The Trust Placed In Us

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
June 3, 1979
Belvedere, New York
Translator: Bo Hi Pak

Every word has its own nuance and flavor and cultural background. Correct perception of each word is important, yet translation from one language to another is very difficult sometimes. Have you ever thought how much of a gap there is even in a 100% translation from one language to another? You must recognize that it is virtually impossible for a translator to close this gap in interpreting for me into English. If I am speaking about one point, do you think the interpreter can get 75% of the way to the target? Some time in the future when you know Korean perfectly and you read my own words you will realize how different the English and Korean versions of my speeches are.

When I tried to understand English I discovered it is an impossible language, with many kinds of usages. It is true that in any language there are many exceptions to the rule and odd usages without explanation that just have to be remembered, but I also realized that English is not the best language for conveying the spiritual element of life. The language is just not equipped to express things about the spiritual life as Korean is. When you compare Korean and Japanese there are marked differences; even the Japanese language cannot match the Korean facility of expression. I am definitely encouraging you to study Korean.

The Korean alphabet is very scientific and modern, comprised of only 24 vowels and consonants, yet even with that small alphabet Korean can reproduce any sound. The Korean people are very good at learning foreign languages because their mother tongue already has a variety of sounds. I see God's hand working here, preparing the Koreans with a language suitable for the universal dispensation.

English can be a boring and tasteless language to study, but Korean has a profound taste in comparison, with a most intricate and beautiful way of saying things. It is true that the contents of Korean expressions are complicated, but that makes it sweet, so have trust in Korean based on my recommendation.

What are Moonies? You are not competing in a gold rush or seeking fame and reputation in society. You are not seeking fun from day to day or involved in drugs or sensual experience. Neither are you pursuing academic honor, or ruthlessly seeking worldly

success. None of you are writing love letters or dating, and you don't have lots of money in your pocket. There are many who want their names known to the world, but not you. You don't even have many accomplishments that command the respect of many people.

When we see all this, what would make anyone ambitious to become a Moonie? There seems to be no reason at all. On Sunday morning you come early to Belvedere, but here you won't find even one chair to sit on, only a hard floor. Reverend Moon's church is one without chairs. When you present yourself as a Moonie to the world, no one says how wonderful you are, but ridicules you instead. Even your parents cannot understand why you became a Moonie and your brothers and sisters think you made a mistake. No one is sympathetic and the nation and world are treating us poorly.

No one thinks Moonies are normal people. Regardless of how normal you try to be, as soon as people discover you are a Moonie they look at you in an entirely different way. Your clothes and demeanor may be perfectly normal, but still they will think you are odd. Waiters and waitresses practically expect Moonies to eat with their noses instead of their mouths. These are the circumstances we are forced to live with every day.

Why do we have to go this route? Our ambition is not to have delicious food every day or to make much money or gain honor, so we are looked at by society as an unusual group of people. Nevertheless, our goal is to give ourselves for the sake of all. People in the everyday world have one small target in their lives, setting money or honor as their life goal, but we look at the whole picture. These people who aim at only one segment of life can move freely and don't care about anything else as long as they have that one thing. They may be far from the whole, but as long as they have their one thing they are content. Americans today are individualistic, going in their own directions. The concept of nation, society, or even parents and their family are unimportant to them as long as they can go after their individual goal. If their life goal happens to be fun and carnal pleasure, they only think about having fun and a good time. But such an individual is pursuing a goal that contradicts the well-being of the whole.

Our first job is denial and separation from that kind of life, and we begin by denying the materialistic and individually oriented trends that America thinks are worth pursuing. We deny the new counterculture the hippies said they would build. We do unconventional things like worship, and not only that, but in a sanctuary without chairs. We are not thinking only in Western cultural terms, but looking at the world as one unit. Here white people are thinking about all races, for instance.

Instead of drifting away from the center we are returning to it, trying to unite with it, and no matter where we are we can always instantly join together at the center. We are turning, but there must always be an axis around which to move. Today people commonly seek happiness by revolving around the opposite sex, but then what is going to be the axis of men and women once they come together? Their job or family or society? Today Americans are living center-less lives and young people are not even making an effort to find a center, thinking that they are already having fun.

What is the center of America? There is none today. Because there is no center in American homes, families today are living at random without any lasting sense of purpose. A tree has roots, trunk and leaves. Just as a tree cannot survive without having its roots in the earth, the family is rooted in the society and the individual is rooted in the family. How can an individual leaf deny that it needs the roots and trunk? Do you agree that a rootless way of life prevails here in America?

How can you ever exist in isolation from everything else? Even minerals have certain relationships of harmony which unite their atoms and crystals. What is the central axis of American life? Should the center be the soul or the body? Americans today tend to favor the body and physical pleasure, and since there is no fixed center Americans bump into each other and bounce off the walls, ultimately inviting self destruction.

There are central principles in the universe which no one can change. In each solar system there is a fixed center and all the planets revolve around it. Each day has order, with the morning coming first, then noon, then evening. An animal's tail cannot be its head at times, nor can the tail and head argue over who does what. There must be order in relationships between men and women, not confrontation over who is subject. If everyone is constantly leaving his own position then there can only be chaos.

There should be consistent order and discipline in life, but when they are ignored nothing but chaos can result. Sentences have a certain structure; just lining up nice words from the dictionary won't make any sense. A great painting is always thought out and then constructed, but just throwing things together has no meaning - We live in a senseless society, so what are we doing about it? We are people who are uniting with the center of the universe, going back to the original center without which this universe could not exist.

What is the center then? You may say God is the universal center, but what is God's center? What kind of relationship is there between the love of God and the love of men, and which should be the center? There is love seen from God's point of view and love seen from man's point of view, so what kind of relationship must be created between the two in order to have meaning for both?

We have five physical senses, but at the same time we know we have five spiritual senses and that they should always be united harmoniously. That is why we are looking for one love which will satisfy both the spiritual senses and the physical senses so that they can function together. How intense should that love be? The intensity of this love is such that even though you may try to leave it you will be pulled back. The attracting power of that love is so strong that you cannot ever leave it. It is possible for such love to exist that will attract not only you but God. In that love the mind and body will be the same burning crimson red. When you begin to taste this love you cannot help but bring yourself up vertically instead of just remaining in the horizontal. If you journey all the way up you will penetrate the love of God and even go beyond. Do you have that love? This is a convincing explanation, isn't it? If you want love, that's the kind you want, right?

When Unification Church members are really burning red with love that melts spirit and body together, no power under the sun can separate us or stop us, even the power of God. Isn't that exciting? When this love is activated even a sleepy grand mother is electrified. If even grandparents can be electrified then the bodies of young people will be burning like the sun, giving out light and heat. You can become a radiator of love. Are you imparting such life and love?

Once you taste such love, would you be pulled away by anything trying to interfere? Even if someone physically tries to pull you away, your physical body may be dragged in one direction but your mind and soul will be straining to go the other way. That's why people tell you that I am using mind control and brainwashing on you, but actually that is not mind control at all; we are all patients suffering from the disease of true love.

If no one can deter you then you are like a bullet, with your purpose and goal so clear that you can fly straight to the bulls-eye. Amazingly enough, when you are a bullet of love you do not destroy or harm anything. When you penetrate a person or a society or nation, no one will feel pain, but will be overjoyed instead. Usually a bullet destroys what it hits, but not a bullet of love. People look scornfully at Moonies, but I want you to know that our ideal is the best of all. That is the exciting and dramatic philosophy which we live.

Because we have a goal and are not moving at whim, we have a discipline. Men and women are not pursuing gratification but pursuing the highest goal in a parallel way. There are many strings and ropes attached to each Moonie, including the individual line, a family line, a tribal line, national line and so forth. It is very complicated and there are many ropes to handle, but each rope has a certain meaning and we need them all. We have a way to straighten everything out. The individual line will extend a certain distance and the family rope will go in the same direction, but be a little longer. The tribal line is longer and can thrust you further, but most important of all, it still goes in the same direction. In crossing a river you need a bridge that is long enough to reach all the way across, not just halfway. The national rope can extend further, but the rope of the world goes farthest of all and will finally reach the other side. Each rope is an important segment of the bridge crossing the river.

Do you know how to make this process simple? Your goal is to go all the way to the world, and with that line you will embrace everything else. Once you reach that goal you already have everything else. That's why we set the highest possible goal of going out to save the whole world. We can save the world by practicing love, true love. When you truly practice love of the world, you will already have loved your family, your people and nation. All of those are smaller than the world, so once you have loved the world you have already loved them as well.

Since our goal is to love the world, it is nothing for white people to love black people, and for black people to love whites is easy. Your love shows when you come to be matched. Did those who volunteered for interracial marriage accept it because I pushed them? That day I was colorblind. Why is it possible in the Unification Church? Because our goal is to love the world, and as a result there is nothing we cannot digest. For us there is no boundary between races or cultures.

As an individual you must be anchored in this love, and as a nation and world as well. Everyone's life must be anchored in this foundation of love. If America really sees that the foundation of life is true love then this society and nation must be anchored there, and the government's first policy will be to anchor all citizens in this love. Could they oppose me or respond to me then? Then should the nation respond because you are Moonies?

One thing is sure however, because you love me most of all, no power can separate us and it doesn't matter whether the government or people accuse you. That is our pride. Naturally some adverse reaction comes because your parents are jealous of that love; after giving so much of themselves to raise you they will feel badly if you love an Oriental man, particularly one from Korea, which they have never known anything about. Your answer is that you can't help but love me because otherwise your conscience would suffer. With that love you can work harder and accomplish more, sleep better and feel better, so you can't help but love me. It is not brainwashing; you are bound by that bond of true love.

Why is it a goal to love me? I am at the other side of the river, like a support for the bridge you will cross over on. Unlike a regular bridge, I move back and forth, so when I pass nearby you hang on and cross over. That means you are here to take advantage of me! Are you happy people to see this? Why? Because you are sure now that you have a bridge of love between heaven and earth. You need a permit to cross that bridge, a statement that you practice love. That ticket not only gives you authority to cross, but tells you how. You came here to get that ticket! This is the only place that ticket is issued.

On Sunday morning you come from New York, and I am sure that many of you probably get speeding tickets for driving so fast. The Moonie's goal in life is to secure the central point, knowing it is everlasting. We have found that point, the central theme of the universe. When we loop our ropes around it and create a bridge we know we can cross the river. This is the first time in history there has been a bridge to cross over, and this bridge extends from here to eternity in the spirit world.

There are many ways you can travel, but they must all ultimately connect to this bridge. That is the destiny of mankind. It is ordained that every man in history and in the future must cross this bridge, the only one in existence. Do you agree that without it there is no connection to eternity? In order to cross it you have no choice but to listen to me and follow this way of life, even if you hate doing so. The most amazing thing is that no one is forcing you, but something inside tells you to go ahead. Once you know that the bridge exists and that you have to cross, do you want to wander and take your time or would you cross over in a flash, like a bullet? What about relaxing first and then crossing? You are young; don't you have time to linger and have fun before you cross?

Do you want to cross with your spouse? Suppose three couples came who are ready to cross-one couple is white, another is black, but the third is black and white. Which couple should be given priority? Don't white people have supremacy? American people resent hearing you say that white people don't have priority. Forget for a moment that you are a Moonie; what would you say then? I'm sure even the President and anyone in his family, if they are people of justice and good heart, will say that black and white together take priority.

Since the answer is so obvious, we in the Unification Church pay a great deal of attention to international marriage. I recently matched 705 couples, and the most beautiful scene was seeing all the volunteers who stepped forward for interracial marriage. I left it up to you, and a great many brothers and sisters made that request on their own. We will have all colors of skin in the society we are going to create. They will not be there for a fighting championship, but to embrace in love. This is the Moonie philosophy.

You don't feel good when people are scornful toward you, so today you must come to a confident understanding that you are destined to cross that bridge between heaven and earth. Being a Moonie is the only way you can accomplish that. Here is one brother who is a lawyer; he could have had a profitable practice, yet he is sitting here without money in his pocket. A Moonie's pocket never holds any money, no matter how much goes in.

Mike Warder recently went to Las Vegas for a Newspaper Publishers Convention and as The News World representative he was chosen to be on the host committee. That involved greeting and assisting all the leading publishers from around the country, yet Mike flew out there without a penny in his pocket. He has no money but he doesn't worry. If he really needs money then he can always fund raise. Mike's parents might wonder how he can be a publisher yet be so poor, but they don't understand Moonies. This is the drama of our life-one day you could be a newspaper publisher and the next be a fund raiser. This is how we can go up, down, and all over.

I am a messenger to mankind for the most important message from God, but at the same time I can be the number one laborer in any factory or mine. There is no shame in this because we do it all in the name of God. Many people think the Unification Church is rich and that I live in luxury, but that is not true. It is because I have laid a foundation based on terrible suffering that we have come this far. People in the everyday world despise Moonies, but we love each other.

What is the trust that is placed in us? We are taking up the life that proceeds all the way to God, with segments of the family, nation and world all in that one straight line. There is no confusion here, yet in the history of dispensation God could not even pass through this first gate of the individual and family. That is why God could never hold His true position as loving Heavenly Father. Because even the first gate was not open, there was no tribal, national or worldwide gate.

What was your goal in being engaged recently? Your purpose was to open up the first gate of the heavenly family. Those couples are forming the family gate, declaring to the world and to spirit world that everyone, including God, must pass through this gate. Would you object to having all those people passing through your gate, wanting only your husband and children to go through? Here in America everyone is worried about his privacy, but a Moonie has no private life, only a public one. Some blessed wives feel they must have some area that is just for their private lives, but I say absolutely not. Every moment of the day is for public ministering. The universe follows this principle as well.

What kind of gate are you making a narrow one, or one wide enough so the world's people can come dancing in with room to spare? Can you create such a gate with money or power or knowledge? Only with love. Love makes the gate wide and open. Suppose you couples have a tiny room to live in and you finally have a private moment; if I knock on the door would you ask me to wait so you can have some private time? I'm sure you would tell me to come in any time, but what if other brothers and sisters knock on the door? Would you turn them away or will your door always be wide open to them?

Love is elastic, far more than any balloon. There is no end to love. In one sense love is harder than a diamond, but in another sense it is softer than cotton or down. That love is our target. You American members are not just U.S. citizens who are working for America; you are living and working with Japanese and Germans, whose nations were this nation's enemies thirty years ago, but that historical fact doesn't make any difference to you. This family can only be united by the true love of God, with which we can open the doors and embrace everyone. It is not easy to follow me, but I'm sure you have realized that in the process you are learning many things.

Since knowing me you have learned how to use chopsticks. Can you envision God using chopsticks? It is logical that God must be the chopstick champion! God's chopsticks are very long. He made one representing Western man and the other representing what? If you think like God then you perceive the entire universe as one, so naturally the other chopstick must be from the East.

Westerners use canes often, and their philosophy is also straightforward and pointed. Oriental philosophy is very abstract, and you may think you understand it, but in reality you can't see the bottom of it. The bottom is rounded and disappears somewhere in the distance. If Oriental philosophy seems unending then does God comprehend this mystic philosophy? No one else is more mystic than God. Have you ever wondered whether God favors Western or Oriental philosophy? God's two chopsticks must have some differences of character; otherwise, how could there be both East and West?

I am from an Oriental background and I came to the West to examine the Western chopstick. I found that it is rusty and has rough edges and metal spurs on it. I came to cut off these dangerous rough spots so they won't cut your mouth when you use it. I discovered that this chopstick of God's has been rough and rusty and God has not been able to use it well so I want to shine it and clean it up to present it to God for His use. I will invite God to a banquet for all races and cultures and languages, and then put this chopstick there for His use and enjoyment.

I wouldn't want you to be embarrassed by not knowing how to use chopsticks, so this way of life is important training, including sitting on a hard floor. You should know about Oriental customs as well as Western customs, even though your long legs and your back ache from sitting on the floor. I know that when Westerners come they are glad to see me, but often they are practically lying down on the floor with their legs sticking out toward me. Even dogs are more courteous in front of their masters than to lie down. If you were to do that at God's banquet it would be an embarrassment to Americans and to the Western world. You are a representative of your people at the banquet and you have to be prepared to comply with all heavenly etiquette and courtesy. There is no room to complain.

Do you think it is easy trying to instill discipline in you untrained young people? Nevertheless, we cannot function like West Point; we are a religious organization so our manner of teaching must be based on love, not coercion. In love you come to know a higher protocol, but it takes time and also a great deal of energy on my part. You may never realize it, but you are so far departed from the usual American way of life that your countrymen are astonished to see your new manners.

The Japanese members who came to America use pidgin English, so some of our members are starting to use pidgin English as well! Instead of Yes, they answer Hi. What would the rest of America lose by bending over backward like that to learn about other cultures? In the future the Moonies will make the best diplomats because you learn how to mix with and embrace others. Governments will want Unification Church members to be their representatives because no others can better associate with other peoples. We know how to serve.

You are soldiers seasoned from MFT training, learning how to evaluate all circumstances and how to win someone's heart. You may not have anything in your pocket or in your bank account, but you know how to cope with the world. The training you are getting here will never be obtained at any university. You may not have a college degree, but I know you sisters will be the best wives for diplomats or Senators and Congressmen. No one can excel us in leadership.

I am an expert in every field, such as public speaking, but also as a fighter and hard worker. I would like to become a pilot, not for small aircraft, but for a 747. 1 very often fly across the country and have noticed that every time the 747 comes down it bumps on the ground. I am sure that I could make such a smooth landing that the sleeping passengers would never even realize they had landed. If I were the pilot then the stewardesses would have the extra job of waking everyone up. Because I am a little old to be trained as a pilot I may not have that opportunity, so you can inherit that mission instead.

Many times I have to drive to various places, and if time is short then the driver has to have the skill to weave in and out of traffic to get to the destination quickly. If I were a driver I know I would get many speeding tickets, but I also know how to go slowly and other drivers would be honking their horns for me to speed up. If war breaks out, you have to be alert enough to know how to act in an emergency. Would you prefer having an encyclopedia which covers all knowledge or just a simple dictionary of your own country's language? You need to become very broad and round in your thinking.

No one now knows the Moonies' true qualities, but in ten years everyone will be looking for my disciples because they are so versatile and adaptable. I would even like to organize an Olympics of the religious people of the world. Recently I invited some elder ministers to travel the world and examine Unification Church activities. They were amazed at the tremendous variety of things I am doing around the world and they said, "There is nothing Reverend Moon cannot do, and nothing that he does not do."

I was going to go to sea today, but the weather did not permit it. Some people might say I should rest on the Sabbath, but since the Sabbath is still a workday for God, going to sea and catching many fish for needy people is in accord with God's own standard. In our concept a holy day is not one for just sitting around. It is far better to go out and bring reconciliation to people who are fighting.

We are not the same old-time religion; we are a 20th century religion, but when the 30th century comes, the Unification Church will still be the most modem of all. We are creating a new unification culture centered upon one true love as a foundation of life. This is our goal. The path to love is strong and bold, never ambivalent. Love is almighty; it can be forceful and soft but it can also be hard and dignified.

America will definitely come to a time when it will accept this philosophy. America is now wandering without a focus or purpose, but we have a purpose and in every phase of life the love of God is our center. By centering upon that love we create a new family, nation and world. There is not a moment of wavering allowed because that way of life is the one which all human history has been waiting for. When the Pilgrim Fathers came to these shores they were aiming at that ideal but it was never realized. Now after 200 years of American independence I have come to this country and they are confident that their goal is ready to be fulfilled.

There are vast differences between the cultures of East and West, yet the power of God's love can unite the two powers and traditions. The vast distance between God and man can only be bridged by the power of love. This is our central ideology and theme and way of life, and no matter where we go, even to the rim of the world, we always come back to the center. There is no way we can deviate from it. Wherever we go we bring the power of love. At home you can embrace your parents and brothers and sisters with this love; with this power of love you can become one with anyone in society.

Now people are mistrustful and misunderstanding of us, but the day will come when they will put their whole trust in us. Why? Because God has trusted us and spirit world has trusted us. Spirit world is assaulting this earth, so those who are more sensitive spiritually will be the first to recognize our true value. Then more and more people will come to realize our true value. God is putting His trust in us because of His dispensational purpose; God knows that finally there is a possibility of consummating His historical love and that is why He supports us. This is God's battle, not only yours and mine. God has committed His whole life and honor to this, so we do the same for the fulfillment of love.

The marriages of the international couples will not be easy, but I tell you to go ahead and consummate this love, no matter what difficulties you face. Because it is difficult to fulfill, it can be your pride that you have been chosen especially for that mission. We must not forget the great trust and expectation that are invested in us by God and spirit world and history.

In England over 300 couples were matched last year, and out of those only two were matches of British people. Members from over 21 European and African nations were matched together. Often when the future husband and wife met to talk they needed interpreters, and if there weren't enough interpreters they started to talk with their eyes.

The European continent is much smaller than America, but each nationality there has fierce pride. The Germans think they are the best and they always stick together, while the British think they are the true gentlemen and the Germans are barbarians. Even in London society there are organized groups of each nationality. The European nations might be trying to come together economically now through the EEC and EuroParliament, but culturally and heartistically they are reluctant to mingle. There is no other way apart from international marriage to bring heart-to-heart contact.

The three great barriers in Europe are the barriers of national boundary, of language and of marriage, but when I went to Europe I challenged all three of those. Is there any national boundary or language barrier in this heavenly culture? In a few years everyone has to recognize that I could unite Europe and then one world will finally be born there. The communists want to promote division there so they can conquer each country one by one, so they see me as their archenemy in this respect. Here in America the oldest and greatest problem is animosity between black and white, and the communists thought I could never cope with it, but what happened? After the 705 couples were matched, the black community can see that it has found its champion in Reverend Moon.

The worst possible war in the future would be racial war. Whites know that if racial war ever begins that they will be the ones to be annihilated. Who is manipulating all these racial disturbances? The communists. Those white people who worry about the future of the world and of America must ultimately conclude that Reverend Moon alone can solve the racial problems of America. Interracial marriage is the worst problem of history, but the Unification Church is solving that problem.

The entire world is watching the couples I have matched to see what kind of children will be born to them and how those families will serve the world. Once they recognize that interracial marriage is working here, the entire world will be turned around. When you understand the incredible implications of this, you can't help but get goose bumps just listening.

This is the day and goal that everyone has been waiting for. The idealistic people of the past, present and future will welcome this new way of life, knowing that without it the world will not have hope. If you really live in this new way of life and commitment, you will have new dignity for eternity. When you are elevated to spirit world you can lift up your head before all the saints because you could practice what they only dreamt of.

From the historical point of view, the trust placed in us will be the final one. We are going to be the people who carry the ultimate trust of history, spirit world and God. Korea must reach the conclusion that the Unification Church is the only hope of that nation. Japan is no exception either. Now Japanese leaders openly say that the future of Japan depends on Unification Church young people. There is no doubt that America will also say this soon. If you know this is true, then this is an historical event taking place here.

Therefore, we are going along a straight line in this way of life, not from side to side. We go in a straight line, sacrificing the lesser for the greater. For the nation my family can be sacrificed. For the world my nation can be sacrificed, for once the world lives then all shall be fulfilled and everyone shall be saved. If there is a God, this must be His way, and the most idealistic thinkers and the saints must also feel this way.

We are living for people from all six continents. If everyone lives under this principle, how much benefit can be brought to our fellow man? It is realistic to think that we can turn this world upside down into the Kingdom of Heaven. People might say they don't like Moonies, but they will have to agree that our ideology is the best.

When we know this goal and ideal, we as individuals become small in importance. Are you glad to be Moonies? Are you becoming genuine Moonies? I have heard your answer, so go and do it. Would you prefer to be limited to activity on a small scale? My own children will be educated in this way of life. Later on when your brothers and sisters and relatives join, I don't want you to be in a position for them to point out what a poor Moonie you have been. Wouldn't you be ashamed if they exclaimed, "You have known this truth for a long time, but what little accomplishment you have brought! " Later on more prominent Japanese people will come and point out what trivial accomplishments you Japanese have made here if you aren't careful.

I don't want people to remark on what a tremendous ideology and way of life I had but what little I accomplished. This is why even now that I am sixty I am desperate to act every day. When my legs are tired I scold them and make them go on more.

Our job is to live up to the expectation of the trust placed in us. Do you want to be just small minded people? No, be giants who cause good trouble and controversy in the world. Go into the world of evil and stir things up; be strong and bold. America may not trust us yet, but already the entire spirit world has put their trust in us, and God Himself has put His trust in us. Would you be strong and bold to go to the ultimate victory? If you live up to it, America will come to trust us very soon.

Let us pray.

Reflection Upon Life

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
June 1, 1979
Belvedere, New York
Translator - Bo Hi Pak

The meaning of my topic this morning is to turn around and evaluate life.

Today is June 1. Now summer is practically here and all of nature is ready. When you come to Belvedere you might look at that one big tree outside here and remark at how big a tree it is. When you go into a garden the special characteristics of some trees catch your attention, especially if one is particularly tall or colorful. Even in nature, however, it is very difficult to find something that is perfectly beautiful. It is not a simple thing because there must be arrangement and tremendous effort made to create and present that beauty.

There is manmade beauty and natural beauty, but beauty created in the natural way is more difficult. A big oak tree began as a small acorn and during the many years that passed while the tree grew large many sacrifices and contributions were made; the tree absorbed many elements in order to grow. Before that big tree can ever command respect as a great tree, it must realize that many elements and circumstances were combined to make it all possible. It is a heartistic necessity that before he feels himself great he must bow down to those elements which made his greatness possible.

If that tree can be grateful and humble before the elements which made him great then all those elements would respect him for knowing his position. Then they would be glad to give even more elements. Even the little blades of grass in the tree's shade would not complain that the tree gets all the sun, but would decide just to live with it because the tree is grateful. Both internal and external elements combine at great sacrifice to make that one tree.

What would happen if suddenly the sun no longer shone on the tree? Would he still feel proud and great, or be worried and anxious about how he could survive without the sun? Suppose there was no more air; would he be more wrapped up in his own greatness, or more worried about the lack of air? If there was no more water, how would the tree react?

This situation of the tree is merely an analogy for the same relationships that exist for man. Can you exist independently and walk pridefully, thinking that you owe nothing to anyone? Or are you meek and humble enough to thank the sun and air for sustaining you? You eat food with your mouth and at the same time your skin is "breathing" sunlight; which is more delicious? You may think that you taste everything with your mouth, but without the sun you would no longer need your two eyes at all. You have eyes to see with, but for that you need light. Would you be proud of yourself without your two eyes?

Your nose inhales the air, and if there were no air you would no longer need a nose. Without air do you think sound waves would travel? Then without air you wouldn't need your ears either. Your mouth takes in many things from outside, sacrificing them for you. What can you be really proud of then? You walk very proudly, but where did your arms and legs come from? Did you design them at a drawing board? Who really owns your legs and arms? They come from your parents and belong to them in reality.

You started out in your mother's womb and stole energy from her while you grew. Even in a little country store money and change is carefully counted and you get a receipt, but did you ever issue one small receipt to your mother for all the sustenance she gave you? That's why you are thieves! Can you still be proud of saying that your body is yours? Did you complain while in your mother's womb, or have gratitude? Day and night you kicked and poked her, but you never apologized. Then after 9 months of acting up inside your mother you were born.

As soon as you were born you still took nourishment outside from your mother when she nursed you. Then later when you were a little older you were fed meals by others. Does your body really belong to you then? You never earned it. Americans are prompt to say thank you, but how much more do you owe thanks to your parents who gave birth to you and attended to you while you grew? Particularly if you were a very restless or sensitive baby you were crying all the time and demanding attention. Your parents wouldn't insist that you stop crying, but would try instead to comfort you. Then as you grew you needed education and they attended to that as well. All in all your parents had to take care of you for over twenty years.

When you think of all these things you realize that every cell of your body is totally indebted to your parents. Have you ever thought of that? If you conversed all the service your parents gave you into dollars, the debt would be so great you could never repay it. In many cases American young people only think that their parents don't understand them and talk about the generation gap, and they act like they just appeared from heaven without causing any trouble to anyone else. Many times young people think their parents are only bothering them, and later in life put them away in senior citizens homes with the attitude that no one needs them.

But the universe doesn't work that way; the world must be harmonized. If each individual only claimed things for his own selfish benefit and demanded his rights then he would never parallel the universal way. It is a law of nature that while you are growing up you are deeply indebted to your parents, and after you are grown and responsible then you repay that debt by taking care of your parents.

Therefore, what can you be proud of when you reflect on your past life? You can be proud that you are deeply indebted to your father and mother and recognize that you are deeply indebted to nature. You can appreciate the water, sun and air, for without them you could not survive, even for five minutes. We must be thankful for the world of plants and the animal kingdom. When you see a cow in the pasture, what do you think first? That she is fat and well nourished and will give good steaks some day? Probably you think of food first, instead of thanking that cow! Would the cow welcome the person who showed some gratitude, or the one who only thought of her as a potential steak? Even a cow wants to be eaten by a person who shows some gratitude instead of greediness.

When God looks down and sees man's very self­centered behavior, He feels that He certainly did not create this entire world just to serve man's greed. Do your clothes belong to you? You wear jewelry and ornaments, but who do those things belong to? When you are proud and boastful and think that you can be independent, nature laughs when it looks at you, knowing that you can never exist all by yourself.

The universe would never show any gratitude to ] the person who has no thankfulness, but if a person I knows his position of indebtedness to nature and his parents, then the world gladly harmonizes with him. Then he can think that an oasis in the desert is created simply for him, and how much gratitude would he show in that case? Suppose you were living in a barren desert, but woke one morning to see each beautiful aspect of nature being created just for you -sunrays, grass, trees, flowers, and so forth. How much ecstatic joy and gratitude would you feel then? Wouldn't you shout out in happiness if all of this appeared out of nothing one day?

There was once a day when nothing existed, before God created anything. When God created each thing He said it was good, but suppose that you as His child took more delight in each thing than He did? Would He upbraid you, or really be glad at the appreciation you show? God is eternal, existing from beginning to the end, so He has memories of all history and looks at you in historical perspective. Will God just comment that you were good, or would He remember and appreciate you in His heart? He will think that you are better than anyone in history for having so much gratitude.

If that appreciative person were not attractive at all, but ugly and maybe even crippled, would that diminish God's appreciation of him? That person would be remembered first in God's heart. What do you feel when you look in your mirror? Do you have confidence that you are good looking? I have heard that some women just cringe and look away whenever they see their reflection in a mirror. But no matter how ugly you look, view yourself in the broader perspective that God sees us in.

Each of us sends out waves or vibrations to the universe and the world can communicate with you through them. Will the person who appreciates all things send out good or bad waves? What about the people who always complain and try to take advantage of others, will they send out good vibrations? Such a person will repel everything in the universe because of his vibration. The person who is always dissatisfied is internally biting everything in sight, even his parents and friends. Today there are a great many people living in such an unhappy state.

I have seen women whose fingernails are very long and painted vivid red, and I used to wonder why, but now I think that they grow them that way to bite or scratch the universe. You may not have long fingernails, but what about your heart? A dissatisfied person has nails everywhere his ears, his nose, all over his body-ready for action.

On the other hand, when you realize your position relative to your neighbors and family you feel gratitude and then instead of trying to bite and scratch others you are reaching out to embrace them all. Then you are sending out infinite waves of gratitude which reach every corner of the earth. The ocean is wide, but it could not be greater than your mind of gratitude. Your mind can be small if you make it so, but if you make it large then it is larger than any ocean on earth. In that case the entire universe is embracing you also.

You have millions of individual cells in your body, like employees in a corporation. Each cell sends out waves, which all nature responds to. Whatever wave you send out is how nature will echo you. What kind of person would you like to be-one of infinite appreciation, or one with infinite disappointment and complaint? This is why the Bible teaches us to have gratitude always, as well as meekness and humility.

Do you know how many words you have spoken in your life up to this point? Can you count them? Can you determine what portion have been dedicated to speaking gratitude or complaint? There is a general tendency in our world to complain, so most people deserve a sign saying, "I am a complainer." That's the kind of life most people are leading. But when you complain then everything in the universe is repelled by you and even your parents and friends don't like it. Would God be happy to hear it? Are your eyes and nose and ears complaining or appreciative? Have you always been thankful? When your body and mind are full of complaint, who will welcome you? Your husband or fiancée? There is no exception-no one likes it.

When you weigh the bags holding your complaint and appreciation, which outweighs the other? Are complainers usually good or bad people? You don't like to hear this do you? But even evil-minded men or women like to hear kind words from others. Then what about nature, would it like to hear some words of kindness and love, or tell you to shut up? Are you at zero balance between complaint and gratitude? If you are below zero then nothing will treat you like a human being because you will be substandard, at the animal level.

The Unification Church is a wonderful place in this respect. We know about the law of indemnity so we are willing to assume our burdens with an appreciative heart, and then we can be far above zero. Satan's scheme is to give you harsh treatment and test your mind to see whether you are full of complaint or whether he has no power over you under any circumstances That is our way of life, and no one can win over it. But if someone persists in complaining even after coming to the Unification Church, he is really on the minus side. Have you learned that heart of gratitude here? Don't you think in your heart that you would be more grateful if you didn't have to do fund raising and witnessing?

The heart of gratitude must be unconditional, being thankful for any mission. Every day in the Unification Church you are winning a sign to wear saying thank you. I can see whether you have a thank you sign on your forehead, but if you are wavering and doubtful then your sign is turning upside down even as I look at it! What kind of thank you sign do you have-firmly attached, or wiggling around and turning all which way? You might remember how you had really nice clothes before you joined but now you don't look so sharp, and at that moment your thank you sign is moving. Or you might think that since you have joined your face has become paler and more wrinkled. Then too the thank you sign is turning around. Now you have more to worry about than before, but if you complain then your gratitude sign is shaking. The important question to ask is whether you are being dominated by gratitude or complaint, the clear sky or the cloudy sky. Your mouth is saying yes, but your face is saying no, I think.

If you complete your whole education with a Ph.D. it can take up to 25 years, so you are indebted to your parents and teachers for that length of time. Do you remember how many teachers poured out their hearts to give you an education? You may think you are a good writer or a good artist and that you can do those things all on your own, but did you acquire your skills by yourself? In the beginning you were like a blank piece of paper, upon which one instructor after another wrote, implanting their skills in you. Before you can be proud of your achievements you must be grateful to those who gave you that inheritance. Men are first indebted to their parents, then to their teachers. In Oriental philosophy teachers are the second parents. Have you really showed your appreciation and gratitude to your teachers?

It is an amazing fact that here in America many teachers are physically assaulted by their own pupils, and some even beaten to death. The power of the universe would bring such people to ruin and never allow them to prosper. Nature cannot permit this kind of thing. Would God allow this, saying that America is a great country and deserves His blessing? If you were in God's place would you give additional blessing to that kind of nation?

Those children who are grateful to their own parents are welcomed by the universe. If you have that heart then you can harmonize with your own brothers and sisters and with nature, and of course God would welcome that kind of man and woman.

But what is genuine gratitude-is it when you can thank them under rosy circumstances, or under adverse conditions? The latter is most precious. God is actually observing the depth of gratitude of each individual and in His eyes your value is determined by the amount of gratitude you can impart. This principle works the same in a courtroom, where any criminal who shows true repentance and willingness to make restitution for his crime will win mercy from the judge and prosecutor.

I have come to America telling the people what is wrong with America and how it must change, and Americans demand to know what a yellow man is doing coming here to meddle in their business. Will that kind of attitude be acceptable in the sight of God and nature? No matter what kind of mistake a person has made, if he is making a conscientious effort to extricate himself and make restitution he can win forgiveness. But if he is hardheaded and claims he did no wrong, that person has no way to be forgiven.

At some time you should sit down and write to your teacher, telling him or her that you realize how indebted you are and thanking him. You can recall how you and your classmates sometimes resented how strict he was with you, but you know that because of that firmness you can now spell and write well. Because of that discipline you have gained very much and can make much clearer judgments. Now when you can appreciate great masterpieces in art or literature you can recall that it is because of your teachers that you can have such perception.

You can write to your teacher, recalling what kind of student you were, and expressing gratitude that now you have the ability to perceive and understand things like literature. It is your teachers who have bequeathed their skills to you, and this kind of unconditional gratitude should be given to them. Do you have any complaint about that?

If this tradition prevailed at American schools, would there be much immorality and crime on the campuses? If American children appreciated their parents, would homes break up as much? Now American young people are trying to blame older people for what is wrong, but I say that it is the young people who are equally or more responsible, trying to separate themselves and do everything at their whim. Instead they are the ones who must change and become loyal. Then even the most evil parents could be swayed and turned around.

Parental heart is always there, so when parents see the good deeds of their child their hearts have to be moved. If American young people would become righteous then even if parents were inclined to fight or separate, they could not do it; they would be shamed into becoming better parents for their children's sake. If such genuine appreciation dominates the family, it will unite them all, but if a complaining attitude prevails in the home, it faces destruction. Here in America the most important thing is how to get rid of complaint.

Are you inclined now to be thankful to your teachers? Some of you sisters have beautiful handwriting, but you must be thankful to the person who taught you that skill. If you write with that kind of grateful mind then the entire universe will help enhance your skill. When you enter into society, you find you are deeply indebted to society and the nation. Suppose there was no social system at all, but only anarchy; how could you live?

When you get a job with a mind of gratitude you will prosper. Do most people have a grateful attitude toward the person who becomes President and toward the government? The office of the presidency is an awesome one because ultimate responsibility rests there. The President has to protect the people, make good policies, conduct diplomacy and maintain defense. In order for those policies to work the people must unite with them. Should the people be grateful? But no matter how great the leader in office, if the people's inclination is to criticize, what will happen to their society?

If a manipulative, scheming person is elected president, however, what will happen to the country? Disaster will come. The most important quality for electing a President is that he truly loves this country in a sacrificial way. Do you love President Carter? What would you expect if a nation is built by people who don't feel gratitude toward their parents and teachers, or toward their society and nation? What direction do you think this country is going?

Education is a paramount task now in America. There are two places where education is given through the schools and through religion. Is the American educational system interested in teaching these grateful attitudes, though? What about the churches? When there is so much struggle and politicking going on in the churches, I don't think the religious people could really be concerned either about what happens to the nation or the world.

There has to be one religion that is on the right track, caring about the family, society, nation and world and teaching these things. That is the Unification Church. A genuinely good society begins with good parents, then children who grow up in gratitude and go out to relate to society through their teachers, and to their nation through the head of state, and finally to the world. After the parents raise the children a number of years they pass the baton to the teachers to educate them; they in turn pass the students to the society and the nation will take up the baton. In that way the person can take up a higher mission all the time.

The person growing up with a heart of gratitude at home for his parents and teachers and nation will be grateful to the almighty creator. Unless a person goes that central route, he will never be successful. Harvard gained fame because it has excellent teachers, and students who are educated there want to take up important positions, such as President or Cabinet member, which can influence the nation. If they have the right frame of mind then that's acceptable, and then they will think that by influencing the nation they will serve the world.

After they become nationally important they want to go on to become worldwide leaders. The true worldwide leader is a religious person, or saint, because the worldwide level is already beyond the boundary race and nation. The only person with that kind of life and attitude is truly a religious person. To know God and enter heaven as a saint is the destiny of all men. To go this route each individual must carry a bag of love of parents, of teachers, of the nation, and finally from the saints, and then reach God.

At every stage you will receive a certificate which is signed first by your parents in recognition that you are a child of filial piety. Then your teachers will sign, saying that you are a devoted and grateful student. Then the head of state must confirm that you are a patriotic person, and the saint must affirm that you are a trustworthy and dependable man for the sake of humanity. Then with that certificate you can go to God and He will accept you. From childhood all through your adult years you have to gain certain qualities in order to reach the ultimate goal, which is God.

When you come to the level of the nation you cannot always listen to your teachers and parents because you are already at a level of higher responsibility. At that higher level of mission you should be able to govern even your own teachers and parents. In that case you listen to the saints above you and to God. When you come to the level of sainthood then the saints' level of teaching is inadequate and you listen directly to God, who is the greatest teacher of all.

You are going forward step by step, trying to reach higher goals, ultimately focusing on the supreme teacher of love. At each level the capacity of love is different. As a child you learn to receive parental love, and when in school you learn to love teachers. At the national level you learn love of the patriots, and in sainthood you learn the love of the saints. On the world level you learn love of the world, and finally above that you learn the love of God. Then ultimately the universe is yours.

Through love you know your parents and through love you know your teachers. Through love you find your nation and world, and through love you find God. That is the kind of education we are talking about. That kind of man and woman will be able to go anywhere and harmonize with anything. You, therefore, must be a recipient of the love of parents, love of teachers, love of head of state, love of the saints and of the world, and finally of God. Until the age of 18 parental love predominates. After that age your attention is shifted to education and the love of teachers predominates until you have finished the Ph.D. level at age 36. Then you come into society. The society and nation are the paramount target in these years until age 54. Until the age of 72 the world is your stage, the universe and God are your stage. Actually you start your life at that point; all this time before then is devoted to education, and the subject is love.

Most important of all in this period is getting the right start so that you receive this love from your parents and show ample appreciation. Then in the same frame of mind you can move on to each stage and be formed in the right way. The subject of education is love, and the attitude of education should be gratitude. There are two things to inscribe in your heart-love and gratitude. In all this time there is nothing that is yours; you are completely indebted to someone else.

You will confirm your position when you give ample love to your own children and brothers and sisters. To determine your position you need a horizontal line, which is love of your brothers, and a vertical line, which is love of your own children. Then you yourself become a teacher and patriot. Then you become like a saint yourself so you can introduce God to others.

In history all these processes of education in love and gratitude have failed. Therefore, it must be indemnified, and by finding an example and following it you can make restitution for the entire loss. The world of microcosm where this takes place is the Unification Church. First, we teach the love of parents and love of teachers. We teach love of the nation and head of state. We teach how saints should love their own pupils or disciples. Ultimately we are here to teach how to love God.

I am in a position of parent and also of teacher, instructing you how to become a teacher. Also I teach patriotism, which national leaders today are failing to do. In the position of saint I am teaching how to love humanity and the world, and ultimately I teach how much God loves the world. Therefore, even though you leave your home to go to the world, it is not a violation of universal law on your part. You are actually coming to a new world and learning the very best essence of education. Many of you are very faithful to your own parents, but for the time being you set that aside and join the Unification Church because you know there is a higher mission in the sight of God. You have been getting a good education but for the time being you stop that and join the Church because you are here to get a better education.

Since joining the Unification Church you have come to love me, but I tell you to love your own parents more than you love me. That is your education right there. Would your parents be upset if they heard this? They haven't known I am trying to teach you how to love your parents and teachers. The Unification Church has the one ideology that can unite the universe and I am teaching you to be the leader of a God­centered society. If the Unification Church were one sovereign nation then I would be in the position of head of state. I tell you to love your own nation as much as you love me.

Do you honestly think history will give me the title of having done more than any other religious leader like Buddha or Confucius or Jesus? As soon as it is known what Divine Principle stands for, then even famous theologians will say that here is a modern-day saint who outdates what others have done and sets a new trend of love. I want you to become saints, each one of you. Once you come to that level I want you to love the world as much as you love me. I am teaching the true heart of God for the first time ever in history.

We are talking about the heart of God in history, the past, present and future, and in the society, nation and world. Other people are not even sure if God exists, but we are talking about the very heart of God. That is why we can teach the true love of God. When you see me you don't look at me as a Korean or as an Oriental; you see me as a universal being. Regardless of your race or nationality you want to follow me. In me you see the best father, the best teacher and best leader, even as the best saint and representative of the heart of God. That is why you don't mind giving up everything to follow. In your heart you know you are winning, never losing.

Your heart knows that here you will go through the best education to be a good family man, teacher, patriot and saint, and to reciprocate the love of God. Do you think the courses of that school will be easy? No, as the best school our courses will be the hardest of any institution. Our stage is everywhere. We are not confined but go beyond all boundaries between races, nations, and even between the spiritual and physical worlds.

When I go to Korea the members there call me their father; when I go to Japan all the members there call me their father, and here in America you call me your father too. You applauded, but what historical applause that will be when you really understand your position. No one has ever seen a mass matching like you have, but more than that, no one ever saw people asking for interracial marriage like you do either. People cannot even dream of such a wild idea, and even if they did they wouldn't know where to start.

Most important, this is not just precious in the temporal sense, but is eternally precious. In this energy we find the power for unification of the world and cosmos. We know it can be done. A lifetime may seem like a long time, but after you pass through it you see that life is really like a spark of light, and the beginning and the end pass ever so quickly.

Now you enjoy having me here, but I will not be here indefinitely. At some time I will positively go to South America or Africa, or back to Europe and Asia. Would you try to protest that I should stay? The wise Americans are those who go out there in advance and are waiting when I come. If you are already there then I know that my children are there waiting, and in reality I am visiting you. If you are here then I will not necessarily visit you, but if you go to a mission in Africa or South America then I will be your guest.

In England I invited about forty missionaries who had been kicked out of their countries or who had been imprisoned to come and work in London. When they came I told them that they could stay in London where no one would put them in jail and they would be treated better, but they all objected and said they didn't want to abandon their countries. Recently I told them we would have forty days' training and then they could go back, but they all thought forty days was too long. They have a wise attitude. You work in New York and on MFT as hard as they are working, but their deeds will be more historical because their work is changing the destiny of one nation; they are becoming part of the history of their nation.

Are you making your work part of the destiny of this nation? Your record will remain in home church, but it is far more difficult to make impact on a national level in America than in Africa or another mission area. When historians write the history of the Unification Church in America, will they write about me? Will they write about your deeds? Historians will see clearly what I have suffered and the work I have accomplished, and the final chapter will be about the fruit I harvested here so your name will be there in the grand finale. However, the missionaries in their countries are in my position, doing work in my role. When the history of those countries is written, those missionaries will be in the central role. It's only natural that there is a missionary fervor in the Unification Church to go to untouched areas.

There is a way to make history here in America too. You can feel that as far as hardship and tribulation are concerned you are going to set the highest possible standard. Are you young or old people? This is the privilege of young people to do. However, some people may be young physically but old in spirit, all tired out and sluggish. You must be young in spirit and body, going over the hills like a rocket to reach the stars. Will you be that kind of young people?

What would you Japanese sisters say? If you are dozing then I should give you a tough husband who can wake you up. Do you know that this is the time when I am testing you? Now everyone is awake! Those entitled to inherit the love of God are those who suffer in the lowest possible position but with the heart of gratitude. They shall win the highest possible position in the love of God. Would you welcome having me push you down to the lowest possible position? Would you accept it with complaint?

I know that of the 705 couples I recently matched there are some who are disappointed or not fully satisfied, but please accept my advice-for these three years be grateful for your life and for your fiancée. Think that you do not even deserve to be matched, and then three years later see what kind of children you have. They are the greatest of all gifts.

A child is a real gift from God, even more than a wife receiving her husband, or a man his wife. In some cases the matches don't seem to fit according to common sense, but I put them together knowing what their children will be like. So just be grateful and see what kind of children you will have. When you see that child you will know that he is truly a gift from God, and you will love that child more than you love your husband or wife. You can be mutually grateful because your mate enabled you to be the parent of such a child. You can admire each other on that foundation.

I encourage all the blessed mothers to breast feed their children, even just for the time being. Mother always breast fed our first children, but since she has had so many children it has become much more difficult. Still that basic principle is there. Breast feeding is the best link for a mother and child to truly relate. It is a most beautiful sight for God to see a black mother loving and feeding her white child at her breast. Is it conceivable that a father or mother in that situation would have some racial discrimination? This is the Unification Church culture, God's culture, and there is none more beautiful than this one.

You have entered the best school in the universe, coming through the narrowest gate. Therefore, it is a most precious and rare blessing for you. If you truly inherit my philosophy and way of life, then wherever you go in the world you shall be welcomed and respected and loved as much as you love me. That is the consummation which will be seen in the world of Unification Church. In seven years you have to consummate this role. During those seven years there must be nothing you cannot bear, even being treated like human trash. There is where great kingship and queenship begin.

That dramatic scene will make the best movie. What kind of drama makes the best movie-everyday life, or some story of shocking courage and victory? You can definitely think of yourselves as movie stars. Shall we do it? When you come to Belvedere you say yes, but when you reach the World Mission Center are you so confident?

Will your conviction last more than three days? Time is like an arrow flying and this is already the month of June. Would you say that you will start next month or next year? Your timetable must start today, June 1. Even if you say you will start now, there is still much time passing by, but if you wait until next month or next year, tomorrow will never come.

Those who were just matched, raise your hands. Three years from now you will have a lump there beside you which cannot be separated from you. It will be a very clumsy feeling. Where would you go? Do you want to go your own way, or the way God wants you to go? Where will you settle ultimately? I cannot take care of each of you individually, couple by couple, so you have to set your own goal and home church is the way. In home church you can be proud of your husband or your wife. That is your territory and realm.

No man will compare with your husband, and no woman will compare with your wife. Home church is the place for your settlement, so unless you establish the home church foundation you will be kicked out and there is no other world for you to go to. If you fail there then there is no way I can bring you along this path. I instructed you to go and your destination is home church. That is the order coming from the true parent, teacher, head of state-all in one. When you love your home church you are consummating every order you have received from True parents, true teacher, true patriot and true saint.

In a few years I would like to have a shrine built to the home church parents, home church messiah, and tribal messiah. You must build your home church in order to be honored by that shrine. Anyone who is successful will have their own shrine in their home church area, and when I am passing by that will be the place I visit and where I rejoice; where it is located won't make any difference for it is definitely the place I will visit. It will also be the place God wants to visit. The destiny of women is to marry and go where their husbands go. In the same way the Unification Church destiny is to go to home church. This is where you will find your permanent home. It is almost like being given in marriage. Through the home church destiny you will go to heaven, but if you don't then no matter how much you love the True Parents you cannot go. If you leave it unfulfilled then that great burden will be left to your own children to complete.

A wife will work harder than her husband and a husband will work harder than his wife, loving home church more than they love each other. More than anything else you love home church and concentrate there to find your own kingdom and heaven.

Then you know you are entitled to ultimate heaven. Even if you appear in your home church without clothes, they will still welcome you as their savior. This is the new evangelism where we must succeed.

After three years you will have your children, first one and then two and more. I do not support birth control, so have as many as you want. Home church grandparents will always be competing to have your children come to their home to be taken care of. Then your baby will have 360 homes right away. Home church people will give true blessing and honor to your children. "We know your father and mother very well and they are true saints. We saw God through your parents." Then your children will be embraced and loved by your people as precious children. Do you feel that way toward my children? Your home church people will pray for blessing towards yours as well. Your children will go to the same school in the morning with the home church children.

If the home church people have money they won't consider it theirs but think how they can use it for home church work; 360 homes will be one family work and they will want to spend money for that. In another twenty years you will be approaching your fifties, and by that time you will be assisted by many people. This is really a prime time now.

Would you want to die in the place where people spit at you and never even look at you? Would you like to be treated like a dying cow or dog in your final days? When I am eighty would you tell me you don't want senior citizens in your home and ask me to stay somewhere else? If you had me in your home but I was totally incapacitated and became very dirty in my bed, what would you say then? Would you be glad you had me in the beginning but then want me to go to the next place?

You say no, that you really want to serve me. Do it for your own parents then. I am only one person and not all of you can serve me, but you should serve your parents in my place. When they get old, serve them as much as you would me. Will you promise me that? That's real love.

I want you to make your base so you can practice this love, and that territory is home church. It will happen within seven years if you consistently make effort now. Then if I am passing by to another destination some power will pull me to visit you. Life goes by very fast. Already five months have passed in 1979. If you had met one new person each day and really poured out your heart imagine what extraordinary things could have happened. You could have converted 150 people. Start today and renew your energy. That's what Heavenly Father wants, what your wife or husband wants, what your children want and all your relatives.

Time is not merciful enough to slow down for you. You have to keep abreast of time because time will never relax its pace. You can finish school in four years, but with extra effort you can graduate in three or even two years. Our Unification university is the same-it all depends upon your own effort. This morning the two central words are gratitude and home church. Once the home church providence is begun there is no room for complaint. When I came to America I never complained at all, even though it has been hostile here. I will always be grateful to God instead. Even though I have been persecuted constantly, no one can beat me. My territory is constantly growing.

Our opponents thought that we were knocked down and out of commission but the more they attacked me the more blessing came to us. If the government persecutes us, then their blessing will come to us. If the media attacks us, their blessing will diminish. It will be like scales being emptied on one side and loaded on the other. We are receiving persecution, but with that as a daily diet we are growing. Many of you have no idea what I am actually doing now, every day, but in a year or so some of it will be revealed.

Until now I can forgive all your shortcomings in home church, but only on one condition-that from today you really live up to my expectations in home church. Will you promise? So far you have listened to me with the feeling that you are indebted and that what you have can never be yours, but actually what you have is nothing to be proud of.

Give your pledge and promise this morning by raising your hands. Let us pray.

True Couple

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
May 27, 1979
World Mission Center
Translator-Bo Hi Pak

I am sure that May 1979 will be an unforgettable month for those couples who have just been engaged. This event is also of vital importance in the history of restoration. As you know, because of the fall of man God could not find any heavenly couples here on earth; that was the fate of the fallen world. As far as God is concerned, all fallen history has been a denial of a denial, and even though there are many families and nations, God cannot give His consent or acknowledgment to them.

God must find an ideal man and woman who are centered upon Himself. That man and woman are not ordinary, but are the ones who have overcome the world and set the victorious standard by going beyond the realm of the fall. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire purpose of history in the sight of God has been to find one ideal man and woman of God. He hand-picked one champion and let him confront the fallen world, especially the families of the world. The chosen one must be able to overcome the family, not be swallowed by it. He must either conquer or separate the fallen family.

That man is not struggling along with the blessing or assistance of his own family, but only with God. He will engage in a lonely battle to ultimately confront and win the family. That particular formula of winning applies all the way up to the world level. Therefore, when this man of God emerges to confront society it is inevitable that he will receive persecution. This means that on every level he will stand on the side of God and wage war with the satanic element and separate from it.

He will build a new tradition on the side of God, winning the war at each level and leaving a new tradition that will ultimately influence the satanic world and overpower it. First he struggles all by himself, and when he has built up enough authority he will take a stand and win over the satanic world. When he does go out to the satanic world, he will go to the national or worldwide level. This man of God will be trained in the fiercest struggle, which is on the family level, and when he finally goes to the satanic world it will be on the national and worldwide level.

Why does God's strategy have to be like this? When this man goes to confront and receive the persecution of the nation and the world, the people united with him on the family level will come to

support his struggle. This Abel figure is sent to the national level of Cain and will be rejected, but by doing so he can receive cooperation and support from the Cain figures on the family level. This Abel will win step by step and gather steam to form a victorious stand on the national level. Therefore, the family level is always the foundation for the national level of battle. If for some reason the family level isn't providing the necessary support, God will provide His champion with the necessary foundation to go on with the national level battle against Cain.

Once the national level victory is established, God will push this same champion another step to win the same battle on the worldwide level. When this man is rejected by the world, the national level Cain who has already accepted him would become a supporting force to join with him in the world level battle. They will perceive his lonely struggle with the world as a struggle against persecution of their own nation. This one man is needed to fulfill the providence of God and in his own lifetime he must go through these three major stages of battle-family, nation and world.

The man who is sent to fulfill this providence of God is known as the Messiah. God prepared a foundation for 4,000 years prior to the coming of Jesus, the first Messiah. That time was needed to provide the correct foundation for the one to come. There were two layers of organization in Jewish society at Jesus' time; one was the religious establishment and the other was the political realm. Of course, Jesus came on the religious foundation, and with the support and strength from that realm he should have gone on to face opposition and then win support from the political area.

The nation of Israel was in a position to indemnify the national level of dispensation, but its political realm was under the dominion of the Roman Empire. Israel was thus in an ideal position to link the national and world levels because in those days the Roman Empire equaled the world. If Jesus could have won the support of both the religious and political levels, then inevitably the Romans would have opposed him.

As you know, there were two major families involved in the dispensation of Jesus' mission; one was the family of Zechariah and the other was the family of Joseph. If the two families had united they should have been able to confront national level opposition. Judaism also was intended to stand on Jesus' side. There was a prepared atmosphere in Israel itself because that nation was oppressed by Rome and the people sought independence. If Jesus had been oppressed by the Romans, the Jews could have risen up with Jesus against that.

The first step, however, was that Judaism unite with Jesus. Then the political power of Israel should also have followed. The Roman domination of all Israel would serve as a link to the worldwide level, since the two cultures were not foreign to each other. According to God's schedule, once the national level had been won a trained force would be ready to assimilate the Roman Empire, overcoming the satanic tradition and bringing in the new tradition of God. It was most important that all this happen in Jesus' own lifetime. He was to go to the family level, then national level in Israel and world level in Rome in his own lifetime as the perfected Adam on earth.

Otherwise, God could not obtain a man whom He could uphold as His champion who had overcome the entire world, not just one family or nation. However, that particular plan was not fulfilled and has been postponed, so God has had to look for another champion to carry it out. This formula of receiving persecution on every level has been the central feature of Christian life for 2,000 years; persecution was received on the family, national and world levels until Christendom was finally established worldwide. That will serve as the foundation for the Second Coming of the Messiah.

A Roman Empire in another form would also exist at the Second Coming, yet with one marked difference. This time the national equivalent to the Roman Empire would be on the side of God, not on Satan's side as in Jesus' time. Its key characteristic would be religious freedom. That nation is known today as America, the nation which is in the position of leadership for the free world. The Roman Empire 2,000 years ago dominated Israel for its own benefit, but the modern Roman Empire is in a position to lend support to the chosen nation of the dispensation. The time of the Second Coming is the time to make restitution for the failure of both Rome and Israel 2,000 years ago.

If we conclude that America is the modern Rome there must be a nation in the position of Israel, which is Korea. In the international political situation we see that America has given up many of its responsibilities around the world, as in Vietnam, but it cannot yield its responsibility in Korea. This particular Administration is trying to be more and more isolationist and wants to disengage from military involvement in Korea, but even President Carter has been unable to do so. The relationship of Rome and Israel 2,000 years ago is now being restored through America and Korea today. This clearly shows that these two nations have a special destiny together in the providence of God. There is nothing coincidental here at all.

In order to fulfill the will of God it is inevitable that America and Korea have a special destiny. Korea is a peninsula divided in half, with the northern half under communism, the southern half under democracy. The 38th parallel is not a boundary between two nations but between two ideologies and two different worlds, between heaven and Satan. You don't have such a boundary in this nation, do you? Who will be responsible to defend this boundary? Because it is not just a simple national boundary but a boundary in the conflict between heaven and Satan, America must help South Korea defend it. In this respect the Korean War was much more than a national conflict; it represented the Cain and Abel clash on the worldwide level.

Who stood up ideologically against communist North Korea? The Unification Church did. Unification ideology is the core and soul of the ideology against communism. We have done the job of educating people about the danger of communism expanding from Korea to Asia to the entire world. Now the communists feel the Unification Church is their archenemy. Even now there is a heated confrontation between communists and Unification Church members going on in Japan. The Unification Church has played a major role in overcoming the danger of communism in Japan.

But the battle is not confined to Japan. It spreads all over Asia and now comes to the United States. Therefore, it is a world level conflict and communists around the world are united together against their one archenemy-Reverend Moon. They are stirring up a wind of opposition against me that is not just local but worldwide. They are instigating an anti­Moon movement throughout the world. This is why every department in the United States government is trying to do something about this and kick me out of America, thinking that would be the solution.

But as I already said, America today is in a position on the side of God to protect and aid His providence. Today she is failing to do that, giving comfort and aid to the enemy of God instead. This is the reason that ever since 1960 chaos and confusion have persisted in American society. God is waging a heated battle in America, and the peak of that battle occurred in 1976.

The small country of Korea desperately needs America's help, but considering the desperate internal situation of American society, American leaders do not declare open assistance to God's forces. Americans are trying to appease everyone, creating an opportunist situation in which such a scandal as Koreagate could be created. In reality it was nothing but a paper tiger, but the very real victims were the Korean government and the Unification Church.

Why should the situation of the nation of Korea and of the Unification Church be linked like this in the eyes of the U.S. Congress? It is because the Unification Church is in the position to represent one nation. This clash was much more than a local incident; it involved the worldwide dispensation, and thus our battle against the U. S. Congress was a worldwide historical event.

Since the Unification Church and Korean nation were lumped together under attack, the people involved had to unite together to survive. When the Unification Church faced attack by the Congress, all 35 million Koreans were also grinding their teeth in outrage and cheering us on. By facing the opposition of the United States' government, the Unification Church and Korean government were actually made one in spirit. The Fraser committee was trying to knock Korea down by maligning the Unification Church, but they could not succeed. Because they could not come up with any viable charges, the American government lost face. Now Carter has announced a visit to Korea in June, but the actual diplomatic meaning is more than just reaffirming ties with an ally. It is a trip of apology for the blunder of Koreagate. My advice to the Korean government is to be strong and not be intimidated by American actions. There is a heavenly power acting in this situation.

It is my dispensational position to speak out boldly and strongly about the Carter administration. I am saying publicly that they must repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. I know that a government spy is listening to every word I say, that tomorrow morning an intelligence report will be made about how I spoke unkindly about Carter. But even though it does not benefit me personally, I am not afraid to speak the truth for the sake of history.

Just as the American government changed its attitude toward the Korean government, the American people are rapidly changing their opinion about Reverend Moon and the Unification Church, particularly after the engagement of 705 couples. It added a positive element to their understanding. They thought we would be defeated by all our opposition, much less amount to anything, but now we have 1,410 people of all backgrounds who are newly engaged. And not only that, we did all this while other churches and American homes are crumbling every day. Now they have amended their opinion about us.

The time has come for us to rekindle a spiritual fire among the youth of America, and I see our opportunity. This spiritual offensive is being waged through the CARP movement, and we are going to American campuses to raise up American youth. Also, I have issued instructions to you to go to America's homes; we will meet the young people on the campuses and the families through home church.

I would like to show the world what kind of family system we have by demonstrating our position all over the country. When the time inevitably comes that the American nation will respect and support me, then our target will become international communism. Even now, what looks like opposition from the American government is actually opposition from agents of communist power infiltrated into the departments of government and Congress. They are creating this atmosphere of condemnation of the Unification Church.

Nevertheless, they will not ultimately succeed; America is basically anti-Communist because America loves freedom. When Reverend Moon and the Unification Church emerge in the public mind as champions to fight communism, the American public will naturally support us as their champions. I knew from the beginning that this was our destiny, so I initiated the victory over communism movement in Korea and Japan, and now here in America, with our final goal as Moscow. Now you know where you are and what you are supposed to do.

We must be superior to any religious organization in America; our CARP movement should be superior to any youth movement here and our home church system be stronger than any other Christian movement in the last 2,000 years. Communism is the archenemy of democracy and freedom, but mainly the enemy of God. Furthermore, the moral degradation of American youth must be cleansed. That's why I have been educating you through the Divine Principle, so you are strong and capable, and your moral outlook is secure, pure and God­centered. That is our strength.

The Unification Church mission is to bring America back to its founding spirit, which is God centered, but we will not end there. We will go beyond to found a new world, not just one nation. This is why I am proclaiming one world under God. The American ideal has still not been able to overcome the racial problem, but the Unification Church ideology will erase all racial, national and cultural boundaries. That has been exemplified in the engagement of 705 couples. This shows that we are laying a foundation for the new world, not just one national foundation.

You cannot find any parallel in history to what I am doing now. This ideology centering upon God has been installed and proclaimed and is gathering momentum to win the victory on the worldwide level. In spite of all our opposition my position has become an enviable one since our initial victory. Even heads of state, comparing their position to mine and their life with my determination, cannot help but envy me. They think that I am the happiest, most successful man in the world. That means that this one individual is confronting the world and will become victorious and lay a foundation for God for the first time. That is no exaggeration.

Christian history of 2,000 years has been indemnified by my work in twenty years. I am not doing it alone, however, but bringing my family as well. There must be vertical restoration, but also a horizontal base. A great movement is occurring, like the wandering for forty years in the wilderness. I am out in front, but all the blessed and engaged couples are participating. You are inheriting the True Parents' ideology, and no power, whether of the State Department or deprogrammers, can take this ideology out of you. You are different in appearance, with various colors of hair and skin, yet inside you are all the .same color.

From God's point of view there is but one person who has won the battle throughout the satanic arena and been victorious over the fall is not any head of state or famous person, but only Reverend Moon. 1976 was the victorious crossing point in the cosmic history of God, the year when God's victory was consummated. I already declared in 1977 that a new era has begun, the year one of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Now the three most vital years of 1977, 1978 and 1979 are being completed.

After 1979 all those who are opposing me will increasingly lose power, and we will go more and more on the offensive because our adversaries have not proven anything against us. Anyone who hangs on to me will go over the hill and be victorious together with me, like cars behind the locomotive. I am more than willing to leave my inheritance to you, and the person who is truly qualified for this is the one who puts himself in the position of son or daughter to the True Parents now. That's the qualification to receive my inheritance.

The engagement this month was an extraordinary event, the grand finale of a year of engagements around the world. What is your determination going to be? It should be that you will receive the inheritance from your own True Parents and walk on their foundation. How can you tell the world that you have received this inheritance? By proving how worthy you are through home church. I have completed the home church mission throughout the world, so I assigned you one small microcosm of the entire universe, 360 homes, and by doing what I have done in home church you will prove to God that you should receive my inheritance.

When you visit in your area you can think that one part represents Korea, another part Japan, and divide up your area to represent the six continents of the world. When white, black and yellow people all reject you, you can rejoice because you have received persecution from the whole world. It took me sixty years to lay this worldwide foundation, but if you really work well you can do it in your area in six months. By working in home church successfully you can raise yourself up beyond the realm of the fall. Who has given you that kind of power? True Parents. That is your inheritance from them.

The True Parents suffered all their lives, but by following their tradition and receiving their inheritance you can go over that level of victory with much less suffering. No one who retreats from doing home church is qualified for that blessing, though. In some cases your wife or husband may be hesitant to do home church, but push them out. For three years you must erect a victorious stand in home church, for that is your arena to win victory.

I received persecution on the national and worldwide levels, but you are receiving persecution in your home church; that represents racial rejection, communist rejection and national rejection all together. Always be grateful for the persecution you receive and take it as added energy to spur yourself on beyond the level of the fall.

I can see that you still haven't come down to earth after your engagement. You are all wrapped up in getting to know one another and your faces are different. What you should do when you meet your fiancée is to put your heads together and decide that you will each go to win in home church and then come back to ask me to bless you. You need a certain condition to fulfill before blessing, such as having Cain­type spiritual children and your tribe of 84 people. You have already heard all of these things, so you know why you are going in the capacity of Abel to home church.

Abel is the son of Adam, not of fallen Adam but of perfected Adam. You are children on the Abel side because you are children of Adam, but since you are still growing toward maturity, Satan is everywhere trying to stop you. There are many Cains ready to slay you, just as in the garden of Eden, so how can you deter their hostility? By practicing love. By opposing you they are presenting conditions of surrender in the future, since by leaving a record of opposition they will have to bow down later. It is as though they are presenting their surrender paper in advance.

If you go on with your whole heart and soul, it will not take even three years for you to finish because more and more acceptance will be seen in society. Do you know where you are standing in history? The old tide has completely receded, and the new high tide which will carry you to the Kingdom of Heaven is ready to come in now. When the tide first turns the water comes in slowly, but gradually it gathers power and rushes in with power which no one can stop. Even God cannot stop it.

When you are truly consumed by this fire of conviction then nothing matters, not even eating or sleeping; you are just truly crazy about the mission. Now you have a fiancée, a new loved one, so you can love your people more. That is the standard I am giving you. Do you wish you had more time to spend with your fiancée instead of at home church? Your antenna should be directed to home church. Is it?

Home church is a very precious blessing for you, for through it I am giving you a condition to go beyond the fall of man. You are an invincible force like the tide to cleanse your home church, and you won't be deterred by opposition. Do you know who is going to sign your certificate? Not me, but the hostile people in your home church area should be the ones to uphold you as a man of God. Is home church something to be grateful for, or just a burden? Home church is a shortcut to the Kingdom of Heaven. If you don't worry about anything else but that, you will find the heavenly kingdom.

Home church is truly our gospel, an amazing blessing from God. Through home church you can find and restore everything-there you meet God, the Messiah, Cain and Abel, and all the historical missions. It is really a wonder world. I would like to see that you are practically worshipped in your areas, so that when you bring your fiancée everyone will say that now they have a king or queen as well. By winning this qualification you can truly enter the hall of blessing for the wedding march.

We can conclude that the more you are oppressed and persecuted, the happier you will be and the more you will gain. You suffer more because you want to make your blessing more precious, for it is your added suffering that will make your qualification more precious, and your diamond more polished. All your suffering and tribulation can be vindicated by having your mate; this one blessing alone can make it all worthwhile. Your husband or wife is far more precious than your home church, and if you can give anything for your home church then how much more could you do for your mate? Since you are already trained by serving your 360 homes, you can be even more serving to your own husband or wife.

In your 360 homes you are withstanding all kinds of persecution, yet even if all your people come against you, you still love them. If later God uses your husband or wife to give you a hard time, what would you do? Would you say you could not stand it and shove him out the door? You are already withstanding so much that now when some hardship appears within your own family it will be nothing in comparison. You are absolutely loyal to each other and you are willing to do whatever your husband or wife wants. Do you want to fight with your mate? I am warning you that Satan will try to agitate both of you and incite conflict. God will grant Satan permission to interfere with you because He has confidence that you can easily withstand it, but if Satan wins and you hate each other then he will return to God and gloat at how easily you succumbed to him.

When you have a feeling that Satan is trying to tempt you to complain about how dumb or ugly your husband or wife is and have nothing to do with him, remember what I am telling you now about Satan's infiltration. Then close the door and don't let him come in; decide to do exactly the opposite of what Satan hopes. If you are serving and truly humble then there is no way he can win. This is why I am giving you a three-year training period before blessing.

If there is a terrible man giving you sisters a hard time in your area then you must think inside that he is your husband. If there is an unbearable woman in your area, then you brothers can think, "She is my wife." If you men meet such a man, think he is your brother Cain who wants to kill you. Then think about your duty to him and how to win him to your side. Think that unless you can win him to your side you are not ready to go on to any higher blessing.

I want you to feel that home church is a training ground for your future married life, and that all the people coming against you are in a position to train you to live with your future spouse and in-laws. If you win the older people and the children of your area then everyone else in the middle will automatically come. When you initiate home church the ratio is 1 to 360, and when the first person is won it will turn into 2 to 360, or I to 180. When it increases to 3 on your side, it will be 1 to 120. Even though it starts out I to 360, eventually everyone will accept and your whole area will be one family dwelling, and as far as you are concerned you will be looking at your whole area as one house.

In this area you will create your Cain­type home, and then after that you are entitled to create your Abel­type home. Once you find your Cain tribe you will establish your Abel tribe. Even if your ancestral lineage is inferior to that of people in your home church area, you will still receive greater blessing than anyone in your area because you set the necessary condition there. When the blessing comes to you upon this foundation and you have children, they will receive more abundant blessing than anyone in home church.

The restoration process in the fallen world is one of three major divisions-of Cain and Abel, husband and wife, and parents, but now we are bringing these three together for the first time. Home church is the process of uniting the brothers, Cain and Abel. Your home church and your mate's home church will come together eventually, and you will become a couple after receiving accolades from your home church. Upon that foundation you will join as husband and wife. There are universal implications in two home church areas uniting together.

When you are united as husband and wife upon this home church foundation and have children, then you move upward to the parent level. Your children will come upon the foundation of the home church success and all your labor there will be reaped by them. In that case you truly have a foundation where you can receive God's blessing abundantly. Because the Cain Abel separation has already been made in the home church and there is no stain remaining, you can offer your children as a pure offering to God. Then God will gladly embrace you and your children. Unless you stand victorious in home church. However, you will leave that duty and responsibility to your children, who will then have to go through that tribulation themselves.

1981 is the final year of the third seven year course, and from that year until 2,000 the entire world will be organized into home church. That will complete forty years since the True Parents were installed in 1960. The more work we do here in the physical world, the greater will be the spiritual phenomena affecting the earth. Spiritual assistance will be equally strong because that realm is like the angelic world, in a position to serve the victorious Adam and Eve. In your home church you will exercise your authority to direct spirit world to assist you. You are given that authority.

Only upon the victorious foundation of home church can you as men and women bear sinless children, just as perfected Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden would have borne sinless children. No one shall be able to come against that pure child. You must fulfill all these conditions before God's blessing comes to you to be husband and wife.

Today is a new day. This is May 27 and in four more days May will be over. If you make a special condition of the next four days then when June comes you will have a new beginning. Will you engaged couples do it? Those who would do it, engaged or not, raise your hands and pledge your loyalty. You are raising your hands to promise to become true couples. Then spirit world will be with you and God will be with you. Can you pledge that now? God bless you. Let us pray.

Day Of All Things

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
May 26, 1979
World Mission Center
Translator - Bo Hi Pak

The literal translation of the title of today's message would be "Day of 10,000 Things," or Day of All Things.

Those who were matched in the last engagement ceremony, raise your hands please. How do all of you feel? All along you have been single, but now you have someone else to worry about. I think you feel not just great, but wonderful great! Now you realize how important it is that you have your counterpart- a woman for man, and man for woman. This is true not only in the human world, but for all things in God's creation. Even iron ore exists in the pair system. Everything exists in pairs, whether minerals, vegetables or animals, and according to their special characteristics everything is matched plus with minus, male with female.

When subject and object are united in soul, mind and body, they form the ideal together. Man and woman each have spirit, mind and body; together these total six, but they form a new entity, or number seven. The most important rapport to be established is eye to eye. Especially in the Orient men and women don't look at anything else except the eyes; the eyes must be right. When there is rapport on this level, then everything else falls into place. Your eyes are the windows through which you project yourself and they reveal much about you.

Do you smile first and then look at a person, or look first and then smile? Do you hear first and then smile, or smile and then hear? Are you smiling while you talk, or do you talk and then smile? Do you smile first and then touch, or touch and then smile? I am trying to emphasize the importance of having your object or partner, because without your object you have no one to talk with or hear from, touch or see. Joy and smiling necessitate having someone who has rapport with you.

What is the difference between cultured people and primitive people? A cultured society has a balanced environment in the sense that everywhere you turn you have give and take with the same level of culture. In this room, for example, there is a cultured atmosphere created by the chandelier and flowers, carpets and furniture. When the women dress up everything has to be right, not just a few things. Their dresses and accessories must fit together in the same level of culture. Every object used is present to stimulate a sense of beauty. Why do we decorate a room with special paint and wallpaper? Because we want to create an environment that fits our cultural level and allows us to be always stimulated by a sense of beauty.

Why do we seek this balance in our culture? Ultimately men and women are seeking to find their culture embodied in one object or subject so they can establish a reciprocal relationship which will be a constant source of stimulation. Looking at you I saw that the women who have always been solemn began to smile as soon as they were engaged because they felt light and happy inside. You Unification Church women have not been trained in the use of makeup, but as soon as you are engaged you start looking in the mirror more frequently and care more about your dress and overall appearance. When you were single you had complete freedom, but now you worry about many things, such as whether your figure is right or perhaps too big for your fiancée. You think from the point of view of your subject now, not just yourself.

You are like a flower blossoming and you want to add fragrance to it. You want to be in action, demonstrating your joy in movement instead of just standing still. Now you concentrate on widening your horizons, vertically and horizontally, trying to make a bigger projection of yourself so you can please your mate. It is natural and good that your mate is now the focal point of your concern.

Do you know your own face? Could you portray yourself without seeing your face? If someone asked if you could remember your face you might think that was a ridiculous question, but after thinking about it you realize that none of you have memorized your own face. Why is that? Your features change according to your state of mind, and you don't have one concrete image in your mind. Sometimes you feel happy and think you are good-looking, but other days you have no confidence and you think your appearance has certain weaknesses. Your state of mind is the subject factor here and your external self is an expression of your state of mind. Since that is changing from one mood to another, your external appearance is always changing.

You are too close to yourself to evaluate yourself clearly; when you look at a painting too closely, for instance, you cannot evaluate it. If you bring a little object close to your eye, thinking you can see it better, you cannot really distinguish what it is. The husband and wife relationship is the same. When your right hand holds your left hand you don't feel a sensation, but if someone else holds your hand you feel something. A husband may think he knows his wife and have one concrete image of her in his mind, but in that case he is not really appreciating her and doesn't know her completely.

Just as you cannot really know how you look, you cannot really know your husband or wife's face too well because it has many aspects. Sometimes you are strongly impressed by the laughing face of your mate, and you cannot forget how he or she beams from ear to ear, for instance. A wife might be impressed with the dignified appearance of her husband, or she might notice some little habit, such as how he shows his tongue when he laughs. If something about your mate makes a strong impression in your mind, you might not want to see other sides of that person. He might snore a lot or have a very ugly side, but you won't remember that.

This shows the infinite variety of expressions of love between men and women. There should not be a fixed relationship there. If a man is always serious then no woman could stand him, but there is always a variety of expression, with joy or anger suddenly bursting forth, and it is there that the beauty of relationship between man and woman is found.

Would you women like to have a different dress every day? You have an urge to look different each day, and it shows that your internal person also wants to be fresh and new every day. Do you want to wear a beautiful dress to go to the store, or to see your loved one? Your desire to be beautiful reflects an interior motive to please your loved one. If you dress up beautifully but your mood is serious and solemn, does your internal person match your external beauty? Your lovely dress would protest and urge you to change your expression. No matter how beautiful your dress might be, if you are sad and sick at heart, your dress sighs. But if you are happy and joyful in God's love, even a humble dress will rejoice to be there with you for then it is an ornament of your love. Have you ever seen anyone wear a large, sparkling diamond directly on his finger? Usually a ring is made to set off a diamond, and a plain gold or platinum ring wants an ornament to wear on top of it.

Everything in creation exists for some certain purpose. Do you think they would feel good just being a commodity on the market, even if they were expensive, valuable commodities? Would they feel happy if many men came to watch and observe them? Do these flowers here on stage exist to glorify themselves? Just as you do not see your own face, the petals of these flowers do not see themselves; they exist to serve something besides their own purpose. The flowers impart their fragrance to please someone else who comes to appreciate them.

The flowers are beautiful in order to invite the attention of butterflies and bees, and the fragrance serves like a beacon to guide them directly to the flowers. The same principle applies to women; you want to be dressed up and wear perfume in order to be attractive, not for your own enjoyment. Many women are meticulous about their makeup, spending hours in front of their mirrors every morning recreating themselves. Would such a woman say that her purpose for living is to beautify herself in the morning? Would you say your goal in life was to eat or sleep or play? What would that mean?

When you wake up from a good night's sleep does your mind think ahead to school or your job? Your mind travels to your loved one, the place where love is. American style loving today is often an unhappy situation; I have heard that in California over 70% of the marriages are breaking up. What kind of love is that?

A thing that is truly precious has an unchanging quality. Diamonds and gold are held to be valuable because of their unchanging quality. The most expensive things under the sun must be gold and pearls, right? No? True love? Where is true love; show me. True love means unchanging love that never tarnishes.

Sometimes American young people run away from home because they are longing for unchanging parental love and they aren't receiving it from their parents. True love never changes, so any parent who cares for his children always loves them, no matter what tragedy overwhelms their home. Even if the father dies, the mother has a strong urge to live in order to keep loving her children. Any woman who just wants to remarry and doesn't care about how her children feel will have nothing left, either love of her children or her husband. Children in that situation feel left out and cold when they are at home, and they usually go their own way. But children whose mother is still devoted and loving them more than ever, even after the father dies, will be completely devoted to her and never betray her expectations.

Even though her husband is dead, that woman is not losing anything. More than ever her children will reciprocate the love she is giving them. The more she devotes herself to her children, the more they will return love that is even greater than their father's when they grow up, knowing she dedicated her life to them. Then the vertical love between a mother and son is more beautiful than the love between the husband and wife. The same is true for man. If the mother dies then the father can find tremendous beauty and value in loving his children.

Man is created to live in true love, and when he pursues that true love both vertically and horizontally he finds true fulfillment in life. When a man and woman unite completely in unchanging true love then they are each other's pride; a wife and husband want to be proud of each other. Instead of asking the other person to serve you, you want to serve that other person genuinely, feeling that he is the best. When each person feels that way, their relationship is truly something to behold.

Love has a certain sound when it is in motion, like an electric gadget at work. When another expert in love hears that sound he echoes it, so all over the place echoes of that love begin to join with that love. When two sounds of love meet, would that have greater impact than thunder and lightning? How great an impact would that have? The meeting of those sounds of love is so thunderous that anyone who is sleeping, even for 1,000 years, has to wake up. Even eternally sleeping people will wake up and be galvanized into motion and dance. No one forces or asks them to; it will just happen automatically.

Do you enjoy a halting, uncertain kind of dance by someone trying to follow the rules? No. In that sense disco dancing is real dancing because there are no rules; it is just a free expression of happiness. When man and woman come closer and the sound of love starts up, what will happen?

All of these explanations lead to one conclusion-that all things exist to rejoice over true love. All things are searching to be united with true love. Is there anyone who has a different idea? Why do you women want to look as beautiful as Miss America? For true love. Is there any better answer? You might wonder why you look so unattractive, and the cause of your concern is still true love. There have been many ugly people in history who could not receive love because of their appearance. Now I am here, an ugly person, but as a possessor of true love I will indemnify the pain of all the unattractive people of the past. Even if you look ugly to everyone else, for the person who loves you, you are the most attractive person in the world. Your spouse will feel that because of all the odd contours of your face he has much more to react to than if it were smooth and lovely.

Love transcends appearance. Therefore, your own being cannot conquer love; love conquers your being. A husband might look like a chopstick and the wife might look like a potato, so that you wonder how they can continue together, but they are close because love blinds and harmonizes them. That's why love is almighty.

Why am I talking about love so much on the Day of All Things? In the world of men we feel that love is the ultimate goal of life, and it must be clear that all things live under the same rule. Would a gold nugget want to be independent and have no one bother it? Or would it want to be surrounded by other material? Do you think it matters to the nugget at all? What actually surrounds the nugget is unimportant; what is important is the nugget itself and whether it is true gold or false gold. No matter how lovely the setting, if the gold itself is impure, it is no good. Whether the nugget is found in a ditch or lake is immaterial; as long as it is pure gold its value and quality will not change.

The important thing is you yourself, not the kind of people who surround you. The key is whether you are a holder of true love, regardless of whether you are surrounded by black, white or yellow people. Think of how beautifully harmonized creation is; why should the world of men alone be in conflict? In the world of animals there is no segregation according to color. White puppies don't play with only white puppies. If a sparrow comes from Africa, would American sparrows tell it to go back to Africa? Did God draw a line between nations somewhere?

Why are there so many dominions here on earth? There is a national sovereignty in America, as well as people who are masters of their own land. There are many manmade divisions and boundaries. In the world of love will there be many compartments? I have not seen this in person, but I have heard that American husbands and wives often have separate savings accounts; there is a distinct boundary in money even if they think there is not one in love. How artificial that is! They keep certain areas to themselves and forbid intrusion. Will you tell your mate he must have an appointment to see you and insist he be on time? When children go to see their parents should they phone ahead for a time slot? That's the American habit, though.

Does this show that love in America is weaker than money and job commitments? Would you like that kind of love? If not then you should get rid of it. There is no time boundary in love; it comes in the morning, afternoon, and midnight. Is there a rule in the universe about what time lightning can strike? The visitation of love is like the lightning of the universe; it can come any time through the front, back door, side door, anywhere. It may even come in a fistfight. The important thing is the quality of love.

In front of the supreme power of love, everything else is subdued. Women are born to be conquered by the love of men. The motion of love is faster than an arrow or a bullet; it can travel from the North to the South pole in no time. Each one exists for the purpose of love. Does that make you feel good or bad? When you are a temple of that true love you are more precious than a diamond the size of your whole body. Even if that diamond were bigger than the universe, you would still be more precious.

Man is supreme in all the creation because we can be kings and queens of love, giving and imparting love. No other creation has that capacity. Now you are princes and princesses of love, advancing every day toward perfection. Do you want it? Even God has not been able to fulfill that true love and certainly no man in history has fulfilled it. Now we are the first group of volunteers who want to pioneer that true love. All the things of creation are like the honor guard waiting for the day when God will walk down the path of fulfillment of that true love. They are waiting to glorify that day, waiting to see men, their masters, walk down the path as well.

When God walks down that path He will not go alone. Who will be His companions? In the garden of Eden it was to have been Adam and Eve. The greatest march God anticipated was the march of true love, walking from the king's throne down the path of love. Adam and Eve would follow God and invite all the things of creation to accompany them. When God sat on His throne Adam and Eve would stand before Him, and surrounding them would be all things of creation like the best man and maid of honor.

When God embraces His children in true, eternal love, all things of creation would be intoxicated in that love. What would you imagine would be the day God would first start to love Adam and Eve? Would that be spring, fall, summer or winter? Why spring? Because spring is the season for rejoicing, for blossoming and harmonizing in beauty and fragrance. If God could sit on His throne and embrace His children Adam and Eve in true love, then the entire universe would sing the glory of God in praise, rejoicing over the sound of love. Before the throne of God Adam and Eve would be installed as husband and wife and give the first heavenly kiss between man and woman. Can you imagine how beautiful that would be? Have God and mankind and creation seen that particular momentous day?

When God embraced Adam and Eve in love, then the creation surrounding them would clothe them, become the ornaments and form the wedding hall. If you were to ask all things what their history has been, all creation would be able to say they had fulfilled the purpose of their existence because they would have seen the day of the fulfillment of God's love, the day God embraced His children. They could say that on that day they ornamented and clothed Adam and Eve. Ever since, all the creation that witnessed that day would remain as a museum piece.

Their greatest honor would be to witness that wedding ceremony in the garden of Eden. A blade of grass by the path Adam and Eve walked would be historical, an important ingredient of that heavenly museum. An oak tree would be proud that it saw the fulfillment of the love of God in Adam and Eve; oak trees today would be proud of how their direct ancestors were present to see that cosmic event. Their family history began in witnessing the love of God, and that would be their tradition. They would look for the people who fulfill that true love and want to rejoice with them, just as their ancestors did.

Would the Unification Church have been needed in the garden of Eden? That momentous day of the fulfillment of God's love in the garden of Eden never took place, and all that God prepared became broken and ragged. Now once again we are trying to unite all things and recreate the day of that wedding, the day of the fulfillment of love. Our clothes should have been bright and fragrant with love, but instead they are stained with tears and sweat and blood. Now the tuxedos we wear are soaked by sweat and tears, and they have a totally different kind of value. In order to restore the lost garden of Eden we work hard in tribulation, and it is so hard to restore just this one time we cannot think of repeating any more the fallen garden of Eden.

The Unification Church is here to restore the day of joy of love, and we are piecing it together from this fallen, satanic world. Some day we will have a completed wedding dress and tuxedo to wear to restore that lost day of God. We know the sad, tragic history in which nations and peoples crumbled and had to sacrifice. Now all the hopes and fragments here and there are being pieced together to make one restoration of unification.

Everything which should have existed solely to glorify God now exists solely to destroy you and destroy any attempt to restore godly things. Unless we are truly alert and cautious every day, we may be struck down by the dangers of this world. Human history has been one of misery and suffering, so how much more have the things of creation been in pain? The things of creation have been subjugated by a false master and abused. Now God has chosen one champion to come and be the friend of all things, asking them to follow him, guiding them step by step. It is like going through an endless maze, trying to find the other end and bring new hope for the fulfillment of love.

I started as one lone individual, but I gathered the foundation for the family, tribe, nation and world, pulling the godly pieces together. This incredible

march of the princes and princesses of love began decades ago, and now has come to the worldwide level. For the first time, Satan has met an adamant enemy and so has made an unending attempt to destroy him and his work. But I have overcome all these obstacles one after another and reached the peak of success, the 1976 Washington Monument Rally. God's blessing to me is increasing because I have laid the foundation all the way to the worldwide level, and now the blessing is not just one of men coming, but also of material benefit.

What are you Unification Church members and why are you here? You are searchers for true love, but true love is not contained in the Unification Church; it has been stolen by Satan. We must go out to the satanic world, plant the seeds of true love in the soil and harvest it. That is our mission. In home church you are actually creating a tribe, and once you obtain it you can go all the way to heaven. What you have in home church is a microcosm of the world, and by practicing there what I have done on the worldwide scale you are entitled to receive what I have inherited from God.

You are small Reverend Moons. I am a tree of many branches and they have been grafted on to you, and ultimately you will blossom as full-grown trees yourselves. What kind of tree do I mean? Truly the ideal tree of love. What the Bible calls the Tree of Life is actually the tree of true love. Such a tree also knows the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and both need each other. That way of life is not one of receiving love but of sharing and imparting love. That love is strong and absolute, unlike the fragile love relationships in today's world. Where that love is breaking down, our love is firm and hard like rock.

American marriages today are fragile and breaking down so that the new love can be planted. This situation is not completely tragic; when Americans see the right direction they can still have hope. Who is the master of all things in America? They don't automatically belong to the sovereignty, but to the one who loves them most.

The other day I heard about one of our brothers, Richard Cohen. He is from a Jewish family which has always been skeptical about Reverend Moon and the Unification Church, but Richard has persevered and been patient with them. Some time after his engagement he went home with a movie of the 1800 blessing and told them more about his own matching to a Korean girl. They questioned him hard, but since Richard was calm in himself about his situation, he won their hearts. Finally his father confessed that out of all his children Richard was the best one. Richard's fiancée had written a letter from Korea and sent a picture, and Richard's father had been carrying them in his wallet and showing them to all his friends. Richard's brother has been married and divorced twice but Richard's father knows now that because Richard has found this way of life and the principle for a God­centered home that Richard will succeed in marriage. Mr. Cohen said that he would like to meet me and wished I knew better English so that we could talk together.

Why are we becoming such respected attention getters? We are living in a new dimension of love. Suppose that a parent of one Moonie has many other children but their relationships are all superficial and sensual. If this one child who is a Moonie can establish true, enduring love, it is a sign that we are giving true salvation. There the new tradition of inheritance will be set up. The parents will want to give everything-love and honor and property-to that one child.

If even numbed parents in the fallen world can react so sensitively to true love, how much more so would God be sensitive to true love? When you show that true love it makes God incredibly happy. When God sees that a person truly loves the universe and feels responsible for all things of creation, wanting to be a parent to them, don't you think God would want to give everything to that son who is representing Him so well?

In this principle there is no exception, whether in the past, present or future, no matter what race you may be. Even if you ask a grandfather from thousands of years ago, that rule would still be in effect. God knew this was the only way. This explains why He is going this way, and why I follow it as well and ask you to follow it. Why do you go? Along this way you will receive the inheritance of God, the True Parents and all things of creation, plus each other. Then you are the king and queen of love, intoxicated and harmonized in love.

This is the way of life of the Unification Church, being intoxicated in this true love. We make a grand circle by giving and receiving this love, growing larger and larger like a snowball. Eventually we can make the entire universe intoxicated by this love. There are many people who don't want to see this true love succeed so they stab and try to shatter it, but even though you falter momentarily, you still come back together even stronger and bigger than before.

Our members know the taste of that love; it is the one thing we are permitted to be addicted to. Nothing is too much to give for this love. No matter how hard you work or how much you suffer, you insist on having that love. Even death won't stop you because the taste of that love is so irresistible. Now you inherit God and the True Parents' tradition and are carrying it on yourself.

You are going to restore the dignity of love and conquer death, tears of sorrow and any amount of hardship. Nothing can be stronger than true love. If you only care about true love and nothing can stop your march forward, when you turn around you will find all of a sudden that the entire world and all things are following you. We do MFT and witnessing now, but soon you will find that money and people will chase you, not vice versa.

Right now we are in the final battle and the entire world are like spectators, watching the conquest of the final hill which no one has ever been able to cross over. Now finally the Moonies have volunteered to try and people are giving opinions. "They're 80% of the way but they don't really have a chance." At this point they are watching, saying, "Wait! They're almost there!" Once we go over the hill the spectators will be pushing each other aside to follow us up that hill. The people most ready to run up that hill will be the Americans. In other countries people have many strings attached and tugging at them, but here there is much individualism and "freedom" so if a person wants to go up the hill neither his parents nor society will pull him back. Then when that person comes back ten years later as a king or queen of true love, all the Americans will come out to welcome him as their hero.

Today is the Day of All Things. What is the deep sorrow of all things? It lies in not having seen the day of the true love of God and man, the true love of God, parents, couples and sons and daughters. Nothing has seen that day of fulfillment. All these years creation has sighed for not having seen true gladness centered upon God in families of grandparents, parents and children rejoicing together in love.

Your matching and engagement is the important and beautiful beginning of a heavenly home in which you can truly be united in love and become the glory of all things of creation. God would like to have the universe be a museum of this historic moment and have us be important elements there, so He can be proud of His children who ultimately fulfilled. If someone wanted to put a price tag on you then God would say there was nothing to be written down because you were without price.

Great artists like Michelangelo and da Vinci painted masterpieces worth millions of dollars now, but you are a living masterpiece of God. If one Michelangelo costs a million dollars, you as a living masterpiece are priceless. Even the little blade of grass which witnessed the love of God is this precious. All things of creation are waiting for their day of redemption and vindication, the day when they can see their true masters appear. In understanding God with true love you shall become their true masters, appreciating them and guiding them with the hand of God. That's your should hand this down to your children and grandchildren, taking pride in the tradition you are setting today and allowing them to feel proud. They will need to be educated about how to be thrifty with creation, not wasteful.

If the grandparents use the first few pieces of tissue in a box and then hand it down to their children, who use a few pieces and then hand it down to the grandchildren, generation to generation, how much history could be accumulated in that one box of tissue? In even more of an extreme, the grandparents could take one piece of bread from a loaf, then each generation take another piece. If one loaf was handed down ten generations and only a little bit was left, you would want to preserve it for another ten or twenty generations, breaking it into smaller and smaller pieces. That is like the tradition of love flowing down. No matter how humble your clothes are, if they are handed down in this tradition of love you will been prouder of them than of any more expensive garments.

When things of creation have a true master loving them and enjoying them in a conscientious, thrifty way, how would they feel? They would feel they finally were living in the ideal world. Each creature would feel happy for the first time. On this Day of All Things we should think how we can reciprocate our gratitude to all things by saving them and loving them. This is today's important agenda.

How much would you pay in a department store for a handkerchief like this one here? $1 ? There is one brother in the Unification Church who received a plain white handkerchief from me ten years ago and has been carrying it with him ever since. After all that time it looks all bedraggled, but that handkerchief has no price. That brother cherishes it because I gave it to him and it represents an inheritance of love.

There is a Korean diplomat who became a member, and some years ago he and his wife were to be sent overseas on diplomatic duty. He approached me, humbly asking for the honor to invite Mother and me for lunch. Their invitation was so heartfelt that I accepted and we went to a humble Chinese restaurant. They tried very much to make us happy that day. Later when he got a small receipt after paying for the meal he wrote down the date and hour, and carried that receipt with him all during his diplomatic tours. That happened about fifteen years ago and even now he carries it with him, even though no words can be read on it. Even though that receipt is hardly more than dust now, its value remains and all of spirit world recognizes it, rejoicing over that deed because it centered around true love.

Material value itself is not the consideration here. The priceless implication of those small bits of material comes from love. If even a simple handkerchief can become that precious, how much more precious will you and your husband become when you really personify the love of God? A little receipt and handkerchief can have priceless value, but when you become the manifestation of God's love and love the world, all things will become priceless because you will give value to them.

That is our tradition and way of life; our discipline is to live in that one central goal. We want to search for and fulfill that true love. I want you to become a lover of all things centering upon the true love of God.

God bless you.

The Engagement and Holy Wine Ceremonies

Sun Myung Moon
May 13, 1979
Engagement of 705 Couples

Our First ceremony will be the engagement ceremony; it will be followed by the Holy Wine ceremony. The Holy Wine ceremony is the ceremony of restoration. The content of this restoration is quite important. It is the restoration of lineage. Unless you pass through such a ceremony, you cannot be restored from the satanic realm into the heavenly realm. Before Adam and Eve fell, they were engaged. However, Satan infiltrated and invaded Eve with an illicit love relationship which was transferred to Adam. This sequence of action brought the satanic lineage. In other words, Satan became the master. So far in history, there has not been even one single instance in which the heavenly lineage has been restored and the blessing given. There has been no heavenly lineage, and no true love. We are doing the true, historical restoration of the heavenly lineage which has never before existed.

In order to create such a moment, God has been working through his dispensation to make the proper environment and circumstances. Originally God planned to create the external environment first, like a fence: a worldwide fence, national fence, tribal fence, and family fence. He wanted to create the internal environment through religion. This is merely preparatory to have the world ready for the ultimate internal restoration, which will start from the individual.

The true restoration from satanic lineage to heavenly lineage goes from the individual to the family, tribe, nation and so forth. In order to prepare such a possibility, God worked through religion throughout the years and prepared the external environment. However, the external foundation laid by Christianity has been broken down because of the disunity between Christianity and the Unification Church. Therefore we have been fighting to lay the external foundation, and we have done so.

We have a worldwide base, a national base, a tribal base and a family base. We are now experiencing the true restoration as individuals and families to heaven. Thus I declared a new era, the new age, the Kingdom of Heaven Year One on February 23, 1977, which signifies that God has completed the entire external foundation. Now we are ready to go on with the internal restoration, which comes to us in the form of the blessing.

I completed the various conditions as if Christianity had never opposed us. We restored conditions such that it is as if Christianity had never opposed us. We succeeded in that, and now we move on.

In addition, this kind of dispensation will continue until the third seven year course is over in 1981. We have not only laid the external foundation, but we are solidly restored. You are 100% restored in your lineage. Since we have laid the cornerstone of the kingdom of heaven on the worldwide level, no power under the sun can exclude us from this earth. And that family of the Unification Church, the family of heaven, is now spreading to all five colors of skin, to every race on earth. We are like a magnetic power. Any country and race in the world just has to plug into us. The core, containing all elements black, white and yellow has been created. Any race or culture plugging into us can have our blessing as its own and spread that blessing.

The foundation we have now laid is like the foundation that there could have been in the time of Jesus had the people accepted him. We have created that kind of foundation on the worldwide level, centering upon the second coming of Christ.

The creation of the Tribal Messiah through the home church is now our challenge. The home church system will create a multitude of messiahships. I have already laid the foundation so that each one of you is capable of becoming a messiah. This applies to the whole world any race, language or cultural background.

So far in history, there has been no restoration of lineage from satanic to heavenly. Satan painted the world in black. Before, there has been no way to turn the black into white. But we are painting a new map in white. We can change the black into white. From this time on we will not only prosper but also change the map of the world into an entirely different creation of a totally unstained color. We can totally eradicate historical sin so that an untainted, genuine, pure quality can emerge.

In other words, we are setting a condition to return to Adam and Eve before the fall. The angelic world, the spirit world, and God himself can directly assist and support us. If you are totally and absolutely united with God and the True Parents, then you are no longer alone. You are linked to this great universal power: the power of God, the power of the spirit world, and the power of the angels. But you must demonstrate one condition. That one condition is superior obedience. If you demonstrate that quality of obedience to God and the True Parents, then the entire universe will move in to assist you.

In this respect, husband and wife can represent total unity. You can go towards a certain goal, like two wheels running together or two feet walking together. Husband and wife are like two legs. You can walk without both of them working together.

Let's say we create a heavenly automobile. You can become one of its wheels no matter what. It doesn't matter if you are black, white, yellow or intermingled. The specification, size and quality of the wheel is so much the same that it is interchangeable. You can use any wheel and the automobile is sure to go. So any feeling of cultural or racial superiority is totally against God's will. If any of you thinks that you are superior because you are white, that is against the principle. America today is proud of its advances and its twentieth century culture. But because America thinks that it is so advanced, it brings more headaches to God. A primitive, rather simple and genuine way of life is better for God. Then he can plant a new culture more easily...

Many cultures in history have worshipped idols. Others have worshipped material goods. And still others worship science, feeling that knowledge can solve all of our problems and bring Utopia to mankind. Cultures based on such assumptions will fade. There is no room for them in heaven. The central essence of culture in the Garden of Eden was supposed to be love, and nothing else.

Why do we do matching like this? Why do we go on with the blessing? We have one purpose in mind: to create a new culture. That new culture is the culture of love. For that reason, in order to create a more dramatic culture for heaven, we have inter-racially mingled marriages.

This is really amazing. You look around and there is someone sitting beside you called your future wife, your finance. And you might wonder: "What happened to me? I never in my life imagined that this would happen." But actually what is happening here is not just for your own satisfaction. I want you to know that you are fulfilling one of God's most important desires. We are moving according to heavenly destiny. The cosmic spring is dawning, and we are receiving cosmic spring weather. We are coming out of, the ground, becoming first a leaf and then a bud and finally a blossom. This is where we are going.

From this time on we are creating a wagon. We will call it the family wagon. Each one of us makes one of these wagons in which we ride towards the common goal. In this wagon we circle the globe once, twice, even seven times. In the meantime, we can create here on earth the true, God desired kingdom of heaven.

Let's say your wagon started in Asia. You shouldn't dwell just in Asia. Your wagon has to go to the Middle East, Europe, America and back to Asia again and again. You are not going to live in one place. Your wagon will circle the earth until eventually the wagons will completely cover every corner of the world. When the world's people see you, they will feel some uncommon parallel between this wagon and them selves. They will notice white, yellow and black on it. Wherever we go, we have elements to give.

This event could not just happen. Before this could take place, many incredible conditions were set by the spirit world. You have no idea how hard spirit world works to make things happen here.

You are destined to live the life of the family wagon. Then you must live up to the expectations of heaven. If a black and white husband and wife fight, you are not only making yourselves unhappy but making adversaries of the angelic world, the spirit world, and God. God is trying so hard to create the heavenly culture of love. If you work against such a culture, you are as bad as Satan. Satan took over the show just before the perfection level, at the second stage. When Satan took Adam and Eve, they had not yet fully blossomed and they were looking forward to love.

You are actually in love. God and the True Parents have given you the authority to love each other. If you fail in this advanced stage, if you make yourself an adversary to God, the consequences could be worst than the consequences of the fall. The Bible frequently mentions that the Lord will bring judgment when he comes all the evil doers and arrogant ones will be brought down to the pits of nether gloom. And you feel it down there. It is not even hell. It is worse than hell. The engagement is like the restoration into the heavenly kingdom. We are registering your names as husband and wife into the kingdom of heaven. When you go through the wine ceremony, it is like you are getting a new birth certificate in the heavenly register. When you are registered, the remainder of your task is to move towards the heavenly Canaan.

So you are driving a heavenly wagon. Normally the husband, the subject, should drive first. But when you are tired, since you are not alone, you can rest and let your mate take over. This is beautiful cooperation. And if both parents get tired, the children can take over.

The children will come in two ways: first the spiritual children and then the physical children. With this, a population explosion will occur. Then not just one but many wagons will line up. And the particular wagon you are riding in will get bigger and bigger to accommodate more people. With so many people in the wagon, someone can take your place. You will be respected by these people. Later on you will not have much work to do in the wagon since you have so many children who can do it. So you can sing, dance, and conduct sightseeing. That will be your job.

Your wagon will be so powerful and invincible that it would not be bothered by a head-on-collision. Do you have the confidence to become that wagon? Your answer? The answer is "love race." We are creating a new race. I have named it the love race. The color of your skin is love color. When you talk about this love race, fighting men will stop and enjoy peace. Fighting children will stop and enjoy peace. And any kind of confrontation, squabble, fight or hatred will melt away. The love race is like the judge of the world. Can you do it? From this time on you are registering into the love race.

Touch your hip. Is there any string attached? If so, cut it. You laugh, but on the spiritual side, many of you still have strings attached. After this ceremony, we must completely subjugate our bodies. Once you do that, Satan will be fearful of you. He will have no power to make you obey, no power to pull you if no strings are left. Maybe you used to fight among yourselves. But from this time on, once you are completely liberated from Satan's power, nobody can affect you. It used to be that Satan could always use a fight between husband and wife as a condition to claim them. But now, if you fight, Satan has to take you to God's courtroom. And God will say, "Do you know why they fight? They fight each other to be more loyal to me."

Today you must completely change your concept. We are entering a new kingdom, a new realm, a new country. From this ceremony on, you are in a new race, a new territory. You don't see it with your physical eyes, but spiritually you are changing your dwelling, your territory, and your citizenship. From this time on, you are holy creatures, you are holy beings. You have to separate from anything ungodly. You must feel that you are a holy temple in your thoughts and actions. When priests enter into their ceremonial place, there is only one route to go. There is no deviation, no shortcut. You should be like the tabernacle in the Old Testament, making the area clean and holy where you move. There is only one way to go. There is no cheap, cheating way.

Are you really thankful to God for this? Why are you appreciative? The answer is very simple and obvious. We are thankful to God for sending us True Parents. Your children and your grandchildren will be thankful to God for the True Parents, but also they will thank Him for their tribal True Parents, their own parents and grandparents. So I am grateful to God, you are grateful to God, and your children will be grateful to God. Each generation will line up together to offer thanksgiving. That is our tradition. We are pioneers of tradition.

God established a cosmic tradition, the True Parents established a worldwide tradition. You are creating the national tradition. Your children and your grandchildren will set the tradition for the tribe and family. Unless you have a foundation of gratitude, you have no way to link yourselves to God and the heavenly kingdom. The foundation of gratitude is the key upon which everything will blossom. Your children will be thankful for the heavenly family. You are thankful for the heavenly nation. I am thankful for the worldwide foundation, and God is thankful for the cosmic and universal foundation.

The person who does not know how to express gratitude will derail from the Principle. There is no question about it. God is the root. The True Parents are the trunk. You are the branches of the tree. Your descendants will be the leaves. Anything satanic is always organized from a selfish standpoint. But the heavenly tradition will look beyond this. We are existing for something. The leaves are existing for the branches. The branches are existing for the trunk. The trunk is existing for the roots. That is the way in which the whole tree can prosper.

You must understand this. You exist for something greater than yourself. That is a basic principle and also a physical theory. So we will be armed with such a spirit and conviction. And we must give that tradition and conviction to our children, for we are responsible for their education. Most of you here have white skin, yellow hair, and blue eyes. But you have inherited a yellow face, black hair, and brown eyes.

When children will be asked "What race are your parents?" They may be apt to say: "My daddy is white and my mommy is black." But you teach them: "No, no, we are love color, the love race. When you go out, you must be the exemplar and subject of love. You are going to disseminate love, sprinkle love and give love. You are like a locomotive, pulling the love train. Then the children will say, "Yes, daddy and mommy, we'll do it." That should be answer of your children.

There has been some criticism in America among the races. The white people often say, "Black people are lazy and stupid. They don't work too hard and they love free handouts." Some white people look at black people like that. But they don't know anything about the black members of the Unification Church.

These days, very few people really like to work. Because of this, this is a good time for us because we can show ourselves to be superior. While other people are trying to evade work, we are asking for it. We can distinguish ourselves right away because we work day and night. Black people have one great advantage: they can work day and night easier than white people. Take advantage of this, black people, and you will eventually become a superior race.

History is fair; everyone takes his turn at prosperity and failure in history. So far, white people have had supremacy. They have worked very hard in history. But the yellow race has given them stiff competition. But one more oppressed race is waiting for this opportunity. White people have worked so hard to build the foundation; yellow people have worked so hard to decorate it. In the end, the people who will actually go into that building and enjoy it are black people. I have always felt that black people are the most sagacious; they have opened their spiritual eyes to a very deep reality. They have long been waiting for their turn, passing through the hardworking white and yellow histories. And they have been oppressed as a racial minority, persecuted many times.

As a persecuted people, they have heard that another group is being persecuted; they have heard about Reverend Moon and the Unification Church. Many black people are saying, "Why not go see it? You have been persecuted and we have been persecuted; you are a minority and we are a minority; we have a lot in common." So they come in and discover the greatest heavenly truth. Again the black race has a chance to get ahead. In the Unification Church they find an electrical quality to awaken them. It is now their turn. They cannot remain in an oppressed position. And when they start to work in the Moonie spirit, the minority will become the super-race.

Throughout American history, the black people have been oppressed, so they have a desire for revenge. They are looking forward to vindication. Today, spurred on by the spirit of the Unification Church, the black race has a great opportunity not only for its own sake but for the future.

Yesterday you saw that I called upon the black race first. This is teaching a lesson to the white and yellow people. First I matched the blacks, then the orientals, and last the whites. Why? Because history is such that this is a logical sequence.

Black people have a great opportunity here. You have been criticized for being idle and lazy. And it may be true that some black people just wait for their welfare checks. White and yellow people have been working, but they will get tired in time. When they sit down and relax, the black people can stand up and pick it up...

The way I can bring blessing to the black race is to encourage them to work hard, and they will win respect and admiration. Those couples in which both partners are black could have a great advantage because both of them will be working very hard. White people, when the chips are down, might think that it is getting too hard. They might sit down and wonder: "Why do I need this marriage? Why not separate?"

Who does America belong to? I'm sure that white people would say, "Yes, I'm sure that America is white America."

Black people will say, "No, America is black America. In order to build America in its 200 year history, black people have invested more sweat, tears and labor; therefore it belongs to us. You white people have been having an easy time and have taken advantage of us. But in order to make today's America, we sprinkled our sweat all over the country."

Blacks have paid more sacrifice for the sake of America. So you have set the tradition to claim your sacrifice. Go ahead, ask for it. The time has come. I feel that this is absolutely necessary. History works by cause and effect. If white people take advantage of black, the time will come when black people will want to take advantage of whites. This is cause and effect.

I have brought a new movement so that blacks and whites will become united into one harmonious body. In so doing, wonderful indemnity is being paid, preventing anyone from being exploited. The white people of the Unification Church are really indemnifying the crimes of the white people of history. For example, how many whites wanted to be matched with blacks? So many whites volunteered. This has never happened in American history. This dramatically symbolizes that our movement is restoring the white colonialist takeover of the blacks.

What we are doing here yesterday and today shows the dramatic repentance of the white people. Indeed, we have shown a willingness to love black people, to unite with them, and to serve them. So if a black and white couple becomes exemplary in serving each other, the society and the nation, then the entire nation and world will bow down to you. This is a saving grace for the people. If you demonstrate your repentance in tears and sweat, there will be a chance for the sin of the entire white race to be forgiven.

Today we are about to undertake the ceremony which will proclaim to heaven and earth that we are now registering as a love race. Do you feel to the bone that this is a really historical place? This means that your clothing becomes historical: your tie, your shirt, your jewelry, everything. What about your eyes, nose and cheeks? Everything that participated in this grand auditorium is a historical thing: this is the place where white loves black and black loves white.

From a historical standpoint, each one of you is greater than any President or First Lady of the United States. You must be proud of that. In America I have been persecuted and criticized, but not even once did I feel shame. I am proud of what I am. I'm sure some white brothers feel that they are very handsome. If they also feel that their black brides are beautiful, they will receive a citation from God. Because your bride is the opposite of yourself, the declaration of your love will shine. You are going to create the most fantastic family, the family where songs and beauty will never cease.

Your children will be ecstatic in joy and will not leave the garden of your family, for it will be such a living kingdom of heaven on earth. Do you have that kind of dream? In your own Garden of Eden, in your own home, when you laugh with your black bride, the African continent will laugh. If you have a white bride, the European continent will laugh, and if you have a yellow spouse, the Asian continent will laugh. Since all continents and races will be laughing, God will have to do better than anybody else. (Father does an exaggerated laugh) (Col. Pak: Do you need a translation? Father says that God will be so ecstatic, so joyful that He will even forget to put the belt in His pants and everything will fall down. And then we will have a real dance!)

One time in the history of the Unification Church we were accused of taking off our clothes and dancing naked. Actually, we never did that. However, this criticism probably forecast this joyful day!

You need a partner to share such joy. You've been sharing this joy with God and the True Parents. Now the time has come that you can share this joy between husband and wife, man and woman, bride and bridegroom. That is why this ceremony is important.

Are you ready? It is a great day, isn't it? I could go on all day and all night, but we must go on with the ceremony. Let's get down to work. There are 705 couples. This is a very historical number. This has never happened in the history of this continent. You know it, right?

Are we happy people? It is incredible that such people are existing here on earth in this country. When we look at what is going on in this country and in the entire world, it is a miracle that this kind of excitement, this kind of God-centered joy is prevailing in one place.

(Col. Pak: Father is about to pray in the engagement ceremony. This prayer is the most vital and important registration of all of you to heaven. In this prayer, Father will say the date and the hour, and he will declare to heaven and earth in the name of the True Parents that you are now registered as true sons and daughters, solemnly beginning the eternal task as true families.)

We have now set out to create heavenly families. So the engagement ceremony is over. You are already engaged. You are fiancés, future husbands and wives. The next ceremony is the ceremony of the restoration of lineage. The Holy Wine Ceremony is for the purpose of changing the satanic lineage into the heavenly one. When Adam and Eve fell, there were no True Parents. All of a sudden the archangel came in between Adam and Eve, becoming Satan and dominating them. Now the True Parents emerge into the position of that archangel. You are not only receiving the lineage up to the perfection of the growth level but you are actually given the pure love of the perfection stage. We are restoring the evils and wrongs done in the Garden of Eden.

The archangel became the master; the archangel was subjugated. As a restored archangel he gives a wine cup to Mother and Mother will give that cup to Father and Father will give it to the bride. Through the bride the husband will be restored. That is the sequence of the fallen action. Father will give the cup to Eve. Heavenly love is bestowed upon Eve's position. Right now all men are in the archangel position.

Before we go into the Holy Wine Ceremony, there is one more sequence to follow. That is the transference of love ceremony. Perfected Adam comes in the position of True Father and gives the bride true love. In other words, it is almost like a grafting ceremony. You will be grafted into the tree of True Father in true love. Fallen Eve is restored into a heavenly woman who can give new birth to the archangel; the husband is given new birth through the wife. That is the sequence. In the fallen process, the archangel gave birth to fallen Eve.

So therefore the True Parents come to give new birth to Eve then she in turn can give heavenly rebirth to her husband. Your bride is in the role of mother because she gives you a new birth. For the next three years the bride will have the mother's role. The husband's position is to serve and obey his wife. For three years your wife is not your wife but your mother. You cannot live with your mother as you would a wife. Until the heavenly blessing comes, you have a mother-son relationship. Until then, you must become one, serving your wife as a mother. If you are not united with her all the way until the day of the wedding, you will not be blessed.

When the day of heavenly restoration comes, the woman has to play the important role because women must give new birth to the entire world. At the worldwide level, America is the central country. In America, women's power, women's dignity, and women's rights have been enhanced for the last 70 years. This is a dispensational happening. According to the Principle, from the heartistic point of view, women will be closer to God and the True Parents for the next three years.

After the wedding ceremony is conducted and a 40-day spiritual separation takes place, there is a three day ceremony. After this ceremony, the man finally restores his subject role.

So far, everything is upside down. But three years later through the wedding ceremony and three day ceremony following it, the original sequence is restored. You must go through this for the stained lineage to be gradually washed out and for the heavenly subject and object sequence to be restored. Then you have your children. The children are going to be heavenly children. This is the way that the restoration will be conducted. Satan cannot disrupt this principle. In order to do that, Satan has to come up with a better principle, and there is no such thing as a better principle. (Father goes on with the ceremony.)

Let Us Think

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
May 6, 1979
Belvedere, New York
Translator: Bo Hi Pak

What are you thinking, sitting here early in the morning on a hard concrete floor? Are you happy to see me? How can you be happy to see such a dark face with slanted eyes? Walking by a grove of trees have you ever thought that they may have stood there for hundreds of years and wondered what they have been thinking? Do they think that their branches will cover the earth and their crowns touch the sky? Perhaps they are proud of being the tallest and oldest trees. If a tree's goal is so big that it wants to cover the earth and reach the sky then it must be thinking about how tall it is now, even if it is already a thousand years old. With such a great goal yet to be fulfilled, can it boast of being the greatest? If a tree has the power to reason and think then we can say it is truly the greatest tree.

Have you ever thought about which bird flies highest in the sky? The crane flies highest. A crane is always looking up, never bowing down; our image of a crane never includes one whose neck is drooping down as it flies, but only looking up and ahead. A big bird like a crane never just leaps into the air and starts flying. A jumbo jet must rev its engines and gather speed down the runway and then take off, and a crane also starts slowly, aims high and gradually flies higher and farther.

You have seen sparrows hopping about, but cranes walk entirely differently, with long, stately strides. Can you imagine how ungainly a crane would look if it hopped like a sparrow? A crane thinks ahead about slowly but surely crossing long distances over the continents and ocean. With that kind of vision and goal, its whole body is necessarily geared to that kind of task.

A crane always wears a red hat and has a black tail. We usually say that red represents communism and black represents Satan, so what is good about this crane? The bird itself is white and leaps out to cross and conquer the ocean, and because the red and black harmonize in this purpose they are like restored red and black.

Are you thinkers? Do you think about how to dig into the ground, or about how to leap into the sky? The best way to reach the sky is to sit down and doze, right? I'm sure you have to get up very early to get here on time, so it must feel like a long time before you can go back to sleep. Does the bird think the night is long or short? Is he eager to see the dawn come or not? You hear birds singing in the early morning and the cock crowing at sunrise; do you think they wish the morning wouldn't come so early?

For the birds the night is unbearably long so they rejoice over the dawn in their morning singing. Are you like the birds? Do you wait impatiently all week for Sunday so you can come to Belvedere and then jump up with happiness when that morning comes?

When you say "let us think" does that mean that you are already thinking or getting ready to think? Which of the creations is a thinking animal besides man? Different animals think in different degrees, but in my opinion the most thinking one of all is the ox. During the day it sits in the meadow, chewing and thinking.

What kind of thinking do you suppose the ox is doing? Is its goal higher and nobler than man's? If so then there would be many oxen saints. Perhaps the oxen think about the suits they should wear, and if so then they would have more colorful clothes because they have four legs instead of two. If they actually were thinking, they would create an oxen cultural sphere because thinking always precedes culture. What kind of toilet would they have, and what kind of bathtub? Thinking makes things happen.

If oxen think about God more than man does, what would happen? God would be confused, because men and women were to be His sons and daughters, but the oxen are thinking more about Him. God notices which of His creations is thinking more of Him and which is most proud of Him. Would oxen be number one, or something else? There are two kinds of men, one thinking of divine and spiritual things, and another preoccupied with cheap, everyday earthly things. What kind of man would you become? It is the quality of a person's thinking that describes his nobility or lack of nobility.

If a person is thinking nobly, his thoughts must inevitably lead him into a noble life. What is the content of noble thinking? Is it on the side of goodness or evil? One aspect of goodness is that everyone likes it, both God and man, old and young, even the most devilish grandmother. Even the most wicked, purposeless young people like goodness. Nobility has universality.

Where do we belong in all this; are we thinking people? When you work hard don't you think about where you can get some food and take a nap? You may be fed up with sitting on the hard concrete floor here at Belvedere, without even chairs to sit on. In the American way of life you sit on chairs and cross your legs comfortably, and now you are far from that way of life. You've been thinking how painful that is, right? At one time you have probably wondered why, if my name is Sun, we don't have worship when the sun is up and you can get up later! I really like it this way, but do you like it or hate it? If you hate it and it makes you upset enough to work hard, you will go to heaven and I will go to hell, right? Your logic is correct in that case if you really are working harder than me and you want to be here at six instead of ten in the morning. It takes will power and desire to get up in the morning and come here.

Why should you do it? You've been thinking about how to deserve sonship and daughtership of God more than others, how to be something that others cannot be. If the Jews gather at 3 a.m. to worship in their synagogue then when shall we gather? If Jews see a competition between Moonies and themselves and decide to get up even earlier, what would you do? We would have to have a morning service at 8 p.m. Then others might hear about it and gather at 2 in the afternoon, but we would have to declare that we would work 24 hours a day. Average will power would not be adequate in such hardheaded competition.

If you make up your mind that you will win then you have to plan your tactics and think how to go about it. What would be gained by beating the Jews and other religious people? God raised up all these religions to have them compete among themselves to see which one really loved Him the most. If you think more about how you can be number one and you turn out to love Him the most, you can claim God. You can tell God that you might not be handsome or pretty but that He belongs to you anyway. How can He answer? If He refused, what would you do? Then you can look Him squarely in the eye and say, "You are Satan, God!" Then He has to reply, "My son, indeed I have to listen to you. I belong to you."

What I am saying is that God can be made a prisoner by the people who love Him the most. You can bind God but you don't need rope to make God helpless. If you have made God your prisoner and then ask Him whether He can stand it if you love Him more, He will think about it and say that you are already doing enough. Once God tells you that you are already doing enough for Him, you can take a nap or go disco dancing for 24 hours a day. Then you can think like an ox or a pig and it will be all right because you will have that freedom.

God gave us the ability to think and each person has a thought bag which goes everywhere with him. If you think a great deal then your thought bag will get bigger; a balloon pops after a certain point, but your thought bag will constantly get bigger, even after it covers the entire earth. It will become so big and light that it will even lift you up in the air and carry you around. If you looked in your thought bag right now would you find a ragged mixture of different items, or genuine gold and beautiful crystal? Which kind do you have?

In New York you commonly encounter garbage trucks; how does your thought bag compare with the contents of those trucks? Is there some resemblance, or none at all? Is your bag full of fragrance and color? If you sprinkle garbage on the streets the entire city is made unhealthy, but if your thought bag is healthy and fragrant then if you sprinkle its contents around the world the entire globe will be perfumed. What kind of thought bag do you have? This is a morning to think about it. If God wanted to inspect the bags of everyone here, would anyone clamor to have God look at his or hers first? Would you be at the beginning or the end of the line?

I had many sisters in my family and as they entered their late teens and started thinking about getting married they made or bought special things to save for their wedding and new home. They would always hide them away in a safe place and I had a great interest to investigate what they had hidden. You women like to hide special things in a safe place, don't you? Where does this trait come from? You can say that God resembles you in this. If God comes to look and see what the women have hidden in their bags, what kind of bag would He be interested in finding? Would He be interested in finding money, or knowing what kind of books you read or what medals of honor and decorations you received?

God is interested in your thought bag. When you open up your thought bag you are really confessing what you are thinking, and God will remark either at how noble you are or how filthy and smelly you are. Would you rather have God embrace you with happiness or push you away in disgust? Are you free of shame, with nothing to hide, or can't you be absolutely open? Are you ready for God's inspection? Could God pass you in all areas?

You know whether God will be happy or unhappy with your thoughts. You are lying if you say you are not sure whether you would pass God's inspection. You can't claim that you aren't clever enough to know God's criteria. You don't even belong to the human race if you really don't know! Even in the Unification Church your mind wanders, wondering whether you are in the right place or not, and in the meantime one year passes, two years, then three years. Look into your thoughts right now. Could you rate yourself at 100%, or 50% or 0 capability before God? How many of you have confidence God would give you 100 points? If you raised your hand, you have something wrong with your head!

Any student who thinks he knows all there is to know and can pass every test with A plus has something wrong somewhere. You know you are not perfect and that you have frailties; therefore, it takes effort to elevate yourself. Can you say that after three years in the Unification Church you rate 50 points and you have earned enough credits to be ready for blessing? Can you ask the principal for a citation with that kind of average? Or are you thinking that you are not even worthy of the blessing? Externally your physical body may be ready for marriage, but when you look into your conscience and thoughts, maybe you aren't really ready.

If you sincerely feel you aren't ready and you just obey when God pushes in one direction or another, then you have done what was required of you and you can get blessed. Which one would you like? If you have a 50 point average and think you are deserving then God will be reluctant to bless you but if you are humble and really think you are not worthy then God will feel better about giving it to you. If a person with a lower average is always trying to be considerate and meek, even brothers and sisters with more points cannot say that person doesn't deserve the blessing. it is not your will but God's will that pulls you up to receive the blessing. Are you living with that attitude?

There is one thing I want to teach you-to be meek and humble. Would God prefer the teaching which encourages boastfulness or humility? Although you have not earned full marks, when you are humble from the bottom of your heart there is a chance for you to participate in grace.

Who is the general of the Unification Church? You Moonies say you think I am a good father, but what about people in general? Looking down, what would God say? Would He say I am the most handsome man under the sun and that's why I am a good father? Or that I am qualified because I speak well? Do I have some special power to attract people?

God will tell me to show Him my thought bag and there's the real showdown. The public may think it is an incredibly awful, smelly bag, but God may think it is the most fragrant, delightful bag He has ever seen. God would be intoxicated and unable to put it down. He will think I am truly a wonderful person. Have you seen my thoughts? Maybe I am only thinking about how to exploit you. No? Who said so? The important thing is what is inside your thought bag.

I look over at the VIP section here and see Dr. Pyun, but even for this dignified Ph.D. the most important thing is the content of his thoughts. Your evaluation by the everyday world is as important as what is truly inside you. If you have a right thought bag then you are seeking right things, and if you are thinking right things, you are acting on right things. Right thinking must be expressed in words and actions.

In the beginning God had thought, or the Word, and God created by the Word. When supported by logic your thought becomes philosophy. If your thought is totally concerned with God and you express that thought, you will become a great minister. Before there was ever a Reverend Moon in the world, there was an ideal, invisible Reverend Moon. When thoughts were translated into words and they were acted upon, the invisible Reverend Moon became the reality the world sees today.

Were you empty of thought when you came here this morning? Perhaps you were anticipating hearing some good message this morning, so did you come for the purpose of bringing a clean, bright thought bag to receive some new thought today? When some people come they are wondering why they have to go through this again for another Sunday and they watch the clock to see whether I will speak more than two hours. What kind of thoughts do you have at this moment? Are they bright as gold and hard as diamonds? Are you numb of sensation? I see all types here.

You might be thinking you will meet God here this morning and in that case you can tell the trees you are straighter than they are this morning. Are you? I hear a confident yes and a doubtful yes; which one are you? Some of you don't want to say yes, but you just close your eyes and plunge ahead. Is that a false yes or a genuine one?

If you women have eyeglasses with heavy frames, you have a convenient disguise; then if you get sleepy you just move them down your nose a little and no one will ever see that your eyes are closed. You might think you are successful, but can you deceive God, or the walls or the air? Can you lie to yourself? Instead of trying to hide it from God, who knows anyway, it's much better to say to God, "I am so sleepy. Please forgive me," and just lie down and sleep. God has to smile on such a person for having such guts.

If one Sunday everyone at Belvedere does that, then when I come there will be no one awake to speak to. Then I will tell God, "Since everyone else is sleeping, let me sleep too." It's much better than trying to be sneaky. Anyone who is trying to hide behind something, like glasses, is not forthright and open, is not a true Moonie.

Deep down inside do you like to be called a Moonie? When I ask, you say yes, but how about when people outside our Church ask you? If you try to live a sneaky life as a Moonie, you will end up in hell. It's much better to be open about your frailties and be yourself. Such a person can go to heaven. I have no shame and nothing to hide, no matter where I am. I am the super-general of the Unification Church army, but in this country everything is called super, so that is too cheap a name.

There are two kinds of thinking-the kind that has to do with the family, nation and God, or nothing to do with the family, nation and God. There are the thoughts God likes and the thoughts Satan likes, the thoughts of a good man or an evil man, and you must make a choice between them.

Have you black members carried some kind of hidden grudge against white people? Black people can have two thoughts-one, that some day they will get revenge for injustice done them, or two, that they want to win the respect of white people by serving them and becoming one with them in love. For hundreds of years black people have been oppressed and enslaved, but can you forgive and forget that, and tell God you want to serve others regardless? Do you think you are superior or inferior to whites? You are not different; you have two eyes and a nose and two ears, and so do white people. The two races are just a different shade of color, one happening to be darker than the other.

A high mountaintop is always white and covered with snow, but in the valley the soil is always dark and fertile. Do animals always live on the top of the snow-capped mountain, or do they live in the fertile valleys instead? Is there more food to be found on the peak or in the valley? Black is a very rich color which has depth and absorbs all light. It is a very attractive and charming color. On the other hand, white is always easily stained and hard to keep clean. It would be simple to cover the world with black, but much more difficult to make everything white.

Are there any schoolrooms where the teacher writes in black chalk on a white board? It would be crazy to use a white board. It would be impossible if you blacks were trying to be white, even after a millennium, no matter who you prayed to. So instead of trying to be something else, take what you have and be proud of it. Whites, be proud. Blacks, be proud. Orientals, be proud. The precious metals of the earth don't lie on the surface of the mountain, but deep within the dark earth, and you also have your dignity as black men and women. It is far better to see a healthy, vigorous black horse than a run-down, sickly white horse. If both of them are in poor shape, which one still looks better? The black color helps cover up shortcomings, while the white color clearly reveals all deficiencies.

Polar bears are white to give better camouflage in white snow and ice. White people belong to the North Pole because they can hide better there. The culture of white people emerged from hunting societies which killed animals for food, but black people have always lived in the warmer areas of the earth where there was always much food around. Be proud of what you are. If your hope is that the entire world can be embraced in your arms then you have the right idea.

Why did God give blue eyes to white people? Because He knew that a plain white face would soon be tiresome to look at, He added the variety of blue dots to give contrast. Blue is a very comforting color, like the blue of the sky and ocean. God is comforted when he looks at blue eyes. It sounds logical when I explain it, doesn't it? The faces of black people have a dramatic kind of beauty because when they smile their white teeth are a vivid and surprising contrast to their black skin. When black people are standing in broad sunlight, their skin is a beautiful color to behold, much more than white skin.

Would you white people like to wear only white shoes, not black or brown? If you only like white people then you must always wear white and no colors in your clothes, right? If a food is pure white, it is not tasty; dark sugar has much more flavor than white sugar. Which is real coffee, black or white? A white person riding on a white horse doesn't look intriguing, but a white rider on a black horse is absolutely dazzling. We also see that the earth is dark and the heavens are bright.

Do the great masterpieces of art have light or dark backgrounds? They frequently have dark backgrounds because a dark background provides more contrast and produces a more vivid effect of depth.

Without black, there can be no depth of feeling. Your eye is recessed a little in your face, creating shadows, and then you have a black dot in the center which is surrounded by the white eyeball. Imagine an eyeball that had no white but was only blue or black or brown. How devilish that would look! Westerners have deep-set eyes compared to Orientals, so Westerners would look especially devilish if they had solid blue eyes.

The most dramatic combination I can imagine in the Western world would be white skin, black hair and eyebrows, blue eyes and white eyeballs. White people alone can never produce that combination; to get it you would have to mix the right combination of the white, black or yellow races. This understanding is why I am the world champion at creating international marriages.

I haven't even gotten to my main subject, but now it is almost time to close! Have you forgotten time or are you conscious of how much time has gone by this morning?

There are always two kinds of thinking and you said you want to be on the good side. What is the definition of good thoughts? Is it good to think every day about how you can become President of America? Good thoughts are universally liked by people of the present, past and future. Black, white and yellow people can all agree that they like it. Starving people and people who have food like good thoughts. Everyone can agree.

Would it be good for Americans to think they should love only America? Do you like America? The name sounds like "a merry car," which must mean that Americans are car-loving people. Do you only love America then? Would it be good for you to think of other nations, even a small country like Korea? How about forgetting the rest of the world and thinking only of one other small nation like Korea, would that be good? Would it be good to want to help that nation only to prepare some refuge for yourself if all of Asia becomes communist? President Carter recently announced he would visit Korea in June, but it would be far more valuable for Carter to be strong against communism than for him to make a visit. If he does his job well then even if he doesn't go to Korea that nation will be liberated.

Because I speak out whenever I see the free world doing wrong, some people think I am not only against communism but against America as well. But I have a clear evaluation of the difference between the two. In the communist world there is no individual way of life available; people are told at gunpoint what they have to do. The communist state dictates the individual's life, but that doesn't happen in the democratic countries. If Russia were in America's position of power but still followed the same totalitarian system, would it forcibly communize the entire world or not? When communists take over, the people are made into robots, but when America liberates a country it does not force a new way of life on the people.

Who has the power to decide whether a government is good or bad? It is not the United Nations or governmental law which decides, but the one who exists from alpha to omega throughout history, and we call him God. God is the ultimate judge of good and evil. What is the ultimate criterion of good and evil? Those who think as God thinks are good, and those who oppose what God thinks are evil. It is logical that in a school those who obey school policy and the principal are considered good students, but those who violate the law are called troublemakers.

In a home the children who try to follow the parents' way of life are good and those who are rebellious and disobedient are bad from the point of view of the family. Company workers who follow company policy are considered good employees, while those who violate it are thought of as undesirable employees. In the Unification Church those who think and try to live in the way I am trying to teach are considered good Moonies while those who disregard that teaching are not felt to be real Moonies.

According to this logic in the ultimate sense, the person who thinks as God thinks and tries to live up to what God wants is a good man, while those who go against it are evil. How old is God? He is so old that you cannot count His age, so the only way to express God's age is to say that He is the alpha and omega. God has more knowledge than anyone else simply because He has been around longer than anyone else.

Wouldn't you want to have the freedom to have your eyes anywhere you want them? There is a certain law and rule involved here, however. God gave much thought to how He should best formulate man's body. The mouth should be where it is in the face so it can be watched over by the two eyes, for instance, and the two hands are conveniently placed to put food in your mouth. There is a reason why things are placed as they are.

If your mouth bites your finger your eyes will see it, but if your eyes were on the bottom of your foot they wouldn't see this happen and you would lose one finger! It has to be admitted that God is the master scientist, and can be understood in seeing the many details of our lives. Everyone has little valleys on either side of their mouths so that when they perspire the sweat won't run into their mouths. If the mouth were set deeper into the face instead then when you sweat you would constantly have to blow it away, but you don't have to do that because God already prepared better contours for your face.

How inconvenient it would be if your nose were upside down and what a mess it would be on a rainy day! The contours of your face and the fact that there is hair inside your nose all make sense; everything has a certain role to fill. The universe exists through order, and law exists in order to maintain order. Is God's thinking all mixed up and random? No, God follows a standard and has order and logic.

Does God look at all people the same way, or does He see them in different categories and levels? Equality in the true sense does not mean that everyone is the same. Does God think everyone is on the same level? A poor-thinking man can be nourished with noble thoughts and this is why we need schools and universities. No matter how much you study here on earth, however, can you follow the level of God's thinking? We are pursuing the highest education in the way that God thinks. God's thinking is exactly the opposite of Satan's thinking.

Then what is Satan and what is evil? They are fake; they can shine like a spark of light but they have no foundation, no root, and so they are basically untrue. True and good things exist forever, but the others pass away. True value is unchangeable people love diamonds because their quality remains for many years; gold possesses a harmonized color that never tarnishes, and the luster of a pearl is truly harmonized.

If something glitters or looks important for a moment but then vanishes, it is evil or fake. Are you fake or genuine? When you put gold in a blazing furnace will it change? If you have the qualities of genuine gold then if you are put in the furnace you will not change. Gold melts at high temperatures, but when it cools down it remains the same. Good and evil can be classified in this fashion. Did God think one way in ancient times, but now in a different way? If He did then He is not the true God. Is 24 carat gold from America different from 24 carat gold from Korea? Are they interchangeable or can't one be taken to other countries? Your location will never change the qualities of genuine gold.

After a big meal would God declare that He is king of the universe and all mankind are His slaves? No, God will tell all the creation that it is an integral part of Him and without it He could not exist. Will all the creation be joyful to hear it is needed by God? When you are ecstatic with that joy of being needed, shouting and laughing, will God tell you to be quiet? No, He will come to embrace you. If you can't contain your joy and you laugh with a piercing laugh, will God tell you that you are a disgrace, or will He join with you? God knows how to harmonize, every time, everywhere.

God does not declare that you must exist for Him; He will say that He exists for His creation. If you were evaluating God, would you give Him the highest mark if He lived for the creation, or if He wanted the creation to live for Him? Will real parents want their children to live for them, or want to live for their children? Would teachers tell their students they come to class only to earn their salaries? When a teacher looks at his pupil there is no concept of money. Instead, a true teacher would love his pupils, and even sell his own suit jacket to get money for a student's tuition if necessary. Would people then criticize him for not wearing a proper jacket?

God's qualification to be God is not only to have created everything; it is having the heart to exist solely for what He created. When you belong to a certain home, you live for the sake of the home. When you belong to a certain nation, you live for the sake of the nation; when you belong to the world, you live for the sake of the world and for the sake of God. This is the only philosophy God accepts. There are two ways of fighting-one is for your own selfish benefit, and the other is to fight for the sake of God's way of life and truth. I have declared that good war already.

The communist ideology should be eliminated and the people enslaved by it should be liberated as well. I have declared that war already, and naturally the communists don't like me at all. We are teaching the Victory Over Communism ideology all over Korea and Japan and I am advancing the global showdown between communism and democracy because God is behind it. The communists work clandestinely, having all their important meetings late at night and working through front groups. They are always hidden like bats in caves. In America politicians are expected to convince people to vote for them and reveal all their finances and activities, and justice in the courts must also be handed down in broad daylight. But evil always hides under the cover of darkness. Do crooks and gangsters advertise what they will do for everyone to see?

It is God's way to act in broad daylight and so all our activities are in the open. I created the Unification Seminary and hired professors of all faiths. We hold conferences there for all kinds of religious people. If they won't come, we go after them through home church. We don't do this for our benefit but for their benefit. Are the Moonies bad or good? I push you and push you to serve other people and even sometimes rap you on the head at Sunday service.

Am I a strange minister because I don't wear a special robe and give a short sermon behind a pulpit? If people want to criticize me, they can find a thousand reasons just this morning. Other services are so dull compared to this one! A reporter could write how I hit people on the head and pushed my translator around, and the whole thing could sound very strange, but do you enjoy it? That is why people say you are crazy.

We know God is an absolute necessity for us, and that we are an absolute necessity for God. God is working for the liberation of hell and of the past and present, so that is my concern and that is your concern. We must be totally immunized to evil so that no matter how much people ridicule us and tempt us we won't be affected. Is God so strong in you that nothing can affect you? Then you can say, "Amen." If you really understand God that well then you can say that you are God's representative on earth and God will not be ashamed to follow you.

I know God and I am living that philosophy, and as a result there are people of five colors of skin here joined in one family. Wherever I walk, day or night, God follows. You feel something different here, even though you may not have a clear understanding of it. When I am not here at Belvedere, it feels empty when you come. When I go to Korea your spiritual radio is always tuned to Korea and when I go to England your antenna is aimed at England.

You have learned a Korean word this morning; we call Jesus "Ye su" in Korean, and when you say yes it sounds like "Ye su." Actually Jesus is a yes-man in front of God, so Jesus is my competitor and I want to shout out a louder yes. But don't be defeated by me; you can go ahead of me to God.

Who can pledge, "Yes, the world shall be liberated by me with God"? Let us move into action then. Amen! God bless you. Let us pray.

25th Anniversary Of The Unification Church

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
May 1, 1979
Belvedere, New York
Translator: Sang Kil Han

This morning is the first day of May, and it also happens to be the Labor Day commemorated by the Communist countries.

Although the Unification Church was founded in Korea, it was not begun for a local purpose, but with a religious meaning for the worldwide dispensation. A drop of water can originate deep in the mountains and trickle down the hillside, gathering with others and becoming a brook, then a river, and finally join the ocean, and in that way travel around the world. Yet when we look at water we don't speculate about which nation it belongs to or came from; it is a part of the world. Though water may land in Korea, it can go anywhere in the world. The same is true of the air, which also circulates and moves around.

Aren't people like that as well? We know that though water may become dirty at some point, it is purified again as it moves from place to place and can unite with other water. The same thing can be said for human life. Men mingle and mix culturally, and out of this can come something good which will advance and elevate all people. This also happens in religious development. At first a few people gather, like drops of water from different mountains. Then more will come together and a river will form, then the ocean, all the time enhancing man's standard.

When we think back on human history, we can clearly see that man's history has been one of war. Has human civilization advanced or regressed as a result? We can roughly say that it has developed. The religious and non-religious person also clash. Both of them are determined to win, and as a result of the conflict all their rough places will be rounded off and the undesirable aspects perish, leaving the desirable things to rise to the surface. Russia and America may seem to be at peace for the time being, but no one can deny that internally they have great conflict with each other. Wars are fought on every level, between individuals, between families, societies, and nations. War has now reached the world scale, such that if war started today almost no one would be left out.

If there are two boxers fighting in a ring but there is no referee and no one is paying attention, they feel miserable. When will their fighting end? It will just go on and on. When both are tired after a long fight, they will get together to negotiate their own rules. Under those circumstances, once they finish the fight and a winner is declared, the loser will have no deep grudge or complaint. If the loser complains after having lost according to the rules, he is the one to be blamed, not the victorious fighter who didn't complain.

If the world is going to get caught up in fighting, will it be with or without a referee? Who will the referee be? Whenever children fight, they always come to their parents to ask them to be the judge. If children fight in the classroom, they go to their teacher. On every level this is so. Even in a small village there is always someone to be the judge or referee of a fight, and in national affairs it is the same. If the world were caught up in fighting and there were no one to be the judge, it would be very difficult to continue living.

If brothers and sisters in the Unification Church have a conflict then eventually they have to come to me for a solution. We can say that the law is not intended to adjust evil things but to adjust good things, and if we can find nothing to mediate conflicts on the world scale, we must create one somehow. The person who says he will never compromise his stand has obviously never fought in a war. If someone feels he cannot compromise on which school he will attend but then he is refused admission to that particular school, he will have a difficult time adjusting. The only way to be admitted is to meet the requirements, so you must study them if you want to get in. When the time comes you must take examinations and follow the rules; you cannot insist on using your book if it is not allowed. The universe follows specific rules, without exception.

Are you consciously aware of breathing all the time? Have you ever counted how many times you bat your eyelashes? If there is even a small particle in your nose or eye, however, you notice immediately and take action. You know it is abnormal and take steps to remedy it. If something tickles one of the little hairs on your arm, your nervous system is immediately alerted and your respond. If everyone on earth knew about a world war in progress, wouldn't God know as well?

Once people are involved in a conflict they want their side to win, but after the battle begins they have to fight in accordance with the agreed-upon rules. Even after war starts some citizens, even the president, may not want to fight at all, but once it is proclaimed then no one can decide he is exempt and not participate. If no one will fight then their side will lose and be overrun, leaving the enemy country to dictate what should be done to them. If you refuse to fight until the enemy soldiers march into your living room then you have no more choice about what happens to you. In war time there is little mercy and the enemy will run you out.

Human history has witnessed two great world wars. In 1945, one bomb, dropped on one city, killed 250,000 people instantly and there was not even time to feel pain; it was instant death. God certainly knows when such a war is being fought, so which side would God take in such a war, the side which fought the war according to regulations or without? It is likely that both sides will ignore the rules to some extent, but the question is who fought in the most lawless, inhuman way. Does it appear today that the Communists are violating more laws, or the democratic nations?

How did the second World War begin? Did people agree to fight each other, or was there one group which arranged or instigated the fighting? In World War II it was obvious who fought in the least decent way; Hitler purposely killed many non-military people during that war -- among them 6,000,000 Jews and the Japanese mercilessly killed civilians in the Pacific during World War II. These are elements which God considers.

When God compares the Communist world and democratic world, He will side with the realm which is less guilty of inhuman deeds. We can assume that in a world war God will support the fairer side and afterward raise it up to be the leader of the world. Korea and Israel both won their independence after World War II, and they share a similar history of suffering.

The victorious side is usually the more just of the two, but now thirty years after World War II we see that without exception these victorious countries are declining. Why? Naturally God continued to observe them after the war ended, and if there is more to blame than to be praised then He will leave those countries and not give them His assistance any more. There is always a reason for a country's decline, but citizens hardly ever realize the reason for what is happening. I have an explanation for why England and America are declining today, even though they won World War II: They failed to promote goodness after the war. God has turned away from America to support people who show a higher standard of goodness than this country.

Even to a layman's point of view, President Carter always seems to do that which benefits the Communists. The public notices this and will support him less and less. It is not hard to imagine that God and Satan will arrange the sides like teams, with the free world and Communist world confronting each other. Is the free world dominant today, or the Communist world? Shall the free world acknowledge its decline and give up, or brace itself up and stop drug usage and immorality in order to win over the threat of Communism?

We can reason that when the two sides fight, something good will remain and something undesirable be weeded out. If that is always a result of war then we can apply this principle to situations today. God's purpose in all of this is for mankind to create better and better unity, and from out of all that confusion one champion can be selected on the worldwide scale who can demonstrate his ability to the maximum.

It stands to reason that God will choose one champion to represent all levels, and events will be driven in his direction. If that champion represents both man's world and the spirit world, would he tend to be religious or not? It is logical that God would choose a religious person in this role who is capable of influencing even non-religious people to change. This is what God had to do after World War II; He had to find someone who could move the world in the direction of religious unity. It is a new phenomenon since World War II to see such a group emerging.

The world atmosphere after World War II was such that a strong religious movement was likely to happen. The time had come for this, like a cosmic season in the trend of history, and the Unification Church appeared in Korea to begin this task. God's chosen individual was supposed to do something which no one in history had ever achieved, and no matter how great the odds against him might be, that person had to fight for justice. By winning, this person would be in a position to judge what is right and wrong on the world scale and no one will be exempt from that judgment.

These events will encompass all of the earth and spirit world, without exception. If everyone had accepted that standard of goodness earlier then God would never have allowed Korea to be divided, nor Germany. There would have been no reason for conflict to continue there, nor even between the Communist and democratic worlds as a whole. Human history would have been consummated at that time. Then all creation would only struggle over love until one standard of love was agreed upon. If God erred in the standard of love, then all mankind and creation would point it out to Him and even God would have to admit it.

All creation can be regulated only by the law of love, and once it is established every problem will be solved, without exception. What kind of war has the Unification Church been fighting? It has been fighting according to the criterion of love; we fight for justice which conforms with the law of love on every level. Even on the national and world scale, we insist that nations and races must not fight each other, no matter what. Our Japanese, British and German members are coming to America and saying, "I love you," but Americans are skeptical that this is possible. Nevertheless, our members do impossible things and come from all angles to reach a person in love, changing him into a loving instead of a hating person.

Does the Unification Church fight? What is your weapon? How long do we have to fight? We have to fight to the end, to such an extent that God can say we are like Him. Eventually even our enemies must say, "Yes, you have won," and beg us to stop. We have to go on fighting until our enemy recognizes that we are victorious. They will be thankful we have won because once they understand love they will see that even though they seem to have lost they too have actually won.

I am fighting to promote love, even though everyone is against me. Why should people hate me? I have started the greatest war imaginable, coming to fill the world with love. We can deduce one principle here: God will certainly notice and take steps to inhibit the person who tries to block such a movement of love. It is only a matter of time until he inevitably declines, and so will any country in the same position. What if Christians around the world oppose such a movement of love? Do you agree that the opponent of a person fighting the war of love has to be defeated?

What about people who lived 1,000 years ago, how would they feel? What about people 1,000 years from now, will they have the same opinion? How would God feel, who has existed for all time and will exist billions of years from now? It is easy to understand logically that God will write His constitution to protect love; love itself may be the constitution and He will personally work to preserve it. Is your home church work a war too? A war of what? It is a struggle over who will love the most, a war in which you will win over evil or evil will win over you.

There are children who love their parents very much, but if you have more love than the parents do, then you will gradually bring the children out into the heavenly circle. A husband and wife may love each other very much, but the love which comes from God will be even stronger, and gradually the husband or wife will be drawn away from the other to come to God's side. You have to have love of such absolute power. A spectator might think that I am saying this because I belong to the Unification Church. My reply is that I wonder if this is possible for you, even within the Unification Church; what do you think?

Are you going to get blessing first or get love first? As long as you have love you don't have to worry about the blessing because it will just come to you. On the other hand, no matter how much blessing you have now, without love it will all dissipate. So don't worry about blessing until you have worried about love.

What are you doing, you people who come here early Sunday after Sunday? You are now being trained to fight the fiercest war so you can be champions who can take beating after beating and s fill win. There will be no greater war in the future than the one being fought now, and I am fighting for that cause. What would happen if I said to God that I was going to call off the fight and give up the love He has been promoting? Would God give His approval, or would He go berserk and not know what to do?

God is quite dependent on me, and to make sure I won't leave, God would give me an even bigger bundle of blessing. Are you applauding now because what I said was true, or because it would mean the Unification Church, and therefore you, would also prosper? Are you applauding absolute love itself, or calculating that as the Unification Church gets bigger you will go higher? If you applauded for love itself, then you passed the examination.

With this understanding the conclusion is very simple. No matter how long a person has prospered, he will plummet down if he opposes God's champion in the war of love. If the rich nation of America opposes that champion then it will tumble, in even less than ten years. There is no other alternative in God's dispensation. If the Communists oppose the Unification Church movement, they will decline also. Since God has utmost wisdom, He knows the best way to carry out the dispensation.

When a country or a person perishes this way, what happens to his blessing? It will be given to the Unification Church instead. You now know a valuable secret here of how to get blessing by the dozen -- let people persecute you but overcome it all. The more you are persecuted, the more blessing will come, so you can be eager to be opposed. That is our deepest pride. Those who agree, raise your hands.

In the future will you continue to work for what you believe in and be persecuted? If the free world had recognized the Unification Church when it was first founded then there would be no reason for the free world to be in the chaos it is now. If the Korean people and government had welcomed me in 1945 then North and South Korea would not have been divided, nor would Germany have been divided; neither would the Christianity that God nurtured for 2,000 years have declined. People still do not know why the Christianity that was so painfully built on a foundation of blood and sacrifice has recently declined so much in such a short time.

On the other hand, the Unification Church has been struck hard but has grown and grown, day after day, like bamboo after the rain. The spirit world yearns for true love to be established and so does God, so whoever opposes this love could not possibly have a chance to survive. In that respect are you grateful to be a member of the Unification Church? Now that I have explained all this to you, you become strong and confident but were you as confident yesterday as you are now?

Yesterday concluded the sixth year since I had been granted permanent residency in this country, and today marks the anniversary of the day the Unification Church was founded. What is the significance of the number seven? It marks the realization of the ideal of love. Why didn't I give you such a grand message as this a long time ago? Today is the appropriate day because this starts my seventh year here. From this moment you will inherit this war of love and you will take over for me.

Who among you is glad to inherit that responsibility from me? If you really mean it then I am off the hook now, and I can travel around the world to care for other nations. I have persevered through impossible persecution to see this moment; I have been waiting to see members of all five colors of skin gather here and be happy to inherit this historic blessing.

I am not even American so you should love this nation more than me, and I trust that eventually you will. Would you lose an ear for America? Half your nose? Would you become an invalid for the sake of this love? If you are willing to die for the sake of love then you will have no regrets. It may end your physical life, but you will never die.

Jesus did not fulfill any part of this, yet the thought he left on earth enabled Christianity to prosper for 2,000 years. If you carry this out now, how many times more than Christianity will this movement prosper in the future? You should be able to feel this most realistically, even though you are sitting on a cold concrete floor. If your legs are hurting then you can realize it is the pain of love. It is not make-believe.

This is preparation for love to travel in any direction; that is what you are doing now, preparing for the worldwide scale. When you violate the most basic law you have no chance of surviving. There are many examples of this in history. My first wife wanted me to be an ordinary husband and father and could not see the magnitude of what I was doing. Many families that opposed me have since split up. Even the nation of Korea, which refused to recognize me, was divided into two parts, with no hope of being reunited soon.

By the end of the second World War the world was essentially united and Communism was not very strong. The United States was practically almighty, but now today it has plummeted. Here in America it is hard to know the reality in other parts of the world, but if you travel abroad you will frequently find a common hope for America to perish, even while those same people still cling to some small hope that America will stand up for righteousness.

There is little hope for the many people who are addicted to drugs, and the immorality in America is staggering, but the Communists everywhere are applauding this. No American has cared enough to do something drastic about this problem, but I came all the way from Korea to help, single handed. In a short time I have raised you to that same standard. I have brought hard-won money to America to spend here, even though this nation is so big that it is like dumping a bucket of water into a lake. Many hard won people have come here from Korea and Japan to help. Certainly I did not do this for myself or the Unification Church, yet the response has been accusation that I am trying to brainwash the young people and dominate this country.

Probably at some point you felt the same way, didn't you? You may deny it, but didn't you have some reservation inside? You have no complaint whatever about what I say to you? Then if you go full steam ahead America may have hope yet and ten years from now things will be different.

You don't want to see just Americans embracing each other, but to see the whites embracing the blacks and all the unfortunate people of the world, loving those people as they love themselves. All the social problems of this country could be solved overnight if all the whites who live in nice houses would willingly trade with people living in the poorest houses, no questions asked. If people do it willingly will God say they are foolish? In no time at all such people would find themselves living in better houses.

Since, for obvious reasons, it is not an immediate practical solution, what are the alternatives? That is for you to introduce God's thought into American homes. If so, then some day people will volunteer to live that way. Fashion is unpredictable, you know, so it's not impossible that some day a white person would go to a plastic surgeon to trade noses with a black person - Or to have one black ear and one white ear. I am not saying that should happen, but that some day it just might happen!

No one can evade having to lay the individual foundation in this war and gradually extend the foundation of God. The first seven years of my mission were a fight to secure the individual level, but since that time the biggest war on earth has been underway. Now there are many people around me, but there was a time when no one, not the government or the churches or even my first wife, was not persecuting me. Satan was almost all-powerful, and he mobilized everything to stop me, knowing that his world would crumble if I were successful.

The height of persecution came in 1955, one year after the Unification Church was founded. The government was determined to eliminate me so they probed and probed, looking for something I had violated, checking our money and all our affairs. They even tried to accuse me of being a Communist to justify keeping me in prison. They called me a dictator worse than Hitler, but what had I ever done? Nothing. I just stood firm and endured all of that. After putting me in prison without evidence they had to support their allegations so they investigated every possible thing, but they found nothing wrong, so on October 4 they released me. The first thing I did was to grow stronger. I just prayed for the forgiveness of those who had opposed me and continued working.

In 1960 the foundation of my family was established and the next year there was a blessing of 36 couples, then later 72, 124, 430, 777 and 1800. The year I blessed 430 couples was the year 4,300 in Korean history,, paralleling the 430 years the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt; it was also the year that the world-level dispensation was launched. The exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt was paralleled by the beginning of the world-level mission. The worldwide exodus centering on the Unification Church began in that year, at the close of the national-level dispensation.

In 1965 1 blessed 120 holy grounds in 40 nations; as part of that I blessed holy grounds in each state here, as though each was one country. My actual dispensation in America began in that year, for I knew that when America had won in this cosmic war that the whole world would benefit eventually. On this foundation the world could come into blessing on the world level and so in 1970 the 777 couples were blessed, with couples of all races included. Here the earth as well as men had met the condition for world-level blessing.

I launched the worldwide dispensation after earth and men were secured. Consequently, our economic work in the Unification Church only began after 1970. Before that I never paid attention to economic things. Now you know the famous rumor that we have endless money and resources! In nine short years we have achieved that much. Keep in mind that the more persecution we get, the more riches we will get.

It is difficult to witness to even one person because one person is infinitely precious. Money is coming to the Unification Church, and after that hundreds of thousands of people will follow. If we paid people to come for three weeks' training, who would refuse? After the training, more than likely the person would give the money back again so that someone else could be trained. You will invite many people who are leaders and opinion-makers to be in that class.

I will invite only leaders, and then other people will criticize me for not inviting them with a salary too. However, you can tell the people you witnessed to in the past that they had their chance but refused it. You will really feel happy when that day comes, won't you?

Those of you who haven't yet passed the fund raising course, raise your hands. Sooner or later you will go to do that. Everyone will go. Would you volunteer to go, or need some push? Am I fund raising now or not? When the departments are out of money they always come to me; when I look at them and ask, "Money?" they reply, "Yes!" The News World is typical.

How would you like it if I blessed 3,000 couples this year? I already have almost 3,000 couples engaged now. I am thinking whether I should do it now or wait a couple more years. What do you think? Are you confident that you can be a better warrior in the war of love than the person you marry? Once you are married you will start a competition and see which one will outdo the other in three years. If the wife wins the race then maybe we will have her stand on the right side at the wedding! That is the equality American women have been fighting for, isn't it?

Would you men feel that you could never submit to that, even if you lost? I have seen that usually women are more religious, however.

I don't want you to go just two hours to your home church but to pay constant attention to it, going back and forth sixteen times a day if necessary. If the men go twelve times, the women will go fourteen times. Later you will just stay there, not sleeping, but even just standing there. Neither male nor female will budge for fear of being outdone. You can go on seven-day fasts together. Don't you think the home church people will come to stare and see what is happening? You won't have to visit them because they will visit you first! When they come to find out what is going on you can give a speech or cry or anything. Are you fully determined to do even that?

Why should I perform your marriage ceremony -- is there any difference in me or anyone else doing it? Why not be light and free American-style, and go pick your own mate? Why not? You have tried that already and it didn't work, did it? You have a simple explanation-it is because no one can see an individual like I can. I can tell you a thousand different things about a person, whereas even after observing him for a long time you may be all wrong. I am thinking of having up to 4,000 couples matched by this year.

Do you men miss women so much that you want to get blessed? Are men so vitally necessary to you women? Always in your mind you must think that the blessing is good preparation for the war of love. You are not marrying just anyone. You have to be sure that your spouse is quite ready to tackle this war of love; once you are sure he is, then you are ready to marry. When people get married in the usual way they first go on a honeymoon, but we are ready for "honey-war." Then when you get married and can travel together, that is "honey-sun." You have heard that soon we will have Deli Suns, which will be family-style fund raising.

Definitely we will have a 4,000 couple blessing before the third seven-year course is over, and all the recent engagements are in preparation for that. After the third seven-year course I won't continue giving blessing in this way. By that time my own children and the blessed children will be of marrying age and I will concentrate on their marriages. During the time of restoration I have been giving blessings to everyone, but after the 21-year course I will not because the Principle won't allow that. According to Principle I have been giving blessings first to those in the external position and then later will concentrate more internally; that is the pattern.

When I can give blessing to my own children, every blessed couple will rejoice as much as if they were really getting blessed this time. At that ceremony only blessed couples will be able to attend; single members will not be qualified. This is not just a logical decision, but one made according to strictest heavenly law. Certainly by that time the day of persecution will be over.

On this foundation I proclaimed the new era on February 23, 1977. In that new era there will be nothing for me to envy, either spiritual or physical, no power, wealth or society-because I will be more prominent than all of them. God will never be able to give up the Unification Church; He may give up the world, but not the Unification Church.

The coming of that age will be like turning the world upside down. So far even the best religious people have always been the underdogs, but now centering on the Unification Church we are almost equal, and as it keeps revolving we will be on top. Then no area of government will have any excuse to investigate or persecute us. They have persisted in investigating for five years and found nothing. The day is coming when Congress will be blamed for doing injustice to us while not doing justice for America. This is why I told Col. Pak to file suits against various departments in government. We have the best lawyers working for us and there is much talk about these suits in legal circles. Some really righteous lawyers who have defended us in the past when they saw we had done nothing wrong and who received so much pounding themselves are now really excited about our legal actions.

As I have told you many times before, we will now buy many jumbo jets. Once the world really understands the injustice that has been done to me, won't presidents come to apologize to me when I go to other countries? You will be my escort and I will take you with me on the jumbo jets. Imagine how they will receive us when the world finds out what we have had to go through.

We have been persecuted incredibly, yet the Church grew and you grew individually as well. If there had been no persecution, how much faster would the Church have grown? There will be alumni meetings for all the different blessings, and the couples will gather from all over the world. When the American government hears of it the Immigration people will come to bow and welcome them and urge them to stay as long as they wish. By then Unification Church members won't need any visas to travel. They Will be the champions in the war of love and there will be no one who can stand up against them. Citizens young and old will come out to applaud and respond.

Don't you think this boom is inevitable one day? You have nothing to be ashamed of because you have already been persecuted, but what about the people who persecuted you? They will feel ashamed and want to hide. Is there any argument or force that can dissuade you from this course? Will you do more than you have been doing already? You can measure out units of thread according to how much you are persecuted, and eventually you will have as much as the hair in a horse's tail. By the time you have gone through much tribulation the world will be coming into unity all around you. Why does everyone like me regardless of their sex or age or religion? It is because I have fought every single war of love and I have a big assortment of fixtures so everyone can be hooked onto me.

If I go tuna fishing this summer, who will volunteer to go with me? What about the women? I have only one boat and there is a limit to how many can get on it, so I will have more boats built for all of you to get on and we'll have an armada. We will have women as captains. Then you women would like your future husbands to be captains too, right? Does that mean you want to marry fishermen?

Jesus told Peter he would be a fisherman; being a fisherman is not bad at all. Often American women are somewhat stronger than men, so I think the 200 mile limit was reserved by God for American women. I don't believe that, I know it! When you have a full boatload of fish I will recognize and accept you. Did you know we recently got a new property for our shipbuilding industry?

What would you do to become rich? Fishermen in this nation are some of the poorest-paid professionals, so we will give the best schools and best living to fishermen. Now people visit the seashore for fun, but someday soon they will come to the sea to work and go to the mountains for recreation. If that trend doesn't appear automatically then I will create it. I will bring one woman and one man at a time to come fishing with me and the fish will come. Do you agree? Thank you.

If I were to tell you all the small things that happened to me along this way, one month would never be enough to cover everything. Yet I have to finish my speech this morning in only a few hours. In 25 years the Unification Church has expanded so quickly that now there is no one who has not heard of Reverend Moon and the Unification Church, especially in America. Is there anyone who does not know? You think I am tops, but in the world I am thought to be the worst.

Is the member who is coming from behind going to be on top, while the person already here sinks even lower? If someone who joins after you works much harder, he will have to be elevated. This is why I am training you in how to witness to many people before that happens. Then you can go up and down as you like. Instead of needing someone to push you up, when you know there is a difficult task you will want to go and do it yourself in my place. If someone joins later then they will want to volunteer to do it for you, just as you do for me. But first you have to have the foundation which comes from witnessing to many people.

We know that human history is the chronicle of restoration. What is the ultimate point of restoration? Of course it is home church. As home church becomes successful you will go from level to level, and finally to the world; ultimately you will take off and even gravity won't hold you down. You may not know it yet, but this course is the miracle of miracles. The fact that I could announce the providence of home church within 25 years is a miracle; compare that to the little that Christians have achieved in 2,000 years. God sent Jesus to earth for certain reasons, and ultimately Jesus died for that purpose. All of these events are culminated in home church, the center of the dispensation.

Jesus left the key to heaven with Peter because everything had to be done on earth. To achieve this I gave everything I have, much more than you can ever imagine. You are to inherit that, both those who know its full value and those who don't know. This is where we are now. You won't have to break your back for 25 years to build this; from now on you will pick up the position of glory and harvest blessing equal to your hard work. God's intention is to let you inherit everything I have worked for; I will not get the glory directly. Your glory may reflect on me, but you will receive it directly.

Imagine how the world climate has changed since I began. When I was fighting to make this foundation it was a bloody war, but your situation is one of welcome and the people will soon respond, even in a few days. From now on it will expand year after year. You are beginning to get the knack of home church now, aren't you? If you have 10,000 active home church members then all of New York will respond and help you. Once New York responds, all of America will respond. This is no exaggeration; when America responds to God then the whole world will respond as well. I have already proclaimed New York as the front line.

One of our brothers, Tom Ludwig, has been conductor of the New York Symphony and been guest conductor of famous orchestras, but he has put himself on the lowest level and now is scraping walls. I saw him yesterday helping with restoration and I felt good to see him working that way. It closely fits the description of the king of love.

If I take off my tie and white shirt, I am a first-class worker. Recently I went to Barrytown, and even though the water was cold I waded in to catch fish and didn't feel it. Mother felt cold just watching me. Each one of us needs to be versatile like that. I know how to stir up a fight too; when two people are fighting I sometimes agitate to make them fight more. First I will determine whether the small one was right and then I will tell him he is entitled to fight. If the small man doesn't have the guts to fight then I will tell him to step out and fight in his place.

If you see something wrong, you cannot just sit aside. If you are wrong then you should feel shame, but if you are right then you should never be defeated by any big guy. We should never compromise in the name of righteousness. Sometimes women are too quick to react and don't think so deeply, but there is much to learn by seeing how they react when someone prods them.

Love has many forms. It is not love to leave a person alone if he does wrong things endlessly. If he is doing bad things then it is love to give him a big whack. This is why we are training in karate to have fists of love. If you see someone doing something wrong yet no one is taking action then you will go and confront him, and if you have trained yourself you can win. Love is not indifferent or mediocre. When you are right, you have to speak out.

If you want, you can fight a duel and settle differences that way. I want you to know how to deal with violence too. If you don't, then your love will never be alive and vivid; you will just be cowardly. Don't strike first and then love later. First you love, and if the person doesn't respond then you strike him. That is allowed. You must know for sure how this works and how to combat with love. Then you will be refined in love.

Now you know the situation and why you have to work hard in home church. Once you have laid the necessary foundation you should confront people and ask what wrong you have done and you can demand to know why they do not respond. Because you can rightfully protest, the power of righteousness will work and they will begin to help you. They will have to wonder about what wrong you have done, and then conclude they must help you. You must have many reasons to protest in case they do not respond, really trying hard by putting in long hours and doing impossible things, and then if they don't listen you can confront them with your record.

The ways the government has persecuted us have all been recorded, and later on when you confront officials with the facts they will not be able to deny it. When the truth is revealed it will work to restore them by helping lead them to repentance. We never remember all of that just to punish them later, but to hasten their restoration. If they have to have a reason to repent then it will help them, so we are collecting reasons. Then they will live just as you have. Once you reach a certain standard then after three and a half years you can profoundly influence these people. That's how long it took me to collect basic information about Americans-what they like and how they live and so forth.

Finally, after 25 years, there is no area in which I have not done everything I should have. I have pretty much done everything necessary. Some of you are more advanced than others, but basically you are all just beginning; after you finish training you will carry on what you have learned. On this 25th anniversary, if you resolve to look ahead to the future and make today the beginning of your 25-year course, then this will be a very meaningful morning for you. If you deeply invest yourself in home church for 25 years knowing what you know now, what will you be like at the end? You will be like God to your people. That is what God and Jesus intend.

By doing that you will be recognized before heaven and earth as having all of my value. Regardless of how difficult it is, you are still destined to participate in my glory. Every person has to do it, and if you know this and yet don't do it, what kind of person are you? When I had difficulties in those 25 years, God came to console me many times. When you follow my path then I will appear in dreams and visions to help show you the way. You won't even have to close your eyes to see such visions.

Your home church members will see visions of me and of you also. When they are open like that then they will live eternally in the same spirit world, and realize they are to live as the same family. Love will open their eyes. You link that to your home church and they will link it to another home church, and yet another, and it will be an unbreakable chain of love which no one, not even God, can cut. This link will be directly sustained by the spirit world.

Are we going to fight this war of love now? You don't have to take my word about this. You have your own faculties for testing whether this is true or not. How do you test it? Go beyond the things and people you were close to; if one of your home church members dies and you feel more sorrow than if your own parent had died, then see whether your people won't see visions. When you cry daily for their sake, see if they don't respond. You should have such deep feeling for them that you sometimes don't sleep at night for thinking about your home church people. If because you are thinking about them so much you don't even remember how long it was since you last ate, see whether what I have told you is wrong. Any standard less than that is inadequate. Without that kind of heart you can offer them the Divine Principle but they will not listen.

There is strong love in the everyday world, but it is going in the wrong direction. You have to be able to love people more strongly before you can expect them to cut their old ties of love and come to you. Start loving them and start loving God. Certainly there is a barrier because of the fall and it is difficult to penetrate. You will never do it with a sharp object, but only with love.

There are barriers on the individual, family and national level. You have to have love great enough to break the national level barrier, and even more for the world. You have to think constantly what you are going to do with America and the world, even talking to yourself like a crazy person. There have been many American patriots, but you have to go beyond their standard, always going higher and higher. After you pass their standard then things will become easier.

There is a very concrete practical reason why we do this. If you are Abel then you need Cain, and only together with Cain can you come to God. You cannot go to God alone, no matter how wonderful you are. Let this be the start of your future for the next 25 years. Think of nothing but home church and then you will accomplish Gods dispensation. Then in 25 years America will be entirely restored, a big stake driven into the world as an anchor for God.

As I have established all these invisible conditions the Communist regimes have become divided and weakened. You are seeing signs now of internal Communist division; China and Russia are hostile because certain conditions have been established. Who in America could really know that though? In the meantime I am gathering the godly nation, race and tribe, like a big river coursing along as many sources come together. In summary, I have been establishing the tradition of love. When this is established, liberation follows. For the first time America will be a free nation, and so will the world. Free from what? From wrong love.

I want this to be the strong start of your new career; by visualizing the next 25 years ahead of you, let this be the very significant start for each of you. I want to let you march forward in the war of love with full commitment. A-man! God bless you.

Mankind And The Ideal World

Reverend Sun Myung Moon
April 29, 1979
Belvedere, New York
Translator - Bo Hi Pak

What is the ideal world? In the Unification Church we teach that the ideal world equals the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Therefore, I set this year's slogan as Home Church and the Completion of the Kingdom of Heaven. Even though mankind may not have some vital focus in their lives, everyone looks forward to having some ideal world. What is the definition of that ideal world? People say that the ideal world is the place where we can find freedom and peace, where all mankind can be united in harmony. There is no focus or clarity to their concept, but when we in the Unification Church talk about the ideal world, we have complete focus.

If we are talking about freedom, peace and unity, which should come first? You say unity should take precedence, but others would say freedom, while others would say peace. Without how could there be peace? Without unity how could there be freedom? In the Unification Church we accept the values of all those great words, but most important of all, we have a central theme which is prerequisite to all of them-that is love. Peace centering upon love is true peace; freedom centering upon love is true freedom, and unification centering upon love makes sense.

Without this central principle of love there can be no unified discipline. For instance, what the free world and what the communist world mean by freedom are two different things. They also talk about peace in an entirely different way. Communists talk about unity, but not according to our definition. Even if those words are defined differently yet the central theme is love, there still can be harmony and interchange and peace. Basically the love that all people yearn for is the same, but we are talking about a love whose backbone is formed by the central theme of cause and effect, beginning and end. With alpha and omega there can be no change or tarnish from start to finish.

Today, we in the free world see many kinds of love, and the problem we have is finding a true discipline or standard of love. Commonly people think that when men and women have a good time together, that is love. In many cases that enjoyment is an expression of carnal desire and there is no real beginning or end, just a phenomenon with no direction. That kind of love could not form the foundation of peace and freedom and unity. People talk about love today, but tomorrow they could become strangers or even mortal enemies. There is no guarantee of happiness there, only chaos and setbacks.

That kind of love causes destruction and does not possess what we call the central theme of true love. I want you to understand that Satan mobilized the force of such love to destroy our world. Using this kind of love as bait, Satan is taking true freedom, true peace and true unity away from us. We know about Satan, but there is also a God, the opposite of Satan. God is talking about love but of an entirely different kind, one which has a beginning and end, with some background and tradition. From this standpoint, the satanic expression of love is truly His adversary.

The word sin refers to violation of the law of the love of God. God abhors sin, and misuse of love is the crime God abhors the most. It is the Principle that ultimately the law and love of God will prevail. Therefore, whoever indulges in unprincipled love can only perish. In Italy the lustful and immoral city Pompeii was destroyed by instant calamity. Sodom and Gomorrah perished under the same law. The Roman Empire once prevailed in the world with unparalleled power, but it collapsed when it violated the will of God. America today is no exception, so it must not violate the law of the love of God or it too will be destroyed.

People commonly say there is much freedom in America, but is there true freedom here? Here in America people talk about peace and freedom and unity, but there is no real peace and freedom here. Unless you as individuals live up to the law of the love of God, your destiny will be the same. No one can violate that law and still flourish.

Today the Unification Church, more than anyone else, is anxiously working for the ideal world, or Kingdom of Heaven on earth. We are pursuing true peace, freedom and unity more than anyone else. We conclude that there must be one principle of true love obtained before that can happen. within this true love we must rediscover ourselves. True love is Godlike. It has been the goal of saints through thousands of years and is the ultimate goal pursued by all religious people on earth today.

What are we going to leave our descendants? Not money or the corrupted traditions of the tree world that seem to be flourishing today; the tradition that will flourish in the sight of God is the tradition of true love, not of power or knowledge. Your social standing, appearance or distinguished manner will not remain. If you truly love your children and want to give them a lasting gift, hand down the tradition of true love. Once you give them that, you have already given them freedom. We in the Unification Church are the people who have already committed ourselves to the cause of true love and determined that this is going to be our way of life. We are here to discipline ourselves and fulfill the tradition of true love.

That is the very thing which God and all the saints in history have been hoping to achieve. All mankind is waiting for the day of this fulfillment of true love. Wherever you go, it you are armed with true love you are the locomotive pulling everything behind you. God will follow, the saints and all mankind and your descendants will follow you. Do you know of any exceptions to this? This is a universal law, so whether you come from East or West doesn't make any difference. Would there be different laws for the spirit world and this physical world, or do they both come under one God?

How much do you love this way of life and how much are you pursuing it? How many of you want to get married? What is the qualification? Maybe you think it is enough to be a man or woman to get married. Perhaps you feel that because people think you are beautiful or handsome is qualification enough.

If there is a man with one eye who possesses true love, and another, more handsome man who does not possess true love, whom would you sisters choose? How much would you be willing to tolerate in that man of true love? What would you young men say about such a woman? Even if she had gray hair? Even if you have a social reputation or a degree from the most famous university, a man or woman without true love is still human trash. Worldly honors and social prestige are always secondary.

The qualification by which heaven judges whether you are entitled to eternal heaven is not knowledge, power or prestige; they would do no good because they are not even considered when you talk about the Kingdom of Heaven. I'm sure some of your parents achieved some high social standard, but that alone cannot command respect. In many cases such people lose respect because eventually people realize that they lack God­centered love. If your parents have no social standing but they truly love each other and center on unselfish love, then they command the respect not only of their children but of the town they live in.

We constantly talk about the Kingdom of Heaven, but what is it? We mean the world in which absolute love is the center around which everyone is united. That love is what we call the purpose of creation. In order to head toward our purpose, we need a direction to go in.

If I were going to Korea I would go to Kennedy Airport and board a plane. How could I be sure that particular plane would take off and find its way to Korea? What would lead that plane in the right direction? In most cases the passengers do not worry because they believe in the capability of modern navigation, but what would happen if the navigator ignored his instruments in order to take an extra nap, or decided he wanted a little variety in his route? If he decides he wants liberation from the prescribed course, would you be happy? Why not? Because that kind of freedom invites disaster.

If the compass decides he wants fellowship with the other instruments and he leaves his place to visit them, he might think he is promoting peace and unity, but is leaving his proper position really going to bring peace? The most important element of peace and harmony is the necessity for each being to keep his proper position. Every instrument in the cockpit is placed to fulfill its particular mission so that the whole plane can reach its goal. Those instruments never sleep, but concentrate on the one goal of getting the plane to its destination.

The commanding will is the will of the captain, which commands the instruments toward the one goal. The wings and flaps don't go in their individual directions, but follow the directives of the compass. Anything trying to avoid that discipline and exercise its free will would head that plane into disaster. Abuse of free will is random will, and never produces good result. The important thing is that all components are set to cooperate with that central goal, even though they do so involuntarily.

Our human world works like one plane, with one navigator directing mankind toward one ultimate goal. What is directing us? A captain of a plane can do anything he wants, but even he does not have absolute freedom. In the same way, God is the ultimate authority in the universe, yet even He does not have absolute freedom to do as He chooses at random. There must be some universal compass which leads the entire creation, including Almighty God, bringing it into one common direction. What is that? Isn't it money? Chunks of gold? Surely it must be power? Isn't it power when the President of the United States can sacrifice the good of one tiny island nation like Taiwan in order to start a relationship with a giant like Red China?

Whether small or big, any nation can be the object of a political goal. Some day even America will become the prey of someone's ambition. If President Carter can abandon the small nation of Taiwan, certainly God with His power is capable of doing the same to America, right? Would you welcome seeing God using His power at random, or would you protest, even to Almighty God'.'

Criticizing President Carter's foreign policy in this way will never benefit me, but I will say nevertheless that injustice has been done and it must be judged. Even if the American government tries to restrain or inhibit me, perhaps even evict me from America, I will not be stopped. If I am truly speaking with God's authority, there should he nothing for me to be afraid of saying. I must pass the judgment of history, which otherwise will accuse me of failing my mission to proclaim God's truth. I'm sure my words disturb some Americans, and even some of our members might request that I he more diplomatic and say something nice about the President.

American women are always a target for my words. Americans are famous for picketing and demonstrating, so why don't you form a picket line one Sunday in protest? If you women don't like to hear me say certain things then you can leave and I will work with the men. If I give the word then they won't marry that kind of woman, so what will happen to you? Would you enjoy your life alone? That's your weak point; you need men. The last thing the poorest diplomat would do is criticize American women. But I do it; however, I do it with a loving heart. The President of the United States must say nice things about women in order to get their votes, and American husbands must be careful with their opinions because otherwise they will have their allowance cut off. But I have to speak out. I have been told many times by different people that it is bad diplomacy to say critical things about American women, but that only inspires me to speak more!

What is the universal navigator that everyone likes, including God, all creation, and every kind of person? True love. That is easy to say, but have you tasted true love? Do you know it? You may not quite understand true love, but somehow you know logically it must be central. True love alone has the universal qualification. What makes people lonely? Lack of love. In America there are many senior citizens who may have achieved fame and wealth and security in their lives, but who now weep all day because they are lonely. No one cares for them unselfishly or comforts them. This is a tragedy.

Millions of American young people have grown up in this affluent society and could easily lead prosperous lives, but many of them run away from home because of loneliness and lack of love. The Unification Church is here to pioneer true love so that no one is without love. We want to create that kind of world. We have one navigator leading our world to that goal. to the Kingdom of Heaven. What is that compass? That is true love. True love navigates even God.

Do you think God feels He does not need true love because He already has total authority? Since God is almighty and absolute, God needs love more than anyone else in the universe. Do you think God can fulfill love all alone? Does He laugh and dance all by Himself? Love needs an object to complete a circuit, and even God cannot violate this law. He needs someone to love and be loved by. Are men or women in a position to love God? Men and women together or separately? If men and women must love God together, what is the sequence or order? Who will be in the forefront of that love crusade? Will love hit two people at the same time or one at a time?

Do you women love your mother and husband with the same intensity, or one more than the other? Would you kiss them at the same time? You can embrace your mother and then love your husband, but it's impossible to go in two different directions at the same time so there is an order. We said that men and women are equal, but there should be a certain order or discipline between them. Equality is one thing and fairness is another; blind equality does not necessarily represent fairness. There is always a certain sequence or priority to be followed. God definitely loves both men and women as His children on an equal level, but there is a priority or sequence.

Which one comes first to God? Why do you women say men come first? In everything there is a double layer, one internal and one external. When you make a circular motion based on this external layer, it goes in all different directions and ultimately is self-destructing. Lasting, peaceful circular motion is always set up around an axis. If you use that central line then no matter how fast or how long you turn there will be no destruction. In everything we need this central axis, which is formed by the person who can take and fulfill the responsibility. The more responsibility that person bears, the farther he advances toward the central position.

Who is designed with a greater capacity for responsibility, men or women? That central responsible subject is man. In biblical tradition the blessing is always given to men because men are ultimately responsible. Blessing always accompanies responsibility. Mankind has traditionally lived like that, with women leaving their homes to marry their husbands and take their names. During war and all the dangerous, pioneering times in history the women were always behind the men, assisting. Men are in the subject role and women in the object role.

Do you prefer feminine men or strong, masculine men? Do you women know why you prefer rugged masculine men? Because that is the quality you don't have. That's because God created men and women in complementary relationship. Women are made for conquest of love by men; when genuine, unselfish love conquers you, you are intoxicated by it instead of repulsed by it. You know that at a certain point you will become a prisoner of love but you want to remain and give everything you have for the sake of your man. That's the way God designed woman.

The more you are conquered by love, the more you want to give. That's the spirit of love. I am a tough and rugged man who cannot stand any injustice, but even though I have a fiery temper I was conquered by the love of God and became totally helpless. In that love I was made a lamb. If I weren't caught up in the love of God then I could not stand all the criticism that has come to me, but because of the love of God, the more people criticize the more I like it. In the name of God I can be persecuted and tortured.

God deliberately tests me sometimes by hitting me and allowing more persecution to come, but when I overcome because I am truly intoxicated by the heart of His love, He will recognize me as His son, the proof of His love. God gives me more tribulation so He has a condition to give me more love. If I can absorb and even welcome whatever persecution I meet, then in the love of God there is nothing I cannot do. Love is the central theme. Out of love God is allowing persecution, and I am enduring it because of love. Would you like that kind of love?

Equality is good, but not with blinders. Because you are not losing anything you don't take exception to this, do you? If a woman has to go out at night, she naturally often asks a man to go with her. You women are built as object, not subject. Even if your brother is much younger than you, he goes out at night all by himself without asking one of his sisters to go with him. That's the complementary order of the subject and object relationship which God established.

God created Adam first to be next to Him, and then Eve to be next to Adam. The East Garden family has that order too. The firstborn is a daughter so she is next to me, and then Hyo Jin next to her. Even the son cannot just assume that position. He does not complain when his elder sister is given first treatment. Why? There is order in love, a sequence of love, flowing to first fruits, then second fruits. God created one at a time in order, not two at once, so there is a certain flow and timing which remains as the universal order. Who received the first love of God then? Adam. I'm sure no one can complain about this because it is God's universal order, established in subject and object relationship.

If we look at the entire creation as a Boeing 747, then true love is the compass and navigator which guides the whole plane with all its passengers in the correct direction. I have been called all kinds of things, such as a dictator worse than Hitler. Do you think I have the power to do everything at random according to my will? Am I without principles and law? What is guiding me? True love. I am more obedient than anyone else to the law of true love because I am upholding that law and giving my life for it. Here are people of all five colors of skin in one room. Why did you come here to follow me? Because we have one common goal. Is true love colored white, yellow or black? It is all colors. We arc not just talking about it; we are building it. A good example is our service here where we have all colors and races under one fatherhood and hound by true love.

Is this the result of my dictatorship? No. The Moonies' life is not an easy one. You witness and fund raise very intensely and often you ache all over. On the surface it looks like a very miserable life, but underneath is a burning desire to be a central man of true love. You give meaning to your hard work; you are not doing it because someone forces you to but because your own desire is burning and you have peace within you. That is true love. When you are activated by true rove' everything you do shall have beauty and glory. If you are communicating with God then you cannot leave Him.

We may receive persecution from the entire world, but the true love of God is upholding us. This love is invincible because this true love is what mankind needs. Because they have to receive that love through you they have to come. Once you reach total oneness with God in His true love then you can enjoy absolute freedom and do anything with God. Then no deed is ungodly and even when you do things that might seem nasty, they will bring you closer to God. No deed done in true love is ugly.

Suppose God is mad about something, hut His little three year old grandson comes toddling over to say, "Grandpa." He cannot help but smile because that one word came out of the child's pure love. Perhaps God is making a life or death decision about the universe, but even at that moment that one word of true love can melt His heart.

In the Unification Church we are pursuing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and our central theme is true love. That is our navigator. Are we doing the right thing or not? When you think about that at night or during the day your answer is still yes. What if you are kidnapped and you think about it; will your answer still be yes? If you are truly intoxicated by the love of God then no power under the sun could make you a prisoner. A thousand deprogrammers would be powerless.

I was born as an obscure Korean, but then my march started, first throughout Korea and national persecution, then to Japan and more persecution. Now I have come to America and the entire world is paying attention, but still I am marching on. What is the power behind me? Many formidable adversaries have confronted me, but I never get tired and am still going strong while those opponents have all stepped out, one by one. Are you tired? What power enables you to continue? I know that honestly speaking you don't quite grasp love yet but you know something nice is coming. You want to touch it and come close to it. There must be such a power because otherwise the Unification Church could not go on.

Would you men like to have me as your elder brother? Why? How about you sisters? I have some quality, some flavor. Even though you lose America or even the whole planet earth, once you grasp true love all of that and even God will come back to you. True love encompasses everything. Once you grab the top, everything else will follow. Do you agree? If that is the case, what worry do you have?

Without pure motivation, everything you do becomes a burden. You may like to come to Sunday service and you may like Divine Principle' but without love you won't want to fund raise or do home church. When you are motivated by true love, the greater the tribulation that comes, the greater the value and ecstasy of your joy. I pray to God that if people don't love Him then He should let them oppose me. Then under persecution I will truly exemplify God's love to them. I want those people to know God through me so I asked God for that opportunity.

To be honest, most new members first became involved, not because they loved the Unification Church. but because they were curious and came to investigate. Then they were caught by the net of true love. When they are hooked by true love it is a life or death matter and they cannot take it lightly. When a fish is hooked it tries desperately to get away and in the process it gets hurt. The same analogy works in the Unification Church. If the hook is true love, don't try to thrash and kick but taste it and enjoy it. If you know the taste of true love then the problem of being hooked is all solved.

Sooner or later the world has to agree with my conclusion that the true compass to the ideal world is true love. No one can deny it and even our boldest adversary needs to be benefited by it. Our march is in the direction of love.

You must realize your own position. If you are in the middle of the Pacific but you think you are arriving in Tokyo and try to land, you face absolute disaster. You are a passenger on that plane of love over the middle of the ocean, but in a way you are trying to land right now. By trying to gain unearned fruit without working, you are courting disaster. No matter how much you desire to land, if you are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean you cannot do SO. You have to cover the whole distance to reach land.

Usually the flight to Korea is 18 hours long, but recently it has been getting shorter and now it is 16 hours. If the trip takes 16 hours, the wise man does not get all anxious to arrive there in 13 or 14 hours. Instead he will think that to reach the destination takes 36 hours and he prepares accordingly. He takes plenty of food and things to do and is ready in his mind to fly for 36 hours. Then when he lands after 16 hours, the extra hours are like a bonus. If you are deeply asleep when the plane lands because you didn't expect to arrive so early, someone will have to wake you up and chase you out of the plane. When you arrive that way you always feel that you earned 20 hours so you have more time to work. Then you can use that time.

Our ultimate destination is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. There are seven different stages to go through to reach it; one is individual heaven, next the family, tribe, race, society, nation, world, and then Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Do you know which stage you are in? Are you still waiting on the ground, or have you taken off? Do you have enough fuel)? Did you double check all your flight instruments? Are you sure your compass is working.? Can you have confidence there will be no accidents en route? What if a head wind comes and pushes you back; will that deter you? Are you prepared for a long, long journey?

Is your yes from your mouth or from your heart? Do you want me to test your readiness with some hard work and tribulation?

A plane always has a specific capacity for passengers and the airline always wants the plane to be filled before it takes off; otherwise, they lose money on the flight On this plane you can take your family and entire home church, which is your tribe. Should it include only white people? Of course you want it to include all races. The tribe will go to the nation, the nation to the world and the world to the cosmos. If our thrust is strong enough, we can go not only to the world but beyond to embrace the spirit world and whole universe. When you finish after covering the entire world, you won't need a plane any more because from the world level you will be launched to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The interesting thing about a moon launch is that the moon may be up in the sky in one direction, but the rocket actually is launched in the opposite direction. The spectators may not be able to see any sense in it. In the same way many people say we are crazy because they think we are going in the wrong direction to the Kingdom of Heaven, but we have a compass with clear direction, a spiritual compass leading ultimately to heaven. If that compass leading your heart is true love then you are bound to reach heaven. The rocket may seem to be going through unnecessary maneuvers, but if the compass of true love is working it will definitely take you right into heaven.

When that rocket lands in God's love, that love will explode and rock the entire universe. God will be activated in true love and begin to dance. When God is dancing, will the entire world dance with Him? When Cod starts dancing, His entire creation will harmonize with Him and begin to dance also. He might even step on someone's head in His excitement, but would you chase Him away or ask for more? You can grab His foot and keep Him from going away.

The contest of giving true love is the ultimate competition between husband and wife. When you can say without any hesitation that you have loved your partner in the true love of God, then no matter how handsome or beautiful he or she is, he has to bow down. True love is the ultimate gauge of value, not appearance or social standing. A wife can ask her husband if he has given true love to his family, and if he is defeated in the competition of true love, he has to bow down to her. If a subject is defeated in true love then he must humbly come under his object.

This question works on every level, as between a head of state and the people. If you ask the President if he has loved the people as much as his parents loved him and his answer is yes, then he is a great President. If not, he is a failure. What is the expression of that true love? Unselfish giving in everyday life is the true expression of that love. That's the way parents live for their children and that's the way God has been living for mankind. Any subject demonstrating unselfish love toward his object is living true love. Where there is a man in the center with that true love, the Kingdom of Heaven shall be there. That love will go beyond every power here on earth and win over it and then the power of unity will bind everything together into oneness like glue.

Our goal is the ideal world and our direction is true love. The manifestation of that true love in our daily life is unselfish giving every day. Also' you will always remember your position. When you get closer and closer to the goal, many burdens and responsibilities come upon you because the time of fulfillment is near at hand.

I want you to understand that you mustn't think that every day is a holiday once we reach the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, for the closer we come to the goal, the greater are the responsibilities. You shall be preparing the entire world to lift off to the ultimate heaven and you must be ready with all the necessary equipment. A spaceman has many limitations on his movement with all his equipment. Your great responsibilities will also limit you, but you must welcome it because it prepares you for a great launching.

You may think MFT work is difficult and witnessing is difficult, but I want you to be prepared for even greater responsibilities. You must be willing to tackle them. Inside the Unification Church we are going to bear the greatest of all burdens because we are trying to help prepare the rest of the world for takeoff. We have so much responsibility that sometimes we don't see too much love. It seems there is nothing but work every day, but I want you to understand that the great moment of launching is like an emergency and we must be ready.

We easily talk about unifying the world, but is actually doing it an easy task? We are the objects of scorn today. There is more persecution and more misunderstanding coming, but we must persevere and go on to the goal. Do you want to retreat? You know this principle is the truth and we are tackling it. We need wisdom to know the truth and our true position and our direction. We have one unity of spirit in the Unification Church.

When I go to Korea your spiritual antenna is automatically focused there because you don't want to live your own way, but God's way. You raise your antenna high so you can receive heavenly signals and then your body and mind are at peace. If you try to go your own way you feel restless and upset in your heart. God's spirit works like a magnet to link opposites like the North and South poles. There is a magnetic field between us, and if you try to deviate you feel disturbance inside. You must go in the right direction of true love.

The month of May will soon be here and you single members are waiting for news of the matching, aren't you? You should ask yourselves if you are people of true love. What is your answer? No matter how you look, unless you possess true love you are not qualified to be matched in heavenly blessing. If you want to get married, go ahead and do so. Why not? Your antenna tells you that just getting married is contrary to your true direction. You know it in your heart.

We need a goal, direction and everyday practice, and with that we can definitely reach the goal and live the unselfish way of life. This is the central teaching of God throughout history and the central revelation brought by Jesus. This is what I have talked about this morning. Our job is to perfect these four pillars of heavenly life with a humble heart. Our job is to perfect ourselves so our two eyes will never see anything wicked, so our brains will never think anything evil and our mouths will never speak anything ungodly. This is what we have set out to do and we work with sweat and labor to fulfill it. If you become one with this, then you can proudly say A­man.

God bless you. Let us pray.