Blessing in Chicago

by B. Russell Sucharoff-Chicago, IL

At a recent conference, the Reverend Dr. Samuel Bradford, pastor of the Shiloh AME Church in East St. Louis gave an incredible testimony. Pastor Bradford stated that he became all choked up when he realized that God had sent a Korean missionary to America in order to save the American family. Rev. Bradford stated, "I thank God for a man such as Rev. Moon. God gave him the plan to call us to repentance; to call the family to get back together; and to call all races to come together." Rev. Bradford is a graduate of the Korean ICC trips from over 10 years ago. And he is also a graduate of the persecution when one’s soul is put to the fire for working hand in hand with that Korean missionary.

On June 12th, Pastor Bradford boarded a plane in the early morning hours in East St. Louis to join over 120 ministers from Chicago in order to attend the Blessing ceremony at Madison Square Garden. It was to be the third event in a 6 month period including the RFK Blessing and True Mother’s speech in Chicago.

In the interim Chicago also hosted a ministerial banquet at which Rev. Joong Hyun Pak addressed over 1000 participants of the RFK Blessing and for the past 2 months our members have been visiting their adopted churches nearly every Sunday in preparation for coming to Madison Square Garden.

As a result, 14 busses full of inspired and excited church members set out from Chicago on Thursday night and headed straight for the Statue of Liberty and Madison Square Garden.

One serious advancement with the Christian Church providence in Chicago has been our members investment and involvement with their adopted churches. Whereas in the past, our relationship was primarily and often almost exclusively with the Pastors and Ministers, ever since the Women’s Conferences and True Family Values Conferences, more and more of the church elders, deacons and leaders have become involved in our conferences. As a result, we are really becoming part of the church congregation, rather than just an occasional visitor.

The mobilization for MSG was unique in many ways. Many of our churches were in the midst of their June celebrations-graduations, anniversaries, banquets and conventions. And most especially, while Rev. Ki Hun Kim’s right hand man, the Rev. Michael Jenkins had been called to travel with True Mother during her 16 City campaign in April, Rev. Kim himself along with Mrs. Yukimi Lemont were now called to New York City to work with Rev. Pak directly. Thus, all the processes that we have practiced over the years were now called to be put into place. In other words, we were called to follow the Principle, not just the person.

Because of our church visitation schedule our community would meet every Monday night at our church. 2 weeks before MSG we were addressed by Rev. Amos Waller, Rev. LeRoy Elliott and Rev. Johnny Dodd. This special experience where Rev. Waller called on each one of us to ‘tune-up" his spiritual life left us all re-charged and ready to drive on to MSG. Likewise, Rev. Elliott challenged us by stating that if we filled our hearts with faith there would be no room for doubt to enter.

The following week’s gathering centered on an old friend, the Rev. and Sister Bennie Smothers. Rev. Smothers had been adopted by a recently blessed couple, Dwayne and June Luckett. On the Monday night before MSG the Smothers family brought their church choir and stirred up our Ashland Church Center like never before. They had our members shouting "hallelujah" and ‘Praise the Lord" and singing "Get-Get-get-get-get on the Lord’s Side" while singing in the aisles.

With this heavenly energy flowing and the incredible commitment of our couples to commit not only time and energy, but financial support-beyond the maximum required by God, we were able to send an inspired contingent to MSG for June 13th.

Upon our arrival in New York, we gathered at the Manhattan Center for a "Family-Summit Banquet" which lasted until nearly midnight. Our members filled nearly every square foot of the Manhattan Center where we were addressed both eloquently and powerfully by Dr. Hycel B. Taylor, renowned Pastor of Evanston, Illinois’ Second Baptist Church. On Saturday, Dr. Taylor would offer a beautiful prayer at the Blessing Ceremony representing Protestant Christianity. Likewise, Dr. Paul Swanson, Professor Emeritus from Chicago’s Lutheran School of Theology offered a scholarly and heartistic prayer as one of the religious leaders praying at the blessing ceremony. Dr. Swanson is a 15 year veteran of our Unification Conferences. He has attended CAUSA, ICC, Theological conferences at UTS, True Parents speeches in Chicago, True Family Values and the RFK blessing. I believe that each of these theological scholars and soldiers in the army of Christ would express their personal, collective and historical heartistic perspective on man’s relationship with God.

We were grateful that 2 of our Pastors and one youth Choir Director, Dr. Amos Waller, Pastor Constance Banza and Ms. Debra Nicholson were selected to receive 3 of the special service awards during the first phase of the Blessing Ceremony. After the presentation, they did not want to put the plaques down

and they sat with the plaques on their laps for the remainder of the ceremony.

As a community we are grateful to the guidance and leadership of Rev. Pak who has invested so much in our Chicago Ministerial Community and to Rev. Ki Hun Kim who has totally committed himself to bringing victory for God on a national level. Our ministers are growing through every campaign and our community is coming ever closer together as we march forward toward the successful completion of the 360 million couples blessing.

Post Script

Yesterday was Father’s Day and our community joyfully welcomed Rev. Ki Hun Kim back to Chicago. In the midst of the celebration, Rev. Kim delivered a very poignant message to the Chicago Community. He told us that God is so grateful for the sacrifice and suffering which we endured during the MSG campaign. For it is precisely on the foundation of this sacrifice and suffering that God was able to push the Providence forward.

Likewise, as the bus captains and campaign coordinators gathered together last week to share information and de-brief regarding the undertaking of bringing 14 busses filled with ministers and congregations to New York, a deep spirit of unity and harmony pervaded. Truly this undertaking has brought our community closer and closer together.

More than anything each campaign, each Providential program and each undertaking has combined to bring our Chicago Community that much more closer to becoming a True Family of God.

And it is with this heart that we will go forward this summer-forward toward the February, 1999 Blessing of 240 million couples -- forward toward the completion of the 360 million couples Blessing and forward, continuing to get more and more involved with the Christian community in Chicago.

Blessing in Bratislava, Slovakia

by Milos Klas-Bratislava, Slovakia

I would like to share with you about the Blessing event in Bratislava, Slovakia. This was the European Family Festival where brothers, sisters and guests from all around Europe came.

I have to start little bit before the event itself. Few days before June 13 the Catholic church started quite strong attack. The Bishops Conference made a statement saying UC is not a Christian church, not a partner for dialogue and is hiding behind various federations-WFWP, FFWPU- and the only purpose of their activities is get everybody into the Moon’s family and under his theocracy.

We made the press conference where about 10 journalist came but there was not much reported about it. We also made our statement as an answer to the statement of Catholic Bishops Conference but not a single newspaper reported about it. Then in the last two days two of the biggest newspapers brought small announcement about the event without any commentary or negativity-even saying the government members, the MPs and representatives of all churches are invited to the event. I would say it was quite positive.

The hall where our event was to be held has a capacity around 4500 people. The weather on Saturday was really bad-strong wind and rain. People started to come to the hall already more than one hour before the event. First, there were members and guests coming from other European nations. Buses from all over Europe and many cars. Despite few negative people distributing a weekly magazine with very negative article for free in front of the hall, there were altogether round 3000 people in the hall. The program started at 4.30 p.m., half an hour before satellite transmission, with the Holy Wine Ceremony for newly matched couples-62 of them were present. All other couples were invited to take part in this ceremony-there were several hundreds of previously married couples present. Even all guests could participate because we gave Holy Nectar capsule to everybody at the entrance to the hall. We finished the ceremony with the first pictures from New York.

The last Satan’s attack came few minutes before satellite transmission started. The police appeared in front of the hall saying there was a bomb threat-somebody called to one newspaper that there is a bomb in the hall which will explode at 5.00 p.m.-when satellite transmission should start. After some discussion we could persuade the police not to clear the hall. It was really God working in this situation. The officers of two police groups were fighting each other-one who was commanding a special group insisted to clear the hall and the other who was coming first to the hall said it was already after five and nothing happened until now so he will take the responsibility for not clearing the hall. Our members and also the responsible lady from the hall could persuade him we have been in the hall since previous day controlling everything so nobody could come in and put the bomb there. Finally police stayed in the hall for protection. They liked to stay because of weather outside and warm dinner boxes they received. The ceremony could continue without anybody of the guests realizing there was such critical situation.

With the satellite transmission-introducing world religions-also last few opponents who could make it into the hall became silent. This part of program made great impression and everyone enjoyed the whole ceremony. Adding to the whole story-you have to know that this was the first event at such a level in Slovakia. Before-in former Czechoslovakia-there was two times True Mother and one time True Father speaking in Prague then the capitol of the country and now capitol of Czech Republic. So we had to fight for the first time for such an event. I can say that the Blessing festival was really successful even the hall was not filled completely. In Europe we never had such big number of audience until now. We could report to Rev. Kwak about this victory already during the entertainment program.

The entertainment started few minutes after satellite transmission was over and people enjoyed their dinner boxes. We had many artists from all over Europe performing for round 4 hours. Many people stayed until end-almost midnight-dancing and singing. Monday, only two newspapers reported about the event. Short articles with some doubts about the event and some old rumors. But nothing big.

This victory was possible through very hard work and many conditions of not so many members in Slovakia and in the last two weeks also members from other European nations who came to help with the mobilization-selling tickets and inviting people. With the strong support of European president Kwang Kee Sa, who was together with his wife the officiator in Blessing ceremony in Bratislava, regional coordinator for East Europe Rev. Shin, European HQ staff and many others. Thank you very much to all of them. Above all the strong support of Heavenly Father and True Parents hard life and work made this event victorious.

Thank you also to all of you praying, laying conditions and making efforts to bring the victory all over the world with the Blessing ´98.

Blessing Ceremony in Uruguay

by Jesus Gonzalez-Montevideo, Uruguay

On Saturday June 13, 1998 three hundred people gathered in the Victoria Plaza Hotel in Montevideo to participate in the Blessing ceremony.

The ceremony began with welcoming remarks by M.C. Steven Boyd. The National Anthem was played and afterwards a brief explanation of the program of events was given. Immediately following the description of the program, Mr. Jesús González was introduced. He offered an explanation of the meaning the Holy Wine Ceremony, the Blessing Ceremony as well as a description of the 40 day separation period and the Three Day Ceremony.

Participants of the ceremony also received a printed version of this explanation, which was included in the program handed out to all present. At the end of the ceremony each participant was able to receive an envelope containing Holy Handkerchiefs and a printed explanation of the 40-day separation and the 3 Day Ceremony.

Included among the participants in the ceremony in Montevideo were members of the various Federations established in Uruguay, employees of our companies here, contacts made by the Japanese sisters and others who came through an invitation made by the Family Federation's radio program.

The satellite transmission took place almost perfectly, with the exception of a couple of small difficulties in the image and sound. As a whole, everyone agreed that this ceremony was much warmer and more appealing than the ceremony, which took place in Washington, D.C. in RFK. Reasons given for this included the fact that Madison Square Garden is a smaller place, thus creating a more intimate atmosphere, the contribution of the 2,000 voice choir and the manner which the various representatives of the different religions addressed the participants, including the use of video presentations.

With the end of the transmission, congratulatory remarks were offered by Steven Boyd, with an appeal for ongoing participation in the effort to extend the message of the Blessing to many others in Uruguay. Everyone went away uplifted and inspired by the experience of participating in this Blessing ceremony for 120 million couples worldwide.

Blessing '98

by Richard L. Lewis-Ossining, NY

Blessing ‘98 was held at Madison Square Garden June 13, and was a great victory on the physical and spiritual levels.

Once again, the area around MSG and the New Yorker Hotel was awash with brides and grooms as they gathered for the first of the two Blessings totaling 360 million people.

As 523 buses arrived from near and far, the arena rapidly filled with an estimated 20,000 people. Godwin DSilva, usher coordinator, reported that the head of MSG security, Jeff Larue, said that MSG handed out 20,000 tickets. One ticket was given to each person who entered through the main gates. Everyone received a package which included a Blessing shawl for everyone to wear around their shoulders. The weather was very accommodating: before the event it was dry, after the event there was a little drizzle but nothing too dampening, while during the event-unnoticed by us in our sealed in "ark"-there was a torrential downpour and savage thunderstorm going on outside.

Inside the hall sparked with spiritual energy as the 2,000-voice choir-with representatives from 77 churches-sang out in welcome.

There were 2824 couples matched for this Blessing. This includes 65 second-generation couples. On the floor of the arena, the recently-matched couples were arrayed. In front of them was a vast red-carpeted stage with "Blessing 98: The First Stage in the World-wide Blessing of 360 Million Couples" emblazoned across the top. On either side were Jumbotrons upon which the activity on the stage was projected.

As people settled into their seats, the lights dimmed and a soloist and chorus gave a magnificent rendition of "Amazing Grace". Following was a spirited rendition of the Hallelujah chorus. And this was all before the program started!

By 9:45am the stadium was packed and an air of expectancy descended as the choir took a break before the event started at 10am.

The program was in three main sections: the Pro-Family Rally, the Blessing itself, and the entertainment.

Pro-Family Rally

At 10am, Larry Moffitt took to the stage and introduced the emcee for the first section, Rev. Dennis Dillon, publisher of The New York Christian Times. Before the singing of the National Anthem he had the assembly roar out "Blessing 98!" three times.

The invocation was given jointly by Dr. and Mrs. Carmen Velasquez.

The first speaker for the Pro-Family Rally was Pentecostal pastor Rev. Jesse Edwards of Philadelphia. He spoke of the fall of Rome and the necessity for restoration of the family by "searching for the living God." He declared, in closing, that he was "thrilled with what God is doing here today."

Rev. Dillon announced the "Blessing 98 Family Awards" honoring individuals who have shown outstanding leadership in their churches and communities, affirming true family values. Rev. Joong Hyun Pak presented the awards and a commemorative plaque to: Rev. Betty Neal, Rev. Dr. Preston Washington, Sr., Pastor Constance Bansa, Dr. Edward Harris (in absentia), Mr. & Mrs. Julio Betancourt, Dr. & Mrs. Gonzalo Velez, Mr. & Mrs. Hugo Humire, Rev. & Mrs. Henry T. Wells, Rev. Dr. Carmen Velasquez, Ms. Debra Nicholson, Bishop David Billings, III, Minister Benjamin Mohammed, Rev. Dr. Amos Waller, Imam Abu Talib, Dr. Lucinda Elizabeth Malone (in absentia), Mrs. Udeen Watson and Ms. Pamela Herman.

The stadium darkened and a video message of support and appreciation from PBS film critic Michael Medved and his wife Diane ran on the Jumbotrons. They spoke of the importance of rearing children and encouraged everyone to work to protect children from abuse. They described the kind of family that only a "godly element" can ensure. "The best way to raise children is in a two-parent family that lasts for a lifetime," Mr. Medved said

The next speaker was Michelle Myers of the Pure Love Alliance, who announced that she had just been Blessed at the RFK celebration last year. Though young, she was a forceful speaker who elicited cheer after cheer from the supportive crowd. She spoke of "the profound and potentially catastrophic consequences of the way we conduct our sexual lives." She scolded policy-makers for looking for easy ways to solve such problems as unwanted pregnancies and sexual diseases. "Community leaders feel more comfortable handling a young person a condom than instilling in them a strong moral belief," she said to a roar of approval.

The spotlights switched from the stage area to the 2,000-member choir conducted by Angela Moses. They launched into a spirited rendition of "Kumbaya," which soon had most of the audience standing and swaying along, followed by "Blessings," a beautiful praising of God and His works.

The keynote address was given by Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, senior pastor of the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem, and Chairman of the Board of the National Action Network. He apologized for the absence of Rev. Al Sharpton-the scheduled speaker-who had gone to Texas to attend the memorial service for the recent lynching victim there.

Rev. Walker spoke forcibly about the covenant of marriage as the foundation for a healthy society. "For two people, to love is to build something together, both contributing in joint effort all the elements needed to achieve the objective of the marriage contract. It is, in a way, the foretaste of eternity."

The World’s Religions

This was the end of the Pro-Family Rally, and preparations for the Blessing began.

While members of the True Family and other dignitaries took their seats at the sides of the stage, forty representative couples assembled on the dais in front of the stage, and Mr. Neil A. Salonen, emcee, took the podium. At 11am the satellite hookup to the rest of the world was established and a very professional video clip-"Welcome to New York City"-began, being shown also to the MSG audience on the Jumbotrons. Mr. Salonen welcomed the 195 countries which were participating world-wide.

Reports are that 35,000 people gathered in Seoul, 4,500 in Slovakia, 1,900 in Ivory Coast, 2,000 in Sao Paulo, 4,000 in the Jardim area of Brazil, and crowds from as small as a dozen up to the tens of thousands in Japan, Russia, Nigeria, Panama, Surinam, Uruguay, Israel, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Paraguay, Turkey, Ecuador, Rwanda, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and more.

The audience stood for the invocation given by Dr. Preston Washington, pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church in Harlem.

Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak took the podium and gave an introduction to the Blessing. "Humanity is facing its greatest challenge-through science we have attained the externals, but the most serious challenge is the internal one.&The solution is to be found in the family, the school of love, which has more value than any ideology." He gave a summary of providential history and the Blessings leading up to todays.

Following his address, the massed choirs burst into "Amazing Grace" with a lady soloist who filled the hall with her soaring rendition.

Mr. Salonen introduced the next section by noting that, while religions have many differences, "today we can celebrate the real important points we have in common" by inviting representatives of eight world religions to give their benediction to the couples.

The hall lights dimmed, and a video introduction to Hinduism ran on the Jumbotrons-images of bathing in the Ganges, a Hindu marriage ceremony, a holy man, a celebration. The Hindu representative, Sri Srivasta Goswami, sang a blessing and then spoke about "the enlarged self of husband and wife." He concluded with a song invoking Krishnas gifts on the brides and grooms.

The video introduction to Judaism contained images of the shofar, menorah, prayer at the Western Wall set to Hebraic chant/cantorial music. As Mr. Salonen explained, the Jewish representative, Rabbi Herzel Kranz, could not be present in person because of the Sabbath, so he had videotaped his benediction. He concluded his address on the sanctity of marriage with his appreciation for the "dedicated work Rev. Moon is doing to strengthen holy matrimony."

The video introduction to Buddhism had images of statues, incense burning, monks dancing and temple ceremonies. The Venerable Seol Jung Jeon, the Buddhist representative-simply dressed in purple and white robes-spoke a few words in Korean and concluded with a deep bow.

The video introduction to Christianity had images of nuns in white, stained glass windows and cathedrals-accompanied by glorious choral music-ending with a picture of Mother Teresa, which elicited a round of applause from the audience.

There were three Christian speakers representating the many different denominations:

Mr. Vyacheslav Petrovich Miskov, the representative of Ukrainian Orthodoxy-dressed in black, priestly robes-intoned a sung, liturgical blessing in Ukrainian with arms outstretched.

Rev. Paul Swanson, dean emeritus of the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, citing the traditional "till death do us part" vows, said, "These vows are not to be relegated to the romantic legends of the past."

The Rev. Hycel Taylor, a black Baptist pastor in New York, said the event was an "awesome occasion" but urged the audience not to forget that such a blessing is needed by many single women raising families or in search of good husbands. "My people are familiar with the brokenness of family," Mr. Taylor said. "My people are children of slavery."

The video introduction to Sikhism had images of the desert, people in prayer and fierce-looking bearded men. The Sikh representative, Sarbject Singh Gobindpuri-attired in deep blue robes-began with a sonorous chant and then spoke in English of sharing the blessing of marriage and of "no divorce, only love." Reverting to his own tongue, he bestowed a blessing.

The video introduction to Islam was images of sand, camels, schoolchildren in prayer, a mosque and a prayer gathering. The Muslim representative, Amb. El Bekaye Sidi Moctar from Mali, dressed in long, white flowing robes, spoke in French about Allah and gave a blessing to the couples.

Report to Heaven

Mr. Salonen thanked the speakers and introduced the 40 senior couples as attendants to the officiators. They entered down the red-carpeted steps-men on the left dressed all in white, women on the right in white with a pink pinafore-and arrayed themselves along the back of the stage and up the stairs.

To a standing ovation, Reverend and Mrs. Moon appeared at the top of the stairs, and then slowly descended to the stage.

Chairs were brought to them, and they sat for the "physical and spiritual world ceremony" presided over by Reverend and Mrs. Kwak.

In this "Report to Heaven," Rev. Kwak announced, that along with the new couples and the previously married couples directly in attendance at the stadium, couples in spirit world would also be blessed at the same time, officiated by Jesus and Heung Jin Nim in the spirit world and Rev. Kwak and his wife in the physical world. He said:

"True Parents are establishing the couples of Heung Jin Nim and Jesus as spiritual representatives, and our couple as the physical representative in this ceremony, to bestow a special grace. This will tear down all existing walls in the spiritual world, including the wall of Hell.

"On this occasion, we representative families now extend the pre-Blessing to all spirits, in the name of True Parents. This pre-Blessing, which includes 16 billion couples in the spiritual world, thus prepares the way for the actual Blessing ceremony which now follows.

"True Parents clearly understand the law and content of the spiritual world, which remained vague and uncertain until now. True Parents have sent and instructed their emissary in the spiritual world to meet saints from the highest level, all the way down to those suffering in the nethermost bowels of Hell. In this way all situations will be understood and all will be educated. This may sound unbelievable, but it is true. These contents already have been published.

"Included in the Blessing of numerous spirits are 34 couples, who will receive a special Blessing as the representatives both from God's side and from Satan's side. These include: Jesus, Confucius, Sakyamuni, Mohammed, Mary, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, John the Baptist, Socrates, Swedenborg, Sandar Singh, Syngman Rhee, Hwal Lan Kim, Maria Pak, Park Chung Hee, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Guishi, Fukuda, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tze Tung, Kim Il Sung, Adolf Hitler, Tojo and Benvenito Mussolini. Among the representatives from God's side, there are also special individuals receiving the Blessing with earthly partners.

"There is no corner that the Blessing of true love cannot reach. It is an amazing grace, not just for good spirits but for evil spirits as well, since it opens even the door of Hell and allows evil spirits to start their journey toward Heaven.

"The door of Hell and the door of Heaven are open. Good spirits and evil spirits can receive the Blessing together and stand as the restored younger brothers who can follow the elder brothers from the side of goodness who are already Blessed.

"God felt unbearable heartache when He observed the elder brother Cain murder the younger brother Abel. Now however, God is forgiving His enemies dwelling in Hell and Blessing them so that they may follow the footsteps of the beloved elder brothers. This is the Providence of true love.

"Through this historic Blessing ceremony of the spiritual world and the earthly world, officiated by True Parents, all religious spheres can be harmonized to form a unified Realm of Blessing. The spiritual and the physical worlds can unite into one, thus establishing the Realm of Liberation. With this, I proclaim that this is the great, pivotal Blessing ceremony that will launch the era of Heaven on earth and in heaven centered on God and True Parents."

The Blessing

After Rev. Kwaks Report, Mr. Salonen then introduced four Korean women elders who were to be blessed as wives on earth to four major saints of the spirit world-Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed and Socrates. Mrs. Won Pok Choi was blessed to Buddha! Rev. and Mrs. Kwak spoke the Blessing in Korean with hands outstretched over the heads of the four ladies. They bowed and left the stage.

Father and Mother advanced to the front of the stage as Mr. Salonen explained the symbolism of the sprinkling of Holy Water as representing Heavens Blessing. Two second-generation girl attendants brought silver bowls to True Parents and Father spoke in English as he sprinkled the couples standing before him: "In the power of True Parents, as heaven and earth are watching, may God's blessing be abundantly bestowed on all couples," he said.

As Father was doing this, elders in holy robes moved throughout the auditorium sprinkling with holy water the new couples as well as those there to rededicate their marriages.

Father then intoned, in a powerful voice, the four vows in Korean-with a simultaneous translation into English-and everyone roared back, "Yes, I do!"

As Father and Mother stretched out their hands over the couples before them, Father invoked the Blessing. His impassioned prayer in Korean concluded with three "Amens" which were echoed back by the gathering.

For the exchange of rings, three representative couples ascended the dais and stood before True Parents who gave them their rings. Mr. Salonen asked all the other couples to exchange their rings and for those rededicating their marriages to also do so, if possible.

Father then read the Proclamation of the Blessing in Korean and concluded with, in English, "As heaven and earth are watching, may God's blessing be abundantly bestowed on all couples." The auditorium erupted into prolonged and enthusiastic applause.

Celebration

There were two Congratulatory Addresses.

The first was given by Dr. Aziz Sidky, Prime Minister of Egypt from 1972 to 1973 and former ambassador to France.

A dapper, gray-haired gentleman, he spoke earnestly about the sorry state of the world and the hope he saw in the Blessing. "We are all born into the family of God," he said, "but even as we gather here we see brothers fighting, killing-God didnt say we should do that!" He concluded, "Your vision, Reverend Moon, is in the right direction, calling for peace and justice."

The second address was given by Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of independent Zambia (1964-1991). He started off by leading the audience in a chant: "One World, One Revolution! One Revolution, One True Family Love!" He spoke of the hope for the future. "We are all human beings, beyond color or religion. We have come here from all points to hear your powerful message of true family love, Rev. Moon, and we thank the Lord for this example."

Gloria del Paraguay, swathed in magnificent magenta, took to the stage and sang a beautiful operatic aria.

After her song, flowers and a trophy were presented to True Parents, and Mr. Salonen asked all to make a bow of respect. He explained the oriental custom of "three cheers for long life," and Father and Mother stepped forward and led us all in a resounding and exuberant "Mansei!"

As Father and Mother left the stage followed by the attendants, the choir erupted into the "Hallelujah" chorus. The hall was rocking!

The day concluded with entertainment. First, recording star Vickie Winans sang a powerful rendition of "Didnt You Know That Youre My Hero?/...You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings" followed by ___ who sang Japanese and Korean songs. Jaime Baer Peterson sang a heavenly "Morning Of An Age." The New Life Tabernacle Choir concluded the day with a series of spirited Christian soul-stirrers.

The event was officially over and the action shifted to the outdoors where the brides and grooms assembled on the steps of the magnificent, historical, main New York Post Office Building for a group photo, and everyone else renewed old acquaintances both inside and outside the New Yorker.

This was truly a fabulous day!

Berlin ICRF Conference

by Nina Makarova-Frankfurt am Main, Germany

From May 29 until 31 Berlin was host of the conference "Religious Freedom in Europe towards the New Millennium", co-sponsored by the International Coalition for Religious Freedom and the Washington Times Foundation. Although the time for preparation was extremely short, this third conference (after Washington and Tokyo) was very successful. It brought together 150 distinguished politicians, academics, religious leaders, human rights activists, lawyers and journalists from 52 nations. Among the speakers were member of the Russian Duma Galina Staravoitova, former Prime Minister of Ireland Albert Reynolds (one of the main initiators of the present Northern Irish Peace Accord), Congressman Charles Canady, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution at the U.S. House of Representatives and one of the main architects of a proposed law on religious freedom.

Former Free Democrat politician Dr. Achim Rohde called the attitude of the German government towards religious minorities incomprehensible. He cited the example of Reverend Moon, who substantially contributed towards the victory of democratic values over communism, but is banned from entering the country. On the same theme, Prof. Cheryl Lau (Harvard University) expressed her astonishment over the German banning of Reverend Moon and viewed Germany's placing of Reverend Moon on the Shengen immigration "black list" as a misuse of the Shengen Treaty.

At the close of the conference a resolution was developed which is to be presented to leading figures in the political, scientific and religious worlds. ICRF President Bruce Casino, Executive Director Dan Fefferman, European Coordinator Mark Bramwell, Ms. Vicki Barros and Ms. Mary Rand of the ICRF, as well as all other staff members--many of them volunteers of the European Unification Church--worked very hard to make the conference function and served the guests, who were impressed by the excellent organization and the pleasant environment of the Maritim proArte Hotel, where the event took place.

Just the day before the conference (independently from it) six prominent professors sent the press a very interesting document, proclaiming that "an open society needs no ideological control." The government, they say, should give people the freedom of a spiritual search, even if it is connected with some risks for them. Only concrete criminal actions of the "sects", where there are such, should be punished by law. One of those professors is involved in the work of an Enquete (Inquiry) Commission, set up by the German Government to investigate so-called "sects and psycho-groups". He wasn't satisfied with the politicians, not taking scientists' opinion seriously enough.

Originally creating such a Commission was a response to a growing controversy about new religious groups. It came to its pick in the case of Scientology, when the "sects" issue became a political one, affecting German-American relationship.

The Chairman of the Enquete Commission Mrs. Ortrun Schaetzle (Christian Democratic Party) was very much displeased by the "provocative" letter of the professors, which, she thinks, was given to the public before the proper time, because the final report of the commission is about to be presented to the Bundestag. Their letter, sent to the media, caused a series of articles in German newspapers, bringing a new revelation into the country that "no danger comes from sects".

The Enquete Commission, namely Mrs. Schaetzle, had to immediately respond to this press attack. Its press-release from May 29 recognizes that "new religions and ideological groups and psychogroups are a response to the consequences of social changes". The work of the commission has revealed that only certain of these groups are laden with conflict and that no generalized statements on the whole spectrum of new religious ... and psychogroups can be made". Particularly, Bonn politicians are still not happy with the Scientology Church, which they consider not a religious group, but a "political extremist organization."

As a consequence, the Enquete Commission has decided to no longer use the term "sect". An essential result of the work of the Commission is to emphasize that the individual is not a "passive victim", but rather actively structures the course of his membership. This aspect has not been taken into account enough in public discussion until now, says the press-release.

The whole story is much longer and has many interesting details, but summarizing, one can say the following. Honesty is still a big part of politics in Germany. The government had to tell the public the truth: "sects", new religious movements and psycho-groups are not really dangerous for the public order. It had to recognize that fact, though there are many people in Germany, who have been profiting from an opposite point of view, which had been dominating the public opinion until now. Among those are journalists who made "sects" issue their "specialization", "professional sects-experts" and "sect- watchers", paid by the government and the politicians, who often try to use "hot" topics to influence the electorate.

An interesting coincidence: the last issue of the German magazine Spiegel (Nr.23) has a cover story, titled "The Inquisition: Tortures in the name of God. The Vatican opens its secret archives".

The rumors say that the Social Democrats wouldn't mind to use the sects issue for their election campaign. Their candidate for the Chancellor, Mr. Schroeder, presently Prime Minister of Niedersachsen, is seen by many as German Clinton (the big difference is that Schroeder got recently married, but for the forth time). His popularity is constantly growing.

A Son’s Tribute to His Father

by Haven Bradford Gow

I remember one autumn day when I was just five years old, I was walking to school and kept feeling tremendous awe, reverence and gratitude for the beautiful leaves which had fallen to the ground, the lovely blue sky and sun shining at me, and my loving parents and elderly aunt. I thought: who else but a great and loving being-a God, a Supreme Being-could have given me such love and spiritual beauty?

When spring came, I once again asked myself the same question as I walked to my parents’ restaurant after school amid the budding leaves and flowers, the beautiful sky and sun, and the harmonious and melodious singing of birds. Could all these beautiful things have come about through chance, accident and evolution?

A few years ago I discerned another glimpse of God’s love and what heaven must be like as I watched my father die a noble and courageous death from cancer. My father purposely came home from the hospital that particular day, just so he could prove to me how much he loved me as he was dying his agonizingly painful death from a cancer which had spread throughout his body.

Fearing that he would die in a dreary hospital room without having had the opportunity to say good-bye to me, my father ordered the doctor and nurses to permit him to accompany me home, despite the fact that he would have to endure excruciating pain. As I was driving him home, I kept looking at him in the rear-view mirror and thinking about how noble and courageous my father was and how precious was each second that he remained alive.

In his own bed, and with me by his side, my father died with peace of mind and soul; he understood that one must not only live nobly but die nobly as well.

I thanked God for inspiring and giving my father the strength and nobility and generosity of mind, spirit and character to show me his selfless love. And then I experienced a flash of insight: my father’s love was a reflection of God’s love for me. God made my father for eternity. And when it is time for me to go, God will reunite me with my father.

The Significance Of Blessing '98

Talk by Rev. Joong Hyun Pak
Belvedere - June 21, 1998

We brought tremendous historical victory at Madison Square Garden June 13.

For that we can be eternally grateful to God and True Parents. But that victory is not yet complete, for we will now continue to work zealously to fulfill the remainder of the 360 million couples. We will bring a total of 240 million couples by the time of the second stage Blessing, which will take place February 3, 1999. We can even go far beyond that number, which is Heaven's expectation.

When we think of the number '120,000,000' it is a very big number--seemingly impossible to reach--and yet this is the victorious number we reached. If we counted such a number on our own hands, we probably would not have enough years left in our life to complete it! To God goes all the glory!

We can all be happy that we fulfilled this goal and our First and Second Generations can be proud that we worked together to accomplish this. I have to give all the appreciation at this time to God, who is invisible, and to True Parents, who are visible, for they are the Trinity that brought victory at Madison Square Garden. You and I joined together and worked hard for six months to achieve this success, but actually without God and True Parents bringing a new and vitalizing spiritual atmosphere in which we could work, would we have accomplished this so easily? It would have been much more difficult.

Germany has shown great determination. with many pre-Blessing numbers to their credit. It will remain as a providential nation and not be replaced by Uruguay, as reported last month (see accompanying chart).

It was God who created humankind in the beginning, and since the time that Adam and Eve fell, God has been the One who decided how the indemnity was going to be paid and how humankind could be brought from Satan's side back to God's side. We have paid indemnity down through the ages, even through the World Wars I and II. People haven't known why they suffered, why they received persecution, why they died. We have gone through dark history. We ourselves have created that dark history, rejecting and prolonging God's blessings. At various times, God has sent that tiny "Seed of Life." It is God who decides when and how to send the Messiah, the True Parents.

Let us now look into the significance of Blessing '98 , going over some key points. One thousand five hundred Christian churches worked together with us for the Blessing. Prior to MSG 5,000 Christian ministers received the Blessing.

The 2,000-voice interchurch choir at MSG came from a total of 77 Christian churches. I asked various people if they have heard of such a large choir before and all have told me they have not. especially one representing so many different churches. Definitely, this was different. To be there in the Garden in person and hear that many voices resounding the Hallelujeh Chorus at the end of the ceremony was quite dramatic.

The staff at Madison Square Garden was completely supportive, going even beyond their usual duties to accommodate our participants.

NYPD Escorts True Parents

The New York City Police Department was cooperative and supportive as well. They provided a "presidental-level" police escort for True Parents. They expressed appreciation for our good organization to unload and reload 520 buses. They had not thought it was possible until they witnessed our good planning efforts. In fact, they thought that the movement of 150 buses of a previous group scheduled there was commendable until they saw what we accomplished with our 520 buses!

Noah Got Blessed in His ARK

We can also credit God with the weather. We have seen evidence in times past how God seemingly controlled the weather at our various events. June 13 was no exception. The rain started and stopped at just the right times that Saturday. It stopped as we entered and stopped as we departed. Before and in-between it rained! Someone said, "Inside MSG was 'Noah's Ark', outside was judgment!" The Heavenly Festival was going on inside, peaceful and joyful. There was the feeling that God conducted everything. We have to deeply appreciate God. We have to more deeply appreciate God and True Parents with our faith, love and obedience. God's careful and thoughtful orchestration to include every detail is humbling.

It showed good heart and good production the way a video was displayed for the activities and land of various religions represented on stage at the Blessing. That part was very impressive. All the religious leaders showed respect for True Father and True Mother. It was very significant to have Judaism so well represented, along with Christianity (Protestant and Catholic), Islam and others.

Participants experienced satisfaction, and our members felt pride and joy and a sense of victory at Blessing '98. I asked my daughter, who had brought five of her high school classmates, "What kind of experience did your friends have"? "They were so inspired," my daughter replied. As the six of them returned to their homes in the Cherokee jeep in which they were all riding, some of the parents checked over the program and the materials in their packets they had received at MSG. The parents were impressed as their daughters explained the beauty and value of our wedding ceremony.

When we think of our young people today we realize how few wedding ceremonies there are. Two people meet, live together for awhile, then go their separate ways when they tire of each other. As one media person observed, "There are so few American young people having weddings, but so many having funerals or attending funerals! Drug over-doses, suicides, etc.

There is one humorous espisode I will share with you that occurred prior to the Blessing on the premises of Madison Square Garden between a couple of our members and the media camera crew: two members decided to go around the arena and Holy Salt it. The television satellite crew were watching and asked them what they were doing. When they told them they were sanctifying the place, the cameramen said "please include us, please salt us too! And our cameras as well! We can use it!"

There are many reasons we have to be thankful for the famous 'Madison Square Garden.' True Father, of course, gave a great speech there in 1976. as well as the famous 1982 2,000-couple Blessing. But now, at this 120 million-couple Blessing we know that True Father blessed historical figures in the spiritual world and that with this Blessing the spiritual and physical worlds have become one. As time goes on, more and more we will come to understand the reality of it. The world is now becoming educated through the Hoon Dok Hwe readings. After all, St. Paul got one glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven and it kept him going for many, many years--with zeal and expectation!

The two worlds will be working together now to bring in the Kingdom. People working for God on the Earth will not be struggling so much to bring results. What we call "miracles" will be everyday, natural occurrences. When we think and when we pray, answers will come quickly and clearly. There are so many things we can look forward to now. Our own spirit will begin to soar to heights we never realized could happen.

Nevertheless, we, in our physical bodies, must do the work for God on the Earth. We must be God's voice, His hands and His feet and go out to witness and pre-bless everyone. Even though we went far over the 120 million- couple goal (143 million couples to be more exact), still we must bring total victory for the 360 million Blessing. We must feel the urgency.

"I wish I Had Met You People Before My Divorce"

For example, to tell you another 'cameraman story' from Madison Square Garden: One fellow was lamenting to one of our members "I wish I had met you people before my divorce went through--things might have been different." We must seriously move ahead to save marriages and save families. Many people are floundering aimlessly about, waiting for substantial direction for their lives and waiting for True Love.

Tribal Messiahs, please become active if you have not already become so. Don't let this crucial time in history pass you by. And bring up your children in the strict tradition so that they go the heavenly way. They will thank you for it. Who represents the Godhead in the family? The grandparents. If children understand the position of their grandparents, there will be more harmony and love in the family. This is the best protection for the children. The grandparents are in the position to educate and give the greatest love to the grandchildren. Good spiritual life and tradition is the best gift we can give to our children, not soft living and "the best of everything,"

Blessing '98 was a Cosmic Event

True Father spent many days in prayer with God seeking guidance concerning the pardon and liberation of even those in the realms of Hell. Many of those liberated had been enemies of God, causing much pain and suffering to the sons and daughters of God down through history, including recent years. In all the realms in the spiritual world, the Blessing was extended. Blessing '98 on June 13 was a great day of Liberation and Celebration for Heaven and Earth. The heart of God and True Parents is bigger than anything we can imagine. It will be years before the world in general understands just what a Cosmic event transpired on that day.

From the Hoon Dok Hwe scripture book The Value of the Blessing we read the following words:

The value of the Blessing, centered on God, is the meeting place of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and in Heaven. The 66 books of the Bible are not scattered; they are organized by the word "Blessing." The value of the Blessing is the door which opens the solution of thousands of years of searching.

"Without Passing Through Christianity You Cannot Enter The Kingdom of Heaven"

Blessing '97 opened the doors of Hell, breaking down all human barriers-racial, religious barriers, generation barriers, denominational barriers, and all barriers. We welcome that. And what is Jesus' wish after two thousand years of effort? "Without passing through Christianity you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." True Father has proclaimed America "Elder Son" nation. America is the bride nation because Jesus Christ established the Christian center of the world. America must now serve the world with a new love and a new seriousness.

I want to express deep appreciation to each of you and your hard work bringing about our victory for God and True Parents. Especially to those who mobilized to New York from all across the country, serving day and night for 40 days, 21 days, 7 days. And to everyone everywhere, we needed each and everyone to bring this offering to Heaven. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound....

Let Us Build a New World

Reverend Sun Myung Moon

This is from an impromptu speech delivered to the participants in WCSF 1998 and other invited guests at the closing banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, NYC, June 13, 1998. The interpreter was by Rev. Peter Kim and these unofficial notes were taken by Dr. Tyler Hendricks.

What should we do now? Dancing? Singing? It's getting late, and dancing and singing takes a short time. On the contrary, I'd like to give a long speech. (Father ducks behind the podium, as if to avoid their displeasure at the prospect of hearing a long speech.) I set a world record by giving a 17-hour speech. But you will run away if I do that. So I will make a compact speech, and I ask you to please endure. Let me borrow your eyes and minds so I can shorten my speech.

What do you want to hear? Something common, which everyone talks about? Or a secret message from God? The latter! Your sound is good. My title will be, "Let's Build a New World." The concept of the new world is the world of peace and unification, the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven, amen. You appear handsome and beautiful. But I am ugly, so please close your eyes and just listen. When we take a trip, it's not good to stop. So please follow me to the end.

No matter how much we want the Kingdom of God, if God doesn't want it, it won’t come. But if God wants it, then it will appear even if we don’t want it. At today’s event, the first stage of the 360 million couples blessing, you witnessed something you may have thought was strange. Confucius becoming married? It must be a riddle to you. Also Mohammed, Socrates and Buddha. They each married a lady from an enemy race. It seems strange, doesn’t it?

Can you imagine bringing Adam and Eve to the earth and marrying them? Who would officiate? Rev. Moon, the founder of the Unification Church? Who is Rev. Moon? A normal wedding ceremony involves your family and close respected people. What position has Rev. Moon to qualify him to do their wedding? It is True Parents' position. It is eternal, unchanging. All humankind and God praise it. How amazing is this number one position. No matter how much Buddha and the other saints may be respected, they carry the fallen blood lineage. True Parents are the only ones to have the right and authority to cut off the satanic blood lineage. So True Parents can liberate them to be able to work for God.

This world and the spirit world are hell; they are not peaceful. So real True Parents must become the center, based on real, absolute truth that humankind can understand and follow, and God also follows. God could not interfere in Adam and Eve’s fallen act, and He cannot give the blessing to you. God hates the place of the fall, so He cannot involve Himself in it. It is Satan's territory. In history, Satan destroyed Adam and Eve and their family. Therefore, from that point, Satan developed his reign from the individual to world level. So all the decadence of this world, homosexuality, free sex, lesbianism, is what Satan uses to challenge God. Our decadence becomes Satan’s basis to claim authority to rule the world.

Because of the fall, all the life, love, lineage and conscience became false. We have inherited it for 6,000 years. So even Satan cannot connive anymore decadence or filth. Also God cannot touch this filth. So neither have anything to do with the world. So who can lift up this world? Only True Parents. Who can deal with those who deny God? True Parents can tear down the decadence and denial and clean it up. So this is a time of great happiness.

There, I’ve finished my speech Do you want to hear more? Show your hands if you do. What of those VIPs who did not raise your hands? Well, the majority raised their hands, so I will follow the majority decision. I praised you, so do you feel good?

I want to discuss the formula which God has applied in the restoration providence. Adam and Eve’s family, God’s original ideal, was destroyed. He wanted them to grow up so that He could marry them. But they fell, and God could not interfere in their marriage or family. Then, between their children, there was bloodshed. And He could not interfere there either. Theirs became Satan's house. Could God destroy the world He had created? No, so He had to find a way to restore the satanic family.

God, as the Creator, is the owner of the cosmos. So Satan’s opposition notwithstanding, if God gains the basis to claim one human being, Satan has to give him up sooner or later. God’s love and children had become Satan’s love and children. With everything satanic, including the couple’s love, children and house, were their offspring godly or satanic? They were satanic, internally, and this was expressed in external battles. That’s how we were sown from the original family.

So in the last days, we see the same phenomena. Conflict between parents and children, husband and wife, brothers and sisters. The world is a battlefield. Of the dignitaries here, when you look at your family, do any of you have absolute, God-centered families? Have you seen any absolutely God-centered parents, husband and wife, brothers and sisters? No, they all are fighting. Do you have such a family, no matter how famous you are? What is your answer?

God still has a right to His children, although they belong to Satan. That is the problem. The order has to be reversed. The up went down, and now the down must go up. A 180 degrees different direction has to come about. How? Centering on Adam's family, God could not take the parents, because they fell. So God waited for their children. Cain represented the more evil side, and the younger, Abel, was the less evil side. So God worked through the second son. Abel represented the fruit of Eve's second love [after she had eaten the fruit with the serpent, which was her first relationship, she gave the fruit to Adam, her rightful husband, and that was her second relationship, a relatively good one]. So God could claim the second son, allowing Satan his claim on the elder son.

The formula to restore this, then, was to give up the elder and work through the younger, Abel, in conjunction with his mother Eve. Then they together would restore the elder son, then the three, the wife, elder son and younger son, would restore the father, Adam.

In the original creation, God had absolute faith, love and obedience. He had faith to begin the creation. He invested absolute love in the creation and He maintained absolute obedience to the principle of creation. Thereby were all things created. Absolute faith, love and obedience are the basis for the creation. Everything exists in a pair system. With God as subject of absolute faith, love and obedience, humankind should be the object of absolute faith, love and obedience to God. This is the basis for the subject-object relationship between God and humankind; the base is absolute faith, love and obedience. On that basis, absolute union can take place.

Can any of you claim to have an absolute subject? The fallen world has no absolute subject. No matter how famous you are, you are not absolute. The more famous, the more trouble you have. Do you know God? People say God is dead, that there is no God. The brightest of our young people follow that kind of teaching. They are doomed to hell. Do you have an eternal, absolute subject? If not, can you make of yourself an eternal subject? No.

God's formula is to create an absolute subject and absolute object, centered on absolute faith, love and obedience. "Absolute" means that your senses and entire body become absolute, all the way to the sexual love for the opposite sex. You have an "absolute body." True love, true faith, love and obedience permeate all parts of your body with its 400 billion cells. The center of absoluteness is love. This love can unite father and children, man and woman, with man the absolute subject representing God, and woman below. So man is convex, woman is concave. How can you make oneness? Man and woman combine in one through the energy of love vertically coming down and manifesting horizontally. Fallen people cannot make absolute oneness in love.

God lost the parents, the elder son and the entire family. God let Satan have everything except for the younger son. Is this reasonable? Raise your hands if you agree. You may not like being treated like school kids, but I am asking you to raise your hands exactly for that reason. And it makes you open your eyes, to see if others are raising their hands. Is there anyone here over 80? No; then you are like my younger brothers and sisters. So I have a certain authority to deal with you. And please realize that whatever I do tonight is for the purpose of taking you to Heaven.

So there was this big problem at the beginning of history. The elder killed the younger. How did God feel? Pain, but He had to overcome the agony and start the providence of restoration. As a parent who loses his only child, God was suffering and crying. Adam and Eve were the only begotten son and daughter after billions of years of waiting. Adam was the king’s son. Think of how much sorrow God felt. God can’t even explain it. Such a miserable God. When you realize this, you will invest all your power to lift up your nation and world. Determine your mind at this gathering. Go back to that original human fall, participate in it and determine in your mind to have absolute faith, love and obedience, and to go back to your country and save the family and tribe in your country. Then God will appear.

Do you want that? Can you do it? Start from here. Reach the entire world, every nation, following your conscience. Can you do it? (Yes.) I cannot trust you. You make your promise superficially. How can you overcome Satan’s power? Satan uses beautiful women and men.

God has been waiting for thousands of years. We need to make our parents king and queen. Now I am teaching the meaning of the family base, tribal base, national base, and so forth, the True Parents’ mission. Without that foundation, you cannot go to God’s throne. Is it a miserable situation or a happy one? No one can understand the meaning. So how can I liberate this world from the satanic atmosphere? They don’t know absolute God and absolute True Parents. It is a serious problem.

God is crying, searching for Abel whom He can take. When God was crying for Abel, the satanic Cain had already killed Abel. Then God found the third son, Seth. By that time, Satan had already established his foundation in Adam’s family and tribe. God barely started with one son, Seth, and Satan even wanted to kill Seth. Satan claimed the tribal foundation, so he thought it easy to get rid of the little brother who was forgotten back on the individual level. How miserable was God’s situation.

To understand what is going on in the world, we need to understand both God's and Satan's strategies. When Seth offered absolute faith, love and obedience to God, Satan could not touch him. But when Seth was young, Adam and Eve should have protected him with absolute faith, love and obedience. Adam and Eve stood on the foundation of God’s absolute faith, love and obedience invested in them. So they could offer it to Seth who was chosen by God. If any of you here become God’s children with absolute faith, love and obedience, it will be a tremendous blessing of God. God is the absolute subject, and you can be the absolute object and build the absolute foundation of faith, love and obedience, and continue to expand it to the world.

Can you manage your life that way? That kind of family is the cornerstone for the world of peace. There is no one who does not want absolute parents, husband or wife, and children. Everyone agrees with this. So if you follow this, you will have the absolute right to go to Heaven.

The family structure is parents, husband and wife, and children. But no one has an absolute standard in these three levels. If you don't, you are doomed to go to Hell. Is it clear? If your life does not pass this formula course, you have no choice but to go to Hell. You may feel bad hearing this, but if you are not sure you meet this standard, in truth you should repent at the cost of your life. Then you will find the new way.

The absolute family is the family that lives for others. That is an absolute family. If you build it, Satan cannot touch you. There are three points critical to avoiding Satan: 1. Build an absolute family; 2. Live for the sake of others; 3. Understand God's and Satan's strategy. God’s strategy is to be hit first and in the end, gain everything. Satan’s to strike first, but in the end lose everything. So to follow God's strategy, you are attacked and hit although you are innocent. Then in the end you will gain your what you lost, plus interest from Satan.

God Himself has practiced this life. He applied absolute faith, love and obedience, and life for others, and His strategy of being hit and then gaining in the end. Only True Parents, and no one else, knew this formula. True Parents revealed these three secrets. So we must learn from and follow True Parents' footsteps. If you understand them, will you not make Satan surrender?

The problem is that you do not know this. If you know, then your human ambition will become a good thing. Then the world will be reborn and the enemy will be overcome. True Parents are on the earth creating this movement in 190 nations. At this time, Satan will disappear and God will feel happiness and freedom. We are liberating the true king, how wonderful.

Do you want to live in such a place? Then you must jump, directly up, 90 degrees, with God’s true love propelling you from under your chair. You will become God’s number one begotten son and daughter, embraced by God, filling every direction, making you a new creature with God’s creative power. This brings the restoration of children. Then God will open up Satan’s world and the Kingdom of Heaven. Opening Satan’s world includes forgiving the most evil people such as Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, all the worst men who appeared in history. Centering on True Parents, we will finally open the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven. Behind us are all humankind’s families, tribes and nations, centered on absolute faith, love and obedience. No Satan can follow this way.

All my life, I have dealt with the world’s high level persecution. People developed something they call deprogramming, trying to break down the faith of those who believe these things. Who would not feel anger? But gathering in this room, everything is praise; there are no enemies here. This one man, Rev . Moon, is above Satan’s world. I can understand the persecution’s value. It happens on all the different levels. But the persecutors on each level have collapsed by now.

Fifty years ago I was chased into the wilderness, and everything was lost. Then Korea divided into two, Satan’s side and God’s side. The west and east of the world divided also. Rev. Moon had to separate good from evil on the individual base, family base, and on. How? Through the blessing of marriage, over every boundary, every race, every nation and religion. All the power that separates us cannot compare with the love power that unites husband and wife. All people naturally respond to those who give God’s true love. This builds God-centered families, tribes and nations.

We need liberation from the struggle of mind and body, man and woman, family and family, tribe and tribe, and so on. Struggle results from satanic love, selfish love. How can God get down to the earth, in a way such that Satan cannot accuse? We ourselves have to separate from Satan’s selfish love.

The tragedy of history began in Adam’s family with Cain’s murder of Abel. Just as Cain dominated Abel, human history shows that Satan is always one step ahead of God, taking humanity away. So all religions teach us to separate from the world. Rev. Moon's teaching also is to practice absolute faith, love and obedience, which issues in absolute service, life for the sake of others. In this formula course of God, whenever God secured a certain level, Satan was always one step ahead. Therefore Satan always has power to destroy God’s foundation. When Rev. Moon started this ministry in 1945, it could have been completed in seven years. But Satan struck, and Rev. Moon sacrificed his family, his church, everything he had, and went into the wilderness.

I never gave up, but continuously worked to establish a foundation step by step. Now the next level I am working on is that of the spirit world. Spirit world still opposes Rev. Moon. Nonetheless, when all humankind receives the blessing, the spirit world will change.

Neither God nor Satan can touch the world. Satan has done all the damage he can, producing the decadence, and it is not God’s responsibility but man’s the clean it up. Thus when True Parents give everyone the blessing, True Parents will be the true king of all blessed families. This is logical. The lost elder sonship should be restored on every level, from the family and nation to the world and cosmos. The third Adam means the second advent, descending to the Christian world. The first Adam fell, the second, Jesus, was rejected of men who did not know who he was. Now Rev. Moon is blessing the world, and no sovereignty can come against me. The only way is the revolution created by True Parents. Then God’s blessing of the family, nation, physical world and spirit world will bring true freedom.

Only Rev. Moon can cut off the selfish blood lineage by giving God's blessing and connecting to God’s love, life and lineage. After the blessing, Satan cannot make a real relationship with you. You are part of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Satan is in a completely separate place. You have to know clearly about the spirit world. Today you received Dr. Lee’s book. I sent him to spirit world to check on that reality. You can read it. It is clear about subject and object connecting to God’s original power. How wonderful it is to be blessed with this understanding. Are you connected to the Unification Church? Since you received my message, if you have not received the blessing, please do so before you return home. Don’t go to spirit world without it. I am speaking so clearly, in the spirit world they will ask you how you could have rejected the blessing.

In Rev. Moon’s eyes there are no differences among you. If it doesn’t work with you, I will develop my own organization of nations. White people representing polar bears, so they have long and deep noses, to handle the cold air. And high blue eyes, because everything in the north is white and they long for blue water. Everyone likes blue eyes. Some of you whites are descended from pirates, especially the English. What do you have to be proud of?

Orientals’ ancestors were farmers and always longed for rain from heaven. So you sat and prayed all the time. That's why the four major saints came from Asia. They sat a long time and prayed to God. Not eating animals, they ate fruit and vegetables.

In the tropics, the sun turns your skin black. Blacks have short, big noses, because a long nose makes hot air even hotter. But Asians have round noses. They are shaped to adjust to the climate. God created all living beings to be able to adjust to the climate. For example, I catch a certain kind of fish in South America. In the water it is brown or yellow, but within five minutes on the land, the skin turns black. So the practice of discrimination based upon skin color is the most evil you can do.

Is Rev. Moon bad or good? Do you like Rev. Moon or not? Everyone does, of all races, because of true love that is beyond skin color. True love is colorblind. Those who do not agree will find themselves in violation of heavenly law when they join the spirit world. All are the same in the sight of God. Africans in America were put down and persecuted. So they call whites, WASPs. There was always conflict. Does God accept the term, WASP? God lives for others even when dealing with Satan, according to His own principle. When I blessed the four saints, no one spoke against it, because the spirit world helped everyone understand it. Did anyone oppose it? No one. Rev. Moon is one individual who has faced opposition from the entire order of the world. He is accused of kidnapping and brainwashing. Their criticism was based on my advising their adult children as to marriage, in their stead. But is Rev. Moon on God's side or Satan's?

If I am true to God, then those who oppose are not acting in their offspring’s best interest. Hence, even through they would reject being called poor parents, they are. All the families in the world opposed Rev. Moon for marrying the young people. But Rev. Moon has done a good thing for God and humankind. Is it true? I ask everyone to say yes so that I can get rid of my stress. [The audience says, "Yes."] Thank you; my stress is gone. Do you think it was good to forgive all those historical evil figures, such as Marx, Lenin, Stalin, and the Korean Christians? [Yes.] Good! It is to connect Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in heaven. I see clear unity among all of you here.

Please spread true family values in your media in each nation when you return home.