Hak Ja Han
July 2014
Only a little more than a year has passed since Mother began the Universal Peace Academy and the first class has not yet graduated, so it may seem premature to attempt to predict what sort of impression this one small school will make on our movement's future, but various indications can be seen of Universal Peace Academy's latent potential.
Mother said to UPA cadets recently, "That you can study here is truly a miracle and historic. You will be carrying out activities after graduating. Please, be proud of yourselves. You are children attending True Parents. You are different."
By calling their being able to study at UPA "historic," Mother indicated that in the future when people look back to earlier times, they will see that UPA and the students it produced influenced the course of history. To gain some sense of the potential that UPA has, let us look at two analogous projects in history that elevated the growth and development of other faiths.
Geneva Academy
John Calvin was nine years old when Martin Luther ignited the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral.
At his father's behest, Calvin studied first Catholic theology and then law. Calvin converted to Protestantism in 1532. In his native France, he cautiously preached until persecution became too severe. In 1536, he took refuge in Switzerland.
Calvin took on a mission similar to our own. In a time when people for generations had adhered to a defined set of beliefs about God, spirituality and religious practices, Calvin (among others) worked to convince people in great numbers to reevaluate and reconstruct those beliefs. Calvin's work was innately revolutionary.
True Mother told the UPA students in Las Vegas, "For people to be able to be reborn through you, you need to go through this compulsory period."
In light of this, the creation of Geneva Academy in 1558 can be seen as a strategic move to reach the masses. As one scholar put it, "Inspired by Calvin's truly ecumenical vision, which penetrated far beyond the horizon of his own environment, Geneva became a dynamic center or nucleus from which the vital missionary energy which it generated radiated out into the world beyond."
Young students in Calvin's Academy got a thorough education including Latin and Greek at a lower-level (schola privata) before studying theology in preparation for the mission field at the upper level (schola publica). Students came from all over Europe, helping to spread Calvinism. One of the school's mottos was "Send us your wood, and we will send you back arrows."
UPA students strive to be united in heart
The Azusa Street Mission
In more recent times, in 1906, a thirty-six- year-old African-American preacher, William Joseph Seymour, traveled from Texas to preach at a home in Los Angeles to a group of believers.
These believers had been expelled from a Baptist church because of their belief in "baptism in the Holy Spirit," spiritual healing and the imminence of Christ's return. The congregation grew, so they moved to an abandoned church building at 312 Azusa Street. Under Pastor Seymour, a son of slaves, who was described as "a self-effacing preacher with a halting delivery," the congregation mushroomed. Los Angeles city newspapers began writing of the "the howlings of worshippers who spend hours swaying forth and back."
Though other religious movements of a type we now call Pentecostal sprang up in other areas, none so dramatically transformed modern Christianity as did the Azusa Street Mission. It was intensely active for three years. During that time it put out its own newspaper, The Apostolic Faith, which was mailed to perhaps fifty thousand recipients. The newspaper included accounts of active missions in India, missionaries headed to African nations and missions on the Azusa Street model developing all over the United States. The spirituality that has influenced the charismatic movement in mainline churches and many Pentecostal type churches throughout the world can trace their roots to Azusa Street.
UPA and the Geneva Academy
UPA shares qualities that are at the core of both these historical initiatives. Like Calvin's Academy, educational expectations at UPA are high. It is a graduate school; cadets at the academy already have graduated with degrees in fields such as Linguistics, Business and Finance, Engineering and Information Technology.
Whatever subject they study they are expected to use the best possible secular source material as well as looking at the subject from an Unificationist perspective. They scrutinize subjects such as Cheon Il Guk and its formation -- a spiritual ideal that we are working to give earthly, visible form. This entails boring into True Parents teachings in the original language to understand the essence of the ideals for the individual, family, society, nation, physical world and spiritual world. Indeed, this would lead them directly into God's heart to discover the hope God held in the moment that he "breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."
Additionally, they do case studies, investigating the success and failures that have occurred in the history of our global movement's efforts to build Cheon Il Guk. This may encompass research on practices in individual spirituality, family counseling, church administrations, providential organizations and social issues.
Physical training, an important discipline
Language Study
Like students in the Geneva Academy, UPA cadets need to have a thorough grasp of the core language of our faith, Korean. Thus, today, UPA runs the graduate school and a Korean language school for those otherwise qualified to attend UPA but who have not passed the necessary Korean language test.
To qualify for the graduate school, Japanese native speakers had to pass the Korean government's Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) at level 4; speakers of other languages had to pass at level 3.
Once they enter the graduate school, language studies continue, even for Korean cadets. Each UPA student studies two foreign languages among Korean, Japanese and English. Last year, candidates that were qualified to attend UPA but had not passed the TOPIK test entered UPA's Korean language school. After a year of concentrated study, most but not all of the students were able to pass the TOPIK.
UPA's Azusa Street Spirit
One aspect that separates UPA from other HSA educational institutions is its strong emphasis on the spiritual facet of our faith. Their program, and thus the students' lives, are entwined with the Chung Pyung spiritual works. Dae Mo nim speaks exclusively to UPA students at the beginning of nearly every month and she gives guidance to them at UPA's Wednesday worship service. The school itself is within Cheonwon (Heavenly Garden) the term Father gave for the holy ground surrounding the Heaven and Earth Training Center. Graduate students experience a Heart and Unity Workshop at the beginning and end of each semester, which includes Chung Pyung holy ground prayer, offering bows, sharing individual goals, hopes and experiences.
From UPA, nestled in the hills below Cheon Jeong Gung, a great spiritual wave is sure to follow the investment of spiritual effort that these young people are offering on the altar of God. This follows naturally in line with Father's own experience as he stated, "How much indeed has heaven guided us spiritually and loved us constantly!"
Testimony of a cadet from the first class of UPA students: Jana Lajdova
In autumn 2012, True Mother first spoke about establishing a training program to educate young members of the movement to become future leaders in the era of Cheon Il Guk. She said she was going to make the Universal Peace Academy, which would become more famous than West Point and would raise leaders that are able to convey True Parents' teachings to the world.
At that time, I had graduated from Sun Moon University and was doing a forty-day workshop in Chung Pyung to prepare for getting a job in one of the large companies in Korea. When I heard True Mother talking about raising young leaders and establishing the Universal Peace Academy, I felt that I should change my plans and join the program. Naturally, I desired to do something in the providence and to help True Parents, but at the same time I felt more than anything that it was God who wanted me to go to UPA. I did not know exactly why God wanted me to go, but I knew that I should apply.
On the day of my UPA interview, I remember having mixed feelings. I felt inadequate to enter the program, because so many other secondgeneration young adults are more experienced in doing church activities or are more capable in one way or another. I felt that they should be there because they would do a better job in becoming leaders and working in True Parents' stead. After finishing the interview, I prayed to God. I was sorry that I was not good enough, but if I could join the program I would work hard to become a better person for God. Suddenly, I felt deep in my heart that God was grateful, saying that it is true that there are more capable people than I am, but what is important is that I was there.
(After we officially started the UPA program, almost everyone shared a similar story of having different plans, not really feeling adequate and yet feeling a strong calling by God to join the program).
On the day of the ceremony for the incoming class, which took place at the Cheong Shim Graduate School of Theology on March 4, 2013, True Mother spoke. She said that the Universal Peace Academy will become an institution raising young leaders with a principled outlook, correct understanding of the providence and abilities in various fields. I strongly felt her heart of great hope and high expectations for the cadets. She said that we should become lights shining in the dark world. She also mentioned that if we would follow that path, Heaven would help us on the way.
Every single day spent here in UPA is challenging as we undergo training to unite mind and body. It has been challenging but also a very precious experience of personal growth. The one thing that I have been able to invest in since coming here is my relationship with God.
This time, it is on a more profound level than ever before. I feel that since coming to UPA, God wants me to overcome my limitations quickly and expand my heart, so that I can become his representative. I feel very grateful for this kind of training and all the challenges because I know that it will have a good outcome in the end.
The important aspects that UPA emphasizes are that we are all being trained to have diplomatic ability, economic ability and the ability to speak God's word. A partial view of our schedule includes Divine Principle lecturing, presentations on current global issues, discussions and special lectures by church leaders that have a lot of experience in the field, staffing at various events and also raising funds based on our own business plans, which we design ourselves.
As a part of our experience abroad, last winter break, UPA cadets travelled to the United States to do a cross-country tour from the East Coast to the West Coast. We travelled in vans from Washington DC to San Francisco. The trip was a really great adventure because we could get a sense of the beauty of American nature, its free spirit and the mixture of different nationalities and cultures. Most of all, I could feel the deep heart of love from True Parents, who have been investing for so many years to lay the providential foundation in the nation of America, which represents the whole world.
During the trip, there was a very special time when we went to see True Mother for Hoon Dok Hae at the Las Vegas residence. That morning, True Mother was wearing elegant clothes, looking very young. She started to speak about the providence of restoration and then about our mission as UPA cadets. She mentioned that our role is to bring hope to the 7.5 billion people of the world.
I felt a lot of love from her. The words she spoke were words of love, encouragement and also sincere expectations. True Mother treated us as her sons and daughters.
We then sang a medley and played a video of True Father singing in between. True Mother seemed genuinely touched by our performance. This was the first time in my life that I was so close to True Mother. I could feel her love and care. Since that time, I have been determined to work hard.
I wish that in the future many young people of our movement can join the Universal Peace Academy, train themselves to become leaders and shine in the dark world for God and True Parents.
Testimony of a cadet from the first class of UPA students: Dong Seok Lim
It has been a year since I entered UPA and began living here. We have now started a new semester, and I am doing my best every day. Reflecting on the past year, I wonder how I could have digested that such a great amount of studies and programs; that I did it now feels like a miracle. When I first applied to UPA, I thought I was fully prepared not only academically but also from an experiential point of view. However, I came to realize as each day passed that this was a great mistake and arrogance on my part. I started having the same worries I had when I studied in the Department of Theology at Sun Moon University; however, having gone through it once before, it is true that I was able to lead a more stable life compared to other cadets in this regard. Other than that, I experienced much difficulty every day as a result of my physical limits and personal circumstances, just as other cadets did.
We went through so many programs during the semester; so, I had the small hope that it might be more relaxing during the summer vacation, even if it might still be difficult when doing activities. Unfortunately, we could not relax at all because we did activities throughout the vacation without resting for even a day. It was quite common, in one day, to have three or four projects conducted simultaneously.
However, all the projects were different from the existing methods of activities we had been used to; hence, the contents were new to all the cadets. I would yell every day in my heart: This is something I cannot do no matter what…. In the end, however, we were all able to digest all the programs and projects and were able to bring results. How we were able to do that is a mystery to me, more like a miracle.
Only now I feel certain that our Heavenly Parent and the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind have always been with us.
To raise funds the entire day and then stay up until two or three in the morning to prepare for other projects -- some other students would even stay up the whole night -- without having a single person collapse or give up in the process and still be able to complete our mission, would have not been possible with our own capacity.
That is because we were all certain that these projects were impossible from the beginning. Yet, we still did it. We could experience that Heaven was with us from deep within our hearts. The fact that the hearts of all the cadets from the first batch of UPA students is more passionate than ever before is evidence of this. The first and second semesters came to an end in this manner. We have now started our third semester.
With the second batch of cadets joining us, we face other challenges again every day. The life of a UPA cadet is not a path anyone can follow.
Even intellectuals from Harvard or Yale University would not be able to follow this path just because they have many capabilities. Only those who have experienced in their hearts that our Heavenly Parent and True Parents are their parents can follow this path.
Only those who feel our Heavenly Parent's pain and True Parents' circumstances more acutely than their own personal pain and circumstances and are determined to carry on to resolve Heavenly Parent's agony and True Parents' circumstances can follow this path. It is my sincere hope that the day when all the young members of the Unification family within the second- generation realm have such burning hearts and take the lead in substantiating Cheon Il Guk arrives as soon as possible.