Conference to Save the Family

by Michelle Myers-Washington DC

The Pure Love Alliance took part in the American Leadership Conference entitled "Reviving the Family." The conference was held at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC, sponsored by the American Constitutional Committee and the Washington Times Foundation. The event was attended by over 300 guests, and each of the 50 states was represented.

There were several major political, religious and social leaders present from across the country, including: the Rev. Dr. Jerry Falwell, Rev. Dr. Milton Reid of the Martin Luther King Family Life Institute, Rev. Floyd Flake (former New York Congressman), Nevada’s Sen. Maurice Washington, Mr. Robert Woodson from the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, and Mr. Charles Ballard of the Institute for Responsible Fatherhood, and many more.

The focus of the three days of discussions and presentations was to call attention to the moral and social crisis of our nation. Also: to point out that the situation has become so grave that it can no longer be ignored. The solution is not just reforming our present failed social welfare system. The solution is not just looking back to the past and trying to revive the "good old days" which, after all, led to today.

There needs to be a revival of the fundamental moral codes and ethics, starting with the most basic unit of life itself: the family. The solution to the alarming numbers of violent crimes, non-marital pregnancy, spread of sexually transmitted disease, rates of divorce and spousal abuse, and the declining social status of our country, is to strengthen the family.

It is within the family that we learn how to be a good citizen. With dysfunctional and broken families, we have dysfunctional, broken and hurt individuals. This problem is not isolated to the families which fall into the lower income brackets, but affects all of us as a nation.

Mr. Woodson, author of the new book The Triumphs of Joseph, told the conference: "This is not just an inner-city problem belonging to any particular race; it reaches each one of us regardless of age, race, religion or social status. Therefore, the responsibility lies with all of us as well. We can only fix the problem completely, if we go to the root of where it begins."

There were many solutions offered by different individuals and organizations. Rev. Jerry Falwell stated: "It is the responsibility of each minister in this country to use the power of their pulpit to preach about the revitalization of the family." He said that "the situation today has gotten so bad because the religious community has been silent too long."

Rev. Floyd Flake said that everyone, young people especially, needs to learn about responsibility and hard work, and the meaning of family love and support. For these values there is no substitute. The place to learn these is in the family. It is from the example of his own father, who did whatever it took to provide for his family, that Rev. Flake gained the conviction, tools and moral values to become a success in his own life.

The True Family Values Ministry offered a solution through their program of commitment and rededication to marriage and their four-point pledge: 1) commitment to absolute fidelity, 2) commitment to remain married, no divorce, 3) commitment to raise their children sexually pure, and 4) commitment to work anywhere possible to uplift the family.

The Pure Love Alliance also gave a presentation about the absolute necessity of teaching young people how to live abstinent lives prior to marriage. The solution to solving the rates of teen violence and suicide, eliminating teen pregnancy, stopping the spread of STD’s among young people, and raising up a generation of mature, secure and healthy young people is through abstinence and character-building education.

As a result of our attendance, we have been able to begin to build a nationwide network of people concerned about the issue of abstinence and character education for young people. Through our new friends and contacts, we are applying for local grants and creating programs to suit the specific needs of those communities.

Michelle Myers is the PLA Public Relations Director in DC.

Color-Blind Children at the YMCA

by Haven Bradford Gow-Eudora, Arkansas

Christ is right: if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must possess the spiritual beauty, purity and innocence of children. Christ was talking about children like the ones I recently encountered at the Hodding Carter YMCA in Greenville, Mississippi.

In this regard, I recently learned a good and heart-warming lesson about race and human relations while playing basketball at the Hodding Carter YMCA with a young black child named Jerry. Despite my being an Asian-American, Jerry and his two cousins (one a boy, the other a girl) have accepted me as their good friend and we play basketball together whenever we can.

The other afternoon Jerry and I were playing basketball when a small white child named Matthew came up to us and said, "Jerry, is that your father? Please ask him if I can play in the game, too." Together, my new "son" Jerry and I and the small white boy had a nice time playing basketball (although I did suffer a heartbreaking 18-12 loss).

The other day I played basketball with three charming girls named Porsha, an African-American girl, Meredith, a Caucasian girl, and Brittany, an African-American girl. Despite my encouragement, Brittany, Porsha and Meredith were despondent because they were having difficulty scoring baskets. So I asked two boys their own age-one, Jerry; the other, a white boy named Alex-to help them. Together, the boys kindly and patiently helped Porsha, Meredith and Brittany with their dribbling, passing and shooting.

Clearly, the best way to overcome racial bigotry and prejudice and promote racial tolerance and understanding is by practicing the teachings of Confucius and Christ, that is, "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you; love others as you love yourself."

Chicago’s South Shore Ministry Association Co-Hosts Multi-Church-Community Picnic.

by Rich Lemont-Chicago, IL

On Saturday, July 11, 1998, Rev. Ki Hun Kim was honored at the 4th Annual South Shore Community picnic, called the "Taste of South Shore." South Shore is a south-eastern neighborhood of Chicago, bordering Lake Michigan. Over 4,000 neighbors attended. Community business provided free food and refreshments. Entertainment was scheduled from 11am to 8pm.

Among those participating were many church gospel choirs and the Drill Team from Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam.

Mayor Richard Mr. Daley spoke to the crowd early in the event. Midway through the program, awards were presented to community activists, including the newly-appointed African American Chicago Chief of Police, four aldermen from neighboring wards, and our beloved Rev. Ki Hun Kim. Rev. Kim was recognized for his work in True Family Values and in recognition and appreciation of his devoted efforts and services rendered to the South Shore Community.

Members pre-blessed everyone in the crowd.

The Chosun Daily News, a local and also internationally affiliated Korean newspaper covered the event with large front-page photographs and interviews with Rev. Kim. Rev. Kim was quoted as saying that to overcome racial barriers we must participate in worship and recreational activities together. The Korean Consulate was surprised at the warm relationship of the Unification Church with Chicago’s south side. The limited experiences of the consulate with the south side in the past was mediating painful problems in African American-Korean business relationships. 

Breakthroughs In Cameroon Through IRFF

by Michael Lamson-Cameroon

Here in Cameroon, we are doing our best as if everyone else to find ways to make our True Parents proud. We face so many problems here and getting things done will often take ten times longer and require fifty times more explanation and effort-that is another story, however. At the end of 1997, we evaluated, repented and prayed about how to break through in our blessing work and our VIP outreach. We made a new plan, and then struggled along in our normal slow start.

FFWPU was very difficult to introduce to the masses. We have blessed around 14,000 couples but contacted around 80,000, so the reception was not up to par. Of these couples we can contact around 12,000, and have started establishing family associations in all areas where there are more than 50 couples. Education is carried out through these associations and through a monthly newsletter called The Family Drummer.

Due to the social acceptance of polygamy and sex outside of marriage, the elite and most men did not want to hear our message about the value of the family and the responsibilities of a parent, so we were unable to reach the population which really moves the nation. In January we decided to build up IRFF and work through it as a door-opener for all our activities in Cameroon. Since that time, we have made all our appointments with government and community leaders in the name of IRFF, and the response has been amazing.

We discuss the issue of poverty-the results of it and the causes. When discussing the causes, the root always comes down to the family. Poverty here is caused by tribalism, selfishness, corruption and dishonesty, to name a few reasons. We ask people where these things are learned and the answer is always the family. At this point we introduce FFWPU and IRFF and the various projects sponsored by them. We explain that FFWPU focuses on the protection and the development of the family as the key to all sustainable development. The response is very positive and now people are inviting FFWPU to come and work in their villages, starting with its marriage rededication ceremonies.

As Cameroonians are never happy with mere words, we wanted to show them something which has real substance, so we sat down and looked at all the organizations our True Parents have started and all the conferences as well as projects completed. It was a surprise even to us when we looked at what has been accomplished. We tied all these projects together under the umbrella of IRFF, which provided the substance we were looking for. Each organization by itself is perhaps not enough, but together the picture is wonderful and powerful. IRFF is the best organizations to center the other projects around, as its mission does not force anyone to look at themselves. We explain how IRFF is working with WFWP, IRF, YFWP, FWP, WIDP, SCWP and FFWPU in order to build a stronger nation. IRFF can take credit for bringing the good things these other organizations have to offer, and these organizations can also be introduced and to many.

This past January, elections were held and we sent out letters of congratulations from IRFF to all those elected. After this we sent an information packet to each new minister explaining IRFF, and also a letter inviting them to join IRFF in cooperative efforts. This month we were called by four ministers to meet with them and discuss the possibilities. We have met with the Minister of Public Service, who afterwards gave IRFF a contribution of $2000. We also met with the Minister of the Environment, who offered a donation of $5000. Establishing these relationships constituted a major breakthrough for us, and these were just the first two.

God is working here. Through our experiences we are learning that all these different organizations Father has started are tools for building the Kingdom of Heaven. True Parents gave us the tools we need, but we have been siting, waiting for them to do all the work. Now we will put more grease on our elbows and see how we can use all these tools.

Reprinted from Today’s World.

Michael Lamson is the Abel National Messiah to Cameroon. He and his wife Vivika participated in the 2075 Couples Blessing in 1982. They have two children.

Awakening at Mid-life , A Guide to Reviving Your Spirit, Recreating Your Life, and Returning to Your Truest Self

Book Review by Cathi Close-Arlington, VA

Awakening at Mid-life , A Guide to Reviving Your Spirit, Recreating Your Life, and Returning to Your Truest Self. by Kathleen A. Brehony. Riverhead Books, NY. $14.

Kathleen Brehony, a Jungian psychologist, guides us toward an honest exploration of an important time and passage in our lives-mid-life. She brings to light an interesting fact that in our culture, so much attention is paid to the areas of child and adolescent development, but so little to adult development once we are "grown up".

At mid-life we are at the beginning of the second half of our lives. What does this mean? What can we expect? What should we expect? Are our choices simply to learn to "grow old gracefully" or should we invest our efforts into trying to look and feel "young"?

Brehony approaches this transitional time in a way that lends dignity and respect to this deeply human experience; the hopes, the fears, the disappointments, and most important, the opportunity for spiritual growth.

In a culture that increasingly devalues the merits of age and wisdom, this is a book that does much to reinforce the purposeful plan that our Creator implemented. This book provides needed internal nourishment, encourages reflection and renewal and challenges us to make this time of our lives one that is both meaningful and fulfilling.

In the concluding chapter of her book, Brehony writes, "The metamorphosis which will allow us to live fully and celebrate each morning is available to each and every one of us as part of our human endowment. We need not have any special abilities or knowledge to begin the journey, just a willingness to look inside and to open ourselves to our potential .... For the mid-life journey is not simply about aging or making changes in our outer life. It is about the discovery of personal meaning in one’s inner life. It is about the recognition of the sacred in everyday experience. It is about understanding that while we are just a grain of sand in the great flow of time, we are, each of us, unique and necessary to the fulfillment of some cosmic plan."

Faith and Present Challenges

Antonio Betancourt
Sunday message given at Unification Church of Washington DC
February 22, 1998

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it, the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God so that what is seen was made out of things which do appear. … And what more shall I say? For the time would fail to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated – of whom the world was not worthy – wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect." Hebrews 11: 1-3 and 32-40.

Good Morning. I would like to ask the congregation to follow with me. Blessed be the name of our Heavenly Father. Blessed is the Name of our True Parents who he sent to save us.

I chose this theme, "Faith and Challenges" because as I surveyed our friends in the Washington area and across America who are embarked in this historical enterprise which is to build God's kingdom under the direction, the love, guidance, and tradition of our True Parents, I see that there is a very high degree of confusion. This confusion is created by the transition in which we are living today.

The Age of Confusion

Every time there is a major shift in our lives, it brings confusion. If we were perfect, if we were already to a major degree an embodiment of True Parents, then there would be no confusion. But because we are so short of the standard and the expectations of our Heavenly Father and True Parents, there is confusion during this transition period between the Unification Church and the Family Federation for World Peace. It is the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. The transition between the age of what for many of us was considered the age of wilderness of forty-fifty years, and then the beginning of the Completed Testament Age which is the beginning of the settlement into Canaan. It brings confusion because it is an end of patterns of thinking and behavior, a way of doing things and a new beginning to embrace. What is new is the great hope for this transition through our True Parents, not because of the legacy of words that will be there after they are gone, but because True Parents are here with us and they embody those words. They embody the tradition they are trying to implant in each one of us.

We live in Washington, D.C., and therefore my words are more specifically geared towards this city. Washington, D.C. is America. America is the world. So what happens in Washington, D.C., the dynamics of Washington, D.C., affect us all and since we recognize that the United States is the melting pot though the "Washington Post" today is challenging that with an article on the myth of the melting pot. But the melting pot is a fact. Washington is also the melting pot of America just as America is the melting pot of the world. Washington as America is the recipient of the world.

What is good of the world -- the promises, the hopes, the expectations, the traditions, the customs, everything that is positive and noble and good within the melting pot is in America and is in Washington, but also everything that is bad in the world, the contradictions, the disease, the immorality, the failure, the inability to govern ourselves as one people under God. With one nation under God, all of these failures are also part of the melting pot and are also part of Washington, D.C.

So therefore, Washington, D.C. presents to us a bigger challenge than the challenges of other cities across America and we have to be aware of this because we have to confront the difficulties of Washington, D.C.

Washington is not Chicago, New York, nor Los Angeles, though we have similar problems that they have. This nation symbolically represents the world and where ever Washington goes, so will go the world. That is why our True Parents have invested so much of their energy, resources, sweat, the best of their people and human resources. They have invested in this city.

Judgment of America

We are living forty years of judgment of America. This judgment began in the 1960's. For me, I will say 1960. From 1960 to the year 2000, this is a very difficult time for America. In these last forty years, America has lost her purpose, direction, and greatness to a large extent. Why? Because the popular culture of America today is a culture that has very little to do with the tradition that was left by the founding fathers in this nation imbedded in two documents -- the "Constitution," and the "Bill of Rights."

The Constitution is like Father, invisible Father, and the Bill of Rights is the invisible Mother. For those who say that the democracy of America is a community of brothers and sisters fighting for each other, they don't really understand the depth of what this nation is. Hearing from me who is an American by choice. I was not born in this nation. I selected this country to be my country. America is great because it has this tradition of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But the Constitution and the Bill of Rights can only stand as a nation under God, as a nation under the Gospel of Jesus Christ and with the inheritance of Judeo-Christian values, the Ten Commandments, and so forth. As we forget and make irrelevant that tradition, that foundation of Judeo-Christianity, then that invisible Father and Mother as those invisible True Parents that are the documents that make America be united, that document cannot withstand.

The America that we know in the last forty years is a nation that does not reflect what America is all about, the greatness of this country. In the last forty years, we have seen through the sexual revolution and through this self awareness, self movement or self development without having God as the center, the movement that goes through a self-gratification, self immersion, self absorption, avoidance of discomfort, a focus on entertainment, a denial of suffering, a great worship all over the country but without sacrifice.

The nation has become totally, totally secular and even religion in the country has become not a devotion, not a priesthood for those who lead religion, but has become a business, a job, something to fulfill their financial needs and to advance themselves even politically. We see many who exchange office of Reverend so-and-so, but is also a very important political figure, this nation is under a tremendous suffering. At this time there is a great pain in the nation. The rate of divorce is unparalleled in the history of the world, the rate of child abuse, the rate of crimes, the rate of abuse of parents towards children, children towards parents, parents towards each other, children towards elders in schools, the abuse of the each other is unparalleled. America is in big trouble and the judgment that comes to America from our True Parents and from our elder Koreans is based on this America that they know. They know very little of the other America. They don't know of the other America that made a covenant under the Constitution and under the law a nation that respects the law, a nation of sacrifices, a nation that perhaps the biggest crime was the crime of slavery and racism, but within that, there was a nation of an agreement to live under the law of God imbedded in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, a nation of respect for the law and respect for one another.

This nation needs to be resurrected and this nation can only be resurrected through our True Parents. Through a unity of religion in America and Hellenism in America with Our True Parents. America is the heir not only of the best of Hebraism, but also the best of Hellenism. It has been upon the unity, the harmony, the good give-and-take of these two tendencies of Hellenism and Hebraism that we built this mighty nation. The unity of Hebraism and Hellenism has given to the world the best from points of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, centered on God.

We have to understand these things. We cannot forget these things. We cannot confuse the America of Clinton with the real America. The America that we need to resurrect is the America that gave to this world the most beautiful movement for the fulfillment of happiness, the pursuit of happiness. The most beautiful movement that was the evangelization of the world centered not on the protection of the despot, or the protection of the dictator, or the King but a movement of the evangelization of the world centered on democracy, not the democracy that we know today, this democracy that is decadent that is self-centered self-serving, self-absorbed, etc., etc., but the democracy that is centered and waiting for the True Parents who embody the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

As we wait for the final constitution of heaven, not everything is so bad about America, modern America. I want to quote from Our True Parents for those who may feel, boy, the situation is so bad, how can we ever win? How can we ever move forward?

Father’s words: May 1, 1997, Tarrytown, New York

In 1972, by undertaking the Day of Hope tours, I launched the spiritual condition of declaring God's message throughout America. Do you think I was victorious? America had never seen such a man. For three and one half years, I moved like a whirlwind through every state in America meeting this nation’s leaders and receiving many proclamations from mayors and governors, including Jimmy Carter who was then governor of Georgia. At that time, I received a spiritual acceptance from America. This was a most fortunate condition for America to make even though many Americans have since become very negative. America at least welcomed me when I first came. In the future, some Americans will beseech, ‘God, please forgive us even though people don't understand now, please remember God that as a nation we gave Reverend Moon more proclamations than any other nation.’ By the end of 1974, I successfully completed the Day of Hope Crusade in Los Angeles and on December 26, 1974, I returned to Korea. My return was needed to directly link to Korea the spiritual victory that we won here in America on the world-wide level. My world-wide victory must finally become a physical one. In order to do that, I have to reap a spiritual victory here in America, bring it back to Korea and then begin the physical world-wide dispensation from that land.

We gave our True Parents the world wide victory. On that base, True Parents could launch the world wide crusade in 1975. In 1975, Father opened up Chung Pyung Lake with the famous "End of Resentment and the Liberation of the Entire Spirit World." All of that was on the foundation of the victory in America. We have to have pride on what we have given to True Parents, that America has been great. Of course True Parents keep pushing and pushing and asking us to do more and more and more and more, and many of us by lack of training, preparation, understanding, selfishness, you name it, find it very difficult to cope with our True Parents’ request, our True Parents’ call for sacrifice more and more. But we have to understand why Our True Parents are doing this. What do they want from us? Why are they pushing us? Why do they push us to the verge of breaking us? Is it a break -- either you swim or sink? I would like to quote again from True Parents.

Why do we work so hard? Why? In Father's speech on "Myself," it was very much geared toward the American people in Tarrytown, New York, January 13, 1980:

Now I can give you a little more explanation which will make it easier to follow. Why do I train you on earth instead of later in the spirit world? Why do you have to struggle on earth in order to learn? Of course, you have to restore yourselves, but you must love your family more than yourself because it is a bigger cause, even though it is painfully difficult and you may not be able to carry it out. On earth, you will be given credit for doing your best, then when you get to spirit world the path will be open to accomplish it successfully there. When the family has to be sacrificed for the world and you tried your best, even if you are not completely successful on earth, a crude road to finish it will be open in the spirit world. If you don't even try on earth, however, there is no road for you in spirit world later. You are in hell when you find yourself with no avenues open at all. Then you are living in complete isolation and are unable to go where you have to go. You can see ultimate happiness around you and it looks within reach but in reality it is too far, too far away to seize. If you can get along with a certain person on earth that relationship will carry on into the spirit world and be heaven. If you cannot get along with a certain person on earth that relationship will carry on in the spirit world and be hell. You will know you could have experienced happiness with that person but because you didn't make it happen on earth, you can't do it in the spirit world. The most important reason why I work so hard pushing you and trying to inspire you to do the difficult road is that I know about spirit world. If you can unite and follow then there will be at least a small road open for you in the spirit world. If you are successful in loving people of all races, all spirit world will applaud you and welcome you. Wherever you go in the spirit world, spirit men will tag along. Our life here is short but we can accomplish much in order to claim happiness in the spirit world. Your status in the spirit world is eternal. This is one of the reasons why we suffer willingly. The purpose of a business is to gain profit by investing some money. If we invest very much pain then we profit a hundred times more. In the lottery one dollar can win thousands but here there isn't even risk. We are guaranteed to win. Taking one step after another we lengthen the sections of the bridge of love. We are building it inch by inch and though there are miles to go we keep going. No matter what opportunities there are for you in life, you will rather follow me right? Why? I don't give you money or time or power. You say it is for love but have you seen that love in your eyes? I am like a parent nagging you to study after school and pushing you to study again and again even when you have finished. You get frustrated, I know, but still I tell you to keep studying. That is love. You might be comfortable if you didn't do it now, but for the sake of the greater purpose you choose to sacrifice anyway, that is goodness. It can be good to spank a child if it is intended to secure his eternal well-being. That is logical. True love is worth the hardship. Now you know about the individual, so let us decide when we will like to be in that position ten years or a hundred years from now. Now sounds pretty close to no, and no sounds close to know do you know or not? Can you go this path alone? Who do you need? Will you rather have a yoke on your neck to be sure you go the correct way? Should I just allow you to do whatever you want. Now we are secure and comfortable, but because we know the objective, but the problem is only half-solved, you also have to accomplish the goal and you think you need someone to push you because you can't do it alone. You feel you can be a champion if only you have a trainer. A trainer is someone who gets after you and nags you all the time. At some point you will get so aggravated that either you will confront your trainer and give up or you will become the champion. That is the reality, don't appoint only one trainer. Because you will have free time when he is away which is no good. Appoint a dozen trainers -- one Chinese, one Korean, one Japanese, one American, one German, and so forth, maybe one Hispanic. Then wherever you go, you will bump into a trainer and he will chase after you. Perhaps you could tolerate one person kicking you but what about twelve people kicking you at one time? If you are determined to survive, you will be a champion after they get tired of kicking you. This is no ordinary life to believe at whim. It is more serious, not only for our generation but for all history. All Unification Church members know they each have a spirit self that lives eternally in the spirit world. You have never been to spirit world so you are persuaded through logic, that it is so because you start at the lowest part of life there is no place to go but up. The thousands of people outside the church who study us can't figure us out because they don't know the reality of the spirit world.

The Liberation of Chung Pyung

In 1975, Father liberated the spirits in Chung Pyung. Twenty-one years later Chung Pyung has been elevated to the place of liberation of the spirit world. Many of us, many of you have participated in the liberation in Chung Pyung. We need to believe. We need to have faith in the promise made by our True Parents. We need to connect with the spirit of our True Parents and we need to connect with the spirit of Chung Pyung. We need the help of angels. We cannot do this work alone. We have too many problems as families. As couples we are far from being a True Family ourselves. We are far from being harmonious. We are far from being happy and if we declare that this is the prerequisite, the achievements of all these things in order to go out and bless people and fulfill forty million people for America, then we are missing the point, because the perfection, the achievement of our true self and the true couple and the True family, the achievement of all of these things that have been promised by God through the True Parents can only be achieved as we work along, as we tag along. If worst comes to worst, if we can just offer the people we encounter the hope that rests in our hearts, if it is not the reality of a harmonious relationship between husband and wife, then at least the hope that has been promised by God that things will be okay, if we unite with him, if we unite with out True Parents.

We have the Completed Testament Age teachings. We have True Family Values. We have the Blessing. We have the Tradition. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Each one of us, one way or the other, is the recipient of an accumulated indemnity directed by our ancestors by thousands of years and in connection with our True Parents to the whole providential history. Each one of us has been the recipient during the time that we joined, whether it is six months or whether it is twenty five years or thirty years or forty years, we have been the recipient of enormous outpouring of our True Parents -- spiritually of an incredible energy of salvation, physically of millions and millions, tens of millions of dollars that have been invested in us for the purpose of using that foundation, that Blessing, that resource within, in order to go out and save the world.

No Preconditions for God

We cannot put a precondition, "God, unless I have harmony with my wife, unless I have harmony within my situation, I cannot go out." You will never be saved. You will never resolve that situation. As we confront our situation facing people, talking to people, trying to love the unlovable, trying to love the enemy, the one who is out there who is my enemy. The situation with my family, with my central figure, all these things eventually will fit into place. Father is asking us to fulfill Blessing ‘98, forty million for America. According to the estimates of some of the experts, forty million couples in America implies a big chunk of the total couples in America which is fifty-eight million. America has two hundred and fifty million inhabitants, population, but from these two hundred and fifty there are fifty eight million families, fifty-eight million couples. Father is asking us to go after forty million.

If we were to bless one couple a second, one, two, three, four it would take eleven years to bless these forty million. So in order to bless these forty million, we will need an extraordinary power, which is not in us. It could be if we team up with our True Parents, if we team up with the Divine Spirit world, with the heavenly angels with the heavenly spirit world that is pouring out, is coming down after Chung Pyung sent directly by Heung Jin and Daemonim. We don't have that power. They have the power. To do this, we have to enter into self-reflection very, very serious self-reflection.

I am addressing those who are confused like I have been. Those who have legitimate or illegitimate complaints of mistreatment, who have been hurt, abused -- imaginary or real. We cannot allow the experience, real or unreal, deserved or undeserved mistreatment that comes as part of the process, of the path of restoration through indemnity. We cannot allow these things to interfere with the business of what we are supposed to do, which is to bring salvation to America. By bringing salvation to America and to myself and my family, we need to have very serious self reflection, self evaluation and make a determination to go, and as our True Parents said, if you cannot do it all, do part of it, but do something. God will take the heart that goes behind your offering, if your heart is for only a small offering, God will understand that. But the important thing is you have got to do it and whatever you do, you will open a path for the spirit world to help you and that path will be there in the spirit world when you get there. This is very, very important. We have to use the best of our creativity, ingenuity, American ingenuity, in order to fulfill these forty million.

Some people are saying we have to forget about the 185 and focus on new people. In the latest conference that we had in Barrytown which was a very unique, historical conference. For the first time, Americans came to discuss what to do with America and to reflect on 1997 and to move towards what to do in 1998. One of the things that most people agreed upon in that meeting was we need two strategies. One is the very personal one, the other one is the grand strategy that is determined by our leaders, by True Parents.

Individual and Grand Strategy

The individual strategy has to do that you have to go do the 185 to relatives, friends, contacts, and as you do that, you unite with the grand strategy which has to do with how to reach out to forty million couples in America. We cannot bring victory by traditional means of going out door to door. We will not reach the forty million, it is impossible. But after we unite with True Parents’ direction, then we have to use the best of our creativity, the best of our ingenuity to see in which way we can inject the change into the situation, whether it is in the neighborhood, whether it is in the 185 couples’ neighborhood, whether it is in the county, community, city, and so forth, and so forth.

We need to communicate these ideas. We need to expand these ideas. We need to project these ideas. We need to create a momentum that unfortunately we missed in 1997. If there was a lot of self-reflection in that meeting on what happened in 1997, it was very unfortunate that we missed the opportunity to create a momentum in which the Blessing will be something that everybody will talk about, think about, investigate, research, and read about it in a positive way. But unfortunately we didn't do it. This is the time and the opportunity to do it. But True Parents cannot do it, the leaders cannot do it. Reverend Pak, Mr. Joo, Rev. Yang, Phillip Schanker, they cannot do it. We have to do it. The community has to do it under the direction, the inspiration, the guidance, the support of our leaders. We have to put ourselves together and call upon divine guidance, especially calling upon the spirit world to help us, and especially to call upon that spirit world that is waiting for perfection through us. I am not talking just about evil spirits or the challenging spirits, but the good spirit world, the divine spirits. They will not reach perfection unless they connect to somebody on earth. We have to make the conditions, the foundations to invite them, connect with them and to work with them, so they can reach perfection through us. Let us build the environment for a victory of forty million this year. Let us own this forty million by investing in it. Let us use our creativity to fulfill Blessing ‘98 and through that, we can save our families. We can save ourselves. Let us make Washington, D.C. a winner for America and as Washington wins, so America will be a winner, the world will win, and we will bring great joy great comfort to God and Our True Parents.

Let us Pray

Our dearest Heavenly Father, Father blessed be your name, and blessed is the name of Our True Parents. Father, I am so grateful to you and I humble myself before you Father, that you allow me to speak your words and to find some reflections on how to address the situation of the Washington Family Church, the Family Federation for World Peace Father and what to do about it. Father, we really need you. Without you Father our life is shaky. Heavenly Father, our life has no meaning without you, beloved Heavenly Father. We have no purpose. We will be lost. We need you Father, so we want to apologize before you and before heaven for our failures, for our selfish misery. Heavenly Father, we deeply repent before True Parents. We ask you and we ask Our True Parents for their forgiveness and we ask Father that the spirit of Chung Pyung, Daemonim and Heung Jin Nim and all of those Divine Spirits and all the rest of our ancestors can come and help us, so we can build, Heavenly Father, the momentum that will move this city, this country. Father, we pray for clarity of mind, clarity of purpose, clarity of ideas, clarity to know what needs to be done, clarity to understand how to bring them about and clarity to see myself and what role would I play in all of this enterprise. Father we really want to own the blessing. We cannot own it unless we work for it. Heavenly Father, we have to teach the spiritual children that we got in 1997 how to walk this path, but we cannot do it unless we walk it ourselves. Guide us Heavenly Father. Show us the way, but above all Father, we pray that you will protect and bless the True Parents. Bless the True Family, Heavenly Father. Father we want to offer this prayer to you. We offer this service in the name of our precious True Parents. Amen

Antonio joined the Movement in 1974. He was a member of the New Hope Singers for six years and was very active in the Spanish church. Antonio is one of the founders of CAUSA International and "Noticias del Mundo." For many years, he was special assistant to Dr. Bo Hi Pak. Our True Parents trust Antonio very much, and in fact, gave him the title of Ambassador to North Korea. Currently, Antonio is responsible for several missions: the Summit Council for World Peace, AULA (the Association for the Unity of Latin America), and the Federation for World Peace. Last year, he established the World Institute for Development and Peace which is developing programs for the poor in America and around the world. Antonio was blessed with his wife Kyoko at Madison Square Garden in 1982. They have four children.

New Era, New Life Style

by Dr. Chang Shik Yang, Washington, DC

This is from the Sunday Sermon given on July 26, 1998, at the Columbia Road Church in Washington, DC.

I am so happy to see your faces again. I cannot believe it I have hardly been able to spend any time with you during the last 3 months. First, on April 17 I was called to New York for Blessing '98. Then, soon after my return in June, Father called me to New Hope Farm in Jardim, Brazil, for the July 1st celebration. Just 1 week after my return I was again called personally by Father to attend a special leaders meeting in Chignik, Alaska. 3 leaders from Korea, 2 from Japan and 5 from America stayed together with True Parents in a small, rented house in the remote southern Aleutian Islands for 10 days. I returned just in time to attend the inauguration of Hyun Jin Nim as Vice-President of the FFWPUI on July 19th. The following day Father held a Regional Directors meeting all day. At last I came home. My heart is filled with so many things to share. During my 10 days in Alaska, just 20 people, including leaders and staff, shared a small, intimate house with Father and Mother. Our Parents used one small room, and the rest of us slept together on the living room floor. We all shared the same bathroom. We received so much personal love and care from True Parents, it was an incredible, unforgettable blessing. Through our intense, daily schedule from 5:30 a.m. to well past midnight each day, we were melted together as one family by our True Parents love. We lost any concept of spiritual age, blessing level, race or nationality.

This morning I want to share just a small portion of all that Father gave to us in Alaska. First of all, we still may not realize how profound and meaningful the Blessing '98 event on June 13th was. Father mentioned over and over again how precious and important it was. As we know, there were many external victories connected with June 13th, such as the 2000 Voice Choir which was joined by nearly 100 churches, and the more than 1500 VIPs who participated. This time 8 major religious representatives offered prayers, and a huge Invitation Committee of 1200 persons gave their name and support to the event. And of course, Madison Square Garden was overflowing with people on that day.

But much more important was the internal meaning of Blessing '98. Let me emphasize 3 important points. First, on the foundation of 120 million couples receiving blessing, the first stage of 360 million, Father blessed 34 major historical figures in spirit world from both the good and evil sides. Father blessed the great saints Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius and Socrates, and publicly declared his earlier blessing of Jesus Christ. Altogether 16 billion spirits have received True Parents blessing until now, and on June 13th Father declared the liberation of both Hell and Heaven. We were all stunned as we witnessed these unbelievable events. How incredible and revolutionary Father's victory was on that day. Actually, there is no way for us to truly understand or express the meaning of these historical events. Without the Messiah's authority, how could we ever imagine such a declaration? Afterwards, Father asked many times about the reaction of secular leaders to the blessing of 4 saints. But I'm sure Father could see that even our own leaders could hardly fathom the meaning of it. When I arrived at Jardim, immediately after I bowed, Father asked me about the reaction of outside people, and was so curious and excited to hear my answer.

Although we may not be aware of it, the spiritual atmosphere changed dramatically after Blessing '98. We all could feel incredible liberation through that event, and since that time many providential doors are opening for us, such as 50,000 couples from one major denomination receiving holy wine in Indianapolis on June 25th, and the entire population of several nations, such as Nigeria and Ukraine, receiving the pre-blessing. According to the report of Dr. Seuk, the providence in China is now moving incredibly fast. Thousands of couples, including many leaders, are participating in deep, formal blessing ceremonies. Perhaps Confucius is supporting that providence.

The second internal aspect of Blessing '98 was the special forgiveness that Father extended to our members and Blessed Couples. Without any condition True Parents forgave any and all sins of our members who attended that ceremony worldwide. This grace not only affected our members who had sinned, it also liberated the many spirits connected with those mistakes. Through my ministry I have seen many members whose sinful action was influenced by the work of strong evil spirits or bad ancestors. By granting this forgiveness True Parents liberated not only the spiritual world, but our members on earth as well.

One more profound accomplishment during Blessing '98 was the Blessing of Hee Jin Nim. There are 2 important things we should recognize from this. One is that because True Parents' are the root of our life of faith, the most basic attitude of attendance is to be aware of the events surrounding their family. The other is to recognize that Father has been conducting the providence in 2 realms: not only on earth, but also in the spirit world. Some members are surprised that Father is focusing so much on spirit world, and feel it is because he is getting closer and closer to going there. But in fact, as the barriers between heaven and hell are broken down, these 2 worlds naturally become closer together. And as we return to the position of original Adam and Eve before the fall, our natural connection to Spirit World will be restored, as Father's is. As you have heard, Hee Jin Nim was blessed with Canadian National Messiah Dr. Lee's daughter, who is also in Spirit World.

In recent years Father has been focusing on the providence of South America centering on New Hope Farm in Jardim, Brazil. Last July 1st was the eighth anniversary of the Declaration Day of God's Eternal Blessing." Among the most important points about this day's significance, as Father explained in Han Nam Dong in 1991, was the elevation of our True Mother to the same level as Father, as his absolute object. On this foundation the WFWP was established in April, 1992, the era of woman was opened, and Mother has been leading and initiating many aspects of the providence during these years. Through her worldwide travels she has become a truly international leader. Another significant accomplishment of this "Declaration Day" was the inauguration of the Tribal Messiah providence. Based upon this, Father proclaimed the 2nd 40-year course centering on the 2nd generation in 1995 in Jardim. On July 1 this year Father dedicated the new training center at New Hope Farm as the "Educational Headquarters for World Peace through Ideal Families." He invited 2000 people to the dedication ceremony, including 16 mayors from the surrounding 33 cities as well as senators and congressmen from many South American countries. After speaking Father asked 3 representatives to report, including Mr. Joo as the President of the Washington Times.

Father plans to use this huge training center for a middle school, high school, long distance learning center for Bridgeport University, and a fish farm to support South American development. But first of all Father has established a training center there for teaching ideal family life to our blessed couples. Father mentioned that the New Hope Farm will be the most precious holy ground for our members. Father wants all blessed couples and their children to attend a special 40-day training session as a family unit. This training will be very different from past workshops. Through living with nature, and exploring hobby life, we can re-awaken our original minds and return to the Garden of Eden. This will be a unique and exciting experience for each family. During training through fishing each family should catch at least 160 fish, including 40 each of 4 major kinds. The educational content will be family education centering on the Principle of Creation. Establishing an ideal family, separating from Satan's blood lineage, and other important spiritual topics will be emphasized. But the main focus will be inheriting True Parents' heart and tradition in a practical, substantial way: love nature, love people, love God. Recently Father has spoken many times about the decline and destruction of the Urban Culture. Man should be able to find his true original self in nature. But rapid industrialization and the technology boom has isolated human beings from God, nature and each other. Through modern society and city life fallen people have become even more distant from their original nature as the image of God. Actually modern theologians such as McFague and Clinebell have described nature as the "body of God" and noted that humanity's abuse of nature is in fact the injury or even "murder of God." They have proposed that by healing nature we can heal ourselves. But Father's teaching has already surpassed them all, not only with a deeper understanding of the issue but teaching us to encounter nature in a new way through the experience of loving it.

Brothers and sisters, as you can see this training for ideal family life at New Hope Farm is not like any education program we have ever experienced. Through our encounter with nature with our family and others, Father wants us to develop the spirit of "hobby life." Actually the Korean word for hobby is "Chuimi." But by hobby life, we should realize the feeling of "Jemi." It is impossible to translate "Jemi" deeply enough, but the best way to describe it in English is "interesting and exciting." Father told us over and over, "no matter what, never worry. Worry is our enemy. The bright morning sun will never shine on those who keep a worrying mind." We should live an interesting, exciting, and compelling life- whatever we do. Don't you agree? The hundreds of members who come to holy ground every night- is it because they are forced to come, or do they feel "jemi"? I am sure they are interested and excited to be there. Those of you who have no experience of pre-blessing, please go out and try it not because you have to. If you open up your mind and invest your heart in it, you will feel "jemi." Father mentioned we can experience "jemi" in Hoon Dok Hae, prayer, our job, with our family, and in all that we do. Wouldn't you like to reach "jemi life"

The first ideal family training began with National Messiahs, and for the second session 300 families from Korea, 700 from Japan and 120 from America were invited. Father wants to begin this education with our elder couples. But we can be sure that our opportunity to join will come sooner or later. But even now, here in Washington, in everything we do, let's make "jemi life."

During the 10 days we spent with True Parents, Father explained more and more deeply about "Il Shim," "Il Shin," and "Il Chae." "Il Shim" in English means "one mind," referring to the oneness of my own mind and body centered on God and True Parents. What is the meaning of that oneness? What is our status when we realize "Il Shim?" Just as a compass always points toward True North, wherever we go, whatever we do, our mind will always follow after, and point us toward God and True Parents. "Il Shin" means one body, meaning the absolute oneness of husband and wife. We are actually 2 bodies, but what does it mean to become one? Absolutely, without any condition or limitation, husband and wife should be united centered on God and True Parents. We can see so many nice and happy families in the world. What is the difference between those families and ours? Our relationship and unity is centered absolutely on the Will of God, and the ideal of True Parents. From that vertical, internal point, true love and eternal life begin. "Il Chae" means "one essence," and means that on the foundation of "Il Shim" and "Il Shin" God can come down and live with us. Those who realize "one mind" in themselves and "one body" with their spouse will experience the living presence of God with them. This is the deep, actual meaning of I Corinthians 3:16: "Do you not know that you are God's temple, and God's spirit dwells in you?"

By living so closely with True Parents during these few days, I could witness with my own eyes that True Parents are the living embodiment of "Il Shim," "Il Shin," and "Il Chae." Father is completely united in himself as a true compass. Mother is completely "one mind" as well. Parents are absolutely "one body" with each other. And so they are the living embodiment, the living temple of God. Then what is the source of their absolute oneness? What is the way for you and I to realize that precious quality of life? Father made it absolutely clear. Father has lived a life of absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience to God. You can examine for yourself isn't it true? And Mother has lived a life of absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience toward Father, hasn't she? So for us, if we really want to experience "jemi," if we really want to live with God, it begins with our life of absolute faith, love and obedience toward True Parents.

True Family and World Peace

Reverend Moon is the Founder of the WCSF. This address was given at the Opening Banquet, WCSF 1998: Special Convocation on, "The Family and World Peace," June 11, 1998, The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, NYC.

Prominent scholars, respected leaders of religion, and world leaders of various endeavors, I warmly welcome you to this Special Convocation entitled, "True Family and World Peace."

We now stand in the historic period of great transition where we must liquidate the grave moral confusion, world-conflicts, environmental problems, and crimes which have stained the 20th century, so that we may welcome the 21st century with hope. Humankind longs for a world of peace free from war and suffering. Yet it is difficult to be hopeful when the future is threatened by a "money-solves-all" mentality, which is utterly insufficient in the face of youth decline, family breakdown, drugs, and AIDS. We find a deeply diminished degree of positive influence on youth from national and religious authorities. Advances in science, communications and information technology, economic development, and political proposals all fail to bring about human happiness, or a peaceful world through true families.

Throughout the long course of history, humankind never has achieved complete happiness. Individuals and whole families have experienced much sadness. Despite this, human beings never gave up their tenacious longing for happiness. This is because God originally created mankind to live in happiness in true families. Although human beings lived a life of sin and suffering due to the Fall, they still searched for the original happy self.

Then what is the essence of true happiness? How did God plan to make human beings truly happy?

Ideal of Creation Based on True Love

God is the embodiment of true love. God invested unconditionally and created because of the ideal of true love. No individual can fulfill true love alone. Therefore, even God needs a relationship of give and take between the subject-partner and object-partner in order to establish and to experience love. Ultimately this takes place in a true family.

God's fundamental purpose in creating is true love whose ideal is the true person. How can human beings stand as the partner of God who is absolute? It is not possible by mere effort or external position. It is possible only with a relationship of true love. A subject-partner and an object-partner can immediately possess the right to equal position, the right to equal participation, and the right to inheritance when they establish an ideal relationship of true love.

God's true love made Him create human beings as His object-partner. As such, the most precious thing to human beings is the fulfillment of a true family centered on this original true love by which humans were created. True love is the origin of human happiness. Within true love there is infinite joy, eternal freedom, and eternal harmony.

God is the human beings' subject-partner of true love, true life, and true ideal. Therefore, human beings became the object-partner of true love, true life and true ideal. God is Father, the Creator, and human beings are created as His children who are to become one body with Him in true love. True human beings are originally made to live joyously as mind and body unite with God's love, and become intoxicated by it. God created human beings so that He Himself can experience infinite joy watching true families live in happiness. Through His true love He can live together with them. God desired to achieve harmonious oneness with human beings through true love. However, the first human ancestors fell.

True Love Lost Due to the Fall

As human individuals, we constantly live with a sense of intense conflict within ourselves. It is a conflict between the inclination of the self-centered mind striving to fulfill evil desires, and the inclination of the original mind striving to fulfill good desires. We say 'my body' and 'my mind' but we also realize that our own selves are divided between the body and mind. Such contradictory reality as body and mind struggle is due to the Fall of the first human ancestors. Such division and conflict between the mind and body has extended itself to become division and grief for families, societies and ultimately for nations, the world and the cosmos.

The Fall violated heavenly law through Satan's selfish and false love. Consequently it brought about ignorance of God, and ignorance of true love. With this human beings lost God and their own original value. By following Satan they could not establish a true family centered on true love. Without this fundamental element of happiness they could not become true people, able to fulfill the oneness of mind and body and thereby completing the original ideal.

Base of Unity Between Mind and Body

All creation is created by and exists within the prescribed law of love. Perfection of a human being is not accomplished through knowledge, power, or money but by true love. In other words, a true person can be perfected into a being that resembles God's fundamental true love through experiences of true love.

Individual perfection means achieving the harmonious oneness of mind and body. Mind and body unity can be accomplished when human beings come to be one with the nucleus of God's true love. Mind and body can become completely one and mature into the personality of true love when they have give and take throughout life based upon God's true love. True family, which is the fulfillment of God's true love, can be settled when the mind and body establish a base of unity.

Only true love can build an eternal, ideal relationship between mind and body. When God's true love resides within the unified base of mind and body, the door of true love opens wide so that a true person resonates with the true love of God and the universe. Such a true person cannot help but see, hear and feel true love in everything. That person automatically becomes the master of infinite freedom and bliss. At such moments, the true person will become intoxicated in true love and live in the highest state of artistic emotion. The being of true love will fulfill the overall purpose of creation while naturally harmonizing with and enjoying the environment. That person has the heart to experience beauty in everyday life.

When that is accomplished one can become the complete object-partner who resembles God and inherits His true love. Such a person will feel what God feels and appreciate what God appreciates.

For human beings, true love is the most holy and precious thing. True love is not created by an individual alone. Neither is it created amidst self-centeredness. True love desires to give, give again, and then forget what was given so that more can be given and shared. This pattern brings forth unity. It enables true love to embrace everything. True love is never one being's possession. Once true love is inherited, it belongs to its original owner as well as to all people and to the universe.

God's dream is to realize true love together with human beings. God desires to feel the joy and happiness of true love eternally in the world of heart together with human beings, who are His children, as well as being the highest and the most precious beings of all creation.

Perfection of True Love

Once true love is perfected in the human world, what possible political, economic, cultural, or environmental problems could persist? There is no problem that cannot be resolved in the world of true love. A world of true love is one of bliss, peace, happiness, and freedom filled with ideal. it is the world where joy and happiness are magnified infinitely and eternally within the domain of the rights to equal position, equal participation, and inheritance of true love. The problems that humanity faces today can be resolved fundamentally only with the perfection of true love.

Human beings should mature in stages as they experience the true love of God during their growth period. Born through true love, human beings first experience the true love of true parents, true love of true brothers and sisters, true love of true husband and wife, and true love of true children. According to this order one is perfected.

Once an individual achieves the unity of mind and body, true love emanates from that person. Next, a man and a woman both of whom have perfected mind and body unity marry and truly love one another as a true husband and true wife. Thus they become true parents, connected with the true love of God. This gives them the ability to truly love their children. The true love of God resides within the mind and body of true husband and wife. When such a couple becomes one children are born. That is how a complete ideal family is formed. Essentially there are Four Great Loves, and Four Great Hearts; parents' true love, brothers and sisters' true love, husband and wife's true love, and children's true love. True family is the smallest unit where the Four Great Loves are perfected and the Four Great Hearts can be experienced. This true family is the foundation of true human love and true happiness. It is the place from which true life and true lineage sprout forth. it is the training ground and school

A man and a woman are the substantial object-partners of God representing God's masculine and feminine qualities, respectively. God's creation philosophy is to divide God's inner, harmonized qualities of masculinity and femininity into two poles and then re-unite them into one body that resembles God's original oneness. A true husband and a true wife each represents God's extreme poles and both exist to form one harmonious body as the respective representatives of heaven and earth. In other words, men and women are not created to live in self-centeredness for the sake of the self. Each is created to exist for the sake of his or her partner. We should clearly realize that true husbands and true wives exist for their respective partners.

I have already stated that true love cannot be realized alone. Only through a reciprocal base can true love be realized. True love between husband and wife is not only for the sake of that couple. It is also the true love that centers on God's ideal of creation. God is the owner of absolute true love. The absolute true love of God dwells where one finds the desire to unite with one's spouse who embodies God's true love.

A true couple embraces God's true love and moves toward the future with one unified hope. Conception of children and the prosperity of the family take place upon this foundation. It is the ultimate hope that a couple's true love moves beyond the mundane realm of the daily environment so as to form a family that is one with God's ideal of true love.

The Importance of Family

The purpose of restoration which returns to the original state is to complete the restoration of Adam's family; for the Fall took place in that family. God seeks His partner and one central family before seeking to restore a church, a people, a nation, and the world. Throughout history, God sought a true family which could be His ideal object-partner. Such a true family is fundamentally different in its essence from the families we have typically come to know. God cannot establish an ideal nation and world unless He first finds an ideal true family united with God. There lies the principle that an original true family must first be established. The individual is not the purpose of salvation, but rather true families are the basic unit of salvation.

Had the Fall not taken place, how would Adam's family, formed through true love, have propagated? Adam and Eve would have become the ideal true couple of true love and would have become True Parents and true ancestors to their descendants and to all of humanity. Humanity, having been propagated through Adam and Eve as true parents, would have formed one great family and a peaceful world of Adamic culture. Therefore, the culmination of the history of restoration lies in establishing the true family that is centered on true parents and true love. The central true family is the hope of humanity as well as the hope of God. This true family is the origin of true love and true life, and it is the foundation of peace and happiness for humanity.

The Revolution of True Love

There is a saying that you reap what you sow. Due to the false love centered on Satan, human ancestors became people of evil character. They became evil spouses, and evil parents, spawning a history of evil and falsehood. At present, even the parent-child relationship and the basic standard of ethics and morality which have somewhat held human society together have been shattered. Acts of decadence and immorality worse than those committed by animals continuously occur, and the severity is getting worse. It signifies that these phenomena which were sown initially by the act of Fall in the Garden of Eden are coming to fruition at this historic time of harvest on the worldwide level.

Original true love is perfect as is. It does not change over the ages. The original form itself is truthful, unchanging, eternal, and absolute. However, the human ancestors became the origin of false love by falling during the growth period while they were still in the state of imperfection. The human civilization built upon this foundation of selfish, evil, and false love cannot be sustained as is. It cannot work. If it persists humanity will face ruin. What good are external development and material wealth when the foundation of family is crumbling, and our deep problems will be bequeathed to our descendants? Historical mistakes and violations must be resolved fundamentally. What is needed most urgently is a revolution of true love initiated by True Parents. We cannot expect happiness and a peaceful world without the presence of fundamental changes. The problems of today must be resolved by a True Parents-centered, True Family ideology, and God's True Love ideology.

Dear respected leaders, I hope that you will research and evaluate seriously the peace movement and ideology of True Love that I have planted throughout the world. The True Love and Pure Love movement for the youth, and the True Family movement of true love, which transcends nationality, culture, race, and religion, should not be looked upon as a sectarian phenomenon.

A peaceful nation is needed before there can be world peace. The precondition for peace in a nation is peace in the family. Power, wealth, and knowledge, which worldly people have ordinarily desired, cannot be the necessary and sufficient condition for peace and happiness. True happiness is not proportional to how much property one owns and is not dependent on the external degree of comfort. One can attain true peace and true happiness when such things are accompanied with true love. Genuine peace and infinite happiness can only be gained when we serve others with true love and when that love is returned.

Dear respected leaders, I know you have brought forth tremendous accomplishments, advancing human welfare and social development in each area of your endeavors through exceptional dedication. And, of course, you should continue to make even greater contributions. However, humanity now faces grave peril. Remedies from any one specialized area will not be sufficient. As leaders, you should become the conscience of the age, and should lead by actively providing examples to guide and create true families which are the prerequisite and fundamental basis of a peaceful world.

The first stage of the marriage Blessing of the 360 million couples, which I will officiate this Saturday June 13th, is one of the fruits of educating about ideal family throughout my entire life. Those participating in the Blessing ceremony have already promised God that they will be the people who will form true families by becoming true couples and true parents, centering on God's true love. I am boldly carrying out the historic revolution of true love for the realization of world peace through the True Family Movement.

Dear leaders, what can be more urgent than to save humanity from its path of family destruction? Again I urge all of you actively to join with the True Family Movement for the sake of world peace.

I sincerely wish for God's true love to come to you, your family and your nation.