Sun Myung Moon
January 15, 1978
Belvedere, New York
Translator - Bo Hi Pak
We can safely say that a new ideology centered upon love and advocating the universality of human brotherhood would definitely prosper. Is there anyone who would oppose it? As soon as people see that such a thing is possible they will welcome it as being superior to democracy. Even the communists will welcome it. Imagine God meeting with three VIPs here on earth-President Carter representing democracy, Secretary Brezhnev representing communism, and Reverend Moon representing the absolute universality of humanism based on love. Whom do you think God would pay most attention to? "President Carter, your human rights program is very nice, and Mr. Brezhnev, the communists have taken over two-thirds of the world already. Not bad. But Reverend Moon, you really have something unique there. " We've described this in a very humorous way, but think about it.
I am unique because I endorse lovism, or Godism. I did not blindly reach that conclusion, but found it only after digging down to find the very core of the human fall, and even further, down to God's ideal of creation. I have discovered what God's ideology is, and I am proclaiming that now is the time to restore everything to God. I not only teach that ideology, I am actually living it and millions of young people around the world are responding to it. The entire world is literally shaking. Is there any other person in history who has done that? I can truthfully say that I am the first pioneer out of all humanity to go this way.
I am proclaiming today that the Kingdom of God on earth shall be a way of life, not just a concept or ideology. Many people say that I am really crazy for talking about the Kingdom of God on earth, but I am serious. You recognized my seriousness and you echoed that seriousness in your hearts, packing up everything to come along.
If you really know the Divine Principle then you know your true situation, and when people ask whether you would rather be President of the United States or remain a pitiful Moonie, what would you say? I'm sorry that you have been given so much hardship by people outside our Church. God likes it, however, and God is really smiling to see you.
In Korean language the word "Moonie" has two meanings. First of all it describes a cloth with a beautiful pattern, like silk or brocade. Second, it refers to discussing or consulting with one another. Because we are Moonies we are great counselors, and we are making a beautiful spiritual embroidery to give to the world. I think God must have designed that word a long time ago. We discuss the Kingdom of God on earth and the Divine Principle. Just as the moon directly reflects the sun's light, we reflect God's light. God is shining upon the Moonies so that we can shine brightly to the world.
The amazing thing is that whatever we start in Belvedere becomes history, not only registering here in this horizontal world but also in the spirit world. You say amen, and the entire spirit world has already said amen.
Shall I continue speaking? Aren't you hungry? No wonder people are afraid of me; when they come to Belvedere and see you bright young Americans sitting on the floor for so many hours and still smiling, they think that I must have some kind of magic power.
Now that you understand about restoration, is individual perfection your goal even though you may die? Family perfection is the next step and then the perfection of God. We are such important components of God's way of life that without us God cannot be perfected. This is a beautiful ideology. People are flabbergasted and might call us blasphemers for thinking this. How do you perfect God? With love. God cannot have give and take of love by Himself; He needs someone with whom to have give and take of love.
This ideology will pursue perfection based upon love from the individual level to the entire cosmos, including God Himself. If God can be won over and even be perfected by us, there is nothing we could not do. Love is a miraculous thing because it is universal and there is nothing it cannot penetrate. Even a little puppy dog understands your love and wags his tail when you pay attention to him. No language is needed. If you really love nature then everything can understand you.
What is God's hobby? Is it collecting masterpieces of painting and music? God's hobby is love and He is a very romantic person. Because you resemble God, you can be centered upon His love and be His son or daughter. In the beginning of this sermon we talked about hope and happiness, but they cannot exist without love. When you have ample love then you actually have everything else automatically. When you young women anticipate marriage, do you expect love or hope or happiness? If I were to say, "I don't like love," you would know I didn't mean it. Sometimes when you are especially happy your emotion is expressed in tears instead of laughter. When a hungry man is given delicious food, he may eat it too quickly and choke on it in his eagerness. Sometimes love moves you so much that love chokes you up.
When children run home with dirty hands and faces from playing outside, would their loving parents push them away and say, "Go wash yourself first from playing outside, then I will hug you"? No, a loving heart doesn't see things like stains and dirt. With love alone can we transform the kingdom of hell into heaven.
My occupation is that of a communicator of love
You Westerners have lovely blue eyes; why did you come to see brown-eyed Reverend Moon? Forget you are here with me in this room and put yourselves back ten years before you knew anything about me. You have blue eyes, brown hair and lovely white skin, but the man you would follow one day has brown eyes, yellow skin and black hair. Before you knew me or my ideology, wouldn't you have felt that the idea of being my disciple was strange and exotic? Without knowing the Divine Principle, if someone said to you that in ten years you would be following an Oriental man who would put you to work from morning to night, you would have felt that it would never happen.
Today it has become a reality. You are here smiling at an Oriental man whom you call Father, not even friend. That point really disturbs many parents outside. Nevertheless, this man who caused you to be here does not force you to stay either by keeping you in chains or buying you out with money. You have absolute freedom both today and tomorrow, but your own aspirations and hope and desire make you stay, and more than that, you have an iron will to go on. Heavenly love is the only force that could do that.
Sometimes I am away on trips and on Sunday you know that I won't be speaking at Belvedere, that maybe Bo Hi Pak will speak. You may want to sleep on that day because without me you feel a certain emptiness. That's our way of life. It is clumsier when I am here because I need an interpreter and you have to sit for three hours instead of only one and a half-hours. The pragmatic American mind would think of things like this, but in our Unification Church it is different. Your energy is not ignited when you know that I am not here. When you hear me speak, some power ignites you and you feel good just looking at me.
Several days ago two eminent scholars from Korea were here visiting me. They came to East Garden and we had a nice conversation and fellowship, and then one of the professors said, "Reverend Moon, I normally don't stay too long at one place when I go to visit because I am not interested in listening to someone else. I am the one who usually does the talking and so I just extend a few courtesies and then leave. But you have just held me captivated and I don't want to go! What power do you have?"
This man is a very strong Christian and he recalled what happened at the Transfiguration, when Peter, James and John saw Jesus in a dazzling white garment talking with Moses and Elijah. The three disciples were so uplifted that they didn't want to leave. This professor said that was exactly how he felt when he came to East Garden.
What was the basic element that this professor was so moved by? Love. Who am I then? My occupation is that of a communicator or disseminator of love, not carnal, worldly love, but permanent, sacred love that will remain for eternity. That love can even make God a prisoner. That's why you are here and no chains are needed. There are truly mysterious things happening in the Unification Church! If I were not a God-centered man but an evil man like a communist boss, then with this kind of power I could do all kinds of evil around the world.
One of our members who is now working behind the Iron Curtain wrote me one final letter before he left on his mission and said, "Father, now I want to turn my life into yours. I am going to a communist country and I want to cash my life in for victory. I may not be able to write any more letters to you and you may not see me until we all gather in the spirit world, but I will go to these people and give my entire life in taking care of them and being concerned for them." I never ordered him to go; this man volunteered on his own.
Even though the communists talk about heaven, they actually govern by force. Mao said that power comes from the barrel of a gun. Chains and guns enforce communist regimes, but in the Unification Church people know what needs to be done and I get letters from people like this one brother. After the communists are restored and the glory of God is celebrated, this kind of person shall be given heavenly decoration and reward.
I feel that you are even greater than 1:1 often think, "Go my son, and God will be with you." We are united in that love of God which no one can sever. Even though your own parents may kidnap you and try to deprogram you, it will not work. I never admonished you to come back at any cost from your deprogrammers. Amazingly enough, many people who have been kidnapped and escaped to come back have never even seen me, only my picture.
Do you feel that without you God and the world cannot be perfected?
Do you feel that the entire world moves when you move with this God-centered ideology? Your every step represents the world, and everything you accomplish on behalf of the world places it even more securely upon your shoulders. Do you physically feel that every step and every move you make is for the sake of God and the world? I am going toward world perfection, even the perfection of God. Without me God cannot be perfected and so I cannot fail. God says that without me this world cannot survive. Why then can't you feel that without you God cannot be perfected? You are indispensable to God, and if you feel that way then you are always one with me and can communicate perfectly with me.
Most people look at me as one small man who came to America from Korea, but this is not what I thought. When I moved from Korea to the United States I brought the universal mission with me. I feel the movement of the universe, and if I push I feel that the nation has been pushed. Unless you have a motivation of that magnitude, you can't expect any great result. When you have great conviction and internal unity in that spirit, a great result will come.
What is the timetable God is unfolding at this particular time in human history? Why is the Unification Church here, even in the face of persecution? We are going over each hill, one after the other, ultimately moving forward to the pinnacle. When the entire world comes against you and you have won over its persecution, then you have gone over the , hill of your individual victory. You are in only one small segment of our movement, maybe at Belvedere or the World Mission Center, and you may wonder how you could have perfection on the worldwide level.
You could say that you are resisting worldwide persecution. The important thing is that we become worldwide champions. The world championship fight might be held in Madison Square Garden, but that does not mean that Madison Square Garden is the limit. The world championship fight is being fought whether you are at Belvedere, World Mission Center or another country. You are engaged in the universal championship, and you can win on both the worldwide and universal levels.
Who is the worldwide champion then? God is the spiritual champion on the side of good and Satan is the champion on the evil side, but God cannot come down and box with a physical Satan. Someone has to evaluate which side wins and also regulate the game. In order to win a definite victory here on earth, God must have His physical champion. A champion comes from every land to fight the battle physically on every level, from the individual to the family, tribe, society, nation and world.
There are physical satans confronting me here on earth. When I wrestled with Satan, I won and then restored individual perfection. Anyone who participates in that fight can celebrate the same victory and reap the same result. Upon that foundation you will engage in another battle, the family-level confrontation with Satan. All those who participate in that battle will win the same victory, and then upon that victorious foundation they will build another level and progress upward again to the national level, worldwide level and universal level.
Actually one champion is laying the foundation and making a path. The entire world is not being demolished at once; instead one person is laying one highway from the individual level all the way to the cosmic level, and anyone who can be benefited by that highway and move up to the cosmic level will not be taken away be Satan. He has no power over any one who is running on that highway. The highest peak was finally reached in the year 1976, with the victory of the Washington Monument Rally.
My victory on each level
The key year was 1960, in which the victory over the family level of perfection was won. In 1960 many people received revelations that a New Age had begun. The level of individual perfection was being won in the years 1953- 1960, when not even one ally could be found in the entire Republic of Korea; the government, churches and society were all trying to crush me and the victory of 1960 came amidst such persecution. In that incredible atmosphere I won the victory over the family level, and from that year on the blessings began. People were brought from the south, north, east and west of Korea and later the world, all being joined into one harmonious family.
Korea has five provinces and many smaller local areas. The local feeling is very strong and often people from one province despise those from another, but I mixed them all up in the blessed marriages. Initially they didn't want to see each other, even when they were matched. Even though they were husband and wife they were reluctant to unite. The parents were incredibly difficult at this time, complaining bitterly about having their child marry someone from another province. "We are a noble and aristocratic family and they are low-class. How could my child marry such a person?" Nevertheless, I purposely matched these various extremes together.
After the marriage, if the husband's hometown was way up north then I sent him on a mission in his wife's area way down south, and gave his wife a different mission up north. Out of incredible disharmony I organized a heavenly tribe in the blessing of 36 families, then 72 couples, then 120 couples and then 430 couples. Up to that point everything helped to lay the foundation for Korea. In order to install the universal foundation after that, I gathered together another 43 couples from other nations to be the leaders of world and they were blessed in marriage.
History has never known the meaning of such mass weddings on a mammoth scale and all of Korea was turned upside down. Japan was even more upset, however. "Who is going to take my child away from Japan?! Who is going to marry him without his parents' consent'?" Well, you know who did it. In the 1800 couples blessing, white, black and yellow all came together in one blessing. Here in America parents heard all sorts of shocking news. Some parents thought that because they had been supportive of their children as members that Reverend Moon would be good to them by giving their sons beautiful white brides, but when I put some of them together with little Japanese girls instead, some parents were outraged.
Those parents who once were very negative about their son marrying an Oriental girl now say that they are absolutely amazed at how I could find such a beautiful daughter-in-law for them. Now they write, "Reverend Moon, I hope you understand me. I was upset only because I was worried about what kind of grandchildren I was going to have."
Upon the foundation of these victorious conditions, I initiated the Washington Monument Rally as a showdown with the world and won the final victory. Was America visibly shaken by Reverend Moon or not? Ever since the Washington Monument Rally the entire United States has felt allergic to me. On April 3, 1973, I was given the status of permanent resident in America, and then I won this cosmic victory on September 18, 1976, after only 3 1/2 years. If I had not been given the legal right to stay here permanently then I could not have fulfilled all these dispensations.
After the 1976 victory, Americans really woke up and thought they had to do something about Reverend Moon. All kinds of government harassment began after that particular victory, but the government is finding me too big to bite. The three most history-making years began with the 1976 victory. 1978 is the year of action, victory and assault.
This year there will be no more harassment in the form of investigations by government agencies like the IRS, Congress and Justice Department. They have been giving us the hardest possible time but now we are going over. These periods are actually necessary because Satan must be given a full chance to strike God's side; he must not be deprived of the opportunity. A highway has been laid from the heavenly world to the bottom of hell, and the momentum of transformation is gathering. Portions of the hellish world are crumbling away piece by piece, and we will take those pieces and create the heavenly world. Construction is going on now.
From this time on it will be expanded to cover the entire world. We will make it a totally free world in which people can travel as far as they want in any direction. If we had not had the Washington Monument Rally then no matter what else we did well, the spiritual barrier would still be unbroken and no one could penetrate it. If it were still there and then I died for some reason, it would have meant that my mission was left undone. Then, just like Christianity endured much martyrdom when Jesus left the earth, the Unification Church would have passed through the same course of suffering. If the Washington Monument victory had not been won, there would have been no way for the spirit world to come down permanently and help this fallen world; it could have only come down sporadically. But everything was all done and no barriers are left. I fulfilled the mission, period. Therefore, on the True Parents' birthday in 1977 I declared a new calendar and a new history.
Because the highway between hell and heaven is finished,
the side of good can now prevail
This highway is laid all the way from heaven to the dungeons of hell and the entire spirit world can come down all the way to the bottom of this world. Those in spirit world have been given total freedom to go anywhere they want in the fallen world. A new maneuver has begun because spiritually Satan has to confront these good spirits on earth. Spirit world has to be cleansed, and in order to do that they have to harvest goodness. The final separation of good and evil has begun, which is why everything here on earth is being polarized. Schisms are automatically seen wherever our movement is active, as Cain and Abel divide in the churches, academic world, everywhere.
When we confronted the satanic power before 1976, the Cain side always prevailed because of overpowering satanic strength, and because of the spiritual barrier there was no way good could prevail. Since the victory of 1976. however, this barrier has been removed and spirit world can freely come down. The good side is inevitably going to win and increase and not take any more beatings. This is why I told you that this is a year to be bold and strong, a year of marching and leaping forward. Don't be a coward.
I may be small in stature, but when I take off all of New York will shake. Each of you can wage a war in goodness. You may be a tiny girl who is humbly dressed, but you can be a giant from now on. Let's go to the world and be troublemakers for goodness.
People are pursuing all kinds of degraded life styles. You can really confront them and demand, "What are you doing with your life?" You know God's timetable, and after 1978 is over your opportunity will be limited. Our publicity crusade team went to Albany, New York and had huge impact on the state government. They protested to the government officials about the delay in accrediting our seminary, even after it met all their criteria, and bluntly told them, "If you continue treating people in this prejudiced manner, you will be criticized by the world."
Theologians at Harvard Divinity School are studying Divine Principle more than you are, and soon they will come forward and say that it is the most refreshing, logical and revolutionary theology they have ever seen. All this potential is there, all the dynamite, and all you have to do is ignite it. If I were to die now, I would not be a failure or leave my mission behind undone. I have consummated it.
Even now the communist media criticizes me harshly because they recognize my power. Their scheme is to set the United States government against me and then reap the benefit, but it will not work. Because communist youth hear about me through adverse publicity, they are inspired and think, "He must really be somebody if even the communist government cannot stand him and they fire their biggest ammunition at him." The youth are very interested. Because of all the media and government harassment in America, American youth are also intrigued. Students have many hobbies and many non-members are collecting my pictures! They have even written to me, "Can I have your autographed picture for my collection?"
American youth have lots of curiosity and want to do new things, but even after they tried being hippies, tried streaking, drugs and sex, they are still not satisfied. There is one more thing to try out-the Unification Church. The time has come that no matter what I say people will accept it. Even if the Divine Principle were conjured up by man it would still work but because it is a God-given revelation, how much more will it work? The time to set the heavenly tradition is here. We are going in a completely opposite direction from the rest of the world, heading for the challenge of a tough life while they are trying to get an even easier life with a four-day work week and higher salary. If their world is crumbling, then indeed our world is going to prosper.
Once I spoke 14 1/2 hours in one day in America, but since I used an interpreter it was actually only seven hours of speaking. In Korea, however, I once spoke for twelve hours without an interpreter. Whoever talks in this fashion has to be crazy, but then so are his listeners! If you invite people to Belvedere but tell them that I will speak four hours, they will decline your invitation. In four hours you can fly to the west coast on a 747.
Spirit world is coming down so much that this year you will see extraordinary phenomena. I divided the Performing Arts groups and sent three teams to different cities, telling them to set a special prayer condition. Once the members met George Washington in their prayer, and he told them, "Every moment of the day I am working with you." John Kennedy came to ask them to holy salt his grave and Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt also appeared. Our members went to different historic locations for special prayer and each time they saw a vision of one famous person.
So far the activity of spirit world has been channeled through Judaism and Christianity on earth, but we are different, being assisted not only by central religions like Judaism and Christianity, but by all of your ancestors. They are also Adam's children, and when Adam is restored they can be a part of it. You here on earth are subject over all of those spirit men; we are the Abel group, and by accepting their assistance we are liberating the Cain spirit world. Then they in turn can make themselves into Abel. This year the New York Times printed the opinion that a new religious movement or upsurge is coming shortly. This doesn't indicate the coming of a new movement, but the blossoming of something which is already here. Because they never saw it before it appears new to them, but spirit world is not inspiring any type of crusade like Billy Graham's; they are witnessing to Reverend Moon.
You are responsible to talk to people so that they can know the truth about me, and the best way to inspire them is to give your own testimony. "My parents are like this, and I tried different things. Initially I was self-centered and only worried about myself, but now I am hopeful and I am here to give my life to God. Now I want to be purely unselfish and love humanity and save this country. The thing that changed my life is the revelation which Reverend Moon brought." This is a most beautiful way of moving people. Something moved you to be here and now you can tell your own story. In front of your parents, brothers and sister, classmates and the world, you must be proud of yourselves now and of what you are becoming.
Your opportunity to bear such dramatic witness will disappear in a few years. Like a swallow gathering insects, you must catch your opportunity up in the air. In a few years your efforts will not be appreciated because all the witnessing will be done through the media. Another thing you must realize is that restoration is firmly anchored here on earth and nothing will shake it now. The third seven-year course will end in 1980, and after September, 1979 the hardest battle will be over and the harvest will start.
If you really try to live up to my words, you will be on the correct side of the peak
Which side of the dividing peak are you standing on? You must go over the hill and be on the other side of the peak. The entire world will soon be flooding in our door and unless you really anchor yourself here you will be washed away. You must record your name in the spirit world's book of life and then no one can push you away. My mission is completed and now you have your opportunity. The entire spirit world is telling me to take a vacation and enjoy nature because my mission is over. They promise me they will take care of everything now.
This is the three-year period in which you will establish your own qualifications and you should not lag behind spirit world. Is only your mind affected by spirit world? No, your physical body must also be moving together with spirit world. Spirit world will help push you over the hill, meaning that this time will be governed by the spirit world and physical world together.
At this time there is not much space to stand at the pinnacle, but you can make it accessible to all mankind, including spirit world. The spirit world and the physical world will be parallel in the future and then it will be utterly impossible to doubt the living reality of God. The time will come when saying that there is no God will be similar to creating a low pressure area; automatically it will be filled by the high pressure of God's presence. You won't even have to preach about God because everyone will already believe.
There are many possessed people in America today. Spiritually low people in particular will be affected by low spirits very quickly, but when you are spiritually high you will attract higher-level assistance. Even though their intentions are good, the lower-level spirits usually cause only possession; they come to help people but they influence them in the wrong direction. Because spirit world is so active at this time, mental illness seems to be increasing in America. When more good spirits come down later and the overall spiritual atmosphere is elevated, the spiritually affected people will get well.
Anyone who accepts what I say and wants to live it every day will have a clear mind and sense of direction and he will be given much greater spiritual assistance. Such a person will be benefited by following the spiritual guidance he receives. Right now your spiritual antenna is pointed toward the ground; you have to push it upward instead. If you are always looking down then you can't see any hope and vision and you think, "What do I gain by doing this? Where is my food; where is my money?" That is earthly thinking. But when you look up and your spiritual antenna is raised, an entirely different message is received.
Our ideology is the highest and noblest and even God looks up to it. It is so noble that it can reach up to the throne of God and way inside His heart. That is why you can pray like this: "Heavenly Father, I heard Father speak today and I have a clear vision in my heart. I am ready to obey You completely and want You to give me direction. I want to make one more request, Heavenly Father. Don't let my relatives in spirit world remain idle. Send them down to assist me, but please tell them when they come that I am the boss. They are not in charge."
Because the course of restoration proceeds opposite the direction of the fallen world, you who are on earth are in the higher position. Adam is actually the first ancestor of mankind, but since the world is fallen and going opposite the heavenly direction, Adam is way down on the bottom in the last position. Your ancestors will be happy to listen to you, their descendants. If your great-great-great grandfather comes down, he will not expect you to bow down to him because spirit world knows the rules of restoration. He will say instead, "My champion, here I am at your service. What should I do?" He will cordially greet you and wait for your instructions.
You are in the position of champion who has won the greatest victory and all the thousands of your relatives in spirit world are directly connected to you. When you go to spirit world, they will give you a hero's welcome. When you are defeated, your ancestors will not give you a hero's welcome but will ask why you gave up when you could have won if you had only taken a few more steps. They will say, "We're ashamed of having you as our descendant."
The age has come when being inactive doesn't accomplish anything, when nothing but fear will come to you if you are inactive. You just cannot be idle. It is much better spiritually for you to go out and be hit as a target of Satan, and even take being treated scornfully or physically struck. You must work harder than the angelic world and let them help by pushing from behind instead of pulling you along. The correct order is for you to stand in front and let the angelic world push you from behind. Then Satan cannot hurt you. This is why I ordered a special forty-day condition starting January 10, to start you on an all-out offensive physically and spiritually. This is a period of assault. I have explained everything to you, and what you do about it is up to you but I want you to know that you must be on the correct side of the dividing peak.
You must set a brand new record which no one from the past can match, so that no one in history can come forward and say that they have done a little bit more than you have. No one in history should be able to defeat you. Because this is the third Sunday in the month of January, I picked this particular topic, "The Dividing Peak of Restoration. " No matter what work you do, unless you have a clear understanding and a clear goal your efforts will be worthless.
I push you so that you can assure the salvation of your parents
Is there nighttime in the spirit world? Does God rest? Does Satan stop working? How much rest do you take at night? For seven years I slept only two hours a night, because unless I did that I could not have overcome the incredible spiritual assault in those days. Even when my eyes were open wide I could feel and see the black pressure and power pressing on me; I could almost touch it physically. That is how much evil, negative power surrounded me. But I never gave up. I endured it all the way and finally broke through and pushed it aside. I was always sweating from the spiritual and physical effort it took; even in winter my clothes were always wet with sweat. You will never know how much I sweated and how many tears I shed.
Now I have fulfilled the whole mission and wherever I go I have heaven. Nothing bothers me. Even if I go to bed without praying, heaven is still with me. There is no trace of the satanic power to oppress me now. Unless you do your utmost to fulfill your duty while you are here on earth, don't ever think you will be dwelling in the same heaven with me.
Unification Church members are the toughest, most impossible breed. There is no way to conquer them, but still they are good people. Parents are often frustrated at how stubbornly their children cling to this Church, but even though they say negative shines with their mouths, their hearts are saying, "What a wonderful child I have." In their hearts they actually want you to continue. There are many parents who won't soon change on the surface, but inside their feelings are changing.
They will feel drawn to you somehow and want to follow you to see what you are doing. Soon they will openly take delight and joy in your actions, and when they scold your younger brothers and sisters they will say, "I wish you could at least be a Moonie like your elder brother. At least he has the guts to follow some vision for his life. I don't know what he is following, but at least I can admire his conviction. I wish you could have that kind of conviction."