Sun Myung Moon
July 5, 1987
Belvedere
Translator: Col. Sang Kil Han
Father's visit was an unexpected delight for everyone who came to Belvedere for the 8,000 Couples' Anniversary Celebration.
What did I have in mind when I gave the blessing to you? Did I just match you and marry you and feel that I was done with you? No. I have to raise and educate you all throughout your life, through all the persecution. No one likes to live this difficult kind of lifestyle. For whom do you do this? For God and mankind. Likewise, I do not live for myself -- but for God and mankind.
No matter how much fallen man tries, he cannot reach God's side without God's help. Therefore, God has been desperately trying to help His children return to Him through the foundation of religion crying out in anguish, "How can I liberate my sons and daughters?" But the many religions that have evolved are fighting each other instead of working together to bring everyone back to God. What is the purpose of the Unification Church? To unify the world so that the tradition of all people becomes one. However, all the billions of people living today are going their separate ways, and religions are disunited. To bring them together is not easy at all.
International marriage is very difficult, but Moonies gladly take on this kind of challenge. Why? Because we know God's situation and the situation of humanity. Anyone who can unite cultures on an individual level can help liberate this world. The person who refuses to try will never find himself in the ideal world.
Liberating God
Because you know God's heart and situation, you internationally blessed couples can make the decision: "I will do this -- with love. I will accept and succeed in this difficult marriage for the sake of true love and all of humanity." You must make that choice yourself. Why? Because God wants you, through your own portion of responsibility, to liberate mankind, and then God Himself, from the barriers blocking the flow of love. Your circumstances are difficult, I know, but by willingly choosing this way of life, you can help liberate God.
We Moonies are different from other people. We cannot ignore God's predicament. We have to break out of Satan's trap for the sake of God's liberation, no matter how difficult our situation is. The difficult situation I am talking about now is international marriage. Whose decision was it to undertake such a marriage? It wasn't my decision, or God's decision, but yours. That you chose this marriage endows it with precious value. You can keep that value, knowing that through your marriage, you will have helped God and mankind. But since you made the choice, you cannot complain.
If a man marries a woman from another country and truly loves her, God's territory is expanded two times. Thus, one person with true love can connect two countries. What if the husband is an American whose ancestors are strong Germans and his wife's ancestors are equally strong Japanese samurais?! If the couple knows God's desperate situation, they can persevere to create a harmonious marriage, no matter what.
Uniting your countries for the sake of God and humanity through success in your international marriage is indeed an achievement to be proud of. Such a historical accomplishment gives you the authority to receive God. If you had never met me, you would never be able to do such a valuable thing in all of eternity. The true person wants -- and creates -- no boundaries. Satan is the originator of the barriers of culture. A marriage in which you successfully break through these barriers is your most prized possession.
Because I represent true love, you want to connect with and follow me. In the physical world, if energy is not replenished, it is soon exhausted. Generally, if people sacrifice themselves for others, very soon they have nothing more to give. But with true love it is different: When we sacrifice for the sake of others with true love, our love just grows and grows, and we become bigger and bigger. This is the very reason God wanted to have dominion over all things through His sons and daughters, because with true love the power can never be exhausted. The more we love our children in the sacrificial way of true love, the more love will come back. So the more children we have, the more energy will fill all the corners of the universe.
At the dawn of history, the children of God revolted against and betrayed their Parent. Because of this tragedy, God, in terms of love, is still fettered in prison. Therefore, without giving true love to God, and to each other, mankind cannot liberate Him. My most important historical mission is to demonstrate my filial love for God and thus liberate Him.
The Ideal Based on Love
God sent me to this world to make it possible for every person to liberate other families, other nations, and the whole world with true love. Only after we do that can God be liberated. From the individual level, you must progress step by step by first creating a truly loving family; then you can connect to the true love tribe. Upon creating the true love tribe, you can reach the true love nation, and upon the true love nation, you can reach the true love world. You have to clearly understand that you cannot liberate God just on the individual level alone, or just by making noise. I myself am also in this situation.
God is the subject, and His object is mankind. When both combine, centering on true love, they can create unity. Anything centered on true love can be successful; but without it, there can be no perfected individual, no ideal family, no true nation or world; nor can we reach God. The ideal is based on love, and love always takes two. Many couples complain about their spouse, but both the husband and wife have to become perfect objects to God first; then the couple can unite. God doesn't want couples to just try to enjoy being together without first being perfect objects to Him in true love.
Have you ever thought, "I must sacrifice my family so that I can liberate America"? My own children had to go through unbelievable suffering in school; they were called terrible names. But I always gave more attention to America than to my family. When the nation is liberated, the family and the individual will automatically be liberated too. When God is liberated, the world will follow. Therefore, we must work up to the level of God, always sacrificing the smaller level, in the moment, for the sake of the next higher level. To God it makes sense to sacrifice and work not just for the sake of today, or even tomorrow, but for 1,000 years from now. How wonderful it is to make such a glorious investment!
It is really wise for the present-day American woman, instead of choosing an American man of the same race, with customs and a background similar to hers, to choose a Japanese husband. Such a choice is closer to God's heart. How special it is for the American woman to say, "I will open the gate of the love of the Japanese man and all of Japan. Together we can open up the spiritual world gate." Ultimately they can help liberate God, too.
Your international marriage is no doubt difficult now -- in fact, you may say it stinks! Fertilizer also stinks, but it is necessary in order to guarantee a good harvest. In the future, you will get back 1,000 times more than what you put in. I do everything, like encouraging international marriages, for the purpose of liberating God and mankind, even though in the moment people may not understand what I am doing.
A Serious Situation
If you are having severe problems, both you and your spouse should get together hand in hand and pray to God with tears, saying, "We are really going through difficulty!" Then there is a way for heaven to give you a blessing. You may be feeling that your situation is miserable; however, you know that God's situation is even more miserable than yours. You can comfort God by saying, "We are all in this misery together. Even in the midst of His own difficulty, God is trying to liberate us, so we absolutely must pray to liberate God."
Think of a Japanese woman who marries into an American family. She may have nothing in common with that family and will no doubt be continually misunderstood. Often she feels terribly lonely because she has no one to share her heart with. How can she bear living in such an uncomfortable and strange environment? If she has difficulties in loving her husband, the only thing she can do is digest everything alone, crying and praying to God. Think about how serious her situation is! If you were to live in the Orient with your spouse's parents for one year, you would understand how difficult it is for your Oriental wife or husband.
But still that Japanese woman tries to think, "Father blessed me. Since I have decided to sacrifice myself in this way, I will take full responsibility to try to create a God- centered, harmonious marriage." Therefore, you American men should care for your Oriental wives with utmost sensitivity and gratitude. You should say to yourself, "This is Father's most beloved sister, his most beloved daughter. Father has given his most precious one to me. Why would an Oriental woman willingly marry an American like me? If my wife had married a man of the same nationality, she wouldn't have to go through this living hell. She must be enduring this for my sake and for the sake of America." You should try to understand and help her as much as you can.
Whenever I visit another country, I am always drawn to visit the internationally blessed couples first, particularly those in which one spouse is Korean or Japanese. International couples are often lonesome people. My heart goes out to those who are lonely and suffering, especially in their course of trying to fulfill God's desire.
Though I knew these Oriental women would suffer, I still suggested Western husbands for them. Why? For the sake of God and mankind. Without these marriages we cannot unite the world. Blessed couples should think about this. When you are in a difficult situation, thank God for the opportunity you have to substantially advance the salvation of the world and to receive additional eternal benefit. In the spirit world, the internationally blessed couples will be treated in a special way.
Your Eternal Pride
I am speaking this way so that you can grasp very deeply that your goal is to liberate God and mankind by successfully uniting your family. I know that to create such harmony entails suffering and sacrifice, but when you succeed, you will receive every blessing. However, if we don't liberate God and the world, nothing else, including our family, has any value or meaning. In other words -- it's all or nothing.
That you, by your own choice and power, can complete the foundation through all levels to liberate God is your eternal pride as a blessed couple. God didn't fall; man did. Therefore, your decision and your family's decision to endure the difficulties and go a way different from the rest of the world are of supreme importance. The family is the unit that does everything.
International marriages are not at all easy; however, you couples are able to say, "Yes, this will work. I will make it work." For you to think this way is a miracle in itself. Your original mind is pulling you in the true direction.
Being willing to take on this level of challenge is the standard. Those who do not have an international Blessing have the easiest of all marriages, so no matter what their circumstances, they can never complain that their lives and relationships are difficult, compared to that of an international couple. If they do complain, they will have the significance of an ant from the spirit world's point of view.
The only truly legitimate marriage is a marriage given by God through the True Parents. It took God endless sacrifices throughout history to create the foundation upon which a legitimate marriage could finally take place. After millions of years of human history, at last the moment arrived when everything was set so that you could receive the Blessing. Your marriage is not the result of my whimsical idea, but rather is given on the foundation of countless years of suffering. The whole plan of the Unification movement is centered upon the creation of God-centered marriages.
Blessed couples could one day say to all the non-blessed married couples, "How you have made God's heart and the heart of all mankind suffer! While you two were having a so-called happy marriage, how much pain you have caused God!" But on the other hand, all these couples may turn against the blessed couples and say, "You were in the historical position, but you were only concerned about your own family's happiness. You never cared about us!" Can you escape the spirit world's fearful accusation?
This opportunity comes only once to your generation and your lineage. Therefore, your actions at this supremely critical and precious time have eternal consequences. You will inevitably leave some sort of legacy to your descendants; if you create a bad tradition, they will inherit it and will accuse you. You should do everything you possibly can during True Parents' lifetime on earth. This is not the time to just create happiness for yourself.
From the Principle we learn to make conditional offerings. For this you need a subject, a time period, and an offering. If you don't make your offering until after the conditional time period, God cannot use it; it has no value. If you say, "I will get well-established now, and in the future I will be able to help the Unification Church more," you will lose your incredible historical opportunity. You blessed couples should deeply realize your precious value. This time in history will never come again.
You are the first in your lineage to have received the Blessing. In the spirit world you must follow True Parents' family, because you are in their direct lineage. The new lineage root begins with True Parents, centering on God and true love, and all your ancestors and your descendants will be connected into True Parents' lineage through you. You must separate from your old lineage temporarily and become engrafted to the True Parents, and then your ancestors can come into the lineage of True Parents as your spiritual descendants.
But first you have to cut yourself off from the old vine tree. You have to give up the habitual behavior that you inherited from Satan. As the Bible says, you should become like children with no concepts. Realize that you need to recreate a family, a tribe, and a nation from scratch, centering on True Parents, with God's blessing.
You blessed couples should be immensely proud of your families because the root of your family is not from you or the world -- but from God. You don't know how valuable that is. Those who broke this precious Blessing on their own have blocked the way for up to 70 generations of good ancestors; now they don't know where to go in the spirit world. Think about how serious I have been during my lifetime -- it's because I understand the paramount significance of your marriage. Never forget that there will be no more Blessings given by True Parents directly once we are gone from this earth.
Robert Morton, 8,000 BFA vice-chairman from 1985-1987, offers a gift to Father.
Three Stages in History
Through the fall, false love came in right at the beginning. If Satan had attacked later and had only influenced a few people, it would have been a different story; but he came into the very root. God has had to work within the fallen world, striving to bring new parents and a restored ancestry to mankind. To do this He has interceded in human history at several critical points.
In Jesus' time, the two aspects of the world -- right and left, or internal and external -- were to have come together under one common set of Parents. The right side was represented by the Jewish religion and the left side by the nation of Israel. If the people at that time had united to welcome Jesus, within 40 years the whole world would have come into unity, centering on Rome. A restored nation would have been created. But that did not happen.
Therefore, the Lord of the Second Advent had to come to indemnify what was not accomplished in Jesus' time. A second situation had to be set up on the world level. At the end of World War II, established Christianity, in the place of Judaism, was on the right side, and the Christian nation of the United States, in the position of Israel, was on the left side. Thus we can say that Americans are the second Israelites.
However, because established Christianity and the nation of America did not recognize the Second Advent at the time, the Unification Church had to be established, and now Korea has come into the position as the nation of the third Israelites.
If Jesus' goal had been achieved, within 40 years Jesus would have reigned over the whole world; but instead it took 400 years to indemnify the rejection of Jesus. When the second Israelites failed, I indemnified that failure in 40 years.
Korea, divided into two, is now at the crux of the situation. What is the Unification Church? We are the third Israel church. We must focus on the restoration of the Korean nation; North and South Korea must be brought into unity. For this purpose, the Citizens' Federation for the Unification of the Fatherland was established. Before this was established, the incumbent party and the opposition party in South Korea were constantly fighting. But now it has become apparent to both parties that there is no point in fighting anymore. Korea's direction will be set depending upon which direction I move.
Recovering the Foundation
The last 40 years have been the period for the third Israelites to grow to maturity. I have been leading you through the wilderness, like the original Israelites, but so far we have had no nation -- no settling place. Starting with nothing, we have had to indemnify and bring everything to fruition in 40 years.
The third Israelites must restore the second Israel -- America; otherwise there is no way that the United States, which failed 40 years ago, can regain its position. That is why I have been working here in America, bringing back all that scattered-out spiritual fortune and thereby indemnifying conditions around the whole world, because America represents the world. We have to recover that foundation and then firmly implant it in Korea.
When North and South Korea are unified, the unity of the family, the tribe, and the nation will finally be restored. Once North and South Korea achieve unity, the problem between East and West Germany can be solved. Likewise, the division between communism and the free world will be healed. Soon the whole world will come into God's realm. The differences between communism and democracy will completely fade -- even now more and more communist countries are adopting free-enterprise activities, and the governments of democratic nations are becoming more centralized.
Without question, Korea is the most religious country in the world today. Buddhism has flourished there more strongly than in the country where it originated, India.
Likewise, though China has virtually neglected Confucianism, Korea adheres faithfully to its precepts. When evangelist Billy Graham visited Korea, he said he found there the most fervent Christians in the world.
Providentially, there is great similarity between Korea and Italy. They are both peninsulas, their climate is about the same, and their national character is strikingly similar. At one time the Roman Catholic Church in Italy held the promise of an ideal religion for the world. However, a materialistic worldview and ultimately communist thought came about in part as a result of the corruption of the church. This failure must be indemnified by Korea. The Unification Church must offer the remedy. We must replace secular humanism with Godism.
Korea is small, but it is the most strategically critical country. America senses spiritually that if it loses Korea, it loses everything. That is why the Reagan Administration is trying everything possible to help Korea's situation. If America continues to help Korea, America itself will be restored. For the successful culmination of God's dispensation, both the first and second Israels must work together at this time, centering on Korea. This is why we are taking so many pains to bring the Jewish religion into one and the Christian religion into one. We have been inviting rabbis and ministers to Korea. They are returning with this understanding clearly in their minds: Korea is the religious hub of the world.
Before Father began his speech, True Parents listened to testimonies from three of the blessed wives.
One Ideal Country
Because Korea has this central role, and because the third Israelites are the microcosm representing the entire world family, the blessed couples in Korea can be said to have the position of Abel, and those outside of Korea can be called Cain. But both Cain and Abel are the children of the same God and True Parents. When the Cain couples from all around the world come to Korea, they will create enough weight on God's side to counterbalance all the satanic elements in Korea. Then the actual unity of North and South Korea will begin to occur.
The first Israel had a country -- Israel. The second Israel had America. But the third Israel -- the Unification Church -- has no country. What is the purpose of the blessed couples? To build the third Israel country. We must go and build our own Fatherland. God wants to see one ideal country, and mankind wants the same thing. Our ideal can build that country -- the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Once that is achieved, God can finally reign over this world.
All the blessed couples in Korea have already been mobilized for this purpose. The blessed couples from around the world must also go to build the Fatherland, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. You are going there to fight a spiritual war.
All blessed families are standing on the world level. We are all connected to True Parents' family and are of the same lineage, so from this point on, the family, the clan, the race, the nation, and the world -- everything -- will be connected. From this time we can make a new world completely ruled by God and totally free from Satan!
This is what I have been working for all these years since I came to America. I have fulfilled 95 percent of the condition; the rest is yours. We will build the Fatherland -- our own country -- with our own hands.
Originally Satan lured Eve, and then Adam and their children were corrupted and fell into hell. Each third Israel family, as a representative of the whole world, must indemnify the original family's failure. Because Satan began the fall with Eve, I am asking the wives to go out to begin restoration on the world level.
Other Korean families will also be mobilized -- not just Unification Church families. The blessed wives represent Rachel and the other wives represent Leah. We must make these two into one and restore both families. Because women are so influential in their families, when the women say, "Let us march forward to liberate North Korea," everyone will want to follow.
To all the women of the world I represent all men and the elder brother who has not fallen, as well as father and Adam. You Americans stand in the position of my children but also in the position of the archangel on the heavenly side. Thus, if you support the blessed wives who are following the true Adam, you are reversing the fall and will be able to reap the harvest. This is God's strategy.
In the future, if someone asks you when you accomplished world-level indemnity, you will want to be able to say, "I helped restore Korea, which represents the whole world. I fulfilled my five percent." This is an incredibly precious, one-time opportunity to indemnify everything in a very short period of time.
Everything is fitting together. In Elijah's time God prepared 7,000 righteous men. Seven thousand ministers were reached while I was in Danbury. We are well on our way to hosting 7,000 American ministers in Korea. Now, 7,000 wives will connect with the families in Korea. Then the Unification Church and established Christianity will come into unity. This unity will then expand to the whole world.
Husbands will no doubt have a difficult time without your wives; but such sacrifice is necessary. You should support your wives working far away in Korea, fighting their lonely battle. They could be there for up to three years, or at least until October or November of 1988.
This time comes at the terminal point of fallen history. We will create a beautiful land, a third Israel -- our Fatherland. Many patriotic Jews have dedicated their entire lives toward making a beautiful homeland out of a desert. And we know how the first Americans built this nation. The Unification Church members can surpass these good examples.
In restoring the third Israel, we should work harder than any other people from the first or second Israels. I want to begin building more schools in all the different states in Korea so that you can all send your blessed children there. This country won't be just for Koreans but for everyone. 1 You may have had difficulty achieving unity in America, but Korea will be the place where you will achieve unity. All five colors of skin will come together there.
When you get there, you women may fight amongst yourselves, but please don't fight against me! Because a woman disobeyed Adam, the entire tragedy took place. Please control yourselves and don't go against Adam.
If I ask you to fast, for example, all of you women should absolutely obey.
We are still fortunate to have a preparation period. Each woman must plan and pray: "When I go to Korea, I will indemnify all my previous mistakes. In Korea I will do much better."
Geopolitically, the world can never abandon Korea. Turmoil in Korea causes problems in the United States, Japan, and China. All democratic countries would like to see Korea hold a fair, democratic general election for both North and South. Eventually it will come to that.
We will have training programs so that you can learn how to reach the people in North Korea. We want to educate the people there about God's will. Don't ever think that the North Koreans are wicked people. They are very pure people who have just been taught the wrong things. You can explain precisely,
"Do you know that Rev. Moon has made a foundation for a peaceful, loving family of man around the whole world? The free world is so much more wonderful than the communist world." Every Korean must know about Godism and Unification Thought.
Until now, the North Koreans have been like slaves under communism. But when you come and tell them the truth, they will be amazed, and the country will completely change. We will take 10 million North Koreans on tours around South Korea. When they see how different it is there, they will definitely want to unify under the ideals of Godism.
So all you women, prepare yourselves for that day of mobilization. Discuss what you should do with your husbands, your families, your relatives, and your tribe. The Korean women already went out on June 1. Your turn is next. You know what you should do, so you must act on your own now. Make your own decision. Don't wait for me. Do what you need to do.
Father's words on Home Church
Father Speaks to the Crusade
9/5/78, London
Some of you may feel that you are Abel and other people are Cain, particularly in your home church area. But Abel must always suffer himself. You must serve others. In the Old Testament we see that the Israelites, the Abel nation that was chosen, were the servants of servants to God. I don't like to see anyone, especially a leader, thinking that he is Abel and trying to command other members. I will never allow that. The typical Abel is Jesus, who lived to serve Cain. Then Cain could come back to Jesus and serve him. Jesus spent his whole life serving, even unto death.
Restored Family
1/21/79, Belvedere
In your home church area, put into practice what you have been taught this morning. Don't worry about whether other people love you or not. If no one loves you, don't complain, but realize it is because your own love has not been sufficient. You must love more and give more service. God never asked to be loved first. No, God's way is to give love first.
Victory of Home Church (Midnight Address)
1/1/82, World Mission Center
In order to be victorious in home church, should you seek out the beautiful places where everything smells sweet? Should you go to disco dances for your home church work? No, you must go to the ugly, smelly places and make them beautiful and sweet-smelling. You must go to the suffering people and make them feel happy -- that is your home church work. If you do this kind of work, then you won't have to make an effort to elevate yourself; the people will try to push you into a beautiful, high place, even though you resist and say you want to stay in a low place.
Victory of Home Church (Morning Address)
1/1/82, World Mission Center
When you are in your area trying to perform a service and you drop a dish and break it, the homeowner will not be angry with you, because you are manifesting true love.
Father Speaks to the Crusade
9/5/78, London
Serve your 360 homes. Go there every day and serve. Then the people will like you. If you have served them and they like you, then they will listen to you. They will come to trust you. They will ask you, "What can I do in return?" Maybe they are thinking about giving money, but money is not the main thing, of course, and they know that. So then you can say, "You can really help me by coming to a two- day workshop. Come for just one weekend." Finally they will say: 'All right, I will come for one weekend and listen" What is difficult about bringing everyone to a two-day workshop? The Japanese members don't even have to speak English. Just go there and serve the family. You don't have to speak one word of the Principle; just work and pray for them. Then they will say, "What can I do for you?" You can say "Please come to a workshop, because the Unification Church has a very good and important message, especially for your children. You must go first to find out if it is good; then you can send your sons and daughters:'
Conference
5/19/80, World Mission Center
This is the only way you can win. This is the formula. No country can succeed apart from this formula. Korea, Japan, and America all need to use the same formula. If you make up your mind that you are going to be America's President Eu and lecture 18 hours a day every day for three years and eight months, and if you fulfill that determination, then the entire spirit world will come down and help you create a spiritual atmosphere. The spirit world had to sympathize with President Eu because he was working so hard. Angels would be sent to push people into coming to hear President Eu, simply because he was working himself to death. Heaven had to sympathize with him....
The first three 7-year courses are over. Now the momentous day has begun; we have started the second three 7- year courses. This is your era, your age. You will be the star. You must begin now. I have gone through my three 7-year courses. You should feel that you can do a little better than the late President Eu, and that you can go forward further than me.