small pieces of metal are exposed to a magnet, they are pulled to it and stick there. Men and women are pulled together by the magnetic force of love; no matter how hard someone may try to resist that magnetic force, he cannot move outside of its influence. Everyone is pulled by it.</p>
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<p>It is because of the give and take between the poles of plus and minus that a magnet has the power to attract metal. As men and women we are pulled toward the core or the origin of life. The embryo is that core or original place where life springs forth. The embryo is linked with the force of the entire universe so the gigantic plus and minus of the universe ultimately affects the tiniest embryo. When energy touches the embryo, life bursts forth.</p>
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<p>A seed cannot create life all by itself. It must have a relationship with its surroundings. There must be fertile soil, moisture, and warm temperatures for that seed to grow. The soil is like a womb for the seed since it gives it birth. Within the seed, there is give and take between the plus and minus factors, out of which new life is born.</p>
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<p>What is the meaning of the word “lonely,” and why do we recognize that condition as undesirable? When you are all by yourself, without an object for give and take, you feel lonely. In a way that feeling is protection for you because it moves you to do something about it. If you never felt any pain from loneliness, you would be satisfied and complacent by yourself. Since it is painful to be lonely, however, you are driven to seek a partner with whom to share your life. In that way, loneliness is a protective feeling which pushes you to live parallel with universal law.</p>
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<p>Universal law pushes a child to seek out his mother or father when he gets lonely; when people grow up, they naturally seek the opposite sex for companionship. This is the natural way for remedying loneliness. However, this world is not natural and the perversion of homosexuality exists. This is a destructive force which violates universal law. The simple proof of its destructiveness is clear when you consider what would happen if everyone in the world were to live as homosexuals for one century. All humanity would simply cease to exist! Homosexuality is a satanic force which is exactly opposite universal law. It brings destruction rather than creation.</p>
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<p>The universe exists in continual give and take action, turning from the inner to the outer core of existence and back again. The power of the entire universe goes into the tiniest embryo and then the embryo sprouts and gives itself to the entire universe. This is the ultimate form of give and take.</p>
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<p>Each individual is a tiny being compared with the size of the universe. However, each individual feels the need to link himself with the whole universe. Why do we have that need? There must be a reason for it. It is because the vast universe is truly linked with each tiny life. The universe relates itself with each embryo, each person’s origin; then each embryo expands itself to the universe. The universe comes within you; you relate with the universe. Like a continually moving spiral from inside to outside.</p>
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<p>Once each individual life expands itself to the universal level, the natural movement is to remain within that spiral motion, going back inside toward one’s source.</p>
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<p>Suppose the individual decides to take off on his own, toward a different direction? When such a thing happens, the ideal is destroyed. It is within the ideal that each individual must be able to unite himself with both the largest, universal things and the smallest, most particular things.</p>
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<p>If an individual takes off in his own direction, he might say, “I just want to do anything I want to do. This is my universe and it exists for me to indulge myself to the utmost.” The more such a person would move, the more destruction he would bring to the universe. If enough people followed his example, everything would be destroyed. The order and harmony of the whole world would be ruined by such a “freedom-loving” attitude.</p>
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<p>When life expands outward it does not go in a random direction but must move parallel with the motion of the entire universe. That turning in and out motion is comparable to a coil through which electricity can flow unhindered. There need be no loss of energy or diminution of life. Our universe is not consuming itself but is always maintaining its own existence through the vitality of this give and take. It is like the waves of the ocean which come crashing to the shore; first they are high and strong, then they disappear into the water but the ocean itself is never diminished by the waves.</p>
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<p>Did you know that the earth itself is constantly breathing? When it exhales it is about one foot smaller and when it inhales it is one foot larger. Every day it is breathing, even though you can’t feel it. This is universal law.</p>
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<p>Whenever there is movement it creates a certain shape or form, such as the triangle or rectangle. This form will not be destroyed unless the movement ceases. The force of give and take is always contained within the particular form it sprang from. Each individual carries within him the original pattern he inherited from his parents. It is obvious that everyone has a certain physical appearance which he received from his parents, but some people want to say, “No, I am a totally unique, self-sufficient being.” However, he still came from two parents whose traits can always be found within him.</p>
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<p>Everything within the universe comes under this law of origins; it is a very interesting thing to observe from the viewpoint of Principle.</p>
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<p>Can you imagine that a bird would ever exist and sing all by itself? No, birds naturally live and sing together in harmony. Male and female naturally blend their voices in song. When deer run across a field, the male deer normally runs in front and the female follows immediately behind him. This is according to the pattern of harmony and is totally natural.</p>
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<p>In any kind of literature, whether it is Korean, French, English, or whatever, much of its beauty is in the way the author uses adjectives, the words of description and comparison. “Dew-like morning,” or “Dove-like eyes” are samples of the use of adjectives. The ability to use such descriptions comes from the universal law of parallel or comparable existences. If you simply say something is beautiful it is not nearly as clear or as meaningful as if you compare it with something else. “Beautiful like a flower,” “Lovely as a rose,” are phrases in which we take an example from the universe and compare it with the subject we are talking about.</p>
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<p>According to universal law, everything in the universe is in motion for prosperity and multiplication, never for self-destruction. The ideal we are trying to achieve is that for every movement or motion we make. we receive a corresponding benefit. If we do 100 activities, we want to gain 100 benefits from them. Certainly we do not do things for the purpose of losing. This is a clear explanation of the meaning of “ideal”, that everything we do ought to create goodness or benefit for someone or something.</p>
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<p>What is the ideal of the universe? Certainly anything which carries the universe toward its infinite, eternal benefit is considered ideal. Is there any way that mining a lot of diamonds would be part of the ideal of the universe? Suppose you panned millions of dollars worth of gold from a river; would that be considered part of the universal ideal? Certainly people have pursued such things with great fervor. In the Western movies, gold is always the source of conflict between people!</p>
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<p>Perhaps the ideal of the universe can be found within the acquisition of great power. Some people have left the Unification Church because they felt a desire for personal power; but is that truly pursuing the ideal? Would you sacrifice everything else for the sake of education and knowledge? Some people feel their lives are worthless unless they can go to Harvard, Yale, or some prestigious school.</p>
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<p>What is the truly ideal action which always benefits the entire universe? It is the action of true love. What is true love and what distinguishes it from all the other types of love? True love is always welcomed by the universe- everywhere, anywhere.</p>
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<p>Can you produce your love for me and show it to me on your palm? Can you see magnetic fields? You can prove scientifically that the north and south poles are pulling each other, but can you actually see the magnetism? True love exists in the realm of the invisible, as well. You know it exists; you can even prove it, but you cannot see it.</p>
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<p>From the beginning point of true love, everything good can happen. From there the ideal world can begin. As we have said, the ideal of motion is for every activity to bring about a corresponding benefit. True love is the power by which to create that ideal of motion; wherever it exists. it always brings benefit and prosperity. Therefore the ideal world can be achieved by true love. It is only logical.</p>
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<p>Why is true love so good? Everything begins from true love and is consummated in true love-it is the alpha and the omega of the universe. The motion of true love is unlimited; it can go anywhere within the universe. It can penetrate your whole being and be totally welcomed. You never want to reject true love; wherever it touches you. you respond with joy and openness.</p>
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<p>Does the current American habit of husbands and wives maintaining their own separate savings accounts reflect an attitude of true love? Can you tell your spouse, “I love you, but don’t ever touch my savings account!”?</p>
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<p>Anything less than true love within the home is going to produce something less than the ideal, but most families do not understand the basic, true philosophy of true love. Some Americans protest to me, “Oh, you don’t understand anything about America. We are a highly advanced and first-class culture. You have no right to talk about us!” However, by the rule of true love many things can be understood. Do you think true love affects the President of the United States? Is he immune to it because he is so great? Even God himself will never say, “I don’t care about true love because I have omnipotence and I don’t need it.” The almighty God is completely vulnerable to true love. When He is approached with true love, He is helpless to resist.</p>
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<p>Think about your life; why were you born and what are you here for ultimately? You are here for the fulfillment of true love. The ideal of existence is for every person to be glowing with the spark of true love twenty-four hours a day. As men and women, you are like the plus and minus of electricity which gives off a tremendous spark when a connection is made. Sparking brings light, heat and other phenomena. When two beings come together in true love, it is the most exciting element of our lives.</p>
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<p>Men and women come together and “spark” with the power of true love, creating heat, light, and multiplication of energy. Then together they become a larger plus entity; as soon as a bigger minus comes along, they spark with that, always growing and multiplying energy. There is never the destruction of energy between plus and minus. That is the kind of life which Divine Principle is taking you towards.</p>
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<p>In the Unification Church we always talk about plus and minus. We speak of the unity between mind and body to produce a “spark” of prosperity for the individual. Then a man and women must “spark” together to produce a family; the family spark becomes a society spark, which becomes a nation spark and so on, all the way up to the level of the universe.</p>
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<p>Reverend Moon has brought this message to the world and because of it the world looks at him as a very controversial religious figure. Rather than feeling bad when people describe me as controversial, I welcome it very much! The strong controversy exists because I have brought a tremendously magnetic force field to this world. When people come close to that magnetic field, they are like small iron filings clinging to a magnet. It is the same when your parents try to pull your legs and drag you away from the Unification Church: you refuse to budge. Likewise when society exerts pressure on you. Thus many different explanations of this phenomenon have come up in society: “Brainwashing” for example.</p>
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<p>When the teachings of the Unification Church hit you, the spark occurs and a new kind of ideal is born within your heart and mind. A new kind of personal prosperity becomes yours and no power can separate you from that.</p>
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<p>In electricity when the plus and minus circuits come together, all impure and foreign elements are burned up in the heat of their union. All that remains is the genuine, pure conductivity of electricity. Likewise, that is what happens when you are contacted by true love and you spark with it. All foreign elements of sin will be burned up; you will be cleansed and become a truly sinless person.</p>
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<p>Like a spiral you are involved in a never-ending motion; going in, going out, circling always within the universe and vibrating with the universe. True love never stands still but is always in that positive motion. This is the answer to the question, “What should I pursue in my life?” Now you know what is the true goal of your life.</p>
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<p>What is the central force moving God’s providence along? Certainly the central theme of the providence has been true love. With true love alone can God fulfill His own ideals and purpose. True love alone can harmonize everything, activate all things, unite and move everything in the universe. How wonderful that is! True love is so powerful and wonderful that once you have the hope of acquiring it for yourself nothing else really matters to you. The taste of true love gives you power and determination to pursue it further.</p>
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<p>All machines on the earth will eventually wear out; even a brand new Cadillac will run for years but will eventually deteriorate. The human body is the same. If you over exert any part of your body it will eventually break down. The whole body is destined to die. Well, then, is God’s creation destined to end in decline and destruction? If God is almighty and eternal, He must have created something which, the more it moves and exists, the more it grows and increases. There must be something which doesn’t break down but always continues from greater to greater levels of prosperity. What is it that would enable a person to be anchored for thousands of years but never get bored, as long as he has it? You know the answer is true love.</p>
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<p><em>“True love”</em>, two simple words which describe the pinnacle toward which all the pursuits of mankind have been striving. Throughout human history, all the great philosophers and sages sought to understand the ultimate truth of life but usually they tried to be too sophisticated in their approach and could not find it. Once a person has acquired the knowledge of true love, he doesn’t need any other philosophy. The more movement a person of true love makes, the greater the benefit; he never declines. A person is anchored for eternity and can never get bored within the universe. You will never get tired of living in true love.</p>
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<p>Once I observed a young couple on the beach; they were obviously deeply in love. They sat with their heads pressed together for the longest time. In fact, I was timing them to see how long they could sit like that. After thirty minutes they were still together, but I couldn’t stay any longer because I had a plane to catch. Maybe they are still pressing their heads together even now! If that is just the imperfect standard of secular love and it is that strong, imagine how much more powerful true love is!</p>
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<p>Love in America today has become very cheap, but if even the cheapest love can bring a man and woman together in bliss like that couple, what about the “most expensive” variety of love, true love? It can do so much more for men and women. You could sit with your heads together for hundreds of thousands of years and never get bored! If true love is capable of doing that for you, what else under the sun could you want?</p>
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<p>The ideal we are describing is simple but very dramatic and romantic. True love is totally flexible; it fits the needs of every individual perfectly. None of the billions of people in the world will be dissatisfied with the presence of true love; each person will be fulfilled.</p>
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<p>The purpose of the Unification Church is to train each of you and graduate you with a “license of true love.” Regardless of where your license is printed, the important thing is who signs it. The PhD candidate can never receive his degree until the professor in charge signs for him. You want to receive the signature of God and the True Parents on your true love license. Reverend Moon is like the professor in charge of the members of the Unification Church. The subject of learning is true love; I push you out into situations in society that will train you and season you as true love champions. You do not sit in classrooms but learn through activities. The purpose of all those activities is to enable me to sign your true love certificate.</p>
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<p>As an ambitious candidate for your certificate of true love, how will you respond to my pushing you and giving you more and more burdens? Will you accept it willingly or will you complain against it” when the major leaders come to visit Mother and me at East Garden. they are always grateful to see us initially. However I always grind them down-keeping them up until 3:00 a.m., for instance for three or tour days in a row. Soon they are all worn out because their scale of thinking is different from mine.</p>
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<p>True love can overcome anything, so nothing is more important than finding and dwelling in true love! I always sacrifice sleep for the sake of true love. Sometimes I can get up early and speak to members and at midnight I am still sitting in the same chair, having spoken all day. However, I never get bored with such activities because every minute of the day is exciting when true love is present.</p>
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<p>I have the absolute conviction that anybody who lives his life in total intoxication from true love, forgetting everything else, must receive protection and support from the entire universe. My way of life is constantly evoking such give and take action with the universe. This is what the Unification Church is all about.</p>
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<p>The essential truth of the universe is contained within one seed. Without the “skin” of love, nothing in the universe could survive but would be destroyed. Seeds germinate in the warmth of the springtime sun. The spring sunshine is a symbol of true love which gives life to everything.</p>
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<p>Why have so many religions come and gone throughout history? It is because they have not been able to live up to the demands of true love. True love can never decline or be destroyed. Religions talk about true love but they have not been able to give a crystal clear understanding of what they are talking about; their understanding has been somewhat hazy and unclear and therefore they have been weakened.</p>
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<p>You members of the Unification Church, do you need your marriage partner? Why do you say yes? Is it just for the sake of your own satisfaction? No, you know that you need your spouse for the fulfillment of true love. In an electrical circuit, do you ever see a positively charged wire rejecting a negatively charged one, saying, “That wire is ugly; I don’t want to connect with it!” No, you will never see such a thing. Actually an “ugly” wire would probably be bent and twisted and would therefore have a greater area for the electricity to travel through, whereas a simple straight wire would be far less interesting. When you love your ugly spouse with true dedication, that is truly the best realization of true love. You will become a universal heat conductor, giving warmth and light to the entire universe.</p>
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<p>According to natural law, whenever an object must overcome some tremendous obstacle, its path will be very smooth after that. Likewise, after tremendous joys it is normal that things will level out. This is the wavelike motion which is a part of natural law. It is natural for air to go from being very dense to sparse; it makes a wavelike motion, as well. When a boat is on the ocean, its motor must work very hard to move through rough waves, but then it is very easy to move over smooth seas. Married life is often like that-up and down, intense and smooth, dense and sparse. Those couples who come together in sweetness and lots of romance will experience difficulties in a later time of their marriage. However, if you have to overcome difficulties in the first part of your marriage, your later life together will be beautiful. Everything comes into balance.</p>
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<p>Because I am aware of this secret of balance in the universe, I always push young members to take on difficulties and suffering during the first part of their church life, because they will be taken care of by the law of nature. When you get older you will automatically have a smoother, prosperous life. I am pushing you up a steep mountain, but it is definitely exciting.</p>
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<p>While we are on earth, we want to cross the highest possible mountain; then we want to go down deep into the ocean. Out of all religions in history, membership in the Unification Church is the toughest. I deliberately make it a challenging and difficult course for you. There are other religions that are much easier to belong to. I have no awards to give to easy-going people, but I have great medals and prizes in store for those willing to go this path. The easy-going person should go somewhere else, because he simply won’t make it within the Unification Church.</p>
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<p>I am 62 years old now but I have the same mental capacity as a young person. You may think I am an old man but I do not feel old at all. Although some have endured worse physical suffering, no one endured more mental anguish than 1. Why do I always put myself in the position to receive such negativity, in Korea first, then Japan, now the U.S., as well as making myself a target for international communism? Why do I choose to live in such a way, since no one is forcing me? It is because I want to hit the peaks of human experience so that no one can ever compete with me. I want to set a record of going higher and down deeper into life than anyone else. Do you accept that I have set that record?</p>
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<p>I have worked for ten years to establish Ocean Church. Do you like Ocean Church? I went to Provincetown and pushed the members to get up at 3:00 a.m. and go out onto the ocean. They hated it, although they didn’t say anything; I know they simply do not understand such activity, or why I did it. We went out onto the ocean all day, then even after midnight we didn’t come back. Nobody likes it when I lead the Ocean Church members. My family seems to suffer, the leaders don’t like it, the members don’t like it. So why do I still push you in that way?</p>
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<p>My body is not made of iron. 1, too, get tired and fatigued, but I always think of the future of mankind. My actions are always for someone else’s benefit, so because of that I can go on and on, beyond my physical limitations. I don’t get tired or discouraged.</p>
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<p>My favorite thing is true love. I am in love with true love and you yearn to be with me because you also long for true love. Since I embody true love you always want me to come and visit your homes and centers. You want to wear the clothing that I buy for you, not because you don’t have clothes but because they represent true love.</p>
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<p>Because of my relationship with true love, I am always with you wherever you are; we can always have give and take. I am only one person, but there is something different about me. The missionaries in Africa can feel a communion with me every day. They can see me through true love and there is no distance or boundary between those who share true love.</p>
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<p>The motion of the universe is one circling motion, in and out, from the center of the spiral to the outside. Everything within the spiral is connected. Everywhere within the spiral of true love, God is omnipotent and omnipresent. God is not everywhere randomly, at whim, but only in the sense of true love. He has always wanted to dwell everywhere here on the earth, but He couldn’t do that in reality because Satan and his power have dominion. God can only dwell directly in the places where true love prevails; in those places He is truly omnipresent and omnipotent.</p>
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<p>God has total vision into the future where true love reigns; time and space present no limitations. Regardless of the vastness of spirit world, with true love you can connect yourself anywhere there with true love.</p>
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<p>Is it good to be willing to die for the sake of true love? Jesus said, “He who seeks to lose his life for my sake will gain his life.” Another way to say it is that those who are willing to die for the sake of true love will live in true love forever. Those who live for their selfish purposes will die permanently.</p>
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<p>According to Principle, we must love our enemy with a heart of true love; without that it would be impossible. There is actually no room for the concept of “enemy” within the realm of true love. We can conclude that all beings in the universe relate with each other within the universal “glue” of true love. As I mentioned in the beginning of this sermon, God, mankind and all things of creation can come together under the power of true love.</p>
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<p>According to Principle, the world is first in order of importance, then the nation, then the society, then the family, and finally the individual. Today however, the world embraces the exactly opposite way of thinking. Many people put themselves first in their lives, calling it “individualism” and do not care much at all about the world, their nation or their society.</p>
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||
<p>Looked at from the overall point of view, individualism is totally wrong because it is self-centered. On the other hand, if a person is concerned about his own self perfection or completion, that is justifiable. Everyone has an innate desire to perfect himself. Thus, taking care of oneself is not totally evil from God’s point of view. If the goal of an individual is to perfect himself or herself in order to form an ideal couple, the universe will accept that.</p>
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||
<p>Most people do not understand how to direct their natural desires for self-fulfillment and instead create all kinds of chaotic ways of living. Each person is designed to become a perfected, God-centered individual; then he can find his partner and create a family. From the base of the family, both the vertical and the horizontal worlds come into being. Before you create your family, you are a plus or a minus being but you are without a true point of reference with the center. Once plus and minus join into one, you merge for the first time with that universal center. Therefore, we need to get married not for our own personal pleasure but more importantly to gain harmony with the universe. When you are joined with the universal plus and minus, you form around you a universal circle.</p>
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<p>When a man and woman embrace in true love, each feels completely fulfilled; they have everything they want. They actually “own” the universe because they are relating with the entire universe. That is an experience which can never be bought with money. As a couple, you become a seed or representative of the universe and through your love you create an embryo. That embryo becomes your child, a new life which blossoms forth for the universe.</p>
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<p>Have you ever wondered why God didn’t create women with beards? Women represent the virgin earth, prior to Creation. Men are like the vegetation which God planted on the earth-plants, trees, flowers. The process of creation made a complete circle, coming at the end to the creation of women. Why were women created last? The alpha of creation was the virgin soil of the earth; the omega was the virgin “soil” of the woman. Therefore, you have no beards because you are like the earth, before seeds were planted and without vegetation. It all falls within a logical system and framework.</p>
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<p>The skin of women is soft, smooth, and pliable, almost like clay. Clay is a basic material of the earth, out of which artists create sculpture and many useful materials are made. Men are like the bones, so when men and women come together, they make up one body. If both were like bones, that would not be complete, or if both were like clay it would be formless. People naturally seek their opposite-men like to receive the soft, tender touch of a woman and women like the feel of a masculine, hairy man. A man isn’t attracted to a woman with a lot of coarse, rough hair on her face and body. This is because of the law of complementation; we are drawn toward those things in each other which we don’t have.</p>
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<p>In school, little girls usually learn how to draw and write earlier than boys; this is because girls have a natural sensitivity and gift of observation. They are also capable of imitating well. Boys, however, pick up a drawing pen and just make all kinds of strokes which don’t look like anything else. They don’t want to imitate anything but simply want to express themselves. Men and women have different proportions. When a woman sits down she has a natural cushion; she doesn’t even need a chair! Men are more developed in the shoulder area. Man is like a triangle which is broad at the top; woman is a triangle which is broad at the bottom. The Western business suit for men is actually more parallel with the natural needs of a man; thus even in the Orient men are wearing Western type suits. Because of the proportions of a woman’s body, it is usually easier for her to move and sit in a skirt; trousers are more restricting.</p>
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<p>It is natural that a woman should take care of the home while the man should be going out into the world. It seems much more natural that a woman come to the door whenever you go to visit a home; when a big man comes and opens the door, it seems less inviting. Men are more easily capable of driving trucks, firing guns, using heavy machinery; women more naturally do well at detail-oriented tasks, such as typing, bookkeeping, sewing, etc. This is a reflection of the law of nature. Nature is a great teacher. The things of nature do not violate the law at all; if they did, they would quickly be extinguished.</p>
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<p>Look at the birds; the male is larger and more dominant, while the female is smaller and follows the male. It is not always possible for the female to keep up with the pace of the male; therefore, she has a nest to stay in. Likewise with women; you need a comfortable home to stay in and take care of. When you go out and try to keep up with your husband’s pace, you may have to take 15 steps to his 10; therefore you get more tired. It is natural for you to want to get back home where you can rest.</p>
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<p>Sometimes I receive the criticism that I am “anti-woman” and “pro-man” but that is not true. I am simply pro-natural law. At this time, many women are trying to take over the societal positions and responsibilities of men; but you are not equipped to do that. You have your own strengths and virtues. Unless you can understand the reality of natural law, you can never understand or make sense of all the crazy things going on in today’s world.</p>
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<p>Let us return to the topic of the seed. According to Divine Principle, having children is the natural and desirable result of the love of husband and wife. If you have felt that you did not want to have children, this sermon will teach you why it is so valuable that you do so. Without a child, you and your spouse cannot enjoy the heavenly four position foundation; you remain as a triangle, without a vertical line from God to that fourth position.</p>
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<p>The Oriental viewpoint is that parents should live for their children; the children are all-important in the family. The Western viewpoint emphasizes men and women just living for each other. Therefore, the Oriental way is more vertical, the Western more horizontal The vertical way is safer and more stable. There must be an axis for any circular motion; a spinning top always turns on its axis. Therefore, the motion of the universe is determined by its vertical, central axis and everything in the universe turns around that axis.</p>
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<p>The give and take of men and women originated from the universal give and take of plus and minus. Spiritual values, things of truthfulness and beauty, are at the center of the universe. We naturally pursue experiences of goodness and beauty in a big way because the center of the universe is one of bigness, goodness and beauty.</p>
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<p>Whenever there is a turning action, the result is the appearance of a circle. Even when a triangular shape turns around and around, it appears as a whirling circular object.</p>
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<p>Children are the result of the combined effort of a man, a woman, and God. Why do we need God in the relationship? It is because we want to create a rectangular, four-position foundation. You need God, the children, and the relationship between man and woman to produce the ideal. As man and woman come closer, God, too, comes closer. When you unite in love, God is involved too; likewise, the child you create is involved in that action. Therefore, all four positions are brought into unity through the act of love.</p>
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<p>God is big, good and beautiful; by the same token, you see your husband or wife to be big, good and beautiful in your life. You look at each other as the image of God. Your children, likewise, reflect that same nature which is big, good and beautiful.</p>
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<p>What power can create bigness, goodness and beauty? The power of true love alone. Therefore, the heavenly four-position foundation is the focal point of the teachings of the Unification Church. Within the four-positions, every subject and object has three directions in which to relate. This motion creates the rectangular shape.</p>
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<p>Why should you love your children more than even your spouse? Even in the secular world, the importance of the vertical relationship between parents and children is very apparent. In American society, you see that divorcing couples often struggle over custody of the children. Why do people never want to divorce their children? It is simply because the child is in that object position to God; God and the child dwell in that vertical line of relationship and there is only one vertical line. It is possible to make all kinds and levels of horizontal relationships, but there is always only one vertical line of relationship. In a way, by holding on to your child, you are holding on to God.</p>
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<p>Within the Unification Church, you always put your relationship with God first, then your children, and finally your spouse. We can conclude that the Oriental philosophy toward the family is closer to the Heavenly standard than the Western way. This is not because I am an Oriental person; I am only interested in teaching Heavenly tradition.</p>
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<p>For the embryo within the seed to blossom forth, it needs the warmth of the sun. By the same token, in order for a true and valuable human life to blossom it needs the warmth of love coming from God. During the teenage years, a young person is very sensitive and poetic and romantic. Life is very exciting to him. Often the mind of the teenager is full of fantasy; and as soon as the energy of love touches him, he immediately responds and is ready to act on it. The teen years are the time of preparation for the response to love.</p>
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<p>One individual represents the entire universal force. Men and women bring down the power of heavenly love between them. They feel that, instead of two units, they were meant to be one unit, one entity. Through their love, germination of the embryo occurs. The action of physical love is an expression of harmony between the two different plus and minus physical human shapes.</p>
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<p>I want you to understand that love is not yours; it belongs to God. Love is truly God’s property. When you are in love with your husband or wife, don’t ever think that it is just between the two of you. When you embrace each other, also remember that you are embracing God and you are sharing God’s love. Men and women started out from the same origin, God, divided into their separate existences, and then, through the expression of their love they are brought together into the center with God. Each wants to swap positions freely with each other; a man wants to be able to take the position of the woman and vice-versa. They want to share everything.</p>
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<p>Love between husband and wife thrusts them in two directions: toward the center, or unity with each other, and toward the future-to the ideal and hope of future goals. God is in the same position-His love moves in two directions-toward mankind and toward the future realization of His goals.</p>
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<p>The child in the womb lives with the constant heartbeat of its mother. His life throbs with the love of God, with the heartbeat of his mother, and gradually his own little heart begins to beat. It is the parents who are closest to true love who will produce a child of the greatest goodness and beauty.</p>
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<p>God’s providence has been moving toward this day of completion, the time of fulfillment of true love within the family. It is a mandate from God that men and women come together as husband and wife to bring forth children who will take dominion over all creation with greatness, goodness and beauty.</p>
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<p>To summarize, the act of love between husband and wife should not be conducted with a selfish attitude. It is actually the most public action which is for the sake of the universe, mankind and God!</p>
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<p>As parents, you must have purity of heart and a sense of gratitude toward God. It is not so valuable to have great ambition and say to God, “I want to have a wonderful child who can become a powerful person and take dominion over all creation.” What you need is simply purity of heart and through the sanctity of your love, your child will reflect the highest ambitions of anyone.</p>
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<p>The fruit of the providence is certainly the fruit of true love. Who shall harvest that fruit? The husband and wife together. Once you make the harvest, you store it in Heaven’s storehouse.</p>
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<p>A child is a representative of God and his parents. He can see the manifestation of true love in his parents and he can know that he is the fruit of their true love. The mother is like the railroad tracks, the father is like the railroad car and the children are like the cargo riding inside. All they have to do is just move toward the goal. This means that the parents must be the example of true love for the children. When that is the case, you don’t even have to say “I love you”-your every day actions are the living manifestation of your true love. Your children will be totally devoted to you and will never want to abandon you; even if they go away, they will have to come back.</p>
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<p>It is human destiny to search for true love. Even after the fall of man, the traces of true love still remain so everyone is seeking for it. Mankind has always tried to find that original source of true love. In form, everything for the ideal world already exists; our task in building the ideal world is to make everything true-true parents, true children, true couples, true ideal. This is the most significant aspect of our movement.</p>
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<p>The true, ideal world means the world of true love. When that is accomplished, everything will be fulfilled. Everything will be okay. That is the goal of the harvest of the providence-for everything to be okay. We are looking forward to the harvest of that seed of true love; we are working every day to create that true love seed.</p>
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<p>In the electronics field, such companies as Sony can say “everything is okay” when it comes to their products. No matter how sophisticated the equipment that breaks, the Sony Co. could take care of it. By the same token, we want to have a spiritual “Sony Co.” that can take care of everything spiritual-don’t you want to be a member of that kind of church? Such a church would be a true love church, a church of ideal love.</p>
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<p>The church of true, ideal love is one in which God is totally satisfied and vulnerable to being moved by His children. In such a church, God is everywhere-in the bathroom, in the kitchen, etc. Body odors would not offend God. In true love, everything is okay.</p>
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<p>You are consummating your family life now. The most important question you must face at this time is what kind of harvest are you going to make? What kind of child do you want to bring to this world? When your mental, spiritual or physical condition is not prepared, how can you pursue your spouse? You have no right to do so. If your spiritual or physical situation is not proper at the time of your child’s conception, you will have much regret after he is born. That child will be the reminder of your situation over and over again. You do not want to bear that kind of pain. You don’t want to be in the position to be constantly reminded of how poorly you treated your husband or wife; your child will exhibit signs of that and remind you constantly.</p>
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<p>Are you ready to pray, “God, I am ready to bear a true child for this world”? Actually, nobody can pray such a prayer because nobody is truly ready or worthy. The alternative is to pray, “I am not worthy, so I am throwing myself into my mission. I will work hard and take on persecution and suffering, but I will do it with a truly grateful heart and never quit.” That is one way in which you can move God.</p>
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<p>When husband and wife work hard in your Home Church area, bearing rejection after rejection but never cursing the people, you can pray together in tears for the sake of the people. God will look at such a couple and think, “They deserve a true child-so I am going to bless them.” He will tell them, “My son and daughter, don’t worry, I will give you a child who will vindicate you and take his proper dominion over all things. He will be the source of your glory.”</p>
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<p>God is looking for suffering people who have such noble hearts-it doesn’t matter in which country, whether it is large or small-He wants to see people who truly represent the suffering heart of the parents to this world. Korea is one nation in that position; it has suffered much tribulation, yet it clings to its hope and faith in God. Within that nation, God called on me to represent His heart to this world. Actually, if anyone could curse the Korean people it would be me because they have given me a harder time than anyone else. However, I am not in such a position to curse Korea. In America, likewise, I have been misrepresented and mistreated but I am still reaching out m compassion toward this country.</p>
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<p>I knew that God would bless me with better and better children further and further down the line and that is what has happened. Those children who were born in this country were bestowed with superior blessings. Each child has been greater and greater in their devotion and filial piety.</p>
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<p>You should be pulling your beloved’s hands, not into the bedroom but along the road of tribulation for the sake of God. God called Abraham and told him to leave his country immediately. Do you think Abraham went gently to his wife and allowed her to get lots of sleep before he obeyed God’s command? No, he must have shaken her awake and pulled her out of bed to follow him. If she asked “Where are we going?” he would have answered, “Don’t ask. Just follow me.” Abraham didn’t even know where they were going.</p>
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<p>You women should look at your husbands as if they were in Abraham’s position. Don’t demand an explanation from him when he pushes you to get up and out of bed; just trust and follow him. Usually when someone is trying to explain all the details about the providential path, the providence has already gone on ahead without him! Your husband might tell you, “Don’t ask questions, just follow me. Beyond that horizon, wonderful things are waiting.” You should follow him without having any idea what kinds of things are waiting.</p>
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<p>Perhaps when you and your husband get on the other side of that mountain where wonderful things were supposed to be waiting, there will be a howling wolf instead. Then your husband might say, “Don’t worry, we must cross over another mountain and then we will come to Canaan, that wonderful land.” Even if the wife is not so cooperative, the husband must somehow persuade her to go with him over all the mountains. Do you men understand? That is your job. Actually, in some cases the husband is the one who is confused and not sure of what to do or where to go.</p>
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<p>Sometimes you have to give an ultimatum and tell your spouse, “All right. You can stay here, but I’m going ahead.” Do you rascal men hear me correctly this morning? So many men feel they have to discuss their missions and mandates from God with their wives first before doing them. But you must feel, “I must talk with God alone; let my wife follow me.”</p>
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<p>You know that I have taught you American women many things. You love and trust me, is that correct? From now on you must truly be different from all secular American women. Think of it: if I had been the sort of man who always cleared things with my wife before acting on them, there would not be any Unification Church today! I am speaking now of my first marriage. That woman was very brilliant and capable. She told me, “All you need to do is just love and pay attention to me and our child; I will make you happy. Just stay here; why do you have to go to North Korea, anyway? You have no guarantee that you will survive there!” However, I did not listen to her; I only discussed with God and obeyed God’s commands. Even more than Abraham, I left everything behind and went directly to North Korea as soon as God directed me. I didn’t even go to visit my own home town there in North Korea-that is not why God sent me. I went to North Korea in order to do exactly what God commanded me.</p>
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<p>When I came to the United States, there was opposition, too. People said to me, “Father, you have success now here in Korea. Why must you go to another strange country and suffer there?” At that time, I left Mother behind and brought only those missionaries who could translate for me. So again I left my wife and children behind and took off for a foreign land. My immediate family felt unhappy, but I didn’t pay much attention. Mother felt that she would like to accompany me everywhere I went, but I had to leave her behind. I was coming to a place similar to a spiritual “combat zone.” I had to go to all fifty states setting up the holy grounds in forty days’ time.</p>
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<p>In that way, I was able to demonstrate my love for this country. I wanted to be able to say, “I love this country more than anyone else, even any American.” In the process of giving true love to this country and its people, I incurred persecution on the worldwide level. Although I received so much opposition and hostility, still I loved this nation with a father’s love. Therefore, no one can compete with such love.</p>
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<p>At this time people are wondering why Reverend Moon is spending so much time and energy trying to promote the memory and image of General MacArthur, especially through the movie <i>Inchon.</i> Julius Caesar was the emperor under whose rule the messiah, Jesus Christ, was crucified. MacArthur has been nicknamed the “American Caesar;” but he was like a heavenly Caesar. The kind of character which Caesar embodied was authoritarian, not democratic. Caesar, in the position of emperor, should have been able to love his people and his public mission; of course, he could not do that. Caesar did not love God, first of all.</p>
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<p>On the contrary, MacArthur showed his trust in God through the Inchon landing. Without trust and faith in God, it would not have been possible. There is much more that could be said about this, but I want to wait until some future time.</p>
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<p>At this time in history, Reverend Moon has promoted the memory of MacArthur, thereby stirring up people throughout this country. I want to see the image and spirit of MacArthur welcomed here. When that happens, I myself will receive a kind of liberation because Reverend Moon’s position is parallel to that of MacArthur. When this movie is released all over the country, America’s perception of Reverend Moon will become different. When people see that .’Moonie movie” and gain inspiration from it, they will have to change their minds about Reverend Moon. When General MacArthur and Reverend Moon become one, it is symbolic of America and Korea becoming one. It’s almost like achieving the impossible unity between Jesus and Julius Caesar-such a thing is almost unthinkable, but if such a thing had occurred, human history would have been different.</p>
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<p>This is the time of the revival and resurrection of General MacArthur. That great soldier of America was actually rejected and fired; but now Reverend Moon has come and led the revival of MacArthur’s spirit. In modern history, the only person who achieved the status of a true hero was General MacArthur. Some people name Winston Churchill as a true hero, but he was limited to the European area, not the world level. However, the Korean War was a worldwide conflict between the United Nations and the combined forces of the communist nations.</p>
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<p>Julius Caesar controlled the entire civilized world during his time. If MacArthur could have gained unity with Truman, he could have created a different kind of “Roman Empire” of modern times. If he had been allowed to advance beyond the Yalu River and liberate all of Korea, Manchuria, and even China, he could have destroyed communism in Asia. Certainly he could have become president of the US on that foundation. Undoubtedly, the history of this country would have been very different.</p>
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<p>Therefore, America must restore the memory and the spirit of MacArthur. When his spirit prevails here, this country can re-discover a true dream, an ideal. Where can a true ideal be found at this time? Nowhere else but in the Unification Church. If General MacArthur had heard and understood the ideology of Unification Church, what do you think would have happened? Don’t you think one world under God could be possible?</p>
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<p>I want to bring General MacArthur to the attention of American young people. If they see <i>Inchon </i>and read the program, they will be inspired to think, “I want to be like General MacArthur.” Three characteristics of MacArthur are very distinct through the film: he was a man who loved God, loved humanity, and hated communism.</p>
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<p>There is a part of the movie program which states that a national movement to promote General MacArthur’s anti-communism needs to arise here. MGM, the distributors of the film, protested strongly saying, we won’t be a propagandistic company.” There was much discussion back and forth, and finally we said, “If you don’t accept it, we won’t allow you to distribute the movie.” They surrendered at that point.</p>
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<p><i>Inchon</i> is a movie that will ignite a new fervor in the hearts of American youth. All together, approximately $60 million was spent on this project. This was not done for the sake of making money. If even 100 young people become inspired and strive to emulate the spirit of General MacArthur the money will be very well spent.</p>
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<p>The words I have spoken will not vanish throughout history. I want to register for history these remarks at Belvedere about McArthur long after I am dead, this movement will continue and prosper; it will become the leading force for the world. There shall be a museum in which all the words I have spoken and written will be preserved for people of the future to see. The day will come when the name and spirit of Reverend Moon will be justified and glorified. At that time, those who persecuted me will be regarded by mankind as traitors. Therefore, I am not perturbed by having to go to court or by any other experience. I am considering the future; for the sake of 100 years from now, I can never be a coward or try to beg for mercy from unjust accusers. I have not done anything wrong and history will prove it.</p>
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<p>This is why I have been carrying on many different activities at the same time as this court battle has been going on. This year we began the Minority Alliance International for the sake of Black, Oriental and other ethnic groups. Then we carried out the Conference on God, an idea which was impossible for most people to even think about. We had the Youth Crusade for God, with people from different religions coming together. Then <i>The Washington Times </i>was created. The Professors World Peace Academy was greatly expanded. Then, on July 1, there was the blessing here in America; soon another blessing will be held in Korea. On September 17<i>, Inchon </i>was released. All these things have been done within one year.</p>
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<p>Those people who are neutral about Reverend Moon and the Unification movement will soon be swayed toward positivity. Do you think the Unification Movement is going up or down in this country now? Certainly, it is going up. Do you think <i>Inchon </i>will lead America toward further corruption or toward her resurrection? I love and forgive America and I am demonstrating that through the <i>Inchon</i> film and everything else. As long as you Americans are strong and faithful to the ideal, this nation will have hope; you are the only hope of this country. You cannot falter; you must go out and teach this nation the truth and bring it resurrection.</p>
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<p>Religion is not for the purpose of destruction; it is for the purpose of living and salvation. I have come here as a foreigner and have given this much; you as native Americans should do one hundred times more. I want to push you harder so that you can achieve your potential for this country; you can be doing far more. Do you welcome my pushing you? You have got to educate this country out of its ignorance.</p>
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<p>My role is not just to teach Americans; America’s role is to teach the world. Therefore, I am doing all this here so that you, in turn, can teach the rest of the world. I know that if you cannot do the job, God will mobilize other forces. There are many professors who appreciate what I am doing and they can be the ones to teach the truth in their own classrooms. If that happens, you will be in a shameful position because you will have failed your mission. I don’t want you to be in that position and therefore I am pushing you hard at this time, seemingly ruthlessly. I want you to fulfill your mission. If you can accomplish just one kind of record-even if you can only say you suffered the most-that is at least something you have done at this historic time.</p>
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<p>Every year at the Science Conference, the chairmen want to meet with me, but I have not yet granted them that request. Those people admire me and respect me, while many average people look at me with tremendous disrespect. What is your position? You call me Father so in order to be in that kind of position, you must be a defender of the family, standing up against opposition and fighting the negativity. Otherwise, you are not truly in the position to call me Father. If you feel that you cannot go beyond certain limitations because of your own reputation and your own job, can that be enough?</p>
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<p>In America, Reverend Moon is in the position of “No man.” Your job is to make him a “known man,” to educate the public about him. You American women, will you listen well to your husbands? You fierce American guys, do you want to lead your wives well? You must maintain your subjective position, even in love. You must have your own dignity. You women must help your husbands maintain their dignity; if your husband comes to you with a whining, self-pitying attitude, you should kick him!</p>
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<p>Your love relationships now must set the tradition for the future; they must not contain anything dishonorable. The tradition you set now will be the model for the world in the future; if your standard is crooked now, people in the future will have a crooked model to follow. That tradition has been walked by God, True Parents, and now it is your turn. Millions of people will have to follow that standard; that is why I do not want to compromise it in any way. It must be a dignified tradition.</p>
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<p>Husband and wife, you must have a disciplined life not a loose one. Your sexual relationships have an impact upon the universe itself. You must bear beautiful, healthy fruit through that; otherwise, you are offending the universe.</p>
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<p>I would like to see flowers of hope, the ideal, and future prosperity blooming through your children. Our love exists on an entirely different level than the kind of love which people get from prostitutes. When you approach your spouse, you should do it in the name of God, True Parents and humanity; you must maintain your dignity at that time. Are you confident that you can do that? Although you may have been in the church for 3 or 7 or 10 years, that can’t be enough to wipe out the memories of the past if your life was open and undisciplined before you joined. You must become totally new men and women, eliminating all traces of the past; otherwise you are not worthy of loving each other.</p>
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<p>We are raising a serious question here: how can we create an ideal couple? Let us harvest the most beautiful seed in the form of our children, as the fruit of God’s providence. You must pledge to God that you will love your children; nothing else can matter. Your education, your money, and all those secular worries cannot be important. First things must come first and you must establish the tradition of true love.</p>
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<p>When you women come here to Belvedere, you are always very quiet and obedient before me. As soon as you get out of here, however, do you revert back to being typical American women? I want you to understand that God knows exactly what you need. God knows me completely, and He is still pushing me out further and further.</p>
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<p>Satan is always trying to exploit your weaknesses, but you must be strong and have no weaknesses for him to exploit. The ideal of the Unification Church is the greatest one, but if you fail to practice it, it will bring the greatest tragedy to you. You want to enjoy the sweetest part of the ideal first, but I push you to taste the worst suffering first. Once you overcome those difficulties, you will be completely separated from accusation from Satan. In that position, God will give you the three blessings.</p>
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<p>Do you feel regret for having given so much effort and time doing your work for God? At this time, you must continue to work hard and suffer together with your spouse and family and you will become the subjects of the Completed Testament Acts of the Apostles of God’s Kingdom. Even though you may work so hard you feel completely exhausted and cannot go on, you will not be finished. You will receive the true, unending admiration of all the people of the future, year after year.</p>
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<p>That is why Mother and I have lived with the same spirit, year after year. Mother has given birth to so many children and her body is not the same as it was; she endures incredible suffering. However, I still push her to go together with me everywhere. Do you object to that or do you approve of it`? You approve? Does that mean you want Mother to suffer more ? No, but you understand the Principle and you know the reasons why I must push her. 1, myself, am over 60 years of age and I don’t really have to work as hard as I do, but that is not the way I want to live my life. I cannot sit complacently in a reclining chair for even one day.</p>
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<p>God is telling me that I should take it easy now, since the age of the children has arrived; I could just offer guidance and not work so hard. However. I will not live that way. Do you think God will say, “You have broken the law: I asked you to rest and you did not rest, so I am going to punish you'”? No, there is no such law in God’s kingdom. Even though God may be telling me strongly in front of all the angels in spirit world that I should take it easy. inside of Him He is filled with pride. He is thinking. “Reverend Moon is really my champion. I am so proud of him.”</p>
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<p>Now I am treating you the same way. When I send you out on some mission, you respond quickly with, “Yes, I will do it!” and you set out with enthusiasm to do it. Then you should complete it and come back to me asking, “Okay, I did it. What’s next?” However, I have never yet seen one member or one leader come to me with that spirit and say, “My mission is accomplished; what’s next. Father?” Furthermore, usually your attitude is a quivering, fearful “What’s next?” Where do you stand? Are you always afraid of what I am coming up with next?</p>
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<p>Unless you Americans restore that kind of aggressive, pioneering spirit, this country will decline and some other forces will be able to take over this country. Look at the lesson of Japan: that tiny little nation is the number one competitor to the United States. Thirty years ago, Japan would never have been regarded as capable of such a thing. The great U.S. corporations thought they were untouchable in the world market, but now Japan is ahead in many markets, such as automobiles, electronics, etc.</p>
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<p>I would like to hear you black people asking me what’s next, because it is your time to rise up. I must tell you that what is next is that you must go out and give more, suffer more for the sake of God and humanity. What is next? The real Moonies are what’s next on the horizon. More than anybody else, the Moonies are the people who are ready to suffer and give ourselves for the sake of God and humanity. According to this criteria, no one can compete with us. That will be our pride. We have a definite path in this life, like a certain railroad line. You may not have a first-class cabin or seat, but you must somehow stay on that train, even if you are just hanging on.</p>
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<p>I am running swiftly and every corner of the world is emitting protests, like barking dogs. Controversies are swirling around me and my activities. This is truly a sign that I am not standing still but am moving swiftly- running along the path. Some people have depicted me in the ugliest possible ways. It is like the graffiti vandals who have painted the outside of the New York subway cars. But once you get inside my “railroad car” you see that it is beautiful, golden and clean-it is a royal car. Precious stones and glittering walls are on the inside.</p>
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<p>When passengers enter that car, they can feel the regal elegance and totally enjoy being there. However when those passengers, namely the Unification Church members, look outside the windows they see all the swirling protests and controversies. They can become so confused that they even try to run out of that car while it is moving. If someone does that on a real railroad car, it is surely fatal. Likewise, if you pay attention to the secular world and get affected by it, you will be a victim of the secular world. When you come to Belvedere, you should not be thinking. “When I was living in the ‘outside world’ I slept till ten o’clock every Sunday. Why should I get up now at 4 in the morning?” You should not compare your life now with the past.</p>
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<p>Even women are going to Ocean Church now and are being made boat captains. Are you women wondering, “How can I possibly do such a thing?” and comparing your past life with this? On the contrary, you should go out to the seashore and wait for my boat and tell me, “Father, I want to be the first captain!” That is the winning spirit.</p>
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<p>At the leaders’ conference last week, I integrated all the fifty state centers with Ocean Church. Everybody in the church will be giving at least two weeks a year to Ocean Church. If you are a very fat person, you may tip the boat over-but still you have to go to the ocean for two weeks! Perhaps I will send all the husbands to Alaska in the winter time and the wives to Alabama in the summer time. How would you like that? You must be able to bring salvation to people in every climate-hot, cold, northern and southern.</p>
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<p>When the parents work with such a spirit, the children will automatically follow. Do you want your children to be universal, world citizens? Or do you want them to be small-minded? You must train yourself first.</p>
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<p>What, then, is-the harvest of God’s providence? The children of your families are that harvest, that fruit. Can you do it properly? We will see the result. I asked all the blessed couples to send their children to Korea for their schooling, but one mother in England protested, “Father, Korea is not our culture. Our children cannot survive there.” I directed them to send their child, anyway. but they soon took the child away. Is that right or wrong? I am sure that among you there is the same kind of thinking and that is why I am announcing this now. You need the right kind of training.</p>
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<p>Suppose I asked a white couple to trade places with a black couple. Suppose I asked them to go and take care of each other’s children with true love? We need that kind of capacity to change and become parents to other people’s children. Suppose I asked all American men to swap missions with German men. If you say no, you are distancing yourself from the ideal of Heaven and you cannot inherit the Heavenly tradition. Suppose I asked all Tarrytown members to stand up and trade places with African members, taking their missions.</p>
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<p>Are you thinking, “Finally the blessing came and we can be husband and wife and take a honeymoon!”? Any honeymoon without God’s tradition will produce great problems. I would like to see that you are in the position to inherit God’s tradition. This kind of tradition has to be lived by the Moonies first, not the secular world first. Would you say that even Moonies cannot live it? Or would you say, “Yes, we can welcome such a tradition”? If you can do that, it means that you can inherit the world and take true dominion over the world. Those who are rejecting and shying away from the Heavenly tradition are actually digging your own graves, because the world and universe will move away from you in the future.</p>
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<p>It’s a great world and we have great hope for the future, but it is not easy to live properly. Husband and wife and family are important, of course, but the Unification Church cannot truly settle down yet. Certainly Reverend Moon has not settled down yet. Nothing of what I have established here in America has been for the sake of my own future-not even for the sake of the Unification Church. If God commanded me to, I would leave here without even telling you good-bye this afternoon. You might think, “How can you be so impersonal and cruel, Father?” But it is not cruelty to obey the providence of God without hesitation.</p>
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<p>I want you to understand that you are the pioneers of the tradition of the future. You are making the mold for others to fit into. I want you to prepare your home and clan for every eventuality. Those of you living close with me feel more to the bone this tradition. You must be ready to learn and take over the tradition.</p>
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<p>Almost everybody who was important in God’s providence had to leave his own hometown. Jacob had to go away and you, too, must go into enemy territory at one time or another. The best way would be to marry with a person who represents your enemy. Those who marry interracially, especially white and black, are accomplishing this and bringing together two extremes.</p>
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<p>I want to instruct you new wives how important it is that you breast feed your babies for at least the first 100 days; they need to receive their mother’s milk. During that time when you are feeding your baby, you should be thinking, “My beautiful child, you are the child of God. When you were in my womb, I may not have given you everything perfectly, but now I want to give you everything-my love, my very body to nourish you.” You should feel like asking that child for forgiveness, “When you were in the womb, I fought with your father and I had many unhappy moments. I complained against God’s providence and being pushed too hard; I complained that the church wasn’t taking care of me properly. I repent very much, so as the representative of God, please forgive me. As you grow, I will try my absolute best to be a Heavenly mother.” You should pray, “God, please accept this child as Yours and bring him up as a great champion for Your Kingdom.”</p>
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<p>The heart-to-heart relationship between the child and the mother can be best formed through breast feeding. Since it was the mother who denied God first in the Garden of Eden, it is the mother who can restore the home and family. First you should repent to your child and tell him,</p>
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<p>“As much as I love you, I will love your father, as well.” Your child is the fruit of your blessing. When your husband must travel all around the world, busy with God’s providence, he will come home and he will discover that his wife is becoming more and more beautiful, both inside and out.</p>
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<p>Husband and wife should have heart-to-heart talks and confess your shortcomings to each other. The wife might tell her husband, “I complained about this and that, but can you forgive me?” The husband will say, “Of course. When I hear you confessing to me, I am moved to confess my sins, too. I was very mean and unkind to you and I am very sorry. I have not been so good, but can you forgive me?” Your child will be like a representative of God in your midst, bringing husband and wife together. You will see that once your baby is born, repentance and confession will come much more easily and quickly to you.</p>
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<p>You must pray together, holding your child between you. Do your five o’clock Pledge service together, with your child. That will be your hour to have communion with God and True Parents and that should be how you approach it. How beautiful that will be!</p>
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<p>Our children are the only hope of the future; they are going to be the stars of the Kingdom of Heaven. Those of you who pledge to bring to this world such exemplary children, please raise your hands. Thank you. From now on, I will look forward to your accomplishing this goal.</p>
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<article id="post-1644" class="post-1644 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/new-family-given-by-god/" title="Permalink to NEW FAMILY GIVEN BY GOD" rel="bookmark">NEW FAMILY GIVEN BY GOD</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:00:37+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/new-family-given-by-god/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:00:37+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">September 5, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>Those who received the Blessing on July 1, please raise your hands. Each person was born as a descendant of the fall. You have an awareness of fallen nature and of being part of a fallen generation, but other people don’t usually have that concept. The secular world only knows that they are born from their parents to live their one life here on earth. What is wrong with living without any sense of being part of history? The problem with that point of view is that it doesn’t prepare one to meet the final terminal of life, which is death.</p>
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<p>No one wants to face death, yet it is inevitable. Death is ordained by universal law. In this universe there is someone who enacted universal law, so death comes under that Creator’s realm. How shall we live correctly and wisely in order to avoid the tragedy of final death? We are limited people and cannot forecast even one day in advance. How, then, could we know the day of death in advance and prepare for it? We cannot. We have to rely instead on some truth and principle to guide us and prepare us to meet death properly.</p>
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<p>If there is a God in this universe, His goal for mankind cannot be simply death. Neither do men want to meet a catastrophic end. If there is a way of eternal life instead of death, the Creator must want to lead us to that path. God will guide us with a firm hand and we should follow His direction. Both God, the leader, and mankind, the followers, should seek to solve the problem as quickly as possible, not drag everything out until the final day. If everyone desires a quick solution, we can live with confidence and find a solution. Human beings need strong, organized leadership from God, who knows how to get to that ultimate goal. He knows all the threats and obstacles to it.</p>
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<p>Of course, everyone would like to be traveling on a super highway where all the signs are clear and the way is obvious. But that is not the situation. In the Bible we read that the gate to life is narrow and difficult to pass through, while the gate to destruction and despair is wide and easy to enter. This is true because of the fall of man. For that reason, God initiated the work of religion. God has given us religion as a manual or guide to lead mankind in a certain direction in order to reach the gate of life instead of death.</p>
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<p>So far, the religious goal has centered on individual salvation, but then where is family salvation? A good answer would be that family salvation begins after individual salvation. Then what about the tribe or clan salvation? That will begin after family salvation. What about the race or nation? That level will be saved after completion of the tribe’s salvation. What about world salvation, as well as salvation of the entire spirit world, including hell? That will begin after all the other levels are completed.</p>
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<p>When can God feel the fulfillment of His joy? God will declare His joy after He finishes cosmic salvation. What, then, is the relationship between God and mankind? Do you feel to the bone that it is one of Father and child? Is it really your Father, God, who is in heaven? As the child of God, do you know what your Father is doing right now, how much agony and grief He feels looking at the world, and what effort He is making to bring salvation to mankind?</p>
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<p>Why did religion come into being? Religion is the instrument or the means by which we can reach the maim of God and participate in His joy. In that realm we can receive liberation from death. Who governs the realm of death? Satan is indeed the master of death, governing its darkness and dungeons.</p>
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<p>What is the difference between those who belong to the satanic empire of death and those who belong to life? The people are different in those two empires. How are the worlds of life and death different? What is the difference between America and Great Britain? Britain has a queen, for one thing. But the people of both countries speak the same language, and British faces are similar to Americans. What is the real difference?</p>
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<p>There is an invisible sip on the foreheads of the British which says, “I am British.” There is a national spirit that only the British have, shaping the way they think and act. Those who are citizens of Great Britain are concerned about the benefit of their own country. They may find some very beautiful item in an American museum, and their first reaction is to wish it were in a British museum. When a British citizen discovers wonderful things in the world, they would like them to glorify their own country, their homeland. Isn’t that true?</p>
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<p>When an American sees something precious and valuable, where would he want to bring it? He would want to take it to his hometown. People always long for their roots. Where does this trait come from? No one is taught such things in school. Each individual has the innate desire to relate the good things in the world with himself and his home.</p>
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<p>Perhaps someone is wild about gold and goes around the world collecting pieces and nuggets of gold. Is there some limitation to how much he will want? Will he ever think he has enough, or will he always want more and more? Does human greed have any limit? What would you do if you gathered a mountain of precious stones? You would go crazy trying to keep thieves away! After something precious like that, your worries and agonies would become immense. Even with your life you could not successfully defend your mountain. There are many thieves with weapons stronger than anything you might have.</p>
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<p>There is no satisfying human greed. Even in the midst of dreadful paranoia, a person might go on trying to amass more possessions, whether gold or jewels or whatever. But imagine that you found something better than gold or diamonds, something you would swap all your wealth for. Perhaps it is something you can hide completely, so it is not in danger of being stolen. It’s light and easy to carry. Even a million thieves would not discover your precious item. Something like that would have to be invisible first of all, so thieves cannot see it. Is there such a thing-invisible, precious, and priceless? Yes. It is God and true love, of course. God is our Father-Father and true love. Nothing else would satisfy everyone. From this, all the joy of the universe begins.</p>
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<p>A new family needs a husband and wife. Do you sisters have good husbands? You don’t seem very confident! Do you rascal brothers have good wives? What makes them good? You call them good if they love God and True Parents, don’t you? It is only through God and True Parents that true love can flow. God is our invisible, true Father on the vertical plane, while we have the True Parents on the horizontal plane.</p>
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<p>In my last sermon I talked about the absolute vertical line and the absolute horizontal line. We must link the vertical and horizontal-one is our spiritual Father in heaven, the other is the physical True Father on earth. What is the difference between them? One is the absolute vertical, and the other is the absolute horizontal. Between them there is a perfectly perpendicular, degree angle. When they are harmonized them is an eternal circular motion. It has no end. The motor turns but no power turns it; it just ignites. Once perfect vertical and horizontal begin give and take and create circular motion, them is no end. It is eternal. Plus and plus repel each other, likewise minus and minus, but plus and minus pull each other. Once there is a small impetus or spark, the whole begins to turn.</p>
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<p>Therefore, we need a vertical father and a horizontal father. Why do we need both the invisible God and visible True Parents? Love has dual characteristics-one is invisible, the other visible. Between the two, invisible love is the central and subject position. When you love someone, the invisible heart or mind exists first before you take certain loving actions. You do not take action and then think of love.</p>
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<p>Why do we regard God as most important of all beings? Because He is subject, even though He is invisible. When you practice the two kinds of love, you are doing all fight-love for the invisible Father and love for the visible Father. Visible love, which exists in the horizontal realm, is love in the dimension of time, while God’s love is in the realm of eternity. We can expand horizontal love without limit, but there is only one point where that expansion can begin: at the perpendicular, 90-degree point. That is the mediation point where the love of our invisible Father and our visible parents can begin.</p>
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<p>Once you know this, you can use the opportunity to grab that love and hide it in the most secret place in your heart. From that point, you are free to initiate universal action. Everything is free. Then you can expand the circle as much or as little as you want; you are totally free. How can you do that? Since the vertical line has no limit, it can accommodate your direction. God’s true love will want to follow you. The supply of true love is only limited by the size of your love. When your love is fused with God’s invisible and True Parents’ visible love, the intensity of your love will determine its scope.</p>
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<p>Isn’t that great? Would you rather have gold pieces the size of a continent, or hold onto this kind of love? Perhaps you prefer true, invisible love because it is mom convenient to carry around? You pragmatic American people! Is that the only reason?</p>
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<p>You said universal love has more value, but why? True love is like an ID card. When God sees it, He will give you carte blanche over the whole world. You can demand anything and everything without limit with that true love. I know how greedy you are and what requests you will make. “I want You, God! Please come and join with my true love right away.” God will say, “Yes, I will!” God will come down to your true love at your request, and so will True Parents. Even if you kept God and the True Parents in a small bag, they would not feel suffocated. Inside true love, God and the True Parents feel incredible joy.</p>
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<p>When lovers come together, they hold each other tightly and they actually seem to get smaller; they almost want to crush each other. It is the same between you and God and True Parents. In the intensity of your love, you will all be compressed into a small ball, like a marble. That is good because the smaller the ball, the faster it can turn. When God comes closer and closer inside that ball, the speed intensifies, going faster and faster.</p>
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<p>When you run fast, you breathe hard. The faster you move, the faster you breathe. God wants to experience suffocating, breath-taking love inside that tiny marble ball. How wonderful that is! All you need is one, invisible little thing called true love. With that ID card you have a free pass to go see kings and queens, or even thieves and murderers and melt their hearts. Don’t you feel good just thinking about it? When it is real, how much better it is!</p>
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<p>Now you should be able to answer whether your spouse is a good one or not. Your wife or husband is the conducting wire of true love to you. You should think, “My husband may not be so handsome, but all he needs are two qualities: love of God and love of True Parents.” Through that, true love can come. Your husband or wife is the conveyer belt between the visible father and invisible Father.</p>
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<p>Most people tend to think a lot about physical appearance and want to marry someone like a Hollywood movie star. Can you tell the difference between a true diamond and an imitation? In appearance a man-made diamond is mom organized. A natural diamond has certain irregular qualities that have to be made the best of. The important thing with men and women is the original quality.</p>
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<p>I know that each of you has some false areas as well as your original qualities. Who has more original qualities men or women? Men am not as changeable. For example, they tend to wear the same suit every day, while women think, “I wore red yesterday, so I have to wear a different color today.” Something which is not genuine, an imitation, has more of the changeable quality. Don’t hate me for saying this. I’m only telling the truth. I have nothing against American women!</p>
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<p>From God’s point of view, the most handsome man and beautiful woman are those who can draw the straightest line of love and thus be the best conveyer belt. The question is whether that straight line is imitation or genuine. If that line is drawn with 24-karat gold wire, the purest kind, its conductibility is 100%. Would you prefer a thick line that was only gold-plated on the outside, or a thin fine of pure gold? You have seen men who come from rich families and look handsome but who are really only gold-plated. Wouldn’t you women prefer a poor husband of genuine gold?</p>
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<p>Outside our church we see many beauty queens Hollywood stars, models and cover girls. But many Unification Church women look like ghosts! Do you want a wife with the gold on the outside or the inside? You men are looking for the genuine qualities of heart. You won’t find it in those movie stars or cover girls. What changes mom quickly-the outside or the inside of a woman? What about men? Do you find men and women with unchangeable qualities in the Unification Church? Is that good fortune or bad? Yes, it’s good!</p>
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<p>You are looking for a good wife or husband. That means a man or woman of God. Can you find many such people in the secular world? Why not? It is because they don’t have True Parents. Men and women in this world are looking for sensational love, which is changeable, but in the Unification Church we are looking for unchangeable love. We aren’t thinking so much about whether our spouse looks like a ghost, but whether he or she has that genuine gold wire inside.</p>
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<p>Can you find that unchangeable love within one year? How do you know love won’t change after one year? You have to live together ten or twenty years to really discover your mate’s unique, unchanging qualities. Those are the qualities that will intoxicate you and last for all eternity.</p>
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<p>Marriage is a journey that men and women begin together. Where will it end? Can you imagine living for 10,000 years? Compared to eternity, that is just the beginning. Some people realize that. Others think, “Boy, one month is eternity! I can’t even stand to look at my wife.” Marriage is like exploring a gold mine. In one month or one year you can barely find one sewn of gold. There may be all kinds of foreign elements in it, so unless you dig deeper down, you won’t know what’s there. That is the adventure of married life.</p>
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<p>There are two different kinds of appearance. A Broadway stage can look like a golden palace, but them is nothing behind the facade. On the other hand, a simple mountain may look plain, but when you dig into it you discover limitless resources inside. I always ask whether genuineness can be mom frequently found in an attractive person or a homely one. You greedy guys always think you can be genuine and handsome, too! Actually, there are always exceptions, so you can be the exception! But generally the unchanging qualities are more often found in the homelier-looking people.</p>
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<p>We see women wearing elaborate cosmetics, false eyelashes, high heels and beautiful dresses. They may change their costume three times a day in order to parade down Fifth Avenue. Is that the ideal for a woman? What about a man with flowing hair and mustache, wearing a fancy breast pocket handkerchief going into a bar to find girls? Is that ideal? Then consider a man who smells bad, even from a distance, and who only has two teeth; perhaps he is almost blind, too. Could someone like that be genuine 24-karat gold? You have to focus your concept of an ideal man and woman.</p>
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<p>A 24-karat gold wire can conduct electricity even if it is crooked and has all kinds of loops and twists. Would you prefer such a gold wire, or a perfectly straight one? As long as they are of genuine gold, their conductibility is just the same. If the amount of energy passing through is the same, why go after the straight wire? When you unwind the crooked wire, you have a greater amount of gold! The important thing is the genuineness and purity of the gold.</p>
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<p>A pure gold person will probably be ugly. There are exceptions, but usually this is true. After listening to this explanation, you sisters who are proud to have the ugliest husband in the Unification Church, raise your hands! At night he may be uglier than in the morning because he is tired from living the sacrificial way of life for God. Perhaps your husband doesn’t worry about you or the children as much as doing the will of God. Is he an impossible husband?</p>
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<p>From all the usual standards of appearance and education, your husband may seem impossible, but the important question is whether he is genuinely living for the will of God. However ugly that person may be, his gold can be refined by dressing him up and educating him and teaching him manners. The handsome man, on the other hand, would more likely think it is dumb to live for God and True Parents and not for himself. Which type of husband would you want?</p>
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<p>I experienced this very thing in my own life. My first wife was outstanding as an individual, but she only thought of her own well-being and our family. But I was looking for a woman who would take care of everyone else first. I wanted our home to be open for public service and a place of God’s love, but she could not live like that. If I listened to that woman, would I be here today teaching you this message? I knew that my wife had a very difficult task to truly live for the sake of others, but to follow her direction would have lead to permanent death. I could not possibly live that way. When she knew she could not change my mind, she just left.</p>
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<p>I could not leave God’s destiny. I know this from my own experience. This can also happen to you. You must keep your two eyes focused on God and True Parents. Please be like spearheads and penetrate to the goal.</p>
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<p>What kind of spear is your husband? Does his handle look worn out? The important thing is the spearhead; if that is genuine gold then you have a lot of hope. No matter how sharp the spearhead of true love, it does not hurt or destroy but embraces. It can penetrate anything else. When your husband penetrates the true love of God, it will bring happiness and prosperity and everything good to YOU.</p>
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<p>Am I handsome or ugly? I would describe myself as a cruel man for pushing you out so much. There must be something wrong with your eyes if you still think I am handsome! But you know that I am pushing you out so that you can find life and true love. If I were doing that for my own wealth and glory then I would be a monster. If my motivation were anything other than true love, then the closer you got to me, the uglier I would look. Your heart would turn cold and you would depart. You have found that I look stem and merciless, yet still you want to be close in order to find love and beauty.</p>
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<p>Do you think Mother is a very fortunate and happy woman to be married to me? In one sense she is fortunate, but them is untold suffering behind her appearance. I know her suffering because she has virtually no freedom. She does not determine her own schedule. She has no freedom to sleep whenever she wants, but only when I allow it. It is not easy to be my wife. My life is absolutely public. Yesterday Mother didn’t feel very well, but I had said that we would visit Washington, DC, so she just obeyed and followed. She had a headache and felt dizzy, but do you think Mother slept all morning? Absolutely not. Do you still think Mother is a happy woman?</p>
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<p>I went to Washington yesterday and visited the members at The Washington Times, and Mother was there with me every minute. You know my sermons don’t last just ten minutes but go on for hours, and Mother was there the whole time. I’m sure she was thinking I could give a great message in just a short time, but she sat and listened for hours. Even this morning I’m sure she would like me to give a short sermon because there is a celebration scheduled today at East Garden. Mother is concerned that I will get too tired. She feels anxious when I go on and on, but still she obeys and sits calmly Mother does not have an easy life at all. You may think she is the happiest person under the sun with nothing to worry about, but that is not the case.</p>
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<p>Mother knows that she must follow my will because everything I do is for the salvation and benefit of other,,,. I care about the lives of The Washington Times people so I talked a long time to them. Mother knows this so she supports me. I just came back from Gloucester. After a whole summer on the ocean I was very fatigued and would have liked to rest. I could have sent Bo Hi Pak here to give the sermon this morning, but I came anyway, pounding on you again! I come here to give the milk of life to you, almost like spiritual breast feeding. When you drink it like a child, your eyes and ears, as well as your spiritual mind, open up. Wherever I am, when Sunday comes I want to bring resurrection to you.</p>
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<p>When you come to Belvedere expecting to see me, the air is tense with anticipation and you feel keyed up. But then if I am away and someone else speaks instead, you feel let down. I know exactly what happens, so I push myself to come here every Sunday morning. I couldn’t rest at East Garden while the church leaders spoke here in my place. It is impossible for me to even imagine that. I push myself up no matter how tired I am.</p>
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<p>No one gives me money to speak like this. I receive no honorarium. I understand that because of the system at The Washington Times, our members have to get paid and, because of that, other members want to work there. Let them go and see how long they could maintain themselves. It is a sort of heretical system in the Unification Church tradition. I allow it because I am realistic enough to know how to deal with the secular world. Do you prefer the heavenly system instead?</p>
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<p>In the traditional heavenly way, there is no danger, but there is a risk involved in going the way of the secular world. You must take extra caution. If you go the traditional way then your husbands will go out for the mission and the wife must support the family. Does that sound better than having your husband get a paycheck from the Times so that you can stay home all day? The secular way may sound sweet, but I have walked the heavenly way.</p>
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<p>Now you know what a genuine wife and husband are all about. I want you to understand that your husband or wife is not your private property. You come out of the fallen world, yet your mate comes as a gift from heaven, through True Parents. You must be able to read the label that comes on your spouse. That label tells you where that item comes from. “Made in Heaven.” That gift is given to you in order that you might consummate true love. It is impossible for love to be consummated by one person alone.</p>
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<p>This is the Principle. Husbands and wives, look at each other as representatives of God and True Parents. Your duty is to love each other, and by doing so you are loving True Parents and your Heavenly Father. By loving his wife, the husband is loving True Mother. The wife is loving True Father by loving her husband. As you love each other, you are loving God and True Parents. Your journey is to eternity, and the achievement of true love is our goal.</p>
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<p>Even if your husband or wife cannot make it, that does not give you the right to give up. Think, “You may abandon me, but I will not abandon you or this path.” There is no such thing as abandonment in God’s world. Our way of life requires us to be patient and persevere. If you are abandoned, that is not your responsibility. Think, “Because God exists, I have hope. I will return to Him one way or another.” That is the meaning of the Blessing given on July 1.</p>
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<p>I am giving you men and women a mandate. You are destined to live this central life where the vertical and horizontal lines cross, where you can find the invisible love of God and the visible love of True Parents. You are destined to consummate that love and expand it to the world. Of course, there are difficulties on this path. Whenever my boat, “New Hope,” leaves port it is in good shape and everything is functioning smoothly. But something invariably happens. Maybe a storm will come up, or the engine will develop trouble. A crew member may make a mistake and overlook something. But the important thing is to cope with any situation and persevere to find the solution. Instead of panicking, take care of the matter and go on.</p>
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<p>At first glance your husband may not seem so attractive, but then look at him from the point of view of his father and mother. You should be competing with his parents to love that man more than his parents do. The wife should be able to do this because his parents couldn’t know true love. You are in a position to know true love, and it should be much more intense and sacred than that of his physical parents.</p>
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<p>You must feel that you are superior in love to any other couple in the secular world. You must be more united and pure in your love. You men and women must live up to this credo I am giving you this morning. This is exactly the same covenant Mother and I fulfill. Sometimes I look at Mother as a daughter, sometimes as a mother. I want to love her more than any other person loved her, including her parents, because I represent true love. From that point on, the true love of God can be linked to us. Everything is discussed and organized in matters of love. The dispensational matters don’t have to concern Mother, but in matters of love everything is openly discussed and we are united. Purity must always be preserved.</p>
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<p>I want to share an episode that happened in Gloucester. I was out on the ocean for two days and nights, without sleep, and I lay down exhausted when I returned. Mother asked Mrs. Lee, a 36-Couple wife who was helping in the house, to give me some massage since she is an expert in Shiatsu. I was lying down on the floor, and Mother was on the bed, while Mrs. Lee was giving me a massage. I was dead tired, like a log, almost unconscious. Whenever I reach over at night, naturally the person I touch is always Mother. In my semi-conscious state, I reached over and caressed who I thought was Mother. But it felt different, so I woke up to see what happened, and it wasn’t Mother at all!</p>
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<p>The next morning when I got up and remembered what had happened, how do you think I felt? How do you think Mrs. Lee felt? Such a thing can never be permitted. I just woke up Mother and told her, “I had an accident,” and asked her to take care of the matter. Mother received the news very calmly and absolutely believed me. She told me not to worry. Mother told Mrs. Lee what I had said, and then we met together with Mrs. Lee. She was completely understanding and her comment to me was, “Father, I knew exactly what happened and I feel very honored!” Mrs. Lee also said that from a professional point of view, it was understandable. When you massage a certain point, the person’s arm will automatically come up.</p>
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<p>I see the episode as a beautiful one because there was complete purity and trust between each person, with nothing to cover up inside. I am telling you this story because you are now husbands and wives, not just single men and women. All kinds of misunderstandings can be created if your motivation is unclear. But love and purity must prevail. There are no secrets in true love between husband and wife.</p>
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<p>You are your spouse’s bridge to the love of God. You are the extension of God’s love. The husband is the extension of my image, and the wife the extension of Mother’s image. That is how you are to unite all mankind, making a complete circle of love. When two circles come together, truly a new home is born which is an educating ground for the love of Father and Mother and God. The women represent the post of Mother’s love and men represent the post of Father’s love; together they represent God’s love You should be absolutely clear that you are making a heavenly home where love can come, where a true husband and wife can be born.</p>
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<p>Do not consider that you are a true husband and wife simply because you were sprinkled with holy water on July 1. You must be sealed by God. You represent God and True Parents and must become masters of love. Until then you cannot be sealed as true husband and wife. All the people around you will bear witness to your love, including the angels. Under those circumstances you will give birth to a child, like Adam and Eve who were surrounded by angels.</p>
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<p>God, Adam, Eve, and the angels were all meant to rejoice together over the birth of each child. In the same way, when you are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, your child will be celebrated by everyone. People will say, “Behold, this beautiful couple gave birth to a beautiful new child.”</p>
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<p>Whether you are Japanese, German, British, American or whatever doesn’t matter because we are wiping out the past. We have only one citizenship that matters. Our country is the Heavenly Kingdom, and the precious historical contents of its museum are what we will offer to God. You are creating your contribution to that museum the family period, tribal period, national period, world period, and cosmic period. At that point, you completely enter the direct dominion of God where God dwells with you. Your family should enter God’s museum as a unit. Do you have confidence in this?</p>
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<p>I want you to be absolutely free of self-centeredness. Considering your past, when you present your body to your spouse, you must feel humble, meek and ashamed because your body and mind are not quite ready to become containers of true love. You should feel repentful. Your children should be able to say that their parents are truly saints. Educate your children through your own example, and help them to feel inspired by your life. Your children should say they never saw their parents fight. Mother and I are under the same law. Under no circumstances do we show strain or tears in front of the children.</p>
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<p>You are trying to create a precious treasure for God’s museum. That task begins with your holy wedding. You sisters want to become true daughters, wives and mothers, don’t you? Who will acknowledge your accomplishment and sign your certificate? Your husband, True Parents and God must sip your certificate. What is the criteria we will use to decide? It all centers on whether you have true love. The center of true love is God, True Parents and your husband, and you must serve these three. Never think that you possess true love by yourself.</p>
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<p>Only through true love can you have any relationship with God and True Parents. You brothers want to become true sons, husbands and fathers, don’t you? Who shall sign your certificate? Your wife, God, and True Parents. It is not enough for your wife to say that you love her. True Parents and God must also recognize your true love. Thereafter, anywhere you go on earth or in heaven, you will be welcomed. Once you reach that level, no matter how poor you are, you will never starve, and your children will never desert or betray you. That is the center of the force of the entire universe, and it will protect you according to natural law. You will never be destroyed.</p>
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<p>If you live in the world with a selfish point of view, you will not go anywhere. When you reach out to hold your wife’s hand, you should first ask whether your hand has received the love of God and True Parents. If your conscience says no, you have no right to hold your wife’s hand. If your eye does not deserve the love of True Parents and God, it is a thief’s eye. When you embrace your wife, do you have that pure, unselfish love which represents heaven and earth?</p>
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<p>The love between husband and wife should sprinkle fragrant goodness all over the world so that the rest of the universe harmonizes with you. Everything in the universe should welcome your love, and the consummation of it should be a new child.</p>
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<p>Your children will be the ones to eulogize you when you go to spirit world. At that time, they should be able to bear witness to their parents and say that you were truly righteous and lived for the sake of God and True Parents and the family. Your children should say their mother was truly a great mother, wife and daughter of God. Your children should be able to say that their father was a true father, husband, and son of God. That is the end of the first chapter of your life, and then the next glorious chapter begins in the spirit world.</p>
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<p>Your children will be the ones to ask God to take cam of their parents. When God hears such a prayer He will be moved to fulfill their request. That is the goal of our families. If you have nothing to be ashamed of when you come before God, True Parents and your family, then you have nothing to be ashamed of in all of heaven and earth. In the true home given by heaven, everything becomes yours when you become God’s and True Parents’. Keep this invisible, priceless treasure in your bosom.</p>
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<p>Before you joined the Unification Church, I am sure you did things that you would be ashamed of in front of your parents and brothers and sisters. Without knowing the truth, you acted unwisely. This is why you want to cleanse the past through the engagement and wedding ceremonies, making yourself into a new person. There is no solution other than true love. You have to follow it. Now God is giving you a new home; do you know the priceless value of it? I want you to know what a precious position you are in. Even Jesus Christ, with all the power and authority of the Messiah, could not cross over this barrier, but you have done so. How very precious that is.</p>
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<p>Does your husband or wife belong to you? Are they your private property? You must become the master of true love so that you can become true wives and husbands, true sons and daughters of God. If we do not see things from God’s point of view, then the small matters of everyday life can become problems. But when you see the broad path, then everything else can be solved. Do you think Mother and I truly love one another? Will my children testify to this? Will God and spirit world testify to it?</p>
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<p>Have I given you too much tough material this morning? Did my sermon interfere with plans you had for your future family life, perhaps a cozy apartment with no interruptions and lots of love and joy? I preached the wrong sermon for that! I’m sorry, but I have to do it. Do you thank me or hate me for these words today? Within this principle of true love you have total freedom of conscience and you can be truly happy. For eternity you will not be able to praise each other enough. Was this Blessing given to you freely or was it earned by you? It is given by heaven, as God’s gift. Why does God give it to you? He wants to see true love consummated within you and your home.</p>
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<p>Some of you lived very dishonorably in the past, with no moral standards. You are grateful to True Parents for teaching the right path. From now on, however, you cannot make a mistake because you know the truth. You shall become righteous husbands and wives. Religious people of the past made tremendous sacrifices to bring you into this position to consummate true love. They were like the fertilizer for your victory because they helped create the atmosphere for today. God has been suffering for 6,000 biblical years, persevering in incredible agony to see this one true couple, the True Parents. I am looking for American couples who can be visited at any time by God and True Parents.</p>
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<p>From the anchor of true love, you can extend your line anywhere. Your boat can go freely anywhere in the ocean as long as your anchor is connected to this principle. You can have a free pass to the highest palace in heaven. One thousand years from now we will all be in spirit world, and if you want to go in to greet the True Parents, you must present your ID card of true love. Otherwise, you cannot enter that East Garden in heaven, If you have that ID card, though, you can be with True Parents at any time, rejoicing and having fellowship with them.</p>
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<p>Where is God then? In spirit world God is still invisible, but you can feel His presence perfectly. Just as your conscience guides you now, God is present in your heart, guiding you in spirit world. By then you will truly feel the value of having followed the True Parents here on earth. You will be victorious in heaven and earth and feel deeply grateful to God and True Parents. That precious thing can only be achieved through the foundation of the family I have described. In order to achieve such a family, I gave you the Blessing.</p>
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<p>Your smile should be a universal one which can correspond with history. Love goes beyond time. In describing this world of true love, English is inadequate. There are no words to describe the manifestations of true love. You must feel to the bone how precious one man is, one woman is. The love organs of man and woman are the final terminals of the love of True Parents and the love of God.</p>
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<p>It is almost like you are fishing for each other with true love as your bait. Men are hooking women and women are hooking men. Even if blood is coming out of your mouth because of the hook, you still feel good. Build this role of husband and wife from now on. Do not be excited by the sensation of physical love, but first by the spiritual contents of love. Then the physical side will follow, subject and object, and be sanctified.</p>
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<p>If you have been skeptical and wishy-washy so far, can you commit yourselves now to living up to the purpose of Heaven and the True Parents? Thank you all.</p>
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<article id="post-1642" class="post-1642 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/master-guests-and-others/" title="Permalink to MASTER, GUESTS AND OTHERS" rel="bookmark">MASTER, GUESTS AND OTHERS</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T14:00:01+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/master-guests-and-others/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T14:00:01+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">September 1, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator-Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>All of you have parents, and most have brothers and sisters. You also have a relationship with other relatives, your country and the world. We are born from our parents and we grow up in our parents’ house. Where does that house belong? Every house is within a certain nation, and each nation is a part of the world. Those who know there is a spirit world also know that life continues there after this life on earth.</p>
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<p>This cosmos we live in is vast, but it must have a center. We call that center God. We might say that God is the “super-center” of the entire creation, but under Him there am other centers. For instance, the earth has a certain center, as does the spirit world. Societies, nations and families also have their centers. The central figures on the different levels must have something in common.</p>
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<p>If a person is asked what is his ultimate desire, normally he would reply that he wants to be in the best position, right on top. That is an innate human desire. Even if we are born in a humble place, we want to reach the highest level. There must be a way to get there. What is the shortest, most direct way to reach that goal? The shortest way is to go through the central figure. In your family, you go through your parents. In your nation, you go through the sovereignty.</p>
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<p>Since you set out to reach that goal, the central figures must support you instead of blocking your way. If your family opposes your direction, they will try to block you head-on. But if your central figures are supporting you, it is like a tail wind helping you along. Your parents win push you to the national leader, your national leader will push you to the world, and the world leader will push you to the universe. Then you have no problem.</p>
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<p>Suppose you went all the way to the top and became the central figure of the universe. No one would block you then. If God is the central figure of the universe, who is in a position to stop Him and refuse to allow Him to go through the family, nation, world and cosmos? The best way to get to the top is to make a relationship with the central figure. One should make some relationship with God.</p>
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<p>We commonly talk about central figures in our church, but what is the definition of a central figure? He or she is the one who is the master of the house, whether large or small. The President of the United States is the master of this house of America. If the President wanted to visit the 70 million homes in the United States, would anyone refuse him? Normally, people would open their homes to him, and feel honored to have him. Is there any company or organization that would refuse to host him? The master of the house has freedom in every part of that house.</p>
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<p>What is the role and responsibility of the central figure of the United States? He is responsible for everything happening within this country. He has to take cam of whatever happens to the people of the United States. If something good happens, he rejoices with the people. If something bad happens, he tries to correct the situation so it won’t happen again.</p>
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<p>The central figure has a tough job trying to fulfill his responsibility and must work harder than anyone else. Although he may not want to see or hear some things, he must see and hear them because he has the responsibility to know everything about the situation. He cannot decide to take responsibility for the good things and blame others for the headaches. A good central figure lets others have the joy while he takes ‘on the problems. A central figure who becomes a true master of the house doesn’t make excuses and blame outside circumstances for his problems. He feels, instead, that he is not worthy of his responsibilities.</p>
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<p>The person who can shed mom tears and sweat in serving his own people is die good central figure. He must be the first person to shed tears, the first to sacrifice. If there is a need for sacrifice, even unto death, the central figure should be the one most willing to volunteer. This definition is true on every level, whether at work or in the family, the nation or the cosmos.</p>
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<p>Everyone has a desire to go through the central figure, all the way to the top. What is the reason for getting to the top? Is it to escape hardship and sadness and only receive glory and wealth? The person who reaches the top must give and serve the same way be did on his way to the top. Then people will ask, “What’s so good about getting to the top? If I’m going to suffer there, too, I might as well stay here!” It is important to know the value of getting to the top. If you are giving more and mom on the horizontal level for the sake of the public, then something invisible is growing vertically as well. Therefore, you are gaining something.</p>
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<p>In this universe there must be a perfect horizontal and perfect vertical line. If the earth is round, them isn’t actually any “up” and “down.” But from the Creator’s point of view there must be some line, some standard somewhere. Human society has established certain reference points for measurement on the physical earth-for instance, Greenwich Mean Time, or latitude and longitude. By the same token, there must be some standard in spiritual life. This central standard line must be established between two points of origin; then you can start to measure what is parallel to the central line. Once die central model is set, you can compare yourself and others to it.</p>
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<p>The central line is unchangeable, so your relationship with the central vertical or horizontal line will determine your position and value. In relation to that absolute line, you can determine your own position and value, horizontally and vertically. What is in that central position? How about money? Power? Knowledge? Think about all the different kinds of people and cultures in the world. What kind of standard would no one complain against? Even if we excluded God, we could come up with nothing better than love as this standard.</p>
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<p>You can’t touch love or see it, so what’s good about it? One thing is true-when love starts to approach, even though you can’t see it, your every sense strains in that direction. Your eyes, cars and hands reach out, and your whole soul reaches in that direction.</p>
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<p>In navigating the ocean a compass is needed which gives a point of reference so the location of the boat can be figured out. A boat may seem to be moving randomly on the ocean, but actually it is being steered according to dud one reference point. In that way the captain can always know where the boat is on the ocean.</p>
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<p>Everything in our lives works like that. Every country has a constitution which is the center of all its laws. All the other laws will be set up according to that constitution. If a certain law doesn’t parallel the constitution, it will have to be repealed. You can’t convince anyone of the position of the United States unless they understand what is the central point of measurement.</p>
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<p>In the realm of physics, scientists refer to many formulas which are like scales to measure and evaluate things. In our way of life, them must be an absolute central measure and formula by which all people can be evaluated. What is it? That formula must not change, even in a billion years. Some people have a simple answer: everyone else has to measure up to them! That’s very convenient, isn’t it? If you am the measure, then you can do whatever you wish.</p>
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<p>Don’t you think God foresaw the need for an absolute formula when He created mankind? God didn’t want to be criticized for creating a formula that wouldn’t work anymore after a thousand years.</p>
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<p>What is absolute true love, then? It must be the kind of love that people everywhere can recognize and rejoice over. Absolute love has no limitation; it can travel anywhere and never tarnish or decrease in value. It must be welcomed by East, West, North and South. The movement of true love must be based on five absolute reference points at all times. Even if such movement is in the opposite direction, its ultimate aim is to connect to the reference point. Absolute love must have the kind of movement that always keeps in touch with the five reference points.</p>
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<p>What if them is no movement and you are stationary instead? That means your position must be centered; in that way you maintain the four directions. Suppose love were a visible material; it would be totally round, and round objects must have a center. The distances from an four reference points to the center are equal; therefore, no one can complain or disregard it. Maintaining that relationship involves give and take and turning forever. This is what we mean when we speak of the ideal.</p>
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<p>If you want to become the master of your house, what kind of master will you be? The master of love, or the master of money, power or knowledge? Do you women also want to become masters of love? Absolute love means freedom. After going through all the reference points, absolute love has no restrictions. It has absolute freedom to go everywhere. Absolute love will always lead you to the reference point. This is why you like absolute love: it brings you to the central points. You can go in any direction as long as absolute love takes you to those reference points.</p>
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<p>Therefore, absolute love is universal. Within it everyone has every freedom and happiness. Absolute love can go through the tiniest hole. How can you go through the tiniest opening? Would freedom give you the power to do it? Can you take a vote on it? Absolute love is not confined or determined by democracy. You have to go through the form of true love. An effort is needed to thread something through a hole; it doesn’t happen easily. However, the eye of love’s needle is flexible; sometimes it gets bigger, sometimes smaller.</p>
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<p>The important thing is that you don’t give up. If you hit it right on the bulls-eye, the hole will get bigger and accommodate you; your whole body can go through! Maybe you think you will suffocate if you are inserted into that hole. Certainly courage is needed to go wherever true love goes. When you plunge in, you will discover that there is no suffocation but only more freedom opening up. What is marriage all about? It is a commitment, inserting yourself into a situation and not looking backward. There is no time to choose the color of thread; you just plunge in.</p>
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<p>Will you break into pieces if you throw yourself in? Never. When you land, you will recognize that you are on God’s territory where everything is prepared. It is a bold adventure. The most adventurous action in the entire world is the adventure of love. Once you determine the value and formula, you can measure what other people are doing. It doesn’t matter where you travel in pursuit of true love-you will be natural and comfortable with white, black, or yellow people because true love is universal. There are all kinds of love. What about a love that only works with white people; would you like that? That is not universal love.</p>
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<p>What are the principles of creating the vertical and horizontal lines of love? First, that love has to be needed by both God and man. God must be concerned about how the line is drawn. When does God want to start drawing that line-in 1982, or 2000, or when? In the beginning God drew the line, but who else was there? The angels and then Adam and Eve, so God must have called a conference among them to talk about this. Should the line of love be relative to each one’s situation, or the same for everyone? The situation common to all was absolute love.</p>
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<p>Why should the vertical line come before the horizontal? No matter how straight you may think you’re drawing your horizontal lines, unless you have a vertical reference point the whole thing can be tilted. The vertical line is your reference point for the horizontal line; they must intersect at a 90 degree angle. After having the central vertical and horizontal lines, we can draw any number of additional lines. Who should represent the vertical line-man or woman? Maybe you will say I am anti-woman if I say it is man, but the Principle is not just my opinion. Even if you feel like crying, still you have to accept it! Without going through the Principle, you cannot be a landing base for absolute love.</p>
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<p>There are many people in the world who never even think about this. There is only one place on this planet, here at Belvedere, where these things are being talked about. Almighty God in heaven knows everything already, so maybe He is dozing sometimes, but when I am speaking about true love at Belvedere, do you think God wakes up and takes notice? Are you interested too? Do you women feel good-even though you may think you are oppressed here? I am pressing you down to push you into the land of absolute love.</p>
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<p>The women’s role is simple and easy, in a way; all you have to do is maintain a 90-degree line with men. Wherever men move, make a 90-degree line. Maybe you wish I hadn’t let your husbands hear this, but men have their job as well. Their job is to parallel the central absolute line. Women are destined to follow men and be deter</p>
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<p>by their accomplishments. No matter how great a woman is, her destiny is determined by what her husband does. This is according to the Principle.</p>
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<p>The man’s job is to love the absolute God absolutely and also to love mankind absolutely. By doing so, he will parallel the vertical line. God will love that kind of man for eternity and protect him. It is in God’s interest to have that kind of man prosper. God goes back and forth, up and down, to that dot of absolute love. That dot should rest upon the head of man.</p>
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<p>Why are human beings the one species in the world that walks vertically? It is because we are spiritual creatures, connecting with vertical love. Therefore, men pursue the ideal and want to create big things and accomplish noble deeds. Many times women, because they tend to think more conservatively, don’t like certain things men do. If a man wants to go away and do something crazy or adventurous, the women in his life usually try to stop him. If conservative women were in charge of the world, do you think technology would have developed this far, or would the oceans and outer space have been explored?</p>
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<p>No matter how great you women am, you are compelled to follow the truth. By virtue of the fact that I am a man, I am in the position to appreciate you women. Our subject-object relationship is more clear than that between other men and me, so what do I gain by giving you a hard time?</p>
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<p>Would you be content with a tiny little accomplishment, or do you want a great one? If you want a great accomplishment, would you pull your husband back, or push him forward? If you pull him back, will you go up or down? You women must not have husbands who stay home at night just to keep you from complaining about them being out so much. Let your husband feel totally free to go and do anything that parallels the vertical line. Let him be confident that if he goes away for ten years, you will be there when he comes back. When he comes back after ten years, you may be living in a log cabin somewhere, but then you may eventually end up in the White House! Who knows what prominence he may bring to you? Do you want a henpecked husband who trembles in front of you, or a truly subjective, courageous and adventurous husband?</p>
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<p>I spent the whole summer with Ocean Church members and gave them a tough time. They went to bed at midnight, and then were ready to go out again at 3 a.m. Maybe they weren’t all that crazy about the ocean or thrilled to get up that early! But I am setting a standard, the vertical line, and if no one responds then there will be no horizontal line drawn at 90 degrees. Whether you like it or not, you have to apply yourself 100% to form a line perpendicular to the vertical. Anyone who makes that determination will prosper.</p>
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<p>Corning to Belvedere at 6 a.m. is not easy. I know that 10 a.m. would be more convenient for you. But even if you don’t like to come so early, you force yourself out of bed. Your being here sleepy is like being 60 degrees to the vertical, but it is better than nothing! Still it crosses the vertical line, and the vertical has something to do with you. However, if you did not respond at all, no matter how great the power of the vertical line, it couldn’t do you any good. So you must apply yourself willingly.</p>
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<p>There are two major differences between Westerners and Asians. Asians have a strong tradition of obedience, while Westerners are used to making their own choices. The misuse of freedom is prevalent in the West and that has brought great damage. The Western world can crumble very quickly under difficulties, but the Eastern civilization will decay only slowly. Also, the West has no way to recover once it crumbles, while the East has room to bounce back.</p>
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<p>You will have freedom as long as you observe the absolute reference points. Then you can move in any direction; you can draw thousands of lines through the central point and they will be accepted. Patrick Henry proclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death,” but he wasn’t talking about the misuse of freedom that we see in America today. Freedom according to the central reference point is different from license. Is my concept of freedom correct, or the secular concept we see Way? If you have every freedom except the freedom of love, your other freedoms have no value. ‘Me ultimate application of freedom is determined by love.</p>
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<p>Since the July I Blessing, I have been observing how the newly-married couples have behaved. Actually, I have been detecting a bad smell from some people who seem to think they have graduated from the Unification Church. They think they don’t have to worry anymore about doing God’s will, but only about their own families. When you reflect on this principle, however, where is your vertical line? My general rule is that the wives should take over the responsibility for homemaking. Why is that? In that way your husband can go parallel to the vertical line in service to God and humanity.</p>
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<p>A blessed couple can become one of two types. One will feel that no matter what, the vertical line comes first, and service to God and humanity is the law of their family life. Another type would focus on becoming parallel with each other, not the vertical line. Honestly ask yourself which type you are. Are you compromising with the vertical line? You know better than anyone where you are.</p>
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<p>Some couples don’t stop at worrying about getting an apartment and having a family. They go a step further and want the Church to support them, telling me that I should stop worrying about the restoration of the world and take cam of them instead! I too am a family man; I have a wife and children, but still my primary mission is the vertical line assigned by God. I remember vividly how my first marriage did not work out because I would not compromise on this matter; I insisted on going with the vertical line. When my wife wanted me to worry about our situation instead, it could not work.</p>
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<p>Nothing under the sun can keep me from following the vertical line-serving God and humanity-first. That is what has made me what I am today. If I had followed my first wife and been sympathetic to her and my child, I would not be here talking to you today. Because I sacrificed my life for God and humanity, great accomplishment could come. God knows why I made that sacrifice, and He has amply blessed me in return. That’s why Mother and I could have great blessing in the form of 13 True Children.</p>
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<p>You must become holy men and women who can be remembered by God. He remembers those who can go beyond their own suffering and put the mission and success of the dispensation first. Of course, He knows you need groceries in the house and your children need care. You women will move God’s heart when He sees you in dire need but refraining from criticizing your husband. When He hears you saying, “Don’t worry about me, Heavenly Father, but instead please bless my husband’s efforts to do Your will,” His heart will be melted. When you want to take responsibility for the family yourself so your husband can be free to work hard, God has to sympathize with you.</p>
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<p>Your husband can succeed because of your prayer, and when he comes before God’s throne, God will say, “Wait a minute. Where are your wife and children? They are the greatest ones.” God will come down from His throne and bring you to His side and reward you first. God and your husband will stand together and bow down to you and your children who endured such sacrifice with a willing heart of devotion. That is the kind of wife and children I want.</p>
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<p>The husband must be absolutely sure that he is suffering for the providence more than his wife and children are. That is the one criterion. If you are just enjoying yourself, that is no good. You must be enduring more for the sake of God and humanity. I chose that way of life and walked that path and I had the courage to do that because I knew the truth. I will not compromise. Even now I am totally committed to God and humanity, and I am sure I am receiving more persecution and working harder than anyone else. As long as I am doing this. no power can destroy the Unification Church. I have already obtained the sip of the victor. Whether I will win or not is not in question; it is already decided.</p>
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<p>What kind of wives do you American women want to become? Your burden has actually become much heavier since you have married. Now you are bearing three crosses instead of one-your husband’s and your child’s, plus your own. You may wonder what you will gain with all these extra tears and suffering, but behind you is the true love of God. No one can take that away from you. It is the true wife who can say to her husband, “Your job is to love True Parents and God. Go their way.” Your husband should also be saying the same to you. When you get exhausted, still pursue true love. I have lived that way of life for years. At your age I lived exactly that way.</p>
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<p>You know I love you, don’t you? To me you are my children, so why should I put you through suffering like this? No parent would do that except for one reason: the only inheritance I can give you is true love, and in order to receive it you must know suffering. Once you have received that, you are truly free people. Wherever you go in the universe you shall be welcomed. Then you are participating masters of true love and have that authority. You can go in any direction to any central figure when you have true love, all the way up to God. Once you meet this criterion, you pass every test.</p>
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<p>I look at Mother with this in mind. She is always concerned about my health. I am not a young man, and she worries when I’m out on the ocean all day. I understand her heart and I appreciate it, but at the same time, I must continue to move ahead with the providence. If Ocean Church will help the providence, I must continue to work until early morning.</p>
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<p>At one point we were out at sea constantly for two days and nights, not returning to port at all, and I did not sleep for one moment. On the second night, members were sleeping beside their fishing poles. When I looked at them, I wondered whether I was committing a crime against them, but the key question was whether I did it for a selfish purpose. Since I did it for the sake of God’s providence, I was helping them to become saints. They shall receive the blessing together with me. Therefore, you are not unfortunate people. You are the most fortunate for participating in this historical providence.</p>
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<p>Still I am fighting my way along this road. Our legal battle is continuing and forces are trying to destroy me. But when I look back on my path, I see great accomplishments. Some day people of all colors of skin will come to respect me. Even as I was fighting the legal battle during the trial, I never abandoned the fundamental mission. For example, we accomplished several things-The Washington Times was begun, and we also held the historical Blessing of 2,075 couples at Madison Square Garden. From September 17, over 1,000 theaters will be showing the movie Inchon. All these works were conceived and carried out during my trial.</p>
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<p>Everyone will wonder why I made Inchon; this is a question I want people to ask. Our critics will have a big headache! They indicted me and thought that was the end of it, but now they see our movie all over the country. In every respect, Inchon is a history-making movie. No film was ever re-made on location five times. This is the most expensive film in Hollywood’s history. The most controversial fact is that I produced it. Why did a religious leader do this, Americans will ask. This film has one simple purpose: we want to make General MacArthur a hero for Americans. Young people today do not know who he was, or the true causes of World War II and the Korean War-how they started and progressed, and how they ended. By showing what a hero MacArthur was, a new spirit can come to America and the public can be educated about the providential significance of these wars.</p>
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<p>Why did I do that, instead of some other movie-maker? First of all, it is because MacArthur loved God. The Inchon landing was an impossible strategic plan in a military sense. No sane general would normally have proposed or accepted it because the Inchon harbor has the world’s highest and lowest tides in the course of one hour. That meant that within 45 minutes, 250 ships had to pass through the small channel into the harbor. It was an incredible impossibility. MacArthur could only do it with absolute faith in God. He believed and trusted that the Korean conflict was a holy war and that God would be with them. On that condition alone he came up with his plan and he offered it into God’s hands.</p>
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<p>Secondly, MacArthur loved mankind. Japan was the worst enemy of America in World War 11, but after Japan was defeated, MacArthur worked hard to restore that nation. Out of his compassion he helped make the foundation for what Japan is today, Thirdly, MacArthur abhorred communism. Why? Because communism denies God and strips human beings of their dignity.</p>
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<p>General MacArthur’s spirit and my spirit are parallel, and I invested great amounts of energy to make this movie. With this film we can inspire America and awaken the people to the realities of communism. I’m sure that one thing is clear: this film will generate controversy. Let the demonstrators come! There will be conversations over breakfast and banquet table alike about this film Inchon and MacArthur. Some will be for it, some against it, but anyone who has not seen the movie cannot participate in the discussion. Wives will badger their husbands to go with them to see it!</p>
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<p>Students in particular must see this film. In two hours they can learn about MacArthur’s spirit. Their conversations will focus on the movie, pros and cons, about why they think MacArthur is a hero or not. I want to see such excitement coming from young people. Do you think we are wasting money in this endeavor? You fundraise for $5 or $10 at a time, so what do you think? Even at the cost of millions of dollars we must achieve this goal.</p>
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<p>Gamblers in Las Vegas can lose millions of dollars overnight. But this is far greater than gambling-it is a great adventure. Even if the movie doesn’t recoup the investment we made, the money has been well spent for the sake of America and the posterity of this nation.</p>
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<p>Why does my name receive top billing in the movie? From a secular, promotional point of view it is detrimental, but I still insisted. This movie has a historical purpose, not just for now but for the future. In a hundred or ten thousand years, the name of Reverend Moon will not vanish from history. When that movie is seen in the future my name will come first. History will remember that this film was made during my utmost persecution from the U.S. government. Even during the dirtiest fight, Inchon was made for the benefit of mankind. My spirit of victory over communism will remain on earth forever.</p>
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<p>In a commercial sense, the easiest thing would be to leave my name out entirely. After the movie became a success, then we could talk about who produced it. This is pragmatic thinking. But my thinking is that we may not make money, and may even be set back financially, but if we don’t put my name on it, this film will just disappear. Because Reverend Moon’s name is on the film, it shall be immortal.</p>
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<p>Right now people may be scornful of Inchon, but the more scorn we receive now, the mom decoration we shall receive in the future. There are superstars in the movie, such as Sir Laurence Olivier and Terrence Young, the director- These people haven’t protested the fact that Reverend Moon’s name is listed first in the credits. Why should such big-name stars be silent about that? They know mom than anyone else that the film is a product of Reverend Moon, not just financially but spiritually. Initially they protested when I wanted to make changes in the movie, but every time I did they could see the improvements. After five times, they were completely convinced of my capabilities. Even my suggestions on changes for the promotional posters were welcomed and praised by the Hollywood artists. Reverend Moon is a mystery man to these people.</p>
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<p>Don’t you women want your husbands to be mom like me? I ask you that because it is exactly what I want to do-mold your husbands into men who resemble me and live according to my standard. To do that job well, I need mom than one or two years-I need at least 10 years. Both husband and wife need to be raised up in this manner, but which should come first? Therefore, perhaps I should take your husbands away from you for a while. Do you willingly offer him to me? You want me to train him in the fastest way possible, right? So you will all give me your husbands to train? No, thank you, I don’t want that kind of burden! Are you men ready and willing to follow me? This is truly a wonderful day! You women are ready to give up your husbands so they can become more like me, correct? You may not like to have to, but you are willing-that is wonderful! Here you are, joyful, happy, laughing, even though you know you face hardships in the future. That is our wonderful way of life.</p>
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<p>From now on, since you are part of a family unit, we might initiate special fundraising teams of wives. Even though people may oppose us and our activities, we can declare to the world, “We have a purpose and a goal. This is the way America will live, survive and prosper. Them is no other way. We have the ideology and way of life that will always protect us and our children. We are destined to prosper, without question. We shall not give in!” Is that right? “Right” means privilege, even authority.</p>
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<p>What is the meaning of our topic, “Master, Guests, and Others”? By living this way of life, you will be respected and followed wherever you go, whether in Korea, Europe, or anywhere. All creation and all mankind want to be led by the person of true love, and they respect and admire that kind of person. Such a person is always selfless and conveys a parental attitude of love toward others. That is the ultimate formula we should accomplish.</p>
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<p>Do you want to meet that kind of master, or do you want to become that kind of master yourself.? To become one is not easy. In order to. do that, you have to shed a lot of tears and sweat, suffering many backaches and legaches. Without enduring such difficulties, you can never become a master. The challenge to you men is great. When you hear my sermon this morning will you pursue your spouse, or God and the Church? Will you go together with me and resemble me? If you do that, you shall truly become a master, not just find a master.</p>
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<p>So far I have talked about the master, but what is the definition of the guest? The master has one purpose, but guests can come for two different purposes. They either become indebted to the host, or they lift his burden. When you welcome a guest into your home, do not expect him to do anything for you or to help you. The guest is always a guest-an outsider who comes and goes. People who come to visit you usually end up taking something from you, instead of bettering your situation. If you want to become a master, you need to look for a master and become his good follower. Do not look for a person in the position of guest. This doesn’t mean that you should treat a guest harshly, but you shouldn’t expect anything from him.</p>
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<p>What about your physical parents? They are your guests, not hosts or masters. As blessed couples, you should be the hosts. Therefore, you should not be in a position to be influenced or dominated by them, but to influence them. We have to be very careful with any guests and give them a good impression. Do not talk too freely with them or you will create a problem. But if husband and wife want to talk together all night, that’s all right because you are the host and hostess.</p>
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<p>All others are what we might call strangers-they cannot be trusted because they are unfamiliar to us. You have to know clearly how to distinguish between the three categories of master, guests and others and know exactly how to deal with them. I see the 2,075 Couples as representing the heart of Western civilization here in New York. The Blessing at Madison Square Garden is a historical event for all eternity, and through it you have entered the boundary line of God’s territory. That boundary line is very important and clear.</p>
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<p>Conclusion</p>
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<p>I have described three categories to you-master-or host and hostess-guests, and others. The most important point to remember is that the vertical line penetrates three points-top, center, and bottom. That vertical line is the beginning point for everything; that is God, husband and son. The horizontal line is where husband and wife and neighbor dwell. There is only one absolute reference point and it cannot be changed. For that reason, marriage in the sight of God means only one husband and wife. The law of love requires that husband and wife love each other and their children. Children must love their parents. By following this law, you always stay connected with the absolute reference point. Why should you all love God? By loving Him, everyone can be brought into harmony. That central vertical line becomes the axis of the universe.</p>
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<p>The wife should always teach her children, “As much as I love your father, you must love him, too.” Your practice of love will become their standard. The husband will say, “As much as I love your mother, you should love her, too.” You can both say, “As much as we love God, you should love Him, too.” You teach your children by example. That is the best and only way.</p>
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<p>In that way you create a love center, and then the four position foundation will truly come alive. The love between husband and wife is the core training to learn how to love God and children more. When the wife loves the children more than her husband, he should not be jealous; he should rejoice instead. If the wife loves God more than her husband, it is a poor husband who will complain. He should be grateful and call her a saint instead. The wife should also encourage her husband to love God more than her.</p>
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<p>Setting that kind of example is your central responsibility. By loving God and your children more than your spouse, you shall find unity with the center. That is the original point for the ideal world of absolute love. It is the pride of the Unification Church that we are practicing this way of life. The purpose of creation and the will of God is to fulfill the heavenly four position foundation. We must dwell for eternity with God at the center.</p>
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<p>Even if your husband were to die at an early age, you wives should transfer that tradition to your own children and it will continue. The same is true for you men. If God were here personally, He would say the same thing: love God and your children more than each other Then the vertical line will be the center of everything in your life.</p>
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<p>This universal principle applies from God down to everyone. Wives live for the sake of God, husband and children. Husbands live for the sake of God, wife and children. The children live for the sake of God and parents. God lives for the sake of His children. This is the realm of total giving. Do you understand?</p>
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<p>Concentrate on the central line and fulfill the ideal that you have been taught this morning. Become a master, a true host. Do you welcome it? Will you do it? Thank you very much. God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1640" class="post-1640 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/23/pure-way-of-truth-and-public-righteousness/" title="Permalink to PURE WAY OF TRUTH AND PUBLIC RIGHTEOUSNESS" rel="bookmark">PURE WAY OF TRUTH AND PUBLIC RIGHTEOUSNESS</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="/blog/author/fami1yfed/" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-23T13:58:09+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/23/pure-way-of-truth-and-public-righteousness/" rel="bookmark">June 23, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-23T13:58:09+01:00">June 23, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/blog/category/speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1982/" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1982</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="CENTER">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="CENTER">July 18, 1982<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>Whenever the truth is manifested in a pure way it is an example of public righteousness. The Chinese characters I am using for the title today have a profound meaning. They have a surface meaning and an internal, hidden meaning as well. The first letter is composed of two parts; the top part signifies the number 8. The number 8 according to Divine Principle is a very significant symbol of a new beginning and the completion of a cycle.</p>
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<p>The bottom part of the letter is a triangular shape. The number 3 is important according to Oriental philosophy and in God’s providence, as well. Only two points are needed to draw a line; however you need three points to create a circuit or begin a circular motion. In doing surface surveying, there must be three points in order to begin. A triangle in a vertical direction creates the shape of a mountain. The direction of up and down movement requires three points.</p>
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<p>When you throw a ball it hits the ground and bounces broadly then gradually it bounces closer and closer together until it stops. The opposite of that is the increase of energy in which the up and down motion gradually becomes broader and stronger. A nation, too, can be seen in this perspective. If some country is declining and nothing happens to stop it, it will reach its end. But if that country then is able to regather its energy, it can begin to move forward with greater vigor; it will begin to climb upward and to have new hope. In other words, if the citizens become united and determined to begin anew, there will soon come a point when that nation will start to bounce back toward prosperity.</p>
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<p>The Unification Church operates according to the same principle. Many people observing the church from the outside think that we must be declining, since we are now suffering a great deal of tribulation. However the court battles and difficulties we are experiencing are a preparation for a great leap forward toward new growth on our part. Externally it appears that the Unification Church is declining; but if the members are totally united internally and highly motivated and inspired, this will be the point when we will start to bounce back.</p>
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<p>Included within the Chinese character for “public” are the concepts of heaven and earth in harmony with mankind. The word “public” is used very freely in this country but you need to understand clearly what the word really means. The Chinese character representing “righteousness” includes a top portion signifying a lamb and the bottom portion signifying “oneself.” Together they mean that oneself should resemble the lamb. This is parallel with the philosophy of the Bible in which Jesus is referred to as a lamb. Certainly Jesus’ life was a life of total righteousness.</p>
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<p>The life of the lamb exists solely for the sake of its master; it does not have its own will but does whatever the master desires. The lamb is the most sacrificial animal since it gives every part of itself to be used, including its wool and its flesh; everything provides a service to the master. Thus the meaning of public righteousness, according to the internal meaning of the Chinese characters, includes a person dedicated to living a lamb-like, sacrificial way of life for the sake of heaven, earth and mankind.</p>
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<p>Within the Oriental way of thinking there are always dual reasons for something existing or happening, the obvious, external reason and the less apparent, internal reason. There is no concept within oriental thought of an entirely private individual who is independent from the whole. However there is such a concept in Western thinking, so individuals in the West can more easily feel they are totally free to do anything they feel like doing. They do not usually feel that they are bound into a relationship with the larger society.</p>
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<p>The individually oriented way of thinking produces a society which does not have a clear focus or cohesion. However in the Orient, the concept of a central person and the concept of the center of society is more natural. The only way Western societies have been able to unite and organize has been by law; through law, these societies have tried to maintain order and unity. But the Oriental societies are linked more by the underlying philosophy or way of thinking, not so much the law.</p>
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<p>Within Western society each individual can go in his own personal direction feeling that he is alone. However in the Orient people feel a greater burden of responsibility for the society at large in their own personal actions. That is one way to describe the differences between the two worlds. This is a simple but very important way to analyze the two cultures.</p>
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<p>Not only the universe and mankind, but also God is included within the concept of public righteousness and truth. What is the goal or purpose of public righteousness? It is to leave behind something better; to better the environment. This is a goal which everyone would like to achieve, including every individual, society, nation, and even God himself. Every being is striving toward something better than the present.</p>
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<p>In Western cultures people have the ambition to leave behind them a better name or reputation through their descendants. In order to leave behind a good name each person must fulfill his responsibilities in a meaningful way. When you want to leave behind something better, you cannot imitate others or take on their reputation but you must be an initiator and a creative person. How can that be done? With a sacrificial attitude, you can be a creative person of initiative for goodness.</p>
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<p>The goal of leaving behind something better than oneself can only be achieved by giving oneself sacrificially, like a lamb. Someone might think such a way will damage him and that he will only lose if he lives that way. However, look at the trees out on the lawn. Have you ever considered that they might get tired of wearing their green colors every day, without any variation? Can you imagine the tree asking, “Why can’t I wear a different color for a change, like red?” Perhaps for the sake of the tree alone, he would like to wear different colors besides green; however, it is for a larger purpose that he wears green every day.</p>
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<p>It is summertime, so today will be very hot. Imagine how you would feel if all the grass and trees were a bright, burning red color. It is a terrible notion! Or what if all the trees were multi-colored when you walked into Belvedere on a hot day? Suppose you were to turn all the green of nature into a yellow color. You might like it at first but within a short time you would be yearning for the green color again. The green of nature is designed for people; green is a comforting, peaceful color. The basic color of all nature is green; green is the harmonizing color for all existence.</p>
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||
<p>Likewise, green is a basic color within each human body. There is a harmony between man and nature. In order to complement the basic green of the earth, the sky and water are blue. With green as a background, God gave brilliant colors to the flowers, such as red, pink, yellow and so on.</p>
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||
<p>Once a year at autumn time God allows nature to turn different colors. Imagine if everything were always red, including the trees and grass; then a red flower would not even be noticeable. Because it is supported by its green background a red flower stands out and looks more beautiful. We cannot complain about the ways in which God created the harmony of the world.</p>
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||
<p>The trees are green for the sake of others, namely people. When you go out into nature to pray during the early morning, you can hear the birds singing beautifully. At night there are the sounds of an orchestra of insects. I sometimes think about why these creatures of nature are making this music while everybody else is sleeping. It is because they are fulfilling their role in achieving harmony with the universe. For the insects nighttime is the time of activity. If they come out during the day, they are eaten by birds and other animals.</p>
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||
<p>Once sundown comes the insects all come out and rejoice because it is their time. Sundown is like their dawn and they sing to celebrate. There is such a poetic beauty in the singing of the insects under the moonlight. God is the greatest romantic poet, since He is the author of all this beauty.</p>
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||
<p>The sun is truly the most important heavenly body to those of us on earth; without it we would not survive. Yet during broad daylight people almost never look up and give thanks to the sun for being there. However when the moon comes out at night, people frequently notice it and appreciate it even though its usefulness is much less than that of the sun.</p>
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||
<p>The moon has poetic stages during the month. At first it is just a tiny sliver and finally it becomes a full moon which disappears and becomes a new moon again. In Oriental philosophy, the sun is Nature’s father and the moon is Nature’s mother. Women reflect the moon’s nature; you like to change your appearance and show romantic beauty. You like to look in the mirror and figure out ways to make yourselves look more beautiful.</p>
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||
<p>Children within a family naturally are drawn toward their mother. They like to comb their mother’s hair and get close to her beauty. In the universe the sun represents the father, the moon represents mother and all the creatures of the earth are like the children. Within the small universe of a family, then, the father is in the sun’s position, the mother is in the moon’s and the children are in nature’s position. When they mingle in harmony there is great joy and beauty.</p>
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||
<p>Teenagers have a tendency to wish they were completely grown up. They want to quickly achieve the status of adulthood. However, when they try to move too fast toward that goal, they will be damaged. It is not just by movement and action that a person grows and blossoms. Young people must also cultivate their strength and endurance; they should not be restless all the time. By developing a more meditative and contemplative attitude, a person c an truly blossom at the appropriate time. When you experience suffering, if you can endure it and set your mind toward the future you will be victorious.</p>
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||
<p>What is righteousness? We could say that it is the effort to harmonize everything for the sake of beauty; it is not chastisement or division but harmonization. Don’t you want to leave behind you something better? What will be the central, most valuable thing you can leave behind? Loving harmonization is the most central value to leave behind you. Many things can be harmonized, but the harmony of love is the greatest. You can harmonize with words, with songs, with art and painting-but the most precious harmonizing is that of love.</p>
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||
<p>Transcendent of everything past, present and future, the value of love shall remain. Why is the harmonization of love the greatest of all? It is because everything is contained within love, including God himself and the whole universe. If you try to achieve harmony with your academic knowledge, you will have nothing more than the dry books. You cannot dance joyfully with a bunch of books. However when you are dancing with love, you never get tired; you will dance with your wife, your children, other people, even God himself. You will have everything. The insects at night have a beautiful orchestration; their music is that of love. The males and females sing together in their bass and soprano insect’s voices. The ear of a man is created to listen to the voice of a woman, more than another man’s. There is a harmony between the two voices since one is low and one is high. Their give and take creates a wave-like sound. The entire universe is moving in a wave, never according to a straight line. A wavelike motion is a sign of life; the absence of that is a sign of death.</p>
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||
<p>Harmony is the means of survival of the universe. A woman’s voice is naturally high and it needs the balance of the lower voice of a man. When a man is sitting quietly, he often produces a calming effect upon a woman, even if she is high-strung. When a husband and wife argue, the woman usually reacts very sharply. She might get very angry and just run out of the room; but a few minutes later she will cool off and come back. This is the way a woman’s mind works. I do not criticize you women for this; it is actually your privilege and it is also a beautiful aspect of you. Without it you lose some of the beauty of your character.</p>
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||
<p>Within a neighborhood, women normally visit with each other and are very interested in their surroundings while the men are usually more prone to be content within themselves. It is normal for women to talk freely and to have a lot of give and take with others; there is nothing wrong with that as long as it is done for the sake of others. Don’t criticize or hurt anybody. As long as you are doing things to benefit others, you are living properly. Give of yourself to help each situation; never exploit it. This is the way of achieving harmony.</p>
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||
<p>The best standard would be for the women to bring harmony within their neighborhoods and the men to support them in that. The women would be the pioneers. When men talk a lot it is not natural; it is more natural for the women. As long as a person is talking and acting for the sake of others, that person will not make a mistake. But as soon as you start centering your talking and your actions on yourself, you will start to make mistakes.</p>
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||
<p>I want you to understand that self-centeredness is your worst enemy on the road to public righteousness. When you step forward you are a representative and a part of the entire universe. “You” includes your eyes, mouth, ears, mind and your love; it includes everything about you. Your righteous mind must govern your eyes and ears.</p>
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||
<p>Sometimes your eyes might say, “I love to see movies so I just want to do that all day long.” However from within you the public mind will reject such desires. Otherwise your eyes will become your master. Suppose your ears insisted upon listening to music all day long and refused to listen to Rev. Moon’s sermons. Your ears might say, “I won’t go to Belvedere because we will have to suffer hearing those strong words.” However, your public mind must take subjectivity over those ears and reject their desires.</p>
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||
<p>Maybe you men will find your noses wanting to smell the lovely perfume of women. Likewise your hands may have the urge to touch a woman’s hand or body. However, your public mind will tell your nose hands to stop distracting you and will tell them, “You’ve got an important job to do!”</p>
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||
<p>The body has certain urges and desires for sensation; but they must be disciplined by your public mind. The body must endure for the sake of public righteousness, just like the green of the trees. You are like the green trees; day after day you must endure the same “color.” When you make effort and strive for this goal, you know that you are accumulating in your life something noble; you are leaving behind something better.</p>
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||
<p>Even though you may appear very unassuming, when you walk the road of public righteousness all the goodness of the world will follow after you. An ugly man who practices public righteousness will find that beautiful women will admire him and want to follow him. A plain-looking woman will be sought after by handsome men if she embodies the beauty of public righteousness.</p>
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||
<p>When a homely man is teaching the truth to a beautiful woman and she is intoxicated to hear it that is a holy, dramatic scene. This is far different from a man saying cheaply and shallowly, “I love you.” He is giving her an understanding of a profoundly righteous way of life and she is respecting him for it.</p>
|
||
<p>There are many ways to convey love to another. One way is by becoming intense, passionate and overpowering that person with your words of love. But another way is to express your love in a poetic way, perhaps by singing or in some way communicating your love without so many words. Which would you prefer?</p>
|
||
<p>Western culture usually has a more outgoing way of expressing love, for example by saying “I love you” so freely. However the Oriental culture is one in which love is not spoken about so freely. In fact, the language doesn’t even contain the words, “I love you” but that doesn’t mean love is not there. In Western societies love is more freely manifested, but in the Orient one does not observe such things; love is more profoundly expressed. East and West are two different shades of expression.</p>
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||
<p>The Western and the Eastern ways of expressing love both have certain deficiencies. I am not saying that one is right and the other wrong. The most ideal form of love would be a combination of the Eastern and Western ways. God has been thinking about who would be able to accomplish this merging of the two ways to bring about the ideal form of love, so He assigned Reverend Moon to do the job. This merging of the two ways can never be accomplished by force or coercion. It can only be done through education and enlightenment by the truth. Do you feel that when you hear my teachings you are being commanded or you are being inspired and enlightened? You feel enlightened.</p>
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||
<p>In the Unification Church when people first come to hear my sermons they often feel their logical minds pulling them in one direction saying, “No. that is just the Oriental way of acting, ” but they find themselves intrigued and they try out what I say. After a while they can see through experience that what I was saying was actually logical all the time and they really get inspired to follow my teachings. This happens very frequently.</p>
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||
<p>When you first go out to do fundraising or witnessing, your logical mind is saying, “No, I wasn’t born for such activities! I can’t do this.” Yet you make effort to do it. Now, after Blessing many of you are really running along the path feeling so strongly how important it is that you learn to raise spiritual children and do fundraising.</p>
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||
<p>Why do you not boycott completely such activities? It is because you have developed certain “Moonie habits.” You have become accustomed to receiving nourishment for your daily life from the inspirational words you hear and the publicly-oriented work you do. If you feel this life within the Unification Church is just too difficult then go and live in the secular world for a time. You may think you will enjoy every sort of freedom and indulgence, but you will discover something different. You will find yourself desiring the joy of the beauty and inspiration of your Moonie habits; at that time you will realize the value of this way of life.</p>
|
||
<p>Once someone understands the Divine Principle he cannot deny the truth of it. Many people have left the Unification Church and tried to totally forget and deny the Divine Principle but they cannot.</p>
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||
<p>Everything we do in our daily lives is guided by the Principle. Sometimes common sense tells someone, “This will never work. Reverend Moon’s method is totally impossible.” However, after watching for one or two years that person observes that it is working and the method is entirely successful. It is a phenomenon of our church that the person who was a nondescript personality before joining often becomes totally different-a celebrity of the Unification Church!</p>
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||
<p>Many people think Reverend Moon is going through the worst period of his life right now. They think I must be completely miserable; but on the contrary, I feel totally high and inspired every day! The trial has not perturbed me at all.</p>
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||
<p>Do you think the sentence is a judgment against me? Actually I feel an exhilaration from witnessing this drama being played out. I observe the government trying to control my mission in any way they can. Yet I know that ultimately I will be the one to take the subjective position and give direction and education to this nation about God’s providence. My life is basically just like everyone else’s. I have high points, low points, bright and dark times, but the important difference is that I will never cease to move forward toward God’s goal.</p>
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||
<p>I am always thinking, “At this junction of history, what can I and the Unification Church leave behind which will better the world and all mankind?” At the courthouse during these past months I felt that God was saddened by the events. Therefore instead of being sad myself. I stayed busy comforting God and spirit world. I continually told God, “Do not worry about me. This will only make me more loyal, stronger and more righteous. When I think of the world and mankind I have even greater determination to serve them.” I am confident that righteousness and justice will prevail eventually and I will be vindicated.</p>
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||
<p>I feel that this is a special opportunity for me. Why?? During ordinary times it is easy to love God and mankind-it is normal. But when a person is subjected to suffering and tribulation and at that point still comforts God and loves mankind, that is something special. I actually thank God for giving me this opportunity to demonstrate a special love for God and humanity.</p>
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<p>When the sentencing was pronounced my thought was not about “my sentence,” but I was concerned about how I could lead the Unification Church and inspire the members. When I received a heavier sentence than Mr. Kamiyama I was the first to rejoice. I was very happy that Mr. Kamiyama received a lighter sentence.</p>
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<p>I recognize this time as an opportunity to exhibit the words which I have been teaching. Instead of being discouraged, I actually felt hopeful on the day of the sentencing, knowing that a much greater good could come out of it. This is the road of righteousness. My immediate reaction was to tell everyone-Unification Church, Korea, God-“Do not worry about me. Goodness will come out of this event.” At this hour I am continually searching for the ways to leave behind me a better tradition, a better example for others. This comes out of my heart very naturally.</p>
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<p>How are you looking at this time? Do you think. “Father is a great and righteous man so everything is wonderful”? You should realize that your attitude ought to be different from mine. Even though I feel exhilarated, you American people especially ought to feel deeply sorry that the nation of America has treated me this way OUT of their ignorance and misunderstanding. You ought to be thinking, “I am responsible for this.”</p>
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<p>I told you that by 1978 our movement needed a certain number of supporters in this country. You elder members should feel that you should have worked harder to achieve that goal, knowing that such a mistake would not have happened at this time. When you consider the injustice which has occurred, you should bow your head in repentance for the sake of this nation.</p>
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<p>Mr. Kamiyama should be thinking, “What a terrible injustice that I got a lesser sentence than Father. I wish I could have gotten ten years and Father could have gone free! This judge is making a terrible mistake.” Such a way of thinking is beautiful.</p>
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<p>I feel the desire to take on all the burdens of my followers; I rejoice at the opportunity. But that kind of feeling should be reciprocated in order to produce a beautiful give and take and a manifestation of true public righteousness. I know that I am a victorious person from that standpoint. Whoever is not vindicated from that standpoint will be the one to diminish.</p>
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<p>When I suffered in the prison camp in North Korea. I established the foundation for my prosperity in South Korea. By the same token if I am sentenced to prison here in the United States, I know that God will be able to open a new door for my work in some place like Soviet Russia. I always see myself as paying for some greater event in the future.</p>
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<p>I have always walked the road of public righteousness throughout my life so I never feel lonely. I can exhibit great courage because God is with me and the universe is supporting me as I walk according to the Principle. Nothing can stop me from moving forward. Even my physical death will not be able to stop my work on this earth. However, those who oppose righteousness will truly be stopped by death.</p>
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<p>When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he spoke to the women weeping beneath him, “Do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.” Even the crucifixion could not stop the power of Jesus’ righteousness; it continued to move forward. Jesus was only concerned for the future of the children of Israel.</p>
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<p>What is the purpose of public righteousness, then? It is to leave behind something better than oneself. Through this court battle, I have not been diminished but have used this as a way to leave behind an even better tradition for America. Do you think scholars in the future who research my life will end their studies with this trial? Certainly not. The trial will be the jumping board for a new leap forward in my life.</p>
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<p>The court trial is a new beginning and there shall be greater accomplishment in the future. America will eventually have to follow the path of public righteousness; it will never be the other way around. with public righteousness following the secular path of America. Anyone who follows the path of public righteousness will eventually flourish and rise up; likewise, he who goes in the other direction will eventually diminish and be cast out through the judgment of public righteousness.</p>
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<p>The entire life of Reverend Moon has been embroidered with experiences such as those of the past few months. This is the fourth attempt of a government to stop me and contain my ministry. First the Japanese government tried to eliminate me during my youth, while I was in college. Then I was imprisoned by communist North Korea for three years and liberated through the Korean War. Then the government of South Korea also tried to convict me of a crime but after a short time they had to acquit me; they simply could not find anything wrong. Now I have come to the United States and have been put on trial by this government as well.</p>
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<p>I certainly did not murder anyone or steal anything; I did nothing wrong at all. The only “crime” I am guilty of is giving my total energies and resources for the youth of America so that they can be restored and made whole and healthy again. They should become the source of new life for the whole world as well. This is what I have been working for and will continue to work for.</p>
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<p>There has even been misunderstanding among some American church leaders. Some of them thought, “Rev. Moon must have come to this wealthy country for the sake of the money and he is using Mr. Kamiyama for financial assistance. There must be something strange going on.” I know that this kind of thinking occurred until just recently. However through the court trial, everything surfaced and it became clear that I have been giving every ounce of my energy for America’s sake. I have not been spending American money for this country. Since 1970 I have been bringing money here to assist the movement in this country.</p>
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<p>I want very much to be able to help feed and clothe American people. Also, my desire is to give the youth of this nation some joy in their lives. If this is a crime, then I am guilty. However if America sustains the conviction against me at this time, they only have to wait for a while. History will show who was right and who was wrong.</p>
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<p>If America refuses to embrace the way of public righteousness, she will only experience greater internal corruption and turmoil. As proud American youth you should be saying to me, “Leave it to us. We will be the ones to change this nation and set it free from its evils.”</p>
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<p>At this time many people of the world will regard Reverend Moon as a “convict” or criminal. In such a case, will you follow the opinion of the world or will you support me with even greater fervor? Will you say to the world, “If Reverend Moon has to go to jail for a year and a half, I shall go the rest of my life vindicating his name and carrying on his message to change this nation.”? That should be your determination.</p>
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<p>Regardless of the court trial and the sentencing, my path and my goals shall not be altered. However. unless you have a redetermination to make a new beginning you will not be able to go parallel with me along the path. Many people around the world will think when they hear the news of the court trial, “If Rev. Moon had come to our country, we would not have treated him in such a way. I wish he were here in our country.”</p>
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<p>Those Americans who are living as my contemporaries will now have a greater responsibility. These are not my words but those of Heavenly Father and the universe. You know that I have no feelings of guilt this morning as I stand before you; but many of you feel very heavy and even guilty somewhere in your hearts. This is the reality.</p>
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<p>You are in the position to indemnify the wrongs which have been committed by this country. I never spoke during the trial; I did not relate on that level. By the same token, you must not complain at this time about your situation. These are not the remarks of Reverend Moon alone but they are the words of public righteousness.</p>
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<p>I will not abandon my responsibilities for America; I will continue to pray for and love this country. However, my mission for America is over; my mission for the rest of the world is now at hand.</p>
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<p>You Americans must take on the responsibility for this nation; unless you do it, the future will be very dismal for this country. Since America treated me in such a way, how can I restore it on the world level? Of course, we have the Appeals Court and we are assured that the victory will ultimately be won, but the damage is already done. Do you understand?</p>
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<p>Therefore the way of public righteousness requires you to commit yourselves today without waiting for the appeal to take on this new responsibility. Of course I am not in any way negating my responsibility here; I feel it down to my bones. Since all the American members will have to bear a greater burden from now on, my heart goes out to you. I want to care for you more now because I have a parental heart toward you. More than myself I am concerned about you and your future.</p>
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<p>When Jesus was crucified he was in the company of two thieves. Why did the miserable death of Jesus have such a great impact upon history? It is because he perfectly represented this road of public righteousness.</p>
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<p>If any country should mistreat an American ambassador they are actually mistreating the American government because he represents them. By the same token, when a nation or the world mistreats the ambassador of God the consequences are universal. Particularly when he was more than an ambassador but was also the son of God, the consequences would be even greater. In such a case, there would be no way for anyone to comfort the heart of God except to work a hundred times harder than God’s son did.</p>
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<p>I am quite calm and peaceful and I have no turmoil within my mind; I see my path clearly. I shall continue to walk as a representative of God. No obstacles will be able to hamper my path.</p>
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<p>If you asked the Korean people today, “Is Rev. Moon an evil man?” what would they say? If they do not know me personally, how would they be able to deny that I am evil, since it appears I am about to go to jail? What about you members of the Unification Church? Do you feel you must reevaluate your membership because Rev. Moon was condemned by the law of this nation?</p>
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<p>The truth will prevail. I am not the way America has perceived me so there has been an even greater gap created between me and America. However the more I am attacked by negative, evil forces, the more blessings come over to my side from the evil side. If the members of the Unification Church adopt the determination to take on even greater burdens than I have and to vindicate the name of Rev. Moon in this country, then blessings will surround you. This is your opportunity to transfer the blessings to God’s side.</p>
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<p>Who will be responsible for stopping the degradation of America’s youth? Who will attack the problems of drug abuse and communism? There is no one except Rev. Moon who is determined, as well as destined, to eliminate these problems. You must take upon yourselves the responsibilities of these burdens together with me.</p>
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<p>Once I have completed this court battle I will have no further reason to remain here in America. You must be serious at this time to inherit the way of public righteousness. This is your duty to fulfill. You must have the attitude that until the name of Rev. Moon is completely vindicated, you will not be vindicated, either. You should want to suffer more than I; this is the only way we can defeat our opposition and walk the road of public righteousness.</p>
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<p>I returned to this country to face the court trial with a very serious attitude because I knew all the implications and consequences of it. I made up my mind how to fight the battle and I determined that I would not complain against or hate America or any of those who prosecuted me. When the sentence was read last week, I smiled and shook hands with all the defense lawyers and then tried to shake hands with the prosecutors. The first one was stunned; seeing me shaking his hand, the other two prosecutors quickly assembled their papers and practically ran away so they wouldn’t have to face me. I certainly wasn’t running away from them but it was the other way around! That was a moment in which the judgment of public righteousness was pronounced.</p>
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<p>I have nothing to fear or feel ashamed about in the sight of God, America or its forefathers. My own dignity is intact. I have never hated the prosecutors; I know that although they do not understand me, their children will come to appreciate me in the future. How will their children feel when they learn that their parents organized the prosecution against Rev. Moon?</p>
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<p>The road is set for men of righteousness. Although it often appears to be dark and difficult, that way will always prosper in the end. The road of men of evil appears to be easy and prosperous, but it always leads eventually to destruction. That is a universal truth.</p>
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||
<p>When you face some difficulty, ask yourself, “Did I do my duty toward my parents, toward my teachers, toward God, the community and the world?” You must feel a certain shame if the answer is no.</p>
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<p>Today you must remember that righteousness requires a person to become like a lamb, totally giving of himself. I have been teaching this truth for a long time and I always want to practice it; thus the court trial is merely a test for me and my way of life. It doesn’t matter, really, what the verdict or the sentence was; what matters is how I behaved in the situation.</p>
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<p>Many people expected that Mr. Kamiyama would receive a much heavier sentence than I, since he had more counts totaled against him. Because of that my heart was pained; so as soon as I heard his sentence was only six months I felt jubilant. Also, Mr. Kamiyama has to think in the other way in order to balance things. He should be telling the Japanese members that he is repentful because I received a greater sentence than he. He must demonstrate to the entire Unification Church his righteousness.</p>
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<p>If I were in Mr. Kamiyama’s position, on the day of the sentencing I would have gone to East Garden with the Japanese leaders to apologize sincerely. Likewise if I were in the American leaders’ position, I would have done the exact same thing. In that way, the heart of the father and the children can be melted together.</p>
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||
<p>I do not show any signs of emotion but that does not mean you should not, either. I restrain myself because of your benefit. You are in the position to reflect God’s feelings about this situation and in such a way you can give me great comfort. When the Japanese leaders have come to me and repented and the American leaders have done the same, I can then apologize and repent to God, saying, “Heavenly Father, all these members and leaders have come to me to apologize; on behalf of the entire church I apologize for all the grief caused to You.”</p>
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||
<p>In that way everyone can share the blessing from God at that time. Otherwise I would be the only one to receive it and that would mean a separation between me and the rest of the Unification Church members. That would not be good.</p>
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||
<p>We are discussing the way in which a person of public righteousness should behave. You cannot laugh while your I parents are crying and you cannot dance when your spouse is dying. Universal law dictates that. At this time I am very calm and dignified, but how is God and the spirit world feeling? Is God happy about these recent events?</p>
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<p>Those members and leaders of the American movement who have not done their proper duties are collectively responsible for this situation happening. There was not one bit of evidence presented in the courtroom that showed I was personally involved in any of the alleged wrongdoings.</p>
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||
<p>The one who is suffering the most is God and I am in the position to comfort Him. At the same time, you’re in the position to comfort me. This is truly a beautiful example of give and take. Do you understand? You must feel repentful together today for what has happened and you must make a new determination to begin again. This is the attitude of public righteousness.</p>
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||
<p>What will you do now? Can you go forward without me? You must be able to do that. If I should go to jail, when I come out I would like to see that everyone has surpassed me in their accomplishment. So far you have felt yourself in the position of followers but from now on you must feel you are the leaders of this crusade; you must be the front-line soldiers. That is what my message is all about today.</p>
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||
<p>The Blessing has been given and I have said everything that needs to be said to you. I have spoken here at Belvedere time and again about how you should live your life. Today I am only emphasizing public righteousness. In the position of parent I am urging you to fulfill your proper role as children. You know precisely what you should do in order to save this nation and the world.</p>
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||
<p>In your diary you can record an unforgettable day, July 16, the day of sentencing. Spiritually that day in America was completely dark; it was the repetition of the time of crucifixion. Thus we must create a new “sun”. Each of you must become the new suns in America. Even though I will leave this country, before you follow me you must fulfill your responsibilities here; then you can have the right to follow me.</p>
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||
<p>No matter how sad you may be, you must recognize that you are in the position to comfort and encourage God, mankind, the movement, your family and friends. If there had been no such a terrible event you might have simply followed me wherever I went after this, but it won’t be that simple now. You should think about this. You must pay the indemnity. I have already walked this path, so now you must bear the burden.</p>
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||
<p>Now I must move on; this means all the attention and support I have been giving to America must move on as well. This is not to say that I will leave behind me a vacuum. You must be the ones to take over the responsibility of the country. No matter what tribulations you might encounter, you must be ready and willing. If you are low and weak at this stage, the entire Unification Church will also reflect that weakness. If you get inspired and spurred on to greater accomplishment, so will the whole church worldwide. Unless you take the harder path there can be no success or prosperity. If you try to take the easy way out, no success can follow because the blessing will now be moving out of America.</p>
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||
<p>Wait and see. Even though America seems almost almighty, the power of God can reduce it to nothing. America could very easily decline drastically and her prosperity shift to either South America or Asia, perhaps. This is simply a law of nature which no one can defy.</p>
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||
<p>Your determination today must be great. I was aware throughout the court trial that if I could not fulfill my responsibility to act in the appropriate way, my own children would be affected and would have to pay indemnity. The same law applies to you. At this time, you must pay the indemnity and act in the proper way. You must take responsibility for America and for the evils which she has committed. Do you follow?</p>
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<p>You must have the attitude that no matter how difficult things may be, you will not complain or make excuses for yourself. Now you are married and will be having families; but all that must come second to the public responsibility you have toward this nation.</p>
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<p>You are luckier than the people of Israel 2,000 years ago. If they had been able to follow Jesus and his words, they would not have had to face such misery later, but they did not have such a clear path. Today however you have a clear teaching and you know precisely where you are, where you are destined to go, and what your mission is.</p>
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<p>Many of the members of the worldwide Unification Church have never even seen me or heard me speak in person. Yet they are following the very same path which you are following. You are in a privileged position; therefore, you have an extra burden of responsibility. You must determine today that you will fulfill it.</p>
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<p>John the Baptist witnessed to Jesus as the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Today the Moonies are in the position to become like lambs, bearing the sins of America on your shoulders. After this battle is completely over, including the appeal, I will not remain here. I will leave and go elsewhere; therefore I am preparing you to take over.</p>
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<p>At this hour you must make your commitment. Today I want you to enter into a covenant with me-that you will not let me down but will take responsibility for America. Are you willing to do that?</p>
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<p>With this kind of commitment from you, I can look forward with hope for America. If you are making that serious commitment in your heart, perhaps I will leave my children here so that you will have at least a link to me and Mother. Otherwise, if there is not true determination or feeling on your part, Mother and I will not only leave but also the children.</p>
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<p>I will not come here again, in such a case, even if Americans send a luxury jet to pick me up. I never came to this country because of its wealth or beauty; I only came here because of God’s providence and my mission. I am walking the road of the providence, not the way of America. Do you understand?</p>
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<p>Today you have heard me speaking about public righteousness. Can you pledge to me that even if Mother and I leave America you will not abandon the mission but will take upon yourselves all the added responsibilities and make it a success?</p>
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<p>Those who pledge to vindicate the name of True Parents and bring all glory to God must also be willing to bear the cross for the sake of the world. I will be watching you; through you I shall take comfort and hope for America or I will have to give up on America. These are not my words alone; they are the words of Principle and public righteousness.</p>
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<p>Those of you who pledge yourselves absolutely to this goal, raise your hands. Thank you. I am wearing new shoes today, signifying a new beginning. The old ones I had been wearing for three years and to the court every day became almost worn through. Today is the day of a decisive, new beginning.</p>
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<p>So far you have been given more than enough guidance from me about what you need to do. You know how to share what you have heard with the rest of the nation and world. In that way you shall become true disciples of the Unification Church and the future of the world will be in your hands.</p>
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<p>Do not think that you will always be able to listen to me the way you are doing today. Even if the Appeals Court overturns the verdict I will not remain in this country, so you should not expect that I will always be coming here to Belvedere to speak to you on Sundays. The responsibility is being passed on to you.</p>
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<p>This place at Belvedere should become another “upper room” where the Holy Spirit came to the 120 disciples and initiated the activities of Christianity. The same thing must happen to you when you come here to pray; a new revival and a new infusion of spirit must come to you as you give yourself in fervent, tearful prayers here.</p>
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<p>Don’t even ask where I am or where I am going. You must be occupied with your own responsibilities for the world. Those of you who know now my will and my desire for you, please raise your hands and pledge that to me.</p>
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<p>Thank you and God bless you.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>Col. Pak’s Prayer:</p>
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<p>Most loving Heavenly Father, we’re absolutely sorry from the bottom of our hearts that we have to hear this heartbreaking word of farewell, in a way, from our True Father to the members of the Unification Church of America and to this nation as a whole.</p>
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<p>Our True Father is one man who came with Your burdens to this nation and suffered incredible persecution, as he labored day in and day out to bring the truth to the people of this nation.</p>
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<p>In the 200 years of the history of America, who ever came to these shores with a greater love for this nation besides Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Heavenly Father? But this nation has crucified our Father and we cannot allow this to prevail.</p>
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<p>We pledge to You this morning that we shall see the day of resurrection; we will take responsibility for the resurrection of the name of Reverend Sun Myung Moon. We shall become Your harbingers and messengers; we shall become Your fighters. We shall even become Your martyrs if necessary and we will bear the cross for the True Parents so they won’t have to.</p>
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<p>Over and over again this nation has been told by our Father that it is the chosen nation of the world and He has blessed it. Now the chosen nation of this century has crucified the Messiah once again! Oh Heavenly Father, we’re not proud of America any more. This nation has sinned so much.</p>
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<p>Our True Father has consistently demonstrated his love for this nation, even upon hearing his conviction and his sentencing. He has never ceased blessing America and he even tried to shake hands with his prosecutors, symbolically forgiving the government and this nation so that it can continue and Your will can prevail.</p>
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<p>Today we have been commissioned for a new responsibility. We are going to bear the cross, not our True Father. Our mission is to vindicate the name of the True Parents and bring them their proper victory. We shall win the victory on every level-in this nation and around the world. We heard the mandate and we have received our mission.</p>
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<p>Heavenly Father, this chosen nation of America has sinned. Now we shall become America; we shall not point an accusing finger at anyone else but shall take upon ourselves the responsibility for America’s sin in the spirit of public righteousness, as our True Father has taught us today. We shall walk this way of public righteousness.</p>
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<p>We have already been given enough messages, enough sermons and more than anything else, we have been given such an incredibly perfect example in the persons of True Father and True Mother.</p>
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<p>Heavenly Father, we repent and we pledge at the same time that our life is Yours. We only regret one thing: that we have only one life to give for this mission. Heavenly Father, if we had 1,000 lives, we would give all of them willingly. Oh, how I wished that I could have taken the guilty sentence instead of Father; I wish I could have been sentenced to jail for the rest of my life instead of our True Father. But there was no way I could take on our Father’s role in that courthouse. I know there must be some way to vindicate the man of righteousness by someone else bearing his burden, even though I could not do it at the courthouse.</p>
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<p>We shall find the way to vindicate our True Father within our hearts, since we could not do it in the courthouse. We shall be Your sons and daughters who desire to bear the prison term for our True Father. We will not let You down, our dear Heavenly Father. We will show our pride in our True Parents and we cannot ever be defeated because they are with us. We have the greatest possible blessing of all-we are living as contemporaries of the True Parents. We pray to be proud sons and daughters of our True Parents and in so doing we will give comfort to You, our Heavenly Father!</p>
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<p>How can we be defeated? We shall continue. We have only one final prayer: we do not ask to be forgiven, because our sins are so great but we simply ask You to use us in the future as Your sacrificial lambs on Your altar. We will not hesitate to take even the road of martyrdom, if that is Your need. Please use our bodies and our strengths to save this world and to vindicate the name and the truth of our True Parents. That will be more than an honor for us.</p>
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<p>Today this is our determination. We have received the message from our True Father and have made our covenant with him, in Your presence. We will move ahead and be totally victorious. Thank you so much for this opportunity to pledge our lives for this nation and world. We shall fulfill, we shall overcome and we shall be victorious. In the names of our True Parents, the Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, we pray all this,</p>
|
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<p>Amen</p>
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