Hak Ja Han
June 7, 2019
Founders' Address, Opening Session of African Leadership Conference 2019
Johannesburg, South Africa
Hilton Sandton Hotel
World Leaders from all Walks of Life Attending this African Summit Ladies and Gentlemen! We believe in God. And God particularly loves Africa. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:39] Nevertheless, the six thousand years of human history has been chaotic, with endless wars and conflicts. After Jesus went the way of the cross, looking at the Christian environment, even though he taught us to "love one another," the countries that arose in the Christian sphere did not understood his true meaning.
When we consider the current reality, the endless conflicts in every part of the world and all the problems that arise, no one knows which direction to take. For this reason, I want to state that the only way forward is through knowing God, the Creator. Those in the Christian realm did not understand Jesus' essence. Originally God created all things in his image. From the mineral world to the plant and animal kingdoms, God created everything in pairs. Ultimately, he created a man and a woman to be humanity's ancestors.
God gave human beings a period of growth. God's dream was to become humanity's parent through perfected human beings. But because the first human ancestors, Adam and Eve fell, Heavenly Parent's dream went unfulfilled. Fallen history brought bitter pain to Heavenly Parent, of course, and for human beings.
Since God endowed with eternity what he created, God had to save humanity by leading the providence of restoration through indemnity. How difficult must this historical providence of indemnity have been! After four thousand years, he established the chosen people, Israel.
It took him four thousand years before he could send his only begotten son Jesus Christ. Mary, in whom he was conceived, and the Jews, the Israelites, should have understood what kind of person Jesus was. However, the Israelites failed to provide an environment for Jesus to accomplish the will. So what happened after Jesus went the way of the cross? After four thousand years, Heavenly Parent, the Creator, wanted to realize his dream through Jesus. But once again, due to our mistake, it became a story of bitter pain.
Jesus' tragic death
During Jesus' crucifixion, a thief was on his right and another was on his left. When the thief on the left derided Jesus, the thief on the right said, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." [Luke 23:41] What did Jesus say at that moment? Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." [Luke: 23:43] Here's something you need to understand: he said "Paradise," not the kingdom of heaven. Originally, God, the Creator, prepared the kingdom of heaven for perfected human beings. After living as true families on earth, they would enter the eternal world. This world is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus came alone and went alone. That is why he said he would return. Christianity began with the Apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit after Jesus' crucifixion. In the beginning, it was much persecuted, but in 313, Rome officially recognized Christianity. From the Italian Peninsula, it expanded to Europe, into England and from there it spread to the world. Nonetheless, they too did not understand Jesus' essence.
[In Mark 12:31], Jesus instructed us, "Love your neighbor as yourself," yet as they set out into the world, they created a culture of taking, instead of giving compassionate love. The African continent in particular went through much hardship because of that. Jesus taught us that God is love and preached about love, but ignoring its essence, fallen people pursued selfishness (giving priority to one's national interests) leading to the present fallen humanity. Jesus said he would return.
The daughter is the key
It is written that he would return to celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb. What should the Christian world seek? Creation consists of male and female. Two thousand years ago, the only begotten son was born, but there was no only begotten daughter, so the Christian world should have searched for the only begotten daughter. God could not send the only begotten daughter to a people that didn't fulfill their responsibilities–the Israelites.
So, God chose a new people. In 1943, in Asia, in the nation of Korea, the only begotten daughter was born, with a Christian background. God had waited six thousand years for the only begotten daughter's birth.
Without fail, God must fulfill the purpose of the Creation. The Second World War had come to an end, but Korea was divided into democratic and communist countries. My birthplace is in North Korea, a place with a strong and important foundation in spiritual Christianity. They North Koreans didn't expect the Lord in his Second Coming to appear on the clouds; we had spiritualist groups who expected the Messiah to be born, to have a physical body.
Since some believed the return of the Messiah would happen in Pyongyang, we didn't think of going south. However, according to the principles of creation, God had to give his only begotten daughter time to mature. Given that there would be many dangers on the communist side, we went south. Two years after going to South Korea, the Korean War broke out.
South Korea did not have the necessary strength to face North Korea. Miraculously, God mobilized allied forces and protected South Korea's democracy. Who do you think that was for? God gave the only begotten daughter, born after six thousand years, time to mature and receive the divine will.
Even though I was a young girl, I knew God's providence; in 1960, I rose to the position of True Mother. Heavenly Parent waited six thousand years for True Parents. The Christian sphere waited 2,000 years for True Parents. Christianity, however, did not understand the providence. As a result, they could not create the right environment for True Parents.
However, True Parents know God's providence, God has been wanting to embrace humanity, knowing [and understanding] that love from God, for the past 60 years, we carried out the blessing movement, which gives birth to blessed families that can stand in God's presence.
As fallen human beings, we can't come into God's presence.
The blessing of marriages is the act of passing through a ceremony of rebirth and resurrection by True Parents. It is a miraculous gift of love that God gave to us.
After nearly sixty years of conducting worldwide blessing campaigns, now, about 150 countries, have pledged to support the only begotten daughter, True Mother, advancing True Parents providence, transcending religious barriers and race and aiding true family movements. It is the only way to achieve God's dream, the dream of one human family.
True Mother with International Summit Council for Peace medal awardees
A closer look at true love
All the countries in the world, as one great human family under Heavenly Parent, should take care of each other with love. The blessing movement is the only way for us to become one. Surely you have children. As parents, your love towards your children is unconditional. You want your children to do well. This parental heart doesn't say that since I sacrificed for you to be successful, you must now make all your efforts to repay the debt.
Heavenly Parent's love, True Parents' love, is a love that gives and then forgets what it has given; it is true love. If all humanity can create true families that fulfill their duty of filial piety toward God and if they solve all the complicated problems that are currently emerging on this planet, it will return to the original state which God, the creator had intended, and we will be able to live in the kingdom of heaven on earth, attending God.
Even though the physical body limits humans, God's providence is eternal. We must educate our children well and establish one world centered on God's providence. We must continuously be exemplary people.
This is the point we are at. I want you to understand that. We, the people of today, don't just live for the present. All our ancestors, and our descendants too, must gain liberation through True Parents. Especially you, top leaders of different countries who gathered here today, must be responsible for the future. There is only one path -- the true family movement!
Only through the blessing movement, can we solve all the problems and unresolved issues that need solving. In that position, our eternal Heavenly Parent works with us. Understand how blessed we are to be in this position. It is written in the Bible, [Matthew 19:30] that "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first". From Christian sphere's viewpoint, Africa is among the last. But from True Parents' perspective, as heavenly Africa, this is the first continent.
The more you share joy and blessings, the greater they become. Will Africa settle for the African continent alone, or will you go out into the world? I pray that you will be an Africa whom God can love and be thankful for, of which God can say, "On the African continent I have sons and daughters that I truly love!"