Blessed Childrens' Summer Camp ’98 Boulder, Colorado

by Steven Hale-Lakewood CO

After many meetings with our summer camp committee, we could finally make it happen! Our Blessed Children’s Workshop was underway. Nestled at the foot of the Colorado Rockies, we began a very short but intense summer camp which involved over 30 blessed children and six staff-parents from Colorado and Wyoming.

The Boulder center, home of World CARP and now used by the Pure Love Alliance (PLA), is an ideal facility for workshops. Our challenge was to engage the hearts and minds of children whose ages range from eight to fifteen years old. As parents we face the passage of our offspring from children into teenagers and adolescents. There is often a tension between allowing creativity and freedom and yet retaining boundaries and discipline. A tension which increases exponentially as they grow older.

We began our program with a well-appreciated pizza party. This was followed by an evening of charades, in which we got to know each other very quickly. Getting the group to bed later was another matter entirely! The next morning began bright and early at 6am with the quest for our vertical connection, literally, to God. We hiked up to the Holy Ground high above Boulder, accessed only by a stony path made more treacherous by recent rains. After a short Hoon Dok Hae from the Way of the True Child volume, we carefully descended from the mountainside, a little more enlightened and a lot hungrier than when we started. I was surprised by the willingness of each person to make the climb and the excitement of reaching the holy rock.

Following a hearty breakfast, our first presentation by Mrs. Alice Fleisher attempted to give our children an understanding of the Last Days. Many of the children were excited by this topic, especially by Bill Cosby’s rendition of Noah talking to God about the Ark! Giving a lecture to an audience whose inert nature seems to be that of bouncing off walls is no easy task, as I was to discover after the break.

In my presentation I wanted to emphasize to each person that this is a time of preparation in their lives. Father talks about combining this preparation with ability in order to make a foundation. It is upon our foundation that we bring result. Without these elements there is no result, and it is result that history remembers. We then watched a short video of Father’s life which clearly demonstrates these points in action. Seeing Father’s accomplishments flash before me caused a well of emotion to emerge from within and I was left sobbing in front of the class trying to pray to end the talk. I felt that these children are some of the fruits of a lifelong struggle by True Parents to bring about God’s will.

Following lunch it was time to be more physically oriented. Some of the group were involved in making crafts. My fate was to join the older boys in a game of soccer. What started as a drizzle that afternoon turned into a downpour. The experience of running around in the rain took me back to my boarding school days in England. At the age of 13 we often played rugby in "mud fields" during the rain. I love soccer but I’m not 18 anymore. Even so I played my heart out and so did all the boys. Rain? What rain?

Being so wet, we were ready for the trip to the local recreation center swimming pool. There were other activities than swimming, but the water slide was probably the most thrilling for everyone. I appreciated the hot tub as my 42-year-old body was experiencing a kind of rigor mortis effect after two hours of soccer! Dinner was received by ravenous mouths and still the boys had energy to play pingpong.

We were now all preoccupied with preparing our skits, for each group had to prepare their own. Six groups performed, acting out various messages from being drug-free to surveying people’s view of the last days. One of the funniest skits was for one person to try and feed another person without being able to see their mouth.

The morning came quickly and we were off to the holy ground again. The pace was a little sluggish compared to the day before, but enthusiasm abounded. We returned for a bountiful breakfast, after which Mrs. Cynthia Hiromitsu gave the third presentation on Life of Faith. Morning activity took some of us to Boulder Falls, a short drive up the canyon from Boulder. As we sat watching the powerful falls above, I realized it had been 10 years since I had been there with my wife one moonlit evening. A great deal has passed under the bridge since then, including the birth of many of the children in our care, who were now stepping carefully over the craggy rocks.

Rev. Shin, our regional director, gave the closing presentation, focusing much of his effort toward the older children. He pointed out that each of the children will eventually marry one day, so they should prepare themselves to be the best men and best women with much prayer and study.

I am grateful to the parents who worked to make this camp possible, as well as the PLA who allowed us to use the center. My thanks also go to the children who participated. With the Rocky Mountains on our doorstep, we hope to be able to offer many experiences together in the future.

Belarus Republic Ministry of Justice Withdraws Suit to Stop CARP

by Konstantin Krylov-Minsk

On June 25 the final court hearing took place in the suit brought by the Minister of Justice of the Belarus Republic, Mr. G.N. Vorontsov, to liquidate the student association CARP. The suit had accused the student association of conducting activities aimed at violently changing the constitutional order and kindling national, religious and racial hatred, while violating the regulations contained in Article 3 of the Belarus Republic law "On Public Associations."

The trial which a Belarus business newspaper called "unprecedented" started June 18 in the Supreme Court of the Belarus Republic. An expert conclusion submitted to the court by Belarus State University, Journalist Department graduate Ms. Galina Ruzova stated that while being a part of the Unification Movement of Rev. Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, and while delivering lectures on "Pure Love," CARP contributed to a cholera epidemic and damaged the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Belarus people and the republic's budget.

During the trial the CARP representative submitted to the court more than 50 letters of gratitude which the student association had received for its campaign to prevent AIDS and drug abuse, its charity work with orphanages and boarding schools, and its lectures given on campuses and in dormitories about preparing for family life.

During the final hearings the Ministry of Justice withdrew its suit completely, accepting that the activities of the student association CARP are entirely lawful. After the court's decision Nadezhda Dudareva, a associate of OSCE-Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe-said that the case set a precedent, because until now the Ministry of Justice of the Belarus Republic has never withdrawn a demand to shut down a public organization.

For more information, contact: Konstantin Krylov Tel/fax: 7-095-234-3292.

Back to Seoul

by Linna Rapkins

The time had come to return to the heart of Korea-the city of Seoul. Father had tried to start his work there almost ten years earlier and was thoroughly rejected. Then he had moved North and suffered so many things in Pyongyang and Hungnam prisons. On their way south to Pusan in 1951, Father, Mr. Pak and Won Pil Kim had passed through Seoul. They had seen a city overrun with soldiers and army tanks, with most of the other people heading further South. No one wanted to be around when the communist soldiers arrived.

On a pleasant autumn day in October 1953, Father once again entered Seoul, and what met his eyes was not so pleasant. Where little houses and busy shops had once stood along the winding roads, there now lay piles of rubble. There were bombed out shells of old buildings and little footpaths winding in and out among the piles of broken tiles and household items.

The rest of the world had already done much of its rebuilding following World War II. But in Korea there came the Korean War, and it had still been a time for tearing down; not building up.

Father remembered the Korean myth about the phoenix bird, who rose up out of its own ashes to live again. Now, Korea must rise up from its own ashes and live again. Looking at the miles and miles of ruins, however, it seemed impossible.

"Oh Seoul! Seoul! Look at you! How many times I tried to reach out to you and you wouldn’t listen!" The pain that stabbed his heart brought tears to his eyes. "How long before laughter and happy voices can fill your air again-your streets again-your homes again. Homes? Can you really call these shacks and lean-tos homes?"

Father observed ragged families rummaging through the garbage for bits and pieces. The sparkle had left their eyes. The years of war and hunger had worn them down.

Father wandered around with tears flowing down his face. He wanted so much to shout to everyone about the coming new age for Korea and the world. He wanted to give them hope. He wished he could be a big mother hen and gather them all under his protecting wings.

If he had stopped to think about it, Father could very easily have felt hopeless about his own life. He could have said, "I’m already past 30 years old-and look at me. I have nothing-no money, no nice clothes, no job, no family, no home. Other people are poor, but at least they have their families. I have no wife. I have no children. Poor me!" He could have thought it; but his thoughts, as always, were for other people-and for Heavenly Father.

The days passed by. He kept praying every day, spending long hours alone on mountaintops in Seoul. Spirit world sometimes sent people right up to him, and then he told them about God’s message. His heart would reach out to them, and as he taught them The Divine Principle, he gave them all the love and power he had.

It was very difficult, however, to convince anyone to listen. They were just trying to survive.

For two months, he worked in Seoul. Besides his busy schedule of praying, witnessing and teaching, there was another topic continually on his mind-his disciples in Pusan and Taegu. There were no telephones, so he couldn’t talk to them.

"How are they doing?" he wondered. "I miss them so much-Mrs. Oak, Mrs. Kang, Mr. Aum, my dear Won Pil. I’ve never been separated from him since I got out of prison. I wonder how he’s doing. I wonder how they’re all doing. I wonder if they found new people. Maybe I shouldn’t have left them alone."

In December, he could bear it no longer. He would make the long trip to Pusan and pay a visit in time for Christmas.

Paradigm Shift for the New Millennium

by Rev. J. H. Pak

I would like to share with you how the dispensation is changing and developing. First of all, do you have a memory of the MSG victory. We cannot forget, don't you think so? Sometimes when I think back to the MSG event if feels like it was 10 years ago or 1 year ago. I have this kind of feeling because Father's dispensation is moving forward so quickly and there are so many new directions coming. Because of this, my sense about time is a bit confused. However, I have only good memories related to MSG and I feel proud and deeply appreciative when I think about this time. This was truly an exciting time when we could show our deep and valuable life of commitment and dedication. I have this kind of fruitful feeling about this time. I believe that everybody here had that kind of experience as well.

For a successful life we always need to build up more. We often say I did enough, but Father always challenges us. Father has brought great victory and result throughout his life and will soon change the entire world and cosmos, but in front of God, he always feels sorry and repentful and pledges to do more. Father always has this kind of humble, sincere and pure attitude before God. This morning I encourage everyone to make a new start. Together we will make a victory hundreds of times greater than MSG and soon we will offer to God and True Parents a new history. Amen?

The year 2,000 is just seventeen months away. Some scholars say that the year 2,000 is not important and that the year 2001 marks the new millennium. However the year 2,000 is coming soon. Think about it. God is the almighty creator and owner of the cosmos and human life; He's the origin of the cosmos and human life. His dispensation is millions of years old even though the Bible records 6,000 years. The year 2,000 is not only the year 2,000. From the point of view of God's dispensation it represents 6,000 years. From the time of Jesus it represents the third millennium and from God's dispensational view it represents the beginning of the 7th millennium. So actually, from Jesus' point of view the year 2,000 marks the beginning of the 3rd millennium and from God's point of view it marks the beginning of the 7th millennium. This is very serious. The world is changing and God will become the almighty God and ruler. The history of pain and suffering marked by struggles, divisions, divorce, etc. will continue to go down. The conclusion of this type a history is drawing near. We will bequeath a better legacy to our second and third generation.

The providence of restoration advances through the payment of indemnity. Only through sacrifice and indemnity can we bring about this kind of world. Until the year 2,000 we need to once again unite and sacrifice; once again we need to invest all of our energy and knowledge and unite to challenge Satan. This is the history of indemnity. This is what outside people don't know.

How is history changing? Economy is changing; politics are changing; culture is changing. How is today's economy different from 2,000 or 4,000 years ago? Even in America, poor people have enough clothes. The clothing material we use is stronger. So the worldwide economy is much better than long ago. Today we eat food and wear clothes imported from all parts of the world. Even the Roman emperor of 2,000 years ago did not have this type of luxury and yet this standard of living is considered average in today's economy. Amen? People thought that America's economy is the strongest. Some Americans were even happy to witness the current economic crisis in Asia taking pride in their own wealth. But now America is realizing that if the Asian economy goes down so does the American economy. Why? Because now Asia can not afford to buy American products. Now we are realizing that we need to have a global perspective; we are a global village and we need to have global solutions. Without this kind of mentality, we cannot survive and make a peaceful life and world.

Hyun Jin Nim mentioned yesterday that globalization represents a paradigm shift in our thinking. All over the world now we see that globalization is facilitated by the boom in computer and telecommunication technologies. We also see these technologies applied to ocean and space research-for example, the unearthing of the Titanic wreckage; a probe to Jupiter. This kind of development and globalization is quickly changing the world. Because science is so developed, people are now discovering the unseen world. Soon they will discover the spiritual world. There will soon be complete communication between the spiritual world and the physical world. Who is conducting this program? God. Why? For His world of perfection.

America is now the political center of the world. Only America can help solve such problems such as the fighting in Yugoslavia and the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan. America is like the world police and the world government is heaven. Satan is now invading the white House. This is the climax. Would you like Clinton to be kicked out of the White House and receive the Holy Wine and to start promoting True Family Values?

True Parents are the Messiah. Through True Parents, for the first time true love appeared on earth. What is true love? We need to write on paper our definition of true love. what is the meaning of true love? There is a simple answer. True love is simply: love plus God. Why do we need true love? Because we have untrue love. We need to overcome untrue love: false love, fake love, Satanic love. This is the history of restoration and salvation. So the meaning of true love is very simple: love plus God. Love is not created alone. We need a partner, don't you think so? Subject and object, husband and wife, parents and children, Cain and Abel, whatever. We need a partnership for give and take centered on God. Centered on Satan is un-true love.

In 1960 True Parents appeared in Korea. True love started in Korea. Because true love came, true life and true lineage started. Korea is very important because True Parents come from there and true love starts from Korea. The Messiah's responsibility touches all things: technology, science, art and culture, politics, etc. Most important though, the Messiah is a spiritual giant; a religious giant who brings the revolution of heart, the revolution of love and life style and the revolution of blood lineage. In this way he will build the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and in Heaven before the year 2,000.

The year 2,000 is 1 year and 5 months away. The leadership of New York and America, especially New York as the center of America and the world, needs to bring a revolution. In our meetings we should be concerned to discuss, plan and develop programs, make unity and develop a model of victory. This is very important! This breakfast meeting is not a joke and should not be conducted merely out of habit and routine. We should take ownership as representatives of God and True Parents. We are the creators and conductors of a new heaven and new earth. We are now in the central position of the new world. Our leadership is very important. Knowing this, we need to develop ideas and new programs based on our meditation, thinking and discussions. We have to bring victory.

So True Parents brought true love; True Parents sacrificed and paid indemnity for all people of the world. We are now giving the Holy Wine. We are blessing, witnessing and educating people in True Family values and helping and guiding them to become true sons and daughters of God. Before the year 2,000, Father wants to guide all people on earth to perfection. This is Father's goal and mission before the year 2,000. Do you follow what I mean? Yes. So True Family Values and the blessing are very important for the year 2,000.

This morning, our IOWC leaders will discuss ideas and strategies to teach True Family Values and to invite people to the blessing. They will discuss how to teach True Parents and True Family's tradition through Hoon Dok Hae study and how to reach the level of perfection. We all will become children of God in the household of God and become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in heaven. That's very simple! This is the goal of the year 2,000. To change the world and cosmos is our responsibility. Do you understand? Yes! Bill Clinton is responsible for World Politics, Wall Street is responsible for the world economy, Bill Gates and Microsoft are responsible for technology, Steven Spielberg is responsible for Culture and Michael Jordan is responsible for world sports. What then is our and True Parents responsibility? Family revolution and true love revolution. This is very simple! Don't have complicated thinking . Principle is very simple. The formula is very simple.

Now we are witnessing dramatic changes in technology, politics, science, economy, culture, etc. Sometimes is good if we don’t watch TV for 10 days because so there is too much digest and follow. All of this will just confuse us. Why is human life changing so suddenly? Because the dawn of a new millennium. This is the conclusion, the alpha and omega! Are you excited? Yes! We are simple people but because we joined the Unification Church we could reach this point and participate at this time.

In preparation for the Madison Square Garden event, Father made serious prayer and indemnity conditions while in South America. We just made the external preparations by bringing top religious leaders, the 2,000 voice choir, over 1500 ministers, etc. etc. We brought an amazing victory but we were only responsible for half. The most amazing thing about MSG is that we laid the foundation to open the doors of the Kingdom of Hell. Represented at this event were 34 saints and sinners: the four saints were Jesus Christ, Confucius, Buddha and Mohammed. Among some of the sinners represented were Karl Marx, Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin and Kim Il Sung. These people were blessed on the same stage at that time.

In Dr. Song Han Lee's book, one of the most important thing he expresses is our ancestors anxiousness to be liberated from hell. Father did this on June 13 in MSG. Can you believe this? Even Kim Il Sung who led the attack against South Korea during which time I lost my parents was forgiven. Kim Il Sung is my worst enemy. But even Kim Il Sung was forgiven and liberated. He even became a Blessed couple. He us my younger Blessed Couple. This is a dramatic change. So we prepared half of Madison Square Garden. If we go to the spiritual world, is it going to be exciting or boring? Exciting! We'll sit down to talk about MSG with Kim Il Sung. But those who complained about MSG and did not work hard will not have good memories to take with them to the spiritual world.

Normal peoples attitude is to recognize the importance and significance of an event after the fact. But a prophet, a forefather and pioneer's way is to always be wise and to understand early on. Such a person anticipates and makes all the necessary preparations beforehand. The year 2,000 is only 1 year and 5 months away. Should we prepare and bring victory now or should we struggle to bring victory after the year 2,000? Which way is better?

After MSG, True Parents went to South America. Father then ordered the start of IOWC worldwide. IOWC formed in 1972 by Father and Reverend Kamiyama in America. This movement has started again. Father also prepared an education center in Des Jardins, South America capable of educating 10,000 people at one time. It is located in beautiful and pure wilderness isolated from civilization. It is like the Garden of Eden. Father prepared this area and is inviting Blessed couples there from all over the world.

So far I have talked about our mission and dispensation and the dramatic changes going on in the world, but what is the purpose of our physical and spiritual life on earth? What is the purpose? To become a man and woman of perfection. What is perfection? To become a muscle man like Hulk Hogan or to become like Bill Gates or Mohammed Ali? Is that perfection? Perfection is to become the fruit of true love. We have to practice and experience true love. Even homeless street people or handicapped people who are not physically beautiful can become perfect if they own true love. To own true love though they need a spouse. They need God because true love is God + love. Please remember that true love means making the 4 position foundation with our spouse and children centered on God. This is true love. This is perfection of our human life.

By the year 2,000 our blessed couples and everybody have to reach the perfection level and direct dominion level. Restoration or recreation is to separate from Satan and to arrive to the perfection of the growth level and then through True Parents matching we become husband and wife. But this is not good enough. We have to follow True Parents and True Family to arrive to the perfection level. Up to the top of the growth stage, our ancestors pioneered, but the perfection level is unexplored and there is no model. One of True Parents greatest difficulty is to pioneer the perfection level and to establish a model so that we can follow. They are ahead of us and calling us to reach their level. For this, we have to follow True Parents successfully to reach perfection. With God and True Parents we establish the four position foundation on the perfection level. This is very serious. This is our most important challenge before the year 2,000.

God gives the truth. The truth is the road map and manual to go back to God. True Family Values, the Divine Principle and Hoon Dok Hae are the road map. This is why True Father said that every morning we should do Hoon Dok Hae. Father and Mother are also directly teaching which is why they prepared Chung Pyung Lake. Who is conducting CPL? Heung Jin Nim and Dae Mo Nim. Chung Pyung Training is like a jar that we need to empty and clean out. We are sinners but Father gave the blessing. Even though we received the blessing , we still have a lot of fallen nature and bad habits. In Chung Pyung we can have strong repentance and study the Divine Principle. This will help our growth to perfection. Actually, we received the blessing without even reaching the top of the growth level because dispensationally True Parents need 36 Bless Couples, 72 Bless Couples, etc. Even though we are not good enough, Father gives the blessing conditionally. So by going to CPL, we can clean ourselves-a clean jar.

But this is not good enough. We need to fill the jar with new truth and our new personality filled with the Holy Spirit. We do this by going to Des Jardins. So we have two different education centers. Father said we should not come to Des Jardins alone but to come with our family. The full name of the Des Jardin Training Center is "Education Institute for Ideal Family for World Peace." In the Garden of Eden, God expected a family with the original standards of Heaven. Des Jardins is like an ideal family mass production factory. This means that space for 10,000 couples is not good enough. We need capacity for 100,000 couples or a million couples.

Glorious True Family

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
Belvedere, Tarrytown, New York
August 9, 1998

Of course we have to do Hoon Dok Hae as always, but this morning you can do hoon dok hae at your home when you return.

Is there any non-Korean who can read the title? The Korean is "Y'nggwang-twen Cham Kaj'ng," which in English means "Glorious True Family."

What does "glory" mean? If we analyze the Chinese character for "y'ng," it has two fires on top of a roof, and underneath there is a big tree. You can see how bright and how glorious it can be. "Gwang" means shining light. All Chinese characters have the subject symbol on top, and the object symbol supports from below.

I have just returned from Jardim, Brazil where we established the "International Ideal Family for World Peace Education Headquarters." Do you understand what that means? In order to build a world of peace, there should be the ideal family as the root. Ideal means that it cannot change; it means eternal and unchanging. Therefore the ideal world is an unchanging world. There is only one ideal world, not two. When we say ideal man, we are talking about one unique ideal man, not two. Thus, the concept of the ideal implies absolute, eternal, unchanging and unique. First, absolute; second, unique; third, unchanging and fourth, eternal.

These four attributes are God’s internal attributes. Absolute. Unique. Unchanging. Eternal. This is what God wants to see in human beings also. Since God wants this standard, as human beings we all want that same standard. What is the ideal for which God has been longing, and what is the ideal for which humanity has been longing? When an absolute, unique, unchanging and eternal standard is achieved, then both God and humanity will like it. These are the four attributes and also the standard which God and human beings desire.

Then what does God desire? Money? Knowledge? Power? God already has these. Then what does God want most? True love. True love should also be absolute, eternal, unique and unchanging. Centering on what kind of love? True love. God cannot fulfill true love by Himself. Can you fulfill love by yourself? Can Father fulfill love by himself, by looking at himself and touching himself? We absolutely need a partner to achieve love. No matter how handsome a man may be, he cannot achieve love by himself. Similarly, no matter how pretty a woman may be, she cannot achieve love by herself. This same principle applies to God. No one, not even God, can fulfill love by himself.

If we are created to fulfill God’s love, we should have certain organs, certain instruments that can help us to fulfill God’s love. God needs Adam and Eve, who are center of the universe. In order to fulfill love, Adam and Eve need all things. Of course, God created His entire universe, including nature and all things, for Himself as well, but in order for man to be able to find love, mankind needs nature as an object, as a love partner in order to fulfill love. And when we say man, we are talking about man and woman together.

Why are they made this way? When God created Adam first, God said it looked lonely. That is why God created Eve as the partner of Adam, after which God said, "It looks good." What is the essence of Eve that made God feel good? Was it His creation of her face, eyes, hands, which part of the body? It was the final stage of the creation: the sexual organ. God perfected the ideal of "convex and concave." When God created Adam, He shaped Adam’s love organ convex. Then as the partner of Adam’s sexual organ God created Eve with the concave shaped love organ. That was the essence of Eve’s creation from God. Why did God create Adam’s love organ and Eve’s love organ in such a way? He did so because without having them they cannot make love.

The reason God said it was very good after completing the creation of Eve is because knew that by having these two different types of sexual organs, which would allow Adam and Eve to unite in love, through their lovemaking God would achieve love too. Thus it was good for God, good for Eve and good for Adam. Centering on what did God say that? Centering on the sexual organ.

Do not think this is a strange concept; it is not. Because of the human fall, the meaning or concept of the sexual organs became strange, dirty or embarrassing. But in truth the love organ is the origin of life, love and lineage. It is the source of an eternal spring of love. Why did God chase Adam and Eve out of the garden right after their fall? It was because their love organ was contaminated and already destroyed, so God didn’t see any purpose in them.

Some people still believe that the human fall was caused by the ingestion of a literal fruit, but that is ridiculous, because the original sin it entails a problem of lineage. Everybody admits that as fallen descendants we have original sin. Inheritance of original sin means that we are of a fallen lineage. Also, the product of original sin is a self-centered thinking and way of life. Everyone exemplifies this self-centered concept. No matter where one looks in the world, everyone’s thinking is self-centered. This applies to men, to women, and to all eras of history.

Why do we have two eyes? We have two nostrils, two lips, two hands. The power that can combine and harmonize two different objects is the power of love. Wherever and whenever there is a give and take relationship between subject and object, there is a center. That center represents love, true love. True love means the original, God-created essence of love.

In that sense we can interpret the human fall as the exchange of love without true love as the center. Even in the instance of eyesight, the two eyes function on their own, yet they are focused on the center, a point inside our head. It is the same with our nostrils. The four directions always have a center. Why do we need East, West, North and South? It is because the unchanging east, west, north and south reflect the existence of one unchanging central point.

Whether externally beautiful or unattractive, each person desires to become the center of the entire world. Man is to be the plus center, and woman the minus center. This is the way of man and woman harmonizing. If we extend this model, we can see this phenomenon on the surface of the earth, in the mountains and the oceans. Which part of this diagram do you think should represent plus, the lower section or the upper section? [The diagram was a capital M directly above a capital W.] I ask in particular the American ladies here: who is in the position of subject, husband or wife? American women conceive of themselves as subject. Do you follow Father? (Yes; and Father is a man, and this teaches that) the wife is not supposed to walk in front of her husband. You are supposed to follow your husband’s footsteps. It is natural that since usually you are smaller than your husband, your stride is shorter than his and in a normal circumstance you need to make greater effort to keep up with your husband. This simple concept is very important for American women, because the wrong concept here destroys the family, leading to a proliferation of problems.

Who is in the position to be influenced by the environment more easily, the husband or wife? If there is a beautiful flower, women have a tendency to draw closer and to try to touch it, whereas men stand at a distance and try to figure it out, asking to whom it belongs, what is its name, or analyzing its beauty. So are men or women, husbands or wives, more changeable?

By the same token, whose love organ, the husband’s or wife’s, is activated first and most easily? When spring comes, what arrives on the trees first, the flowers or leaves? [In most cases flowers, but there are exceptions.] Then which lasts longer, leaves or flowers? [Leaves.] Then what has potential to grow twigs or branches? [Leaves.] The flowers do not have the ability to extend the cells, but the leaves keep growing and can multiply and they can have ...

So then between a flower and a leaf, which comes first? American woman says, "Flower." The American woman’s concept, "woman first," is not so good. What do you want? Do you want to see God as a female God or male God? [Both.] Father is asking you to make a choice. [Male.] The reason is that man carries the seed of life. Is that true? I don’t know.

Who is in the central position? Between man and woman, who is vertical, man or woman? [Man.] What about woman? [Horizontal.] When this vertical figure, man, and horizontal figure, woman, meet, that angle should be perpendicular. Only true love can establish eternal settlement when it comes to the vertical and horizontal relationship meeting in the center point. Who is bigger in terms of size between man and woman? [Man.] Because man is vertical, he is naturally supposed to be bigger than woman, so when woman sees her love partner, her husband, she goes and embraces him and swings around his neck. Making that 90 degree angle, how beautiful they are. Do you like that? But men do not.

In terms of the human body, man is in the position of bone, and woman is in the position of flesh. You may argue about why man should be bone and woman flesh. Bone can exist without much water, but flesh is over 70 percent water. That is why woman’s shape is concave, like a container receiving water. The shape of man’s love organ is like a bone. That particular organ should be strong like a bone. Then you can make love and function really well. Suppose that particular organ is like regular flesh, then what will happen? Flesh mixed with bone is man’s sexual organ. Flesh mixed with water is the woman’s body.

Therefore, I am the combination of bone that I received vertically from my father and flesh that I received horizontally from my mother. The combination of these two, vertical and horizontal, is myself. Which lasts longer, bone or flesh? The vertical being, the bone lasts longer. Who is the vertical figure? The husband. The wife is the horizontal figure. While woman turns around 360 degrees, man is in the center, not going around 360 degrees. Can we say man and woman in the vertical and horizontal positions can exchange positions as they start to turn? Also, while this turning is going on, a complete circle should be formed there, but then can man and woman change the nature of a circle? If some external force intervenes and disrupts their love, then the angle will be thrown off the perpendicular. If your watch breaks, you will open it and repair it, but it will never return to its original state. There is always some shortfall.

What is the meaning of true love? When vertical love and horizontal love meet in the central point forming the 90 degree angle, that represents true love. Why is the meeting point of true love in the center? Once you form a 90 degree angle at the center, then you can make the woman vertical and the man horizontal without making any difference; the center point remains the center. Its value is unchanging. Its magnitude remains the same; everything is in balance, equal.

Thus, in an ideal family the wife can function in the place of the husband, vertically forming the 90 degrees. There is no difference when wife plays the role of husband in an ideal family. If there are no parents, the children can play the role of the parents; if there is no son, then the daughter can play his role. Can we find such a family in America? Once such an ideal family is formed, husband and wife can interchange their roles. They can play the roles in shifts.

So we must have bone and flesh together. When you look at a fingernail, is it an extension of the bone or the flesh? It has to be connected to the bone to have stiffness; if your finger were just flesh it would get smushed. Without toenails, we could not maintain balance. But we usually don’t think that way. Our fingernails and toenails are very important because they are the extension of our bone structure. Some animals have horns or hooves as a major weapon. Bears have strong claws. Therefore, upon what should we rely, bone or flesh? Which helps us more? [Bone.] When you touch bone, you make no trace and impart no sense of feeling. But if you push flesh hard you see some indentation or mark. By the same token, between man and woman, that kind of difference exists? Do you ladies want your husband to be feminine or masculine? A man-like man is unchangeable. A changeable man is like a woman. The woman’s way is to change easily. I don’t know, but you understand what I am talking about. Again, who is more changeable, man or woman? [Woman.]

Then do you want to see your husband standing like a rock or pillar, not talking too much but having a stern appearance, or should your husband be more like a pet dog, moving around and around. [Like a pillar.] One time standing forever continue settlement exists unchangeable.

As we continue our life in this world, what kind of life do we maintain, having family life between man and man, or between husband and wife, or wife and wife or husband and husband? Man laughs out loudly. When women laugh, they usually have the tendency to look down. This is a natural phenomenon. One is going down the other up. Woman is in the position to show humility. If a woman shows herself to be humble, a man will come along and say, "How beautiful woman is." Then man will enjoy watching the woman. According to Father’s teaching, in our family the wife should be like woman and the husband should be like man. That is the only way we can build ideal, glorious and true family. Between man and woman, who has bigger hips? Why? They are like a cushion for sitting long time. That is woman’s life. That is natural law. Man’s hips are sharp, therefore he cannot sit a long time and goes out running around and working. How wonderful woman’s place. That is why woman is originally shaped such a way as a gift from God. Therefore if a woman goes out more than husband, your family, also your nation ,will be in crisis.

This good cushion which woman has naturally, women should be able to embrace all the children and grandchildren and eventually present them to the husband and grandparents. So woman is in the queen’s position to raise the children of your own family and tribe. Whereas husband is in the king’s position of the entire nation. That is why the husband is supposed to go out and to move more. Suppose Father just stayed in Korea for God’s providence. Then you wouldn’t have any chance to learn about the reality of the Kingdom of God. Instead, Father came out of Korea and came to America.

So women must clearly know the identity of woman, and man should know clearly man’s identity. And we should know the relationship between man and woman in our family. That is the only way we can build an ideal family centering on true love. Between man and woman, who cries more easily. [Woman.] Why? Because woman always faces four different directions, east, west, north and south, they keep crying. Why? Because of the marriage you have, you shed tears easily, your husband can comfort you and extend his sympathy over you. I will tell you a secret. When the wife makes a small mistake in your family, just shed tears in front of your husband, that is the superhighway through which you can guarantee your husband’s forgiveness and love. Instead of shedding tears, they just keep shouting and lose that marriage privilege. So when the wife starts shedding tears, the husband feels, "Oh, she must be missing my love."

Have you really thought about how much God thought about Adam and Eve’s fitness right after he created them? How well they fit and how exciting they could become when they fit each other like that. Even if Father explains about this and like the sexual organs and kissing, don’t take it strangely, because Father is giving you the truth of the original organs. So then aren’t man and woman supposed to kiss each other? I don’t know. Just like when the husband goes to work every morning, if the wife is left behind without having been kissed, then all day long she will feel kind of lonely and sad, saying, well, my husband doesn’t feel good today. Oriental wives don’t feel that way. True Mother is not that way. When it is a busy time, if Father tries to kiss her, she runs away. She is very wise. Think about it, if there is a fire, or even an important telephone call, something really urgent that needs to be taken care of, if you have to give a kiss to your wife, then it is a nuisance.

So do you still think husband should kiss wife before leaving? [Yes.] Oriental woman: "No, no, no. That much difference. Oriental woman says no, it’s okay; western woman says, yes, they should. So Father came up with a brilliant way of harmonizing these two completely different ways of life and thinking by exchanging husband and wife between the orient and the west. Of course, Father is the king of matchmakers. So Father has dealt with many western husband candidates, and out of ten, usually about seven or eight want to have oriental wives. What do you American and western women want to do, then? You cannot find your husband? If all western men go after oriental women, then where can we find husbands for the western women? Korean and other oriental men are not so big. Think about it if the woman is tall and the man is short, how can they make balance?

So after sincere study and research, Father came up with the solution. In order to build a world of peace, exchange marriage between enemy families, enemy nations and races takes place, then there will be natural peace, world of peace, natural harmony established. If such a world in which enemies marry their children together, and give their blessing to their enemy’s children when they marry and pray for their happiness, that world will become the real world of unification, harmony and peace.

Americans and Japanese do not like Koreans much. Wherever they go, Korean men always cause some waves, problems. Why? Because the country of Korea is a peninsula, it is shaped like a man’s love organ. The continents represent different parts of the body. So Korea is shaped like a man’s love organ and an island nation like Japan is shaped like woman’s love organ. That is why you often see tour groups from Japan and Korea, the Japanese group takes only one short flag and everyone follows that flag. But Koreans never do that.

Since WWII, for fifty years, Koreans have gone out to the world and on their own have made a lot of international and interracial marriages. Wherever they go, Korean men usually have a tendency to buy expensive and good clothes first, even though the food in your home may be really humble and not enough money to buy food, they always spend extra money to buy good clothing and show off. Also when it comes to giving tips, Koreans give big tips. Even when they prepare gifts, if there is one gift Japanese people may divide into ten and give each time small ones, but Koreans don’t count like that. If there is something big, they will just give it once then forget about it; like not just one pinkie but the entire fist will be given to them. That is why wherever Koreans go, women like them. Why. There is no such word in English, but Korean man is much fun, and dandy and handsome and versatile. That is why they are welcome wherever they go. They can sing well, they are artistic, they can speak well. The model of such Koreans is Rev. Moon.

As you know, Father is getting close to 80. In about a year and a half he will become 80 years of age. Yet suppose, just imagine Father were single now, living in America, how many young, beautiful American women do you think would propose to Father. [Many.] That is why Father cannot trust American women. If a man is 80 years old, you don’t know when he will die, maybe tomorrow morning or the day after tomorrow. Yet since the American women say that way, they have no hope. That means you have to wake up.

I don’t know if you have this kind of expression in western culture, but in Korea and elsewhere in the Orient the woman is compared to a fox, to having the nature and way of doing things of a fox. Father thinks the reason is when the fox kills and eats a chicken it has to use it’s mouth a lot in order to eat the chicken, so like women’s lips using lipstick, the fox’s lips will be all bloody. Also when it rains, the fox uses its full tail as an umbrella. It also has a wiggling gait, like women.

We have to return to the title again, Glorious True Family.

Is there anyone who does not want your family to be a glorious true family? Does everyone want it? Like Father, who is over 70 years old may think, is worried about glorious true family, because all these 70 years have passed already, how can I build it? Don’t you think as young people, in your twenties thirties and forties, you still have plenty of time to build your family as a glorious true family. But people like Father who is over 70 years old do not have time? Then Father has no hope, only despair? Why does Father have hope? Because the spirit world exists there is hope. Once you join the spirit world, heaven, you remain at your prime age for eternity. Also, as you keep improving your internal qualities, such as your thinking, your appearance will become more beautiful and more inspirational.

Once we know the reality of the spirit world we can be connected to spirit world right away. In this physical world up until now because of the human fall, we human beings do not know the reality of the spirit world? What about the Unification Church-what do we do here? This is where we seek the glorious true family in our family. Those who have confidence that you will never die physically, raise your hands. In this area, everyone is equal. Whoever you are you have to pass into the spirit world. The origin of this bone, the vertical feature, is God, not the changing beings in this physical world. Our mind will be in the position of flesh in the spirit world. Where does this mind stem from? From our parents true love. So in the spirit world, the bone of our being will be true love, because that bone is directly connected to God’s children. Just as if one strand of Father’s hair is plucked out of his head and really studied under a microscope, then Father’s DNA and everything about Father can be found. By the same token, when we join the spirit world, because the origin of this bone, the entire spirit world, is God, we can meet God’s attributes and God’s characteristics by meeting other people in the spirit world who are representing God.

When we join the spirit world, love will shine like light, because that is the origin of our life. Just as in this physical world the sun is the source of life, isn’t it. So when you join the spirit world, God Himself will be there, shining like the sun. So every existing being in the spirit world will turn toward God, God’s light of love. Then as long as we as individuals are ready to receive this love light from God, just as when a switch is turned on a light bulb immediately receives electricity and shines out, we will be able to shine out. Thus in the spirit world people will shine like stars. There will sun and moon and stars, like king and queen, and the stars representing the people. But only one sun and one moon. There will be one each of sun and moon, Father and Mother, but there will be many stars of differing size and brightness. When we join the spirit world will there be a distinction between night and day? Once we leave this physical world and enter the spiritual world we can go anywhere. We can even penetrate this planet , even going into the earth. As long as you go with God’s true love, nothing will stand in your way. Also the speed of love is the fastest. The speed of light is as fast but the speed of love is thousands of thousands of times faster than the speed of light. It is just a matter of thought. As long as you have true love as a motivation then the vast spirit world is your ground upon which to move around.

If that kind of world is waiting for us and we are to play the major role there, do you think we will have to carry this physical flesh with us when we go to the spirit world or just leave it behind? So is the shorter our earthly life the better or the longer? You want to live here longer? [Yes.] [No.] In this physical life, if we want to go for example ten miles away we need a car, or if we walk we will sweat-there is always limitation there. Isn’t it true? So then in this world which way is better: to live here and pass into the spirit world as an elementary school-age child or to grow up to adulthood and achieve a Ph.D. degree and remain in that state in this world. Which is better, a pure elementary school state or a Ph.D. state. [Ph.D. state]. Why? Those who have a Ph.D. degree may feel, well now I have completed study, so I don’t have to read any more books, but elementary school kids should continue studying. In this physical world we can be told to do good things, to serve for the sake of others, yet we usually don’t move. But when we join the spirit world, if we are not prepared we cannot get near to that kind of state.

What do we call a funeral in Unification terms. [Seunghwa.] Seunghwa-Ascension Ceremony. What does this ceremony mean? This ceremony explains that we are going up to another dimension. It is like moving from one house to another house, but vertically, going into another dimensional world. This world is the limited, finite world. But we are talking about moving on to the infinite and unlimited world.

Glorious, true family means the family which is happy in this physical world as well as in the spiritual world. The owner and center of the entire spirit world is God. In other words, glorious true family means the family in which the owner and center of the universe can dwell. This family is the family you will like for eternity. In this family between husband and wife you will eternally appreciate each other because without your husband you cannot have your eternal subject love partner and vice versa. So there will be positively a flow of gratitude and appreciation. Even God needs a true love partner. Sarang, sarang. Who is in the position of God’s love partner? When you say "man," it is man and woman inclusive, humankind. Centering on true love, man as plus figure and woman as minus figure should become one. Is that true? We resemble God’s invisible original sung sang and hyung sang. When this invisible, original sung sang and hyung sang of God divides into the visible sung sang and hyung sang it becomes man and woman, plus and minus. The same value.

In the individual, the mind is in the position of plus, the body in the position of minus. It is the same for both man and woman. They all should become one. Man represents plus, woman minus. But when it comes to the individual. So we all want to become the center of all humanity. Then we need our family. We want to become the center of our family, center of our tribe, center of our people, center of the world and center of the cosmos. These are different levels, but we want to become the center of all these levels. Whether we like it or not we all have that kind of desire. The same is true for woman, to become the center of the individual, family, tribe, people, nation, world and cosmos. The expansion of the individual reaches the cosmic level.

Through having give and take relationship there will be spherical movement in a complete circle. In order to form a sphere you cannot be by yourself; there should always be an object. Man wants to have the best woman in the world; woman wants to have the best man. Is that true? God has the same desire. God wants to have the love partner who is better than God Himself. That is why we have the same kind of desire.

The same principle applies to our children. Adam and Eve were in the position of the children of God, but in front of God, Adam and Eve in the position of object, like between husband and wife, if God is in the position of husband, Adam and Eve are in the position of wife. Man’s position is equal to God’s mind’s position. Woman in the minus position is in the original hyung sang’s position. That is why we absolutely have to have our mind and body united. Because of the fall of man, this oneness between original mind and body was destroyed and broken. That is why the history of restoration was needed.

Of course God’s internal sung sang is manifested in man and woman differently, but the ideal of God’s love is not manifested in them yet. Only when they become one as plus and minus through their conjugal relationship, this is the process to fulfill love. In order to perfect God’s mind, the ideal, of course man and woman represent different aspect, but including their body they have to become united in oneness as man and woman, through love. That way God can wear a physical body through Adam and Eve, because they become one with God. Without going through marriage between husband and wife, their bodies cannot become one. Only through marriage they become one, including their bodies.

God’s mind is manifested as plus and minus between man and woman, then through marriage God’s love is revealed. This is the culminating point that man’s mind and woman’s mind, husband’s mind and wife’s mind become one, also God’s mind and man’s mind meet there and become one. Then who is the owner or center of love? Horizontally, when there is lovemaking between husband and wife, in that center God comes down and appears. So vertically speaking, this origin, division and union theory takes place here centering on love. This origin, division, union function takes place to begin with within myself, and when we become one through conjugal relationship division, then vertically God appears unto that. That becomes again the union. Husband’s mind and body become one, wife’s mind and body become one, then together husband and wife become one. It is all oneness takes place, total oneness. That way God can wear a physical body like Adam and Eve through this process of origin, division, union horizontally and vertically.

The invisible God can appear as a visible God through Adam and Eve. That is why perfected Adam’s family would have been called God’s family, God’s descendants, God’s children. Because God appears through Adam physically. Without the fall of man there would have been no conflict between mind and body. Automatically there would have been absolute unity, oneness between mind and body and between man and woman. Eventually this perfected man and woman would have become perfected husband and wife that God would have appeared to them, come down to them and remained as the center.

When this true family go to the spirit world they can live with God all the time, God can dwell in this glorious true family. Man is in the position of God’s sung sang and woman in the position of God’s hyung sang, so you have to become one. Of course your mind portion and your body portion same thing, and your wife’s mind portion and body portion should be united totally one. When that oneness takes place God can come down and dwell within you. God could have dominated and controlled the entire world through Adam and Eve if not for their fall. But because of the fall that was not possible. And now the new era has come in which God is working through True Parents, just as He originally, because that is the way the invisible God wears a visible shape through True Parents’ body. This is a new era. That is why even if you go to the spirit world you cannot see God. Once the Kingdom of God on earth as well as in heaven is established, God will reveal Himself as a visible God even.

Because of the fall of man, in this physical world there has been all kinds of worlds, some good people and bad, evil people, like that. That is why in the spirit world there is a mid-range spirit world, and paradise, and hell and so forth. But originally in God’s blueprint there were to be no such levels in the spirit world. Only now that the time has come in this physical world that the Kingdom of God is being established, the entire spirit world will have the same kind of world, without the middle level, hell or paradise. It will be completely the Kingdom of God in heaven.

When we look at the secular world there are all kinds of immoral phenomenon rampant all over the world. If you follow exactly opposite the secular world’s trend, then you are sure you are on the right track to heaven. What are the attributes of God? Absolute, unique, unchanging and eternal. These are the major attributes of God. Subject position here; when it comes down to human beings level, it becomes object. We have to build such a family centered on this standard of God’s attributes.

It is logical to say that since God is absolute, unique, unchanging and eternal, the love partner God is seeking should also be absolute, unique, unchanging and eternal. But the key point we have to remember is that when God created this universe, He used an absolute standard by having absolute faith, love and obedience in His creation. He applied absolute faith when he started Creation, absolute love; on that foundation He created His creation; not below. The standard God established for His creation was absolute faith, love and obedience. When God created humankind God applied absolute faith, and also gave His absolute love, also in order to raise and grow them God practiced absolute obedience. Even when it comes to marriage between husband and wife, when there is absolute faith between husband and wife, natural love flows between them. Absolute faith following true love, that kind of concept? Absolute faith automatically absolute love seed can be planted in this place. Sowing that this faith place seed. When absolute love germinates there you will see the new bud coming out. Then you have to grow them. Then God invested Himself into doing that, everything absolute., because God wanted to secure this love partner hundreds of thousands of times better than God Himself, that is why God applied absolute obedience in growing them. Absolute obedience means absolutely investing, forgetting, continuing forever.

The concept Father explains about between partners, that we want to see our partner to be thousands of thousands of times better than ourselves is because of this very principle which God Himself applied into His creation. Upon that foundation, all things started existing. Just like in the relationship between man and minus, beginning from plus flows to minus and makes a complete circle. This exact principle is the principle God follows, giving Himself 100 percent again, and forget, and give again and give again. That is true love.

Father made the Jardim proclamation which marks the new Garden of Eden. In the first Garden of Eden, God applied absolute faith, love and obedience in His creation. By the same token, in this new ere in the new Garden of Eden we human beings should be able to apply absolute faith, love and obedience when we deal with nature, just like God did. We received such a standard from God, so we have to return it to all things, nature.

September 1998

What Is Life After All?

What is life after all, except that we are living for each other?

I can hear the mountains say,

"What is life after all, except that we live for each other?"

The sun, the sky, the water, the earth, all living things say the same.

I also ask myself the same,

"What is the meaning of life after all, except to live for each other?"

To give my parents’ love meaning, God gave them me and to me.

To learn the meaning of life after all is to live for each other.

To prove the meaning of life to all, we must live for each other.

Peter Nordquist

What Does Academics Have To Do With God?

by Martin Herbst-Barrytown NY

This is the second in a series of three articles.

And now we have come to love. If faith is the root and mind-body unity is the trunk, then love is definitely the fruit of a religious way of life. Without love all the faith and sacrifice in the world has only sporadic meaning. It is of course great to believe in God, but it is greater to love Him, unreservedly. Love is beyond dogma; it is beyond creed and religious affiliation. The real miracle of life is love, for love has the power to transform anything. In love the ugly becomes the beautiful, the enemy becomes the friend. Through love the parent is transformed and gives birth of a child. The child in turn is transformed and becomes the parent. Out of the parent comes a child and out of the child comes a parent. Such is the circle of life. Love is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega.

Some years ago I had a dream that still stays vivid in my mind. In the dream I saw an extremely beautiful woman. I saw her from far away and as I moved closer, she became more and more beautiful. Never had I seen such an attractive woman. It was a total attraction which went far beyond sexuality. Automatically I moved close and, when I was standing right in front of her, I recognized the woman: it was my wife! For a short moment I was spellbound. I have such a beautiful wife, I thought. But then I looked again. I began to examine her face in detail. I looked at the nose and found a minor defect. As soon as I observed this "defect" the nose began to grow. It grew and grew like the nose of Pinocchio-although in a much uglier version. Then I looked at the eyes and again caught some imperfection. And the eyes began to grow until they assumed a horrible shape and size. And so it happened with each part of my wife’s face: her mouth, ears, cheeks. From standing before the most beautiful woman the universe had ever known, I was now facing the ugliest of the ugliest, the witch of witches. Then I heard a voice behind me saying, "The one you love becomes the most beautiful." I woke up and thought, "What a sermon!" (I received this dream after having gone to bed Saturday night.) Love has the power to transform anything. In a very real way our reality is created by love.

Love is at the heart of all religious teachings, for only through love can we approach the divine. Love has even the power to make a human being divine, if we so choose. I guess that is one of the messages of Greek mythology. But what does love have to do with academic studies?

Before I began to study, my attitude towards the academic community was rather arrogant. Although I didn’t know much, I often had much to say about the men and women of learning. I took the liberty to criticize St. Paul, St. Augustine, Freud, Jung and even Sir Isaac Newton now and then. Little did I know how much these studious individuals and their colleagues had suffered in their quest for the truth. One can easily get upset with St. Paul, who often got quite upset himself, but could you have glimpsed the universal elements in the message of Jesus from Nazareth 2,000 years ago? Looking back from the vantage point of the 20th century, it is so easy to identify the limited approach of Sigmund Freud, but would you have had the courage to pioneer this research into the realm of the unconscious and human sexuality?

Now after having studied the writings of such people, I cannot but feel authentic respect, admiration and even love for them and the sacrifices they had to endure. When I go for a walk in the library, I often cannot help but cry. I sense the spirits of the authors slip through the pages of the books standing there side by side. Each of the books are like stones, small bricks in this palace we call learning. If these books would suddenly begin to talk, they would probably have many a story to tell. Surely the authors must have had economic problems like me. Perhaps they had wives and children to feed. Perhaps they suffered from a chronic disease but continued despite all odds. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Still, I feel better when I appreciate them for their efforts rather than belittling them for their shortcomings. How about you?

Whether we talk about the realm of religion or the realm of academics, life becomes so much richer when we add this dimension of love.

4) A Heavenly Perspective

Finally, I want to talk about the heavenly perspective. A genuine religious way of life allows us to approach the viewpoint of God. To think and act from a heavenly point of view requires a combination of the deepest humility and the utmost courage. On one hand we must be willing to give up what we love the most and on the other hand we must cling to the truth and let it guide us to courses uncharted. On this journey we are called to leave our own narrow point of view to see things in a larger perspective.

Intuitively, children are right when they picture God on the clouds. Indeed, to truly meet Christ we must for a moment leave our own secure, earthly habitation. We must rise above individualism, nationalism, racism and culturalism, and allow ourselves to see things from a radically different perspective. We must, in a sense, "come on the clouds." Then and only then are we free to see with the eyes of God and to sense the togetherness of all things.

This ability to see things from a more comprehensive point of view is as important as the hatching of a new idea itself. Some years ago I read Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled. I was impressed and thought that title as well as content was both meaningful and daring. I was thinking to myself, "Why did not one else get this idea of describing spiritual growth as ‘a road less traveled’?" The answer came when I read Carl Jung. Several times Jung uses the term "the road less traveled" when speaking of spiritual growth. And I recognized a great number of other similarities as well. Then I read Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. One of his key insights is that creativity is what lies between stimulus and response. I acknowledged the greatness of the thought. But then I studied Adler who precisely defines creativity as the possibility between stimulus and response. I could go on and on with such examples. What should I conclude? That there is nothing really new under the sun? Perhaps. But a genius is often not so much the innovator of a completely new idea. Rather, he synthesizes, harmonizes and makes a certain insight relevant for people like you and me. In doing that, he is approaching "God’s point of view."

A heavenly point of view is not mysterious or incomprehensible, but rather the natural, healthy way of looking at things. Often it is heard that a great deal of what we are taught is garbage. Even that being the case what do you actually do with garbage? Do you throw it away? Where? Into your neighbor’s garden? Then where do we throw it? Out into nature? And where does nature throw it? Nature does in fact not throw the garbage anywhere. Here we can learn from the wisdom of Mother Nature. Nature has no intention of throwing the garbage out on someone else. Instead she quietly takes it upon herself to digest it. She extracts nutritious elements from it and allows herself to be transformed by it in such a way that her beauty is maintained and even increased. Just because something looks like garbage doesn’t mean we should not take an interest in it! By being loyal to your own nature which is rooted in God you will find yourself capable of digesting all kinds of opinions and claims. Allow yourself to be transformed by them and you will appear more beautiful than when you started. Just like nature. Only the person who does not trust God within himself must be always on his guard constantly protecting himself against the possible contamination of new, dangerous ideas. As students we should be careful, but the danger does not so much lie in the garbage itself, however rotten it may be. The real danger lies within The real danger lies within your own incapability to digest, transform and create. We need to develop a healthy critical sense. While it is true that there is something fundamentally sick about a person who always complains, there is something equally sick about a person who cannot be critical. A person who either complains too much or is lacking a critical sense altogether is a person out of touch with himself, God and the world. To create this balance between acceptance and rejection between humility and courage is at the heart of a healthy life.

In my own Unificationist tradition, figures such as Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche are often regarded as the really bad guys, the three evil musketeers of the 20th century. It does not take a genius to identify the havoc their ideas caused. For 2,000 years European philosophy had more or less followed an idealistic, spirit-oriented tradition. Now these guys come along and make us focus all our attention on the body and the material causes of the world. To locate all meaning and value in the body is obviously incorrect. But what if the whole goal of civilization is to evolve towards a fuller understanding of love? Would it then not be necessary to go through the realm of the body, which is essential for a complete experience of love? By all means the body and sexual love, which until then had been rejected, somehow had to be resurrected and justified to be able to take their proper place in God’s creation. The insights of the above-mentioned individuals could perhaps have been harmonized with a more comprehensive understanding of the human condition. My point is that we are better off when we humbly listen even to viewpoints that at first seem inconceivable. A parental attitude can only further our spiritual growth, for God’s love and truth extends to all corners of the world.

As we can see, God is not so far away. Since God is eternal, so is education. A genuine, religious way of life involves faith , discipline, love and the constant striving for a more meaningful point of view. So does our campus life. Let us climb the ladder together. The place where we study could be "none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven." Thank you, and let us pray.