Reverend Sun Myung Moon
January 1, 1981 (Morning)
World Mission Center
Translator - Sang Kil Han
When we have some happy occasion you say congratulations. It is easy to say God's Day, but not so easy to understand the meaning of it.
Mankind has celebrated many, many occasions, but until this time no one even thought about congratulating God. Ever since God created all things, did He or did He not anticipate the time when congratulations would be given to Him? How dull and unexciting it would be for God to congratulate Himself. Does anyone set his own celebration day and congratulate himself, or tell other people to congratulate him? How tasteless it would be for a man to tell others they should congratulate him because it is his anniversary. How bland and tasteless it would be to congratulate yourself on your own anniversary.
We can understand very easily that in order to be congratulated you must have something which stands as object to you and congratulates you. Was it God who started the idea of congratulations, or was it someone else? Why did God create the angelic world? Did He expect praise and congratulations? Yes, He created angels to help Him, to praise Him, and to consult with Him. Did God praise the angels, or did the angels praise God? Was the ultimate purpose of creating the angels for the angels themselves, or for man's world? Certainly it was for man's world, for Adam and Eve. Naturally the angels were in a position to praise and be thankful to God, but were Adam and Eve ever like that?
Angels would certainly have praised God and appreciated Him for creating the world. But were Adam and Eve, for whom the entire world was created, also in a position to congratulate and be thankful to God? How old would Adam and Eve have to be in order to be aware of these things and say something of that nature to God? At what age would they express their thanks and appreciation to God?
As the years passed they would become more mature, and their awareness of God would be more mature. If you give a piece of candy to a small child he will eagerly take it and say thank you. But it would be out of place for a millionaire, a man of responsible position, to respond in the same eager way if he is given a piece of candy. At what age would Adam and Eve extend their sincere congratulations to God, in such a way that God would indeed know that their thanks were heartfelt, and feel contented with their emotion?
Was Adam thankful to God for giving Eve to him? What is your guess? Was she more of a nuisance to him while they were growing up, or did he feel deep thankfulness for having her? Eve would have tagged along wherever Adam went. A small boy or girl will always want to do what he sees the elder ones doing. Do you think Eve followed wherever Adam went, or that Adam followed wherever Eve went?
Would they have had occasional fights while they were growing up together? There's no doubt that when they got tired of playing with each other, or got tired of being nice to each other, that they would fight. Do you think they would have jabbed each other in the side, or wasn't that possible in the garden of Eden?
When Adam and Eve were very young and were growing up, would God have spoon-fed them? Since the world was to be ideal, how nice it would have been for the fruits of the trees to fly over to them and land in their mouths. Do you think that was the case, or would they have to walk to a tree and take the fruit? Would it have been Eve who picked the fruit and then gave it to Adam? Soon it would become their custom that wherever they went Eve would tag along with Adam, and when she wanted an apple she would ask, "My brother, please go and pick up an apple for me." Occasionally Adam would pick up an apple to eat, but who would extend their hand to take the apple first? Soon it was taken for granted that Eve would work less and less, and when nice things were there, Eve extended her hand first. For the first several times Adam might not have minded, but all of a sudden he would feel that it wasn't fair. I would imagine that the fall took place while they were bothering each other like this.
These being the general circumstances, was Adam ever truly grateful to God for creating Eve for him? Eve would have tagged along everywhere because she was lonesome. When Adam went to the bathroom, she would have followed him because she didn't want to be alone. He would often chase her out of his way, and Eve would go back home, but she couldn't stay there long because it was too lonely. So she came right back and tagged along with Adam once more.
Who would get lonesome more often? Certainly Adam was not lonesome. He had all nature to explore, with all the animals roaming around the hills and the birds in the woods. There was never a dull moment. But for Eve the same animals were simply too fast. She saw the rabbit and thought it was a very pretty animal, and wished it would come close to her so she could touch it. When she saw the birds flying she wished they would land on her so she could caress them. But unless some things came to Eve, she couldn't chase them because she wasn't fast enough, and so she was lonely. But whenever Eve stayed with Adam then it was exciting because Adam would chase the animals for her. Adam was not in a position to appreciate God's creating Eve for him. By the same token, Eve took everything for granted for a long time and felt Adam didn't do enough for her.
By the time they were twelve or so, Adam would have noticed that Eve's body was developing something different. No doubt Adam would have touched her to see what it was like. He would have declared, "There is something different between us." Adam's voice was loud and hoarse, while Eve's was higher. A beard would start appearing on Adam's face, while Eve showed no sign of having a beard. Eve was curious too. She wanted to know how Adam's beard felt. Who was more curious about Adam's beard, Adam or Eve? They were each more interested in what they didn't have. Isn't that generally true? Since they wore no clothes they could see how each of them was developing differently, and each was curious about what one had that the other didn't.
Adam wasn't so interested in feeling his own beard, but somehow had a better feeling when Eve was touching it. Eve would have liked that because there was no other way she could get that sensation. When Adam touched her growing breasts it wouldn't have offended her. Do you laugh in agreement, or because it is really interesting? Both! It's true and it's interesting.
If Adam was ever thankful, it would have been when his beard started growing and he noticed these differences between himself and Eve. Naturally he was interested and pursued that interest, and that's when he started being thankful to God. Before that Eve was more of a nuisance, and wherever Adam went he had to be a provider, so he felt no appreciation.
But when was the moment when Adam and Eve would feel really, really grateful to God? Only when they could not think of getting along without each other would they really feel thankful for each other. When would they have laughed heartily and openly in happiness and gratitude? It would have been when they were deeply and truly in love with each other; that would also be the moment when both of them would have been thankful to God. At the same instant God would have congratulated Adam and Eve and thanked them for returning the joy to Him.
When will their congratulations have meaning for God? Even having a nugget of gold as big as a rock is not a source of congratulations for God. A big diamond wouldn't have excited God because He knew that He had made it. A room full of treasures and rare gems would not have interested Him, but when His own son and daughter appreciated the treasures, He would find happiness in them. Even though his children were initially childish and felt hardly any appreciation, how would God have felt as they grew up and became more responsive, and the same as God Himself?
We can imagine that Adam and Eve would immediately know why God was raising His hand, for instance, and they would respond accordingly. By holding their hands out in return, the love frequency would go back and forth very intensely. God would forget raising His hand because He would be so fascinated with the love wave coming back and forth from Adam and Eve. Of course, we are just speculating, but don't you think this was the reality?
Certainly if God had a beard, it would be very becoming if it were white. His children would like to come and play with His beard; when the children wanted His beard to be long it would have grown long instantly and if they preferred a short beard, it would have shrunk instantly too. Since God is omnipotent, this is entirely possible. Since God is masculine, when talking with men He would have all the charms and interests of a man, whereas if He was talking to a woman, He would have the best qualities of a woman too. I could go on and on like this all morning, but I wouldn't finish this morning's topic that way.
We can conclude that the time when Adam and Eve were in love would be when they realized their thankfulness toward God and wanted to congratulate Him. Do you think that would have been the case?
Many of you are sitting side by side as engaged and married couples. Do you feel good sitting next to each other? Do all the women here feel thankful for their fiancés? And do men feel the same way about the women? If you watch a man you will notice that his eyes wander around, but eventually they come back to gaze at the woman sideways. All his senses eventually focus again on what she says and does.
The cleaner love is, the more valuable it is. Am I right? Can it also be said that being in love in the best-decorated room in the house is more valuable? Since toilet smells are considered to be dirty, maybe it is less valuable to feel love in that situation; is that right? I wonder why toilets don't come in pairs so husband and wife can sit side by side. The toilets would thank God for receiving their bowel movements at the same time. Even the bowel movements would be thankful If you are serious about love, there is nothing funny about this. Do you agree with that? Would God blame them for kissing each other at that time? No, He would be happy. In fact, His beard and His whiskers would roll in His joy!
Was there any time at all when there was appreciation and thankfulness flowing from Adam to Eve, Adam to God, from Eve to God and God to Adam and Eve? Because of the fall there was never such a time. Man fell from higher to lower, and the original standard was almost obliterated on earth. God had to pick it up again and over thousands of years raise it up, trying to get His own sons and daughters back and turn their minds toward Him to feel this love for each other. All these thousands of years mankind hasn't thought about these things because they have never reached the point of thanking God. However, God never forgot for one day that sometime they would feel thankfulness for Him and for each other. You must understand that the more difficult it was for God to do this task of restoration, the greater would be His expectation of future joy. Once God had achieved that, He would never have let them out of His sight.
You have never seen my mother. Do you think she would have been tall or short? Was she really a feminine woman or a masculine woman? I grew up among many brothers and sisters, but of them all my mother loved me the most. But the son she loved most would never stay put, and was always asking questions.
If we had something nice to eat I would just naturally ask her, "Mother, when we have plenty to eat is it good or not good to bring food to people in need?" I never waited for the answer because we both knew what the right answer was, and later I would bring food to such people.
Whatever I found in the house I would give away to whoever I felt needed it more. I would even give my own clothes to other people. That was one thing my mother didn't appreciate because it was so difficult to make those clothes, but I would give them away regardless. You can understand how she felt when her most beloved son was away for a long time doing some work, or later when he found himself in jail.
Often I would play in the neighborhood and might see a big, bad boy give a hard time to a smaller boy. In a sense it was none of my business, but I immediately took the side of the smaller boy against the bad one, and fought on his behalf. The bigger boy would be dumbfounded and wonder why I did that. I did that almost every day. My mother would hope I was growing out of it and think I would never do it again, so she would cry when I persisted. Finally, she determined that the next time I came back home she would not let me go out again.
I can understand my mother's feelings. Whenever I had something interesting I would talk to my mother about it, and no matter how tired she was or how much work she had to do, she would listen. That is a vivid memory for me. Even though I would speak to her for hours, her eyes glowed and she would ask, "Then what? Then what?" That was our relationship.
Would God's feeling toward men be less than my mother's feeling toward her son? It could not have been less. Since God's feelings toward His own children go beyond any physical boundary and beyond time, His love is always there. Would it be good for God to keep some distance from you?
Never forget that no matter how difficult it was, God's feeling was always close. We can understand how much God wanted to embrace Noah when he was working so hard, obeying God's commands for hundreds of years. Even so, however, Noah was not quite in a position where God could be with him directly. There was no way God could interfere with Abraham's suffering course while he was wandering in the wilderness. God would have liked to console and encourage him, but He could not do that.
How heartbroken God was because these central figures were not at the level of original heart. They would make some advance, only to plunge down again, and God had to persevere whenever they failed. In Jacob's case too, it was not possible for God to be near and speak to him when he went to get his bride in difficult times. Even after Jacob worked hard for seven years, Laban gave him Leah as a bride, instead of Rachel. Since there was nothing God could do about it, how would God have felt?
Until this time we did not know God could not interfere with Jacob's course; now we know that God's interference would have lessened the meaning of what Jacob could accomplish. Therefore, God had to let him persevere and let him achieve everything by himself. Restoration by indemnity is that difficult.
When you joined the Unification Church you began to understand the meaning of indemnity and how restoration becomes possible. Jacob's hard work in Haran was necessary to indemnify any basis for Satan to accuse him. He worked very hard and managed to work this out, but even as he was about to return to Canaan an angel tried to stop him at the ford of Jabbok. The angel claimed that Jacob had to wrestle with him and win before he could leave there. Knowing Jacob's determination in the previous years, you can understand how Jacob would have felt. He immediately jumped at the angel and continued wrestling all night. Chances are that he would have been beaten again and again, but one thing Jacob wouldn't do is give up. The angel didn't know what to do. He wasn't prepared to cope with such zeal, so he said, "Let's call it a draw." But Jacob wouldn't listen to that and just clung on, insisting, "No, I'm winning." Finally the angel said, "I have won, but let's say you won."
Ordinary people would have believed the angel was sincere, and stopped fighting, but Jacob knew that if he did that then Satan would spring forward and knock Jacob out. So instead of trusting what the angel said, Jacob kept fighting. The angel dislocated Jacob's thigh, and Satan couldn't do anything to Jacob after that. When Satan felt that Jacob was quite different from anyone in the fallen dominion, God moved in and gave Jacob blessing. How did God feel when the fighting came to a climax? Knowing the consequences,
God couldn't do a thing except watch and hope Jacob would be victorious. When Jacob won, in deep relief and approval God gave him the name Israel. From that moment on, God could lift Jacob up.
For nearly 2,000 years God has been bringing mankind up and raising his standards ever higher. During this time how often did the people fail who were charged with historical responsibility in the dispensation? There were ups and downs, but mostly downs, yet all during this time God never ceased anticipating the day of celebration and congratulations to come. His only desire was to keep up the work and wait for the day when He could send the Messiah. Finally Jesus came, and God expected to meet the true family and to see success. But even Jesus was not able to succeed. Instead of entering into the kingdom of heaven, Jesus died on the cross.
Did God feel good about Jesus being crucified? Wouldn't God feel even greater bitterness toward Satan, thinking, "You have already taken a son and a daughter, yet now you are trying to take love and life away from me too." Satan did not take a life in the garden of Eden, but in Jesus' time Satan took life itself from God's son. Then God would have determined, "I will take life and love away from you too, and I will send the Messiah again." Christianity has continued for 2,000 years, for that one day when God could send the Messiah again.
The only thing I can be proud of is having persevered even when I was chased out and persecuted. Did that happen because I was incapable of doing anything? Was I constantly being chased and not taking any initiative, or could I persevere because I really was capable? For whose sake did I persevere?
There are many unpredictable things about people. Since I know very well about all the people who have betrayed God's expectations, I will be the last one to repeat the same historical mistake. I will be the first one who does not betray God. Therefore, I am desperately trying to make this a success. I retreated when I thought it was wise, and charged when I thought it was necessary. I even went sideways when the situation demanded it. In weaving together all these complicated situations, I have finally gotten to the destination.
What is my ultimate goal? The only thing I desire is to untangle what is tangled in God's heart. and to console Him. I will indemnify all that needs to be indemnified and restore everything. This is what I keep pledging to God in prayer, always carrying on His mission. There were many instances when I kept telling myself, "In this one battle you must not die. You must be victorious and live. You cannot afford to falter in Korea. This is what heaven has been sending me and so many other hundreds of people for." I kept on and pledged to live to see the victorious day to dedicate it to God. It wasn't for my personal salvation, but to fulfill God's will and the ultimate purpose of God's creation. For this purpose Children's Day, Day of All Things, Parents' Day and God's Day were established.
It was a desperate fight and I wasn't always confident of the outcome, but just did my absolute best. When I managed to establish Parents' Day after an intense fight, I really shouted out, "Oh God!" Do you think the joy God felt or the joy I felt was greater? God's joy was greater because God worked hundreds of times harder than I did and waited much longer. I was happier to see God's joy than I was happy about my victory. At seeing God so happy about that accomplishment I forgot my hard work over all those years.
Although there is still satanic dominion in the world, the four heavenly days are the foundation on which to work in the satanic world. After restoring Parents' Day, Children's Day, Day of All Things, then God's Day could be set up, realizing the four position foundation centering around God, parents and children. With Parents' Day the foundation was made on which parents can come into being. When Children's Day became possible, true children could come into being. Only after securing the surroundings centering around the four position foundation could the ideal of God's creation be realized. Thus, the satanic boundary was pushed out, and an area created where God can reside and dominate.
Since God is without a body, He could not do anything by Himself. Since Adam is His hyung sang, through Adam God can work directly in a horizontal way. Then heaven can be realized, even though it is surrounded by the satanic world. Internally God is Father, and externally Adam is father, so together they are like mind and body. On this foundation God can live and work in Adam's body, as He intended.
Sometimes you see me in a dream or vision; that is God appearing to you by using my image. In spirit world you cannot see God directly, but see Him using my image instead. God would speak to you by using my image.
Today's topic is God's Day and My Congratulations. You say simply, "Congratulations on God's Day." What difference is there between God's congratulations on this day, my congratulations, and your congratulations?
Those people who were recently matched a few days ago are tired because they have hardly slept, and to them maybe God's Day just means they have to gather again in the morning to hear me speak for a long time! Maybe the couples wish they could spend time together and not have to listen to me, or wish they could sleep a few more hours. Have you felt that you would rather come hear me and offer your congratulations on God's Day more than you want to sleep? I think some of you slept till the last minute and some of you didn't even wash your face. Your laughter tells me I am right! This is why I chose the topic as "My Congratulations," not just "Congratulations."
Which was stronger for you-the enhanced expectation while you were being matched, or coming and congratulating God personally on God's Day? Many were focused so intensely on who their match would be that when I called their names, or pointed to them, they would look all around, and when no one else stood up, then they would step forward. I looked closely and saw that all these people were serious, and had a high standard of expectation.
Those who didn't get matched are very somber and perhaps are thinking, "What's so exciting about God's Day anyway?" Those who were matched want to spend their time getting to know each other better instead of being busy on God's Day. I understand what you had to go through in the last few days because I kept you almost 24 hours. I may have had a little rest, but those who waited here had only a little time to go wash and eat and come back here.
Yesterday the wine ceremony lasted until very late. Even some of the strongest men and women fainted at that time because they were so tired. I spoke till 3:30 in the morning and soon you had to get up again, and now it is God's Day.
How intensely had God waited for this day of His to come? Do you think God waited less expectantly for God's Day than you waited for your own matching day? Have any of you waited for God's Day that intensely, anticipating that day more than you anticipated being with your fiancé?
This God's Day of 1981 is the most significant of all those we have celebrated so far, but look at you, all tired out and wilted. When I walked in I had the heavy feeling that I had to lift you up. You must understand that this is the first God's Day in the second three seven-year courses, which are your years. This is the most significant of any God's Day, and so far as you are concerned it ought to be the best, even though we have celebrated many God's Days until now.
The second three seven-year courses were only announced in 1980. You must tune in and keep the standard I am expecting of you; when I am so aware that this is your God's Day then you must respond in resonance with my feelings.
Our Heavenly Father lost His family, children, country, almost everything, yet He was clinging to this one day, God's Day. That was the standard of expectation of God's Day as far as I was concerned. Now look at you: I brought God's Day into being, but you are thinking more about your fiancé than about God's Day. How great a difference there is between us! You have to raise yourselves up. Isn't this right?
Haven't you thought about why I waited till the last days of 1980 to conduct a matching, to be followed by God's Day? Maybe you just came in expectation of finding your fiancé. I remember very well your enthusiastic applause three days ago when I walked in to match you. You were beside yourself when you welcomed me that day, but today, which is a more significant day, you know clearly that your spirit is dwindling. What is the explanation? But I am very hopeful here; now that you know how far and high your spirit can get, it will serve as a lesson. Perhaps on this God's Day you have displayed the least spirit, but you can carry the memory of three days ago on to the next God's Day, and the God's Day after that. To teach you that important lesson, I selected these days for matching you.
When you really understand your shortcomings, you can bring your standards up. You could be indignant toward your own fiancé, thinking that because of him or her your spirit wasn't very high on God's Day; if there hadn't been a matching, certainly there would have been a higher spirit. With that feeling you can use your fiancé to raise up your God's Day spirit. The God's Day spirit has really sagged down because of someone you thought was equally important who is sitting beside you. But you know which is more important, and why. This is why I spoke on this topic this morning.
Are you qualified to congratulate God at this moment today? You know you have flunked according to my standards, so you have to be serious about that. You must realize that your fiancé overshadowed a day that otherwise would have been the brightest day of your life. That is the point you have to learn from what has taken place three days ago. You realize that your fault is in not maintaining your standard today, don't you? When you say yes with genuine repentance, perhaps God will forgive you, and I can forget that too.
The whole thing can bring a good result if you remember your feeling of highest expectation when your fiancé was about to be matched to you, and carry that high spirit and gratitude over exactly to the next God's Day. That's your best chance for survival and success in all of the work you do in the future.
Bring your standard up higher and keep it that way for the rest of your life and for generations hereafter. This is what I am urging you to do. Can you do it? Amen.