The Way Of The Spiritual Leader - 155 Chapter 4. The Progress of Church and Witnessing Section 1. The Growth and Progress of the Church
2. The Actual Conditions of Progress
4) The Progress of Religion
God has never made advancement in the dispensation by striking the enemy. Rather than striking the enemy to further the dispensation, he sacrificed those whom he loved the most and were closest to him. This is how he advanced the dispensation. This advancement is progressing toward the Kingdom of Heaven. [320-223] The world should have created the environment where God can dwell, and since such a place was not built, a new perspective should have been formed and a new place should have been created.
If we cannot accomplish this while alive, we must achieve it even after our death. Thus Christianity advanced forward while shedding much blood. Everyone wants to live in a place that they prefer. Why would anyone want to die? [20-313] When does religion progress? It makes advancement while undergoing difficulty and persecution. Why? Because in that situation there is the possibility of God's Will to be realized.
Because God works when there is such possibility, every religion makes progress while being persecuted. If there is no persecution, when would the Unification Church advance forward?
It must voluntarily seek after a path of suffering. Until the day that the whole world follows the ideals of the church, it must take the road opposite to the society. Why? The good world and the evil world walk two different paths. Even if the world welcomes the Unification Church, its members should not think, "Now, since the world welcomes us, and the time when we can materialize all our wishes has come, we should do all that the people in the society do, and live a similar lifestyle!"
The less the persecution, the more the church should voluntarily take the attitude, "Since we are trying to influence this evil world and are trying to digest this environment, we should walk the path of suffering."
Some people ask, "When would this road of persecution come to an end? When would the Unification Church realize all of its ideals?" This type of thought is very different from the initial attitude at the time of the church's founding, which is in agreement with God's wishes. [108-296]
The religion is bound to develop when under persecution. Why is that so? In such a place, Satan feels powerless, and thus retreats. Why? Because we are loving the enemy, we have set the foundation of having loved Satan, the devil, the number one perpetuator, and his sons and daughters.
Therefore, the place where one loves and prays for blessing is connected with the place where God exhibited his love. Do you understand? Thus the door of persecution has opened up to the religious world.
Although there have been many religious leaders and followers of faiths, they all did not realize this fact. Today, with the advent of the Unification Church, with the coming of this teacher of the Unification Church, all of this has been revealed. [127-115] |