Sun Myung Moon and Ian Haycroft
September 27, 1988
World Mission Department
Father welcomes representatives of 120 nations to his home in Korea
Father's Prayer on September 27, 1988
Our loving Father,
Representatives of Your 120 countries have gathered in this place on this afternoon of September 27, 1988. These representatives of the worldwide Unification Church, gathered here from 120 countries, represent the number 360 in this place. The fact that they have gathered with the True Parents in Korea, as well as with the True Children and members representing the Korean Unification Church, signifies an internal unification, a heartistic unification, a unification of the Korean Church centering on the family of the True Parents. Thus may the countries and spirit worlds of 120 nations be connected together through these virtuous men and women who, as representatives of the one Abel realm, can claim the birthright and, on this occasion of the Olympic Games, absorb the Cain realm of the state. Thus may they connect all people around the world, enabling all the people they represent to become united here in this place.
We know that, together with the providential history that is centered on vertical history, innumerable virtuous ancestors and saints and sages are involved here and that their cherished desire has been to lay a central foundation enabling Cain and Abel to become one. We are born in an age in which the Unification Church shoulders the unfulfilled responsibilities of religion, acting as a pivot and establishing an indemnified standard. We must know clearly that in this age of indemnity in which Cain and Abel realms can be brought together, we have the chance to be blessed within the liberated realm of the Parents.
We thank You for granting us this day. In the midst of intense concern by all heaven and earth, we are able to indemnify all 24 hours with Your assistance. And in this external atmosphere hosted by all 5 billion of the world's people, we are able to establish a heartistic foundation of unification upon which the Archangel can proclaim to the individual, family, ram, nation, and entire world our authority to unify spirit and flesh which, though divided until today, can now be made one.
Report on Korea's Internal Olympics
On September 27, 1988, in Seoul, Korea, Father and Mother proclaimed in prayer the Opening of the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven. This prayer, offered at the time of the 24th Olympiad in Seoul, represented the culmination of the restoration mission of the True Parents and the completion of God's historical course to restore the elder brother's position. On this day, God could begin to create the Kingdom of God as He intended before the fall.
Dr. Mose Durst meets with members of the international press at our Hospitality Center during the Olympic Games.
This pronouncement by True Parents was made at 1:30 p.m. before the leaders and representatives of 120 nations at Han Nam Dong, True Parents' home in Korea. Father had called these representatives to bring to fruition all of his historical work and to stage an "internal Olympics" that would represent the meeting of Cain and Abel on a worldwide level. From this moment in history a whole new era for humankind could begin.
The national representative of the Solomon Islands, Beat Z'Rotz, chats with Olympic athletes
Representing the Fruits
Only a couple of weeks before the start of the Olympic Games, Father asked the national leaders and two other national representatives from each nation to come to Korea by September 15. Although of course we could guess that we might have some role to play in relation to the Olympics, none of us understood clearly what Father had in mind for us.
Father explained later that we, as the Abel representatives of the nations of the world, must meet our Cain brothers at this worldwide event prepared by God in Korea. In that light, it was clear that our role was not only a symbolic one, but a substantial one -- involving reaching out to our brothers. As Jacob had done so long ago, we too, representing our True Parents, were to bear gifts representing the fruits of a long-suffering course in Haran.
We visited the embassies and the national delegations of each of the 160 countries represented at the Olympic Games. We were able to make real and lasting relationships with them that we can hopefully develop further, back in our mission countries. Our visits to the embassies and to the delegations in the Olympic Village were enhanced not only by the open spirit engendered by the Games, but by the gifts we were able to bring. Over a period of 18 days, the athletes, officials, and friends of many nations accepted more than 40,000 cans of McCol and bottles of Ginseng Up. Although Coca-Cola was the official drink of the Games, the preferred drink of True Parents made its way into many a training session and team apartment.
During the Olympics, just about every visitor to Korea was being bombarded on the streets with religious literature of every conceivable variety. Rather than join in that campaign, we instead invited these visitors, including diplomats, athletes, and officials, to attend such beautiful cultural events as performances of the Universal Ballet and The Little Angels at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center. Both these companies of our True Parents were official cultural events of the 24th Olympiad. Father allowed us to hold special performances to invite those whom we had been meeting.
In all, more than 2,000 guests came to the special presentations. Without exception, these guests were moved by the staggering beauty of the performances and could feel something of the giving heart of God and True Parents through this gesture.
Un Jin Nim riding for the joy of God and the sake of True Parents
The Embrace of True Parents
At each of these events, we also held special receptions for the diplomats, coaches, heads of delegations, and medal winners from many nations. Through us, these people, representing the best of their nations, could receive gifts of suit or dress material or beautiful silk scarves and ties. To delegates from every part of the world, including the Eastern bloc nations, hundreds and hundreds of gifts could be given with the embrace of True Parents.
On September 30, Striders International sponsored a special reception and a performance of The Little Angels to honor the head coaches of several nations, representing the major continents of the world. On this evening, coaches from the United States, China, the Soviet Union, the Gambia, Poland, and Greece stood hand in hand on stage to receive the warm applause and the honor of an overflow audience of Olympic delegates and international visitors. This event, just prior to the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, was able to capture the hope of a new era in international cooperation and certainly fulfilled the hard work of our "internal Olympic team," who had made countless valuable relationships with their national delegations during the days of the competition.
Throughout the Olympic Games, True Parents had made the special condition of watching as many of the events as possible. In the living room in their home, True Parents watched three TV sets for the entire time that television transmissions were on, often until 12 midnight or 1:00 a.m. I believe that, in the eyes of God, the Olympic Games are to be held before the True Parents. As the children of the world play and compete, ideally they should do so for the honor, glory, and joy of God and True Parents. Especially these Seoul Olympics held in this providential year of 1988, and encouraged and supported so much by God, should be for that purpose. To fulfill that desire of God, True Parents watched and received the play of the world's children, from morning to night.
Hyun Jin Nim riding for the joy of God and the sake of True Parents
It Warmed All of Our Hearts
Of course, most gratifying to True Parents was watching their own children, Un Jin Nim and Hyun Jin Nim, ride in the Olympic equestrian events. On three occasions we were able to join True Parents at the jumping arena to see the True Children compete. Faced with the experienced competition at these games, Un Jin Nim and Hyun Jin Nim were not able to win medals. But it warmed all of our hearts to see these children of Heaven riding not for their own glory and prestige, but for the joy of God and for the sake of True Parents.
After True Parents' historic pronouncement of September 27, Father made yet another proclamation. At a press conference on September 30, it was announced that every three years, beginning in Seoul in 1990, a World Festival of Culture will be held. Centered on the ideal of God, such a meeting of the world should not only be conducted to honor external or physical excellence but must include the internal aspect of man as well. Accordingly, the World Festival of Culture will include other events that represent that multitude of aspects of the human family under Go,. In 1990, not only athletic events but also the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences, inter-religious conferences, student conventions, cultural performances, art exhibitions, and, most significantly, a Blessing are scheduled to be held.
As the Olympics drew to a close and our representatives prepared to return home, True Parents had one more astounding proclamation of victory to make. Before all the national leaders of the world Unification movement, True Parents formally proclaimed October 3 as the Foundation Day for the Nation of the Unified World. Father explained that as the gates of the Kingdom of God swing wide open, it lies in our hands to follow the tradition of True Parents. It is through a responsible life in attendance to God and True Parents that we may walk through the open gates and bring our families, tribes, and nations with us.
In the spirit of his prayer of September 27, Father spoke of the fulfillment of God's restoration work in history. God's tireless effort in history has been to restore the lost position of elder brother in Adam's family. It was to be on this foundation that the right order of God would be established on the family, national, and worldwide levels. At this time, True Parents' offering, especially over these past 43 years, could be totally accepted by God. Thus the year of 1988 begins a new era in human history.
The press conference announcing the World Festival of Culture
Unity of the Nations
Father proclaimed the next four years as the time of Kingdom building. Each of us can now inherit the position and victories of True Parents and the birthright to our nations.
Also in his speech on October 3, Father "matched" 360 blessed families from around the world to blessed families in Korea. Through this horizontal pairing of younger brother families with elder brother families, the worldwide family of our True Parents can build a foundation representing the unity of the world's nations with the country of God's providence.
I believe many of us from nations all over the world will have a chance in the near future to work in Korea. We will have the opportunity to experience the roots of our True Parents and to benefit directly from the over 4,000 years of history there. We can bring to our true homeland the diversity of culture and character that represents the world. As the world and the elder brother nation of Korea embrace, love, and understand each other, surely God's blessing can become more and more substantial on the earth.
The nation of Korea heaved a sigh of relief and felt tremendous pride at the successful completion of the 1988 Olympics. Far more significantly, God could view with tears the successful completion of the restoration process that has been His agony throughout human history. It is now with absolute hope and anticipation that He and we can look to the substantial building of His Kingdom.
"The real lovers and leaders of their nations.”
A Personal Reflection
During the time of the Olympics in Korea, Father was able to culminate his years and years of suffering and proclaim the victory of God over Satan in the restoration of the elder brother's position. I was grateful that we national representatives called by Father could contribute in some small way in the final moments of those victories and thereby share in the beginnings of this historical new era.
In the midst of this precious moment in history I experienced many, many things, two of which I'd like to share.
Firstly, I saw True Parents openly weeping in prayer. In my many years in the Unification movement I have often heard and read about the tearful prayers and speeches of our True Father in the early days. Though in the more recent past the intensity of Father's life and love for God are always evident when he speaks, I have never actually seen him sob in public prayer.
But at the closing of his meeting on October 3, when Father sealed the proclamation of Foundation Day in prayer, his overflowing tears seemed to call up all the suffering, pain, and rejection that True Parents have gone through on so many levels all these years, as well as his tremendous gratitude to God. Witnessing such a prayer, I caught for a short moment what Father's life must mean to God and just how significant the declaration of this day was. For a moment, our ever- victorious Parent revealed the absolute surrender and abandonment he shows before his Heavenly Father, which is the root of all his strength, confidence, and love.
Secondly, I had a chance to meet all of the representatives of our movement from around the world. Many of these brothers and sisters are the ones whom Father sent out to the 120 mission countries in 1975. Now, 13 years later, I was deeply moved by the heart they showed towards True Parents and by their attitude of sheer persistence. The perseverance of these brothers and sisters in their nations and in this Olympic experience was so clearly born of love. As with any pioneers, there are qualities of the rough and tumble amongst our members, but I could clearly see that their driving force and deepest motivation has its source in an unending love for our True Parents and God. Before this visit to Korea, these brothers and sisters were only names on my prayer list. After this opportunity to be with them, they mean much, much more to me than that, and in the sense that they really love True Parents, they are, in my eyes, the real lovers and leaders of their nations.