Sports Fest at WCSF III

by Claude Aubert-Washington, DC

The SportsFest started at 10 am in the Washington DC convention center on November 30. The 10,000 capacity hall was almost full.

MC Mike Balcomb kicked off the opening ceremony with the Entry of the Sports Fest Athletes, and the Flag Parade of the Nations, World CARP President Jin Hun Park introduced the founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Father spoke in English about the WCSF, the importance of chastity and purity, as well as the importance of the 360 Million Couples Blessing. Father speech was followed by his cutting of the victory cake for the WCSF and the SportsFest.

Then the audience was treated to some delightful entertainment. The Eastern High School Marching Band which had already performed at RFK the day before, again inspired the audience, and as they were marching out, an announcement was made that Father had just decided to donate $20,000 to this marching band, with the wish that they may become the best marching band in the country.

Step Africa! gave local youth a chance to demonstrate their step dance techniques, while the DC Double Dutch League introduced the audience to the art of double Dutch (rope jumping). Five or six different teams of Martial artists displayed their techniques, and the George Mason University Cheer leading Team had 5 strong young men throw five young ladies in the air and catch them again over and over.

The highlight of the entertainment was Duo Design. These two Polish acrobats were awesome. While one acrobat was balancing on one arm with his hand resting on the head of the other acrobat, the other acrobat slowly changed from a sitting position to standing up. And more unbelievable stuff like that. It was really something.

The Pure Love Finale was a performance of Pure Love kids dancing and acting while a narrator explained shortly about the goals of the PLA and the PLA summer tour.

Then the first part was over and there was a lunch break. The second part consisted of "The Game of Legends," a celebrity basketball game hosted by singer Johnny Gill. Among the players of "The Legends" were former Harlem Globetrotters Tyrone "Hollywood" Brown and Curly Neal. Somehow David Eaton from the New York City Symphony had also ended up in this team!

All in all the SportsFest was exciting, though, with some real highlights during the entertainment of the morning, and an excited, youthful spirit of all the local and international participants.

RYS Service Project in Bangladesh

Japanese 2nd Gen. Play Key Role
by Rev. John W. Gehring-NYC

Rural education in developing countries often suffers from a lack of concern and material support. Low levels of education and inadequate school facilities acts as a hindrance to future healthy development. Bangladesh, a nation more known for its widespread poverty, dense population and disastrous floods then for its rich culture and warmhearted populace, currently suffers from the underdevelopment of its educational infrastructure throughout its countryside.The Unification movement has in the last two decades worked in rural Bangladesh largely through social and interreligious outreach programs. The International Relief Friendship Foundation (IRFF) has for nearly a decade supported the building and development of rural schools in Bangladesh in an effort to promote educational uplift. Recently, the Women's Federation for World Peace-Japan (WFWP-J), in cooperation with the IRFF has sponsored the construction of Jaigeer Primary school in Sengair Thana, Manikgonj district around 40 km. from Dacca. In order to facilitate the construction of the primary school in Sengair village where the IRFF had previously build a small school, the WFWP-J and the International Religious Foundation (IRF) jointly sponsored an international Religious Youth Service (RYS) project from December 22-December 30. The international RYS project involved forty five volunteers from eight nations and was largely organized and run by Bangladeshi RYS alumni. The international project was the fifth time since 1991 that the RYS has held a major service project in Bangladesh but this project marked the first time that many other nations took part. The projects success stemmed largely from the involvement and cooperation of many of the RYS Alumni Association who have formed active chapters in Dacca, the capitol city and in Chittagong, a major port city. Since the RYS Alumni Association began in 1995 they have also sponsored and organized numerous activities and seminars in different parts of the country and publish a newsletter.Second Generation Share As A Community of FaithThe RYS is a leadership training that promotes moral and spiritual values through education programs, interreligious sharing and work service. The RYS host nation of Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country but it has a significant Hindu, Christian and Buddhist populations, all of which were represented in this project. The Bangladeshi participants were joined by international participants who were largely from the Unification tradition. All those involved worked together on creating a community of harmony dedicated to peace and the service of humanity.

Part of the RYS education experience included a visit to a desperately poor slum in city of Dacca. Many of the participants were deeply moved when they visited the habitats for they had a chance to deeply realize the difficulties that the everyday struggle for food and subsistence presents to so many of the world's people.The physical work of constructing a school side by side with local villagers was the central action that brought this diverse group together to form the "RYS family". As each day passed, the news spread throughout the village community about the people who had come from different countries to their village in order to build the new school. Each day saw the numbers of local volunteers grow as father's and mother's and children of all ages found ways in which to team up with the RYS members and contribute to the work, the morning prayers, the spontaneous singing and general good natured sharing. Among the international participants were ten Japanese second generation students who used the opportunity of winter break to experience first hand the life of people in a country whose external situation is vastly different from their own. For each of these idealistic youth, the experiences of working with men, women and children of the village helped create a bond of empathy and add a touch of uncommon wisdom. Individually and collectively each could grow to understand more clearly some aspects and challenges that their peers face daily while growing up in "the third world".

Despite the shock of massive poverty that people came to realize as they stared at it face to face, their was an even stronger insight and image gained from by international participants during the Bangladesh experience. That separate experience served to provide a hope and a dream for each of the participants. The other image, an image that stands in stark contrast to the biting poverty of the sprawling slum, is an image that was built through the living memory of personal experience. It happened as a result of each participant developing a relationship with the children of the local village in Bangladesh who each day faithfully joined them in working side by side in the construction of a new primary school. As one participant stated in his reflection, "My image about Bangladesh was so much changed by looking at the bright and joyful face of village children". The work that these RYS young people offered serves as a way to contribute to the dreams of the Bangladesh children while the people of Bangladesh helped remind the international participants of what is of real and lasting value in life.

The second generation that took part in the project can take satisfaction in the fact that their actions are a reversal of a pattern set up by the original second generation failure of elder son Cain. Cain told God in a mistaken denial: "Am I my brother's keeper?" These young people were clearly saying and showing God that the second generation is determined to be their brother's keeper.

Unification second generation members were an active part of the larger RYS community of faith. By joining with like minded peers they could receive hope and spiritual stimulation in the knowledge that God has been preparing a remnant from all the world's faith and cultural traditions. This diverse body of prepared youth comes willing to accept the challenges that face our troubled world. They come prepared to join together in a new spirit of cooperation to help create the long awaited dream of both God and humanity, the Kingdom of God on Earth. Villager's Moved By RYS Example. One village leader commented on the efforts of the RYS,

"We are very much moved by your unselfish dedication for our poor village. You taught us how we should help each other unselfishly and the importance of cooperation" .The comments of the Bangladeshi village leader are very much the fulfillment of the vision of RYS founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon's vision. Rev. Moon shared at the inaugural RYS project in the Philippines in 1986: " Man's unity with God is not a matter of beliefs and doctrines in the mind. It must be expressed in actions of love and service to others." Through young people of all faiths coming together and serving this village, the essence of religion was displayed in the form of a spirit of loving cooperation. A model of "True Religion" is being provided, this model is essential for a world growing in skepticism and moral confusion. The RYS is in a way providing a bridge that provides a patterns for peaceful transition into the 21st century.

Yoshiko, one of the young Japanese participants shared these reflections,

" Despite language limitations, we realized the possibility of unity among different races and religions. I could discover more similarity in the inner heart of the people.

RYS is a wonderful project to seek for spiritual unity and extend service to needy people."

RYS has for twelve years been providing a model of peaceful cooperation that is based on unselfish love. Through its efforts in nearly thirty nations it is seeking to model the true spirit of religion and provide a substantial training for all young people who are willing to be their brother's and sister's keeper.

For more information on RYS or if you would like to help organize a project or contribute to RYS please contact our office.

RYS, 4 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036
Phone 212-869-6023 ext. 429 Fax 212-869-6424
email rys@pipeline.com

Rev. John W. Gehring is the Director of RYS International.

RYS & WFWP to Cosponsor School Project in Guatemala

by John Gehring-NYC

A decade ago, the World Student Corp worked to construct two schools in Santiago Atitlan in a mountainous region of Guatemala. In 1998, one of the schools is in desperate need for expansion because of the growing demand from poor villagers seeking a basic education.

On May 14-23, the 4th American Friendship Project will be held in Guatemala and it will include substantial construction work on the expansion of the one of the schools in Santiago Atitlan. The crowded five room school house now can fit 50 students but an equal number of poor local students are currently seeking admission. As a result of this demand the RYS and WFWP are joining together with friends in Guatemala to help construct a second floor to the school.

America's Friendship Projects (AFP):

The RYS and WFWP have been sponsoring the American Friendship Projects which began in 1996 in an effort to bring students and young adults from the America's together to provide service, share friendship, culture, ideals and faith.

The first American Friendship Project was hosted in Haiti, 1996 and was followed by projects in Honduras and in the Dominican Republic. The 4th AFP being held in Guatemala will involve fifty youth from more then a dozen nations in an effort to deepen links of friendship and promote a future of peace and cooperation.

The Guatemala AFP project will focus on a theme of, " Sharing True Values through Educational Uplift". The project will begin with a two day orientation in Guatemala City on May 14 and will be followed by five days of work service in Santiago Atitlan near beautiful Lake Atitlan which is between three volcanoes.

Participants will work together to help construct the 2nd floor of a rural school house. Immediately following the project participants will be offered an optional two day sightseeing adventure.

The sponsors of the American Friendship Project include the Religious Youth Service (RYS) and the Women's Federation for World Peace. (WFWP). RYS was initiated in 1985 as an international service project that has involved tens of thousands of young adults from over 90 nations in active service and religious cooperation.

RYS has sponsored nearly 70 service projects in twenty seven nations.

The WFWP was inaugurated in 1992 and is a UN registered NGO with chapters in over 180 nations worldwide. The WFWP has had numerous peace activities, promoted service and educational outreach globally. The WFWP has cooperated with the RYS in sponsoring American Friendship Projects since 1996.

If you are from 18 - 28 years of age the RYS is accepting applications for those who would like to participate in this project. We look forward to involving an increasing number of students and young adults in these exciting adventures. This project, as all RYS projects, depends on the generosity of people like yourself.

4th America's Friendship Project

Guatemala, May 14-23, 1998 (tentative dates). Theme: Sharing True Values through Educational Uplift. Sponsors: The Religious Youth Service, Women's Federation for World Peace. Participants: Ages 18-28. Qualifications: Good health, excellent morals. Language: Either English and/or Spanish.

For more information and application for the RYS, or if you are able to make a monetary donation to support the project, please contact us at:

RYS, 4 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036. Fax 212 869-6424, Phone 212 869-6023 ext 429. e mail at: rys@pipeline.com. Donations by check should be made to IRFF or the IRF with a note that it is to be used for the Guatemala project.

Rev. Pak Speaks to National Baptist Convention

by Richard L. Lewis-NYC

Rev. Joong Hyun Pak took the providence a great step forward as a keynote speaker at the National Baptist Convention (NBC) held January 19–22, 1998, in Los Angeles. This Convention is one of the largest associations of Baptist churches in America, including some 33,000 churches. Speakers to the Convention this year also included Rev. Jesse Jackson and singer Stevie Wonder.

Rev. Pak was invited to speak to some 2,000 clergy, including the NBC state presidents of 50 states. His speech was entitled, "True Families and the Kingdom of God in America." Prior to the speech he was able to have a constructive meeting with Dr. Henry Lyons, President of the NBC, and his family and staff. They understood the crucial role of the family for the future of America, and the necessity to strengthen the family through marriage rededication and True Family Values.

Dr. Lyons was concerned that the larger body of clergy might not be completely receptive to a message from a different denomination, but in the spirit and wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, who was a member of the Convention, he invited Rev. Pak to speak. Rev. Pak was the first Asian, by the way, to formally address the NBC.

Rev. Pak first thanked the NBC for their support during Reverend Moon’s imprisonment in Danbury and the work of the Coalition for Religious Freedom. He then outlined the True Family Values Ministry and the role of the Blessing in rededicating families to a God-centered marriage. He spoke of his admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King and his efforts to bring religious and racial harmony.

The wisdom of Dr. Lyon’s ecumenism was vindicated when Rev. Pak’s speech received a standing ovation!

Report on Barrytown Meeting on the Blessing

by Bill Lay-NYC

In response to an invitation from Dr. Tyler Hendricks, a meeting of Unification representatives from a variety of walks of life took place at the Unification Theological Seminary over the weekend of February 7-8, 1988. Elders of the American and Canadian movement, who have worked in just about every area of the movement, participated. The meeting was a sort of Unification brainstorming retreat. It was attended by about 75 persons (about 15 of them women). The stated purpose was to come up with some ideas and guidelines for the American and Canadian contributions to the next round of Blessing events, slated for June 13.

One participant commented, "The meeting was a first and I sensed somewhat historical. I was told by one American UC historian that such a meeting of westerners had not taken place since the early 70s. In my view, it was unlike any meeting I have ever attended. The dialogue was frank, open and somewhat bold. The hard questions were being asked. Of course the answers to all questions were not provided, but I don't think anyone attended with that in mind."

Another said, "For myself, it was a most refreshing meeting and I realized that at least there is a consensus about the questions we are all asking."

The conference opened with remarks by Dr. Hendricks and Dr. Theodore Shimmyo. Farley Jones served as the master of ceremonies, and brought a wonderful spirit of recognizing the value of each person's thoughts and contribution. Two plenary meetings on Saturday morning followed. The first, focusing on reflections from RFK, was presented by Neil Salonen, Tom Ward and Andrew Wilson. After questions and answers and short discussions, a second plenary discussed Evangelism and Marketing the Blessing, with presentations by Sheri Reuter, Go Ezaki, Dan Fefferman and Mitch Dixon.

Some very interesting areas were explored. For example, Dan Fefferman shared with us that America's goal of 40 million couples, taken as a percentage of all married couples in America, represents a greater market share than that of Coca Cola. (Perhaps even greater than Microsoft, I thought, or the U.S. Postal Service.)

The afternoon sessions were broken down into six areas: Blessing 98 Program Design, High Level Outreach, Financial Planning, Youth, Singles and Matching, Media Strategies and the Education of Blessed Couples. In the evening we heard summaries from each group leader.

Sunday morning we had pledge, followed by the reading of Father's words, and then we had group discussions. Rev. Ki Hun Kim of Chicago - who has achieved noteworthy success building constructive relationships with Christian ministers - then spoke at Sunday Service. The meeting concluded with reports by the Sunday morning group leaders and final observations.

Throughout the conference, two recurring issues seemed most prominent:

1. What is the relationship between HSA and FFWPU?

2. What approaches are acceptable in giving the blessing?

I was personally asked to speak on "high-level outreach". I pointed out to the organizers that I did no high-level outreach for the RFK blessing, and in fact my overall outreach experience had been limited. It was suggested, however, that I talk about my CAUSA experiences, and I agreed to. I thought that I would be a radical voice, since I intended to raise the issue of the current "crisis" of the Unification movement. However, I need not have been anxious about that, since by the time the first round of speakers had finished, the current state of what I perceive to be confusion and crisis in our movement had been pretty well aired. (Other speakers on high-level outreach, including Phillip Schanker, had plenty of hands-on experience at it prior to RFK.)

Essentially all of the serious issues which I feel need to be looked at were raised at the meeting. These issues are not amenable to simple resolution, but I regard the meeting as a first effort to bring a thoughtful yet passionate "democratic" approach to bear on the movement's problems.

As another participant observed, "Participants, in my view, did not hold anything back. The frankness of all in attendance was very refreshing and I attribute the unusual openness to the democratic format of the meeting. I was impressed by the passion, boldness and honesty of the many wonderful individuals I shared this weekend with. I felt strongly that these people, who I call my brothers and sisters, are some of the best people the world has ever known. Collectively among us there were centuries of effort and experience."

I should say that many approaches to life and the UC were on display over the weekend. For example, the viewpoint that there is no crisis, we just need to buckle down and believe, was voiced by some. Another viewpoint - that the only real problem is that we are all so distant from the level of Father - was voiced. However, those were not the only views expressed, and there was an abundance of appreciation for very real issues.

Let me close by relating the very emotional experience I had during the small group meeting that took place on Sunday morning. The first person in our little group expressed a view that if we all buckled down, miracles could occur. The second person acknowledged that point, but expressed with tears and words her great concern for blessed couples who are having difficulties. She said that her son had said to her, "Mom, sometimes I see parents who don't seem to love their children." When my turn came, I could feel myself being overwhelmed by emotion. A big picture of True Parents was in my line of vision in the front of the room. I blurted out that I was glad that people at the meeting were being honest, and that was all I had to say. And I started sniffling and getting teary. When the group urged me to say more, I expressed more of my frustration with the apparent dissonance between real change and growth of human beings and the offerings of numbers which we are asked to make. I concluded by saying that I always felt that I was so clear about things, but now I was in what I regarded to be a crisis state, and I view crisis as a wonderful opportunity for serious advancement.

Certainly one man's emotional experience, or even the thoughts of a group of sincerely dedicated people, does not solve real problems. As a Unificationist who was not there but heard about the conference commented, however, "Such concentrations of hearts and minds, where mature members can engage in honest discussion of the problems, can lead to some radical conclusions, as people discover that their perceptions are widely shared. The difficulty comes in trying to implement changes afterwards.''

Reality, An Effective Discipline for Children

by David Kasbow-Detroit, MI

Imagine a person going way over the speed limit as he races down the road. Suddenly the driver looks in his rear view mirror and sees the police. He pulls over only after being followed a long distance. He then protests he didn’t do anything wrong, that everyone is driving fast. The policeman says nothing but just starts writing out a ticket. The man starts to cry that it’s not fair and, besides, he doesn’t have the money to pay for a ticket. The policeman keeps writing. The man takes the ticket, tears it up and throws it on the ground. Now the policeman takes out his book and writes another ticket for littering. The man screams he hates the police and threatens the officer. Now another car pulls up and the man is taken away to jail.

In this scenario, the man in the car is of course acting like a child. Children use all the above tactics, and more, to get their way with their parents. The police officer of course is in the position of a parent, in this case a healthy, confident one. With too many parents, the childish strategies used above are unfortunately effective; parents give in to the child’s tactics or engage in a power struggle as they battle back.

Why are the police so effective while some parents are not? It’s because the police use certain basic principles of discipline effectively.

They use:

1) A clear set of fair laws agreed upon by the community

2) Actions, not words, to enforce the law

3) Enforcement that is respectful but decisive and consistent

The policeman doesn’t nag or scream: "Don’t you know you could hurt someone out here?" or "How many times do we have to tell you not to speed?" or "What am I going to do with you? You’re hopeless?" He just writes out a ticket and the system in place backs it up with ever-increasing levels of action. If the ticket is not paid, the fine goes up. If the person gets multiple tickets, his license will be taken away. If he drives after that he ends up in jail. All of this is done quite calmly. No emotion is involved, no excess energy is wasted.

This model I think can be of benefit to parents. Kevin Leman calls it "reality discipline." The theme is that in the real world there are numerous realities which we all must face to get along in society and the closer the parents model the real world in their family, the better off their children will be. For ideas on setting up such a model, see Richard and Linda Eyre’s book, 3 Steps to a Strong Family.

It is important to note that discipline is not punishment. The dictionary describes discipline as "training which develops self-control, character, etc." It comes from the word "disciple". This is an excellent way to think of raising children; they are to be Christ’s disciples.

The key to making it work is for parents to have the willingness to not protect their children from reality, to not bail them out. Of course, loving one’s children is to have a clear set of expectations for them, but just as important, loving them is giving them the freedom to experience the consequences of their decisions about following these expectations. To be blunt, it is to let them fall on their face sometimes. This is quite anxiety-producing for some parents. It’s hard to let Johnny walk to school when he sleeps in late and misses the bus. But it’s just this kind of experience which builds Johnny’s self-respect and self-esteem. When he can take responsibility for his failure and get himself where he needs to be, when he needs to be there, he has united his mind and body centered on the truth. Goodness is the result; he is an active responsible citizen. If he is bailed out by being driven to school time-and-again, he does not gain this victory over himself. And, treating Johnny in this way shows him more respect than nagging and yelling at him to get up in the morning. Furthermore, nagging and then driving him when he gets up late causes him to lose respect for his parents. He learns that their directions are not serious, that he is in control.

How early in a child’s life can a parent start using reality as a discipline? Leman, in his book Keeping Your Family Together When the World is Falling Apart, suggests it be used from the start. When the child is an infant, parents can get a baby sitter once a week and go out together. It’s good for the child to know he or she is not the center of the universe; and Mom will be a better parent after some time to recuperate.

A favorite battleground is the dinner table. I had a couple come in to counseling who would actually bring food with them when they went to visit relatives because their eight-year-old child was such a picky eater. They were more like servants of a little princess than parents. Every mouthful was discussed and debated. The child wallowed in constant attention. Parents don’t have to go through this. They have the right to cook what they want to eat. If it happens to be something that Suzie does not happen to like, let reality come into play: just don’t set a plate out for her. When she asks what’s going on, simply inform her that you knew she does not like this dish, so you didn’t set out a plate. She will either go hungry for one meal (which will not kill her) or decide the stuff isn’t so bad after all.

Through these kinds of experiences children learn to cope with the real world. By the time the really frightening realities of driving, dealing with the opposite sex and the temptations of drugs come on the horizon, the child has developed a sense that some serious consequences can come from his or her behavior. They will have internalized the Biblical direction of Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Pure Love Rally and March

by Claude Aubert-Washington, DC

Friday Nov. 28, the Pure Love Alliance started their rally and march at 12:30 PM with music by the band "Wave," About 1,000 people were gathered around the stage near the reflection pool by the Capitol building. Several speakers addressed the rally participants, and several more music acts followed. About an hour-and-a-half later the crowd doubled in size, due to the arrival of many WCSF guests from Japan and Korea.

After a great performance of the Winans Sisters (Debbie and Angie), the audience was lead in the recital of the Pure Love Pledge. Then the rally participants were organized for the march. With police cars clearing the way ahead of them, all participants marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, chanting and waving colorful placards ("Condoms can't protect your heart" was the text of many creative slogans advocating sexual abstinence.)

Around 3:30 the march reached the Ellipse behind the White House, and it seemed to me that the crowd had become bigger. My estimate is that there were between 2,000 and 3,000 people gathering at the Ellipse, almost all Unificationists. A few more people gave testimonies, speeches, and sang songs. There was an announcement earlier that the founder of the PLA would be the last speaker, but when the time for the last speaker had come it wasn't PLA founder Jin Hun Park Moon who addressed the audience but PLA president Robert Kittel.

After three cheers of Mansei, the rally participants invited to go to the Kenny Lattimore concert that was to start at 6 PM at the Washington Convention center. I couldn't make it there myself, but I can imagine that it turned out to be quite a unique event.

The Pure Love Pledge

The pure relationship of love between a man and woman is a sacred gift from God, to be cherished and honored for the sake of building a true family, healthy society and a world of peace for future generations. Once that love is consummated, it is not to be broken.

Therefore I commit myself:

• To refrain from all sexual relationships before marriage;

• To respect and honor the ideal of purity in myself and others;

• To learn how to practice pure love as a child, friend, spouse and parent;

• To dedicate myself to absolute fidelity within marriage;

• To encourage others to do the same.

Providential Significance of Hoon Dok Hae

by Prof. Taek Young Oh-Barrytown, NY

This is an excerpt from a Korean article translated by H. Sakai and edited by B. Lancaster. Dr. Oh is a professor at the Unification Theological Seminary Barrytown, New York

On September 1, 1997, at the celebration of the ninth anniversary of the "Proclamation of Heavenly Parentism" at Belvedere, True Father proclaimed a "New Start." He instructed all blessed families to set aside one hour each morning from 6:00 to 7:00 to recite the Family Pledge, then read Blessing and the Ideal Family; Way of God's Will; and the three providentially important speeches: "View of the Principle of the Providential History of Salvation," "In Search of the Origin of the Universe" and "True Family and True Universe Centering on True Love."

On October 3, in Uruguay, True Father added the speech "True Family and I" and God's Will and the World to the selected material to read. On October 13, True Father named the daily morning reading session Hoon Dok Hae. He also emphasized many times the importance of Hoon Dok Hae at the International Leaders' meeting, which was held right after the celebration of the 38th True Children's Day on November 1.

The reason why True Father has emphasized the importance of the Hoon Dok Hae is that since the Declaration of the Realm of the Cosmic Sabbath for Parents of Heaven and Earth, the direction of God's providence has shifted from the Age of the Divine Principle as the utmost priority to the Age of Living Life with True Parents being the highest priority (True Father, East Garden, Sept. 13, 1997).

Reaching the point where all humankind will become blessed families, True Father, who desires to build the ideal world centered on these blessed families, is expecting every blessed household, through participating in the Hoon Dok Hae, to realize the new tradition which True Father has established, and to live a life of oneness with the True Family.

True Father's thought in the Hoon Dok Hae, will remain as a new tradition in every blessed family and can be understood through examining the characteristics of God's Providence from the Declaration of the Realm of the Cosmic Sabbath for Parents of Heaven and Earth on August 9 (July 7 lunar) given on True Children's Day November 1. These characteristics are: the time to buy True Parents' words without cost, the time to become one with True Parents, and the establishment of the ideal world centered on the blessed families.

Providential Background

Since the Declaration of the Realm of the Cosmic Sabbath for Parents of Heaven and Earth, God's providence has been progressing rapidly as if one day was equivalent to a thousand years. After that declaration, True Father held a special meeting for 200 pre-blessed couples in Alaska, emphasizing the essence of faith, and that faith "should not simply end with just believing and knowing, but it should flower into a life of attending God."

True Father, after declaring the "New Start" at Belvedere on September 1, said "Even though people do not know, we have already entered into God's direct dominion," beginning with the Holy Wedding ceremony of Young Jin Nim and Hyung Jin Nim on September 6. Following that, at 7 o'clock on the morning of September 11 at East Garden, the Age of the Realm of the Fourth Adam was declared. This declaration became possible because of the Holy Wedding of Hyung Jin Nim, the youngest son of True Parents.

The Age of the Realm of the Fourth Adam means that the True Family restored the same position as that where Adam and Eve could receive the Blessing, reaching their perfection without the fall, and that every blessed family must attend the True Family, and practice the heavenly way of life in order to accomplish the original ideal family which Adam and Eve were supposed to realize through receiving the Blessing.

In the Age of the Realm of the Fourth Adam, the life of attending True Parents is more important than knowing the Divine Principle. On September 14 at Belvedere, True Father emphasized many times how important it is to attend the True Family and to live together with them. This speech has the longest title in Unification Church history: "Let us (1) believe True Parents; (2) know True Parents; (3) live together with True Parents; (4) become one in True Love with the True Family; and 5) start to live a life in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth." As expressed in this title, we have to experience the heart of True Parents both internally and externally as if it were our own, and "to start living a life in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as the way that all blessed families who live in the Age of the Realm of the Fourth Adam should practice" (True Father, Nov. 11, 1997, Belvedere).

Becoming one with the Word

The tradition of becoming one, centered on True Parents' Words, began with the True Family. At East Garden, centering on True Parents, they started reading the Words from the end of August 1997. Through this reading, True Parents began to educate the True Children directly. Until that time, True Parents were not able to educate their children directly because of the providential reason that they had to love Cain children first. Now it has become possible for them to teach God's Words directly.

True Parents and True Children have established the tradition of becoming one, centered on the Words. On September 1, 1997 at Belvedere True Father said that based on this new tradition, every blessed family must resemble East Garden in which everything is harmonious, centered on the Words, and that from now on persons who have not inherited this tradition will not be able to enter East Garden. True Parents are expecting every blessed family to inherit this new tradition which began in East Garden and go the way to becoming one with True Family. In order to do this, we must get rid of our past conventional lifestyle. True Parents always think of something new, create new things, and require us to live a proper life corresponding to these new things. If we keep our past conventional lifestyle for even one day it will be difficult for us to understand True Parents; it will also become painful to accept the Words of True Parents, and it will be more difficult to live according to those Words. Moment by moment, we must deny ourselves, and continually nurture ourselves in order to return absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience.

In order to become one with True Parents, we should not be imbued or influenced or drawn into surrounding cultures and traditions. The Israelites who entered into Canaan guided by Joshua, aroused God's wrath because they were influenced and absorbed by the culture of the Canaanites and stained their blood through their relationship with them. The culture and tradition of the Unification Church are neither something that goes along with the conventional culture and tradition, nor can they compromise with the culture. As the culture and tradition established by True Parents, they are totally new. They are such that they are being established from the position of Adam and Eve before the fall, True Father is expecting us to know deeply the fundamental spirit of this culture and tradition through the Hoon Dok Hae.

The standard which evaluates how deeply we are one with True Parents is the very Words of True Parents, especially the most recent ones. True Parents emphasized many times that the only words we have to teach (even to those who are pre-blessed) are the Words of True Father that are written in Blessed Family and the Ideal Kingdom (True Father, Sept. 21, 1997, Caceras, Brazil; Nov. 1, 1997, International Leaders meeting, East Garden). This is the sole standard of life for blessed families. This is because the Words of that book are based on True Parents' life (True Father, Sept. 13, East Garden).

The fact that True Parents have emphasized the importance of the Hoon Dok Hae and decided that the Words we should read are Blessed Family and the Ideal Kingdom, is related to the providential transformation from the age of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity to the age of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Since the age of the Unification Church was, in one sense, an age of theoretical battles, a logic for those battles was required. The necessary logic for those theoretical battles was Divine Principle, Unification Thought,, and Theory of Victory over Communism.

The age of the theoretical battle has come to an end, however, and the age of constructing the Kingdom of God on Earth has come. The most important mission of True Parents, ultimately, is not that of becoming the victors in the theoretical battle, but that of building the Kingdom of God on Earth and in Heaven, in other words, the Ideal World, which is the Will of God. To do this, the most important thing that we can do is read the Words of True Parents that are based on the contents of True Parents' life course, and establish a new tradition in our daily life like that of the life of True Parents.

Centering On Blessed Families

True Father instructed that every blessed family should participate in the Hoon Dok Hae between 6 and 7 o'clock every morning. According to True Father, the reason we start at 6 a.m. is because God created humankind on the sixth day. The reason we continue to 7 a.m. is because we must indemnify humankind's mistake, which made God restless even on the seventh day, that being the day when God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, was supposed to rest (True Father, Sept. 14, Belvedere).

Humankind, after having been created on the sixth day, should have become the embodiment of God, achieving individual perfection according to God's purpose of creation. They should have realized an ideal husband and wife relationship through being ideal spouses and then established the ideal family (True Father, "The Significance of Celebrating July 1", July 1, 1997, Salo Boro Hotel, Brazil). In this way, all humankind, all families, must allow the True God to come and rest in the family as His true place. It is True Parents' desire that we learn the way of realizing such an ideal through the Hoon Dok Hae.

Through the Hoon Dok Hae, we read True Father's Words again and again, even thousands of times, until we digest all the words which are in Blessed Family and the Ideal Kingdom (True Father, Nov. 1, 1997, International Leaders meeting, East Garden). Based on this foundation, blessed families will become enabled to live naturally and automatically according to the Words. True Father said that after the "Proclamation of the Cosmic Sabbath of Heaven and Earth," the theme of the prayer of blessed families should be: "True Parents! Please enter my mind and dwell there" (True Father, Sept. 28, 1997, Corrientes, Argentina). The content of such a prayer has to be expanded to the levels of husband and wife, family, clan, tribe, nation, world and cosmos.

The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth will start from the point where Satan's lineage is completely eradicated. It is impossible to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth if there remains even a small part of Satan's lineage. Therefore, True Parents desire that even embryos in their mother's womb drink the holy wine and be cut off from Satan's lineage. The goal of the providence during the next two years is to "cut off Satan's lineage" and to establish the "Blessed Family and the Ideal Kingdom."

Hoon Dok Hae in Korean

On November 1, 1997 at the International Leaders meeting at East Garden, True Father ordered all National Messiahs to translate Blessed Family and the Ideal Kingdom into the language of their mission country. However, soon after that instruction, he said that every blessed family must read the Words in Korean. He also said that those who do not understand Korean should be able feel the Heart of True Parents who have emphasized the importance of Korean through the voice sound of the reading, and that they also must feel the spirit of True Parents which is contained in those Words.

It is apparent that the unification of languages through the Hoon Dok Hae is in True Father's mind. True Father, who has stressed the importance of Korean for the last 13 years, has used every opportunity in order to encourage us to study Korean.

On the occasion of the International Leaders meeting on June 6, 1997 which was held right after the True Day of All Things, True Father spoke for 30 minutes on the importance of Korean. Later, on August 10, He said that leaders who did not speak Korean could not attend International Leaders meetings. On September 1, True Father said that studying Reverend Moon's speeches which were not taken directly from original language has no value. On November 1, He made it very clear that although international marriages will be allowed from the third generation of the True Family, candidates to become spouses of the True Family members must be able to speak Korean. In fact, True Parents have not wanted to use any translation at any International Leaders meetings since August 9, 1997.

The reason True Father emphasizes the importance of studying Korean is because He deeply desires to realize the unification of languages which were divided into many different languages at the time of the Tower of Babel. Members of the Unification Church accept international marriages very easily. True Father worries that if three generations in a row have international marriages, such big families will have difficulties communicating with each other because of language problems whenever all families of three generations gather. In that case, they will agree on speaking True Parent's language in order to solve this communication problem, and that language is Korean. He said that every blessed family must be able to speak Korean because True Parents expect them to speak that language .

New Tradition

The Hoon Dok Hae is a new tradition which True Parents established for all blessed families, responding to the providential shift from the age centered on the Principle to the age centered on Life. True Parents' desire is that every blessed family will buy without cost the Words of True Parents which are the source of Eternal Life, beyond the boundaries of race and nation, by attending the Hoon Dok Hae.

Through their attendance, all blessed families have to become completely one with True Parents and True Family in Heart. And through offering the time between 6 and 7 every morning, every blessed family should invite God and True Parents, who created humankind on the sixth day and wanted to rest on the seventh day in our mind and heart and let them dwell there. Furthermore, by letting God and True Parents settle within our families, the ideal world will be established based on those families. This is the desire of True Parents.

True Parents, with these same things in their own minds, absolutely keep this time without any exceptions. They think that the time of the Hoon Dok Hae is the most valuable time in a day. To follow this new tradition established by True Parents with a joyful and grateful heart is the way that we, all blessed families, are supposed to go.