【The Way Of Unification】 - 8. The Seed of the New Civilization to Welcome

[대태양/김현수]

8. The Seed of the New Civilization to Welcome the New Spring
 
(1) What Will Remain Of The Frigid-Zone Civilization That Has Been Swept Away
 
Although the ancient civilizations began in a spring climate, because humankind lost its position, they shifted. They then came to be located in the tropical zones. The Egyptian cultural sphere came into being with the onset of the age of agriculture. Ancient civilizations originated along the banks of the River Euphrates.
 
As such tropical-zone civilizations declined, they moved again and became temperate-zone civilizations. Today's Great Britain, Germany and the United States all belong to the temperate-zone civilizations. They all lie north of the 23rd parallel. This means that they are all approaching the zone of the autumn season civilization. Therefore, at this time everything must bear fruit. All aspects of art, culture, literature, and so on must show their fruits. It is also the moment when philosophy must bear fruit. The democratic world, of course, must bring everything to a conclusion.
 
Now the age of temperate-zone civilization is passing, and we can see that the time when the frigid-zone civilizations will move the world is coming. Everything is falling apart, as the time has arrived when the democratic world is being threatened by the Communist world centering on the Soviet Union. Withered trees that have lost their life force all get broken, while living trees will preserve themselves.
 
Because of this, once the frigid-zone civilization has swept by, only two kinds of things will remain in this world of fallen people. Only those things with life already within them and those things containing the seeds of life will remain.
 
In that case what is the life force of humankind? The root of humankind's life is God. Then the trunk and then the branches form. just like such trees with roots, only people containing the life that belongs to God will remain. Such people will never fall over no matter how hard the wind blows, and finally will be able to overcome the winter.
 
Those things that contain the life force that is able to defeat the winter will undoubtedly survive. If the seeds that fall to the ground are tough, when the winter comes they will freeze and burst open so that in the spring the new shoots can appear through the cracks. The seeds with this kind of life force have the capacity to be able to welcome the spring again. Within the seed are contained the roots and also the trunk, branches, and leaves. We can see that a seed compresses the whole being and concentrates its life force.
 
When we come to look at the history of human civilization until now, the time when the frigid-zone civilization will sweep over the temperate-zone civilization has undoubtedly arrived. The Communist sphere has expanded into Europe and, of course, even into Africa.
 
The United States is also being threatened. Even though it will be very serious if every continent comes under threat in this way, the new spring will definitely arrive. Because God knows this, He will send the Lord to welcome the new spring. Because God knows that the ideal age is coming, it is reasonable to conclude that He will send a central being who is able to prepare to welcome that age. (86-318)
 
(2) Will Humanity Be Able To Welcome The New Spring?
 
The problem confronting all of you today is whether you are becoming the seeds or branches of the living tree. Although that mission seemed to be taken care of by Judaism, because Jesus was nailed to the cross 2,000 years ago Judaism could not accomplish the mission. Although God then wanted the mission to be managed by Christianity, what kind of situation is Christianity in today? This is the problem. If there are gaunt branches, the problem is whether they are living or whether they are all dying. Do you think that Christianity is living? We have to ask ourselves whether the many religions are living.
 
No matter how broad the base of a tree's trunk may be, if the roots are dying, that tree has no life force. One tree cannot have two trunks. The trunk has to become a truly living one. No matter how much the winter threatens, it must repulse it and live on majestically. The question is whether Christianity is like that. The problem is that when Christianity is unable to fulfill its mission it will be just like a tree that is uprooted and discarded when the base of its trunk is dying.
 
Christianity is the spiritual root of the democratic world. The Soviet Union is within the sphere of the Orthodox Church. Is Europe, centering on the Catholic Church, now becoming like an evergreen tree? Beaten by the wind, not only are its branches being broken off, but the whole tree is dying and falling over. Nevertheless, we must provide nourishment for the root so that it does not die and so that new shoots will appear without fail.
 
If not even one new shoot connected to the one root appears, in view of the threat of the Communist bloc there is no hope. There is only despair. If that shoot does not form normally then even the root will die. Then what is it that will be able to greet the new spring in this season of despair brought on by the frigid-zone civilization sweeping over us? New shoots must be able to spring forth. We must be able to greet the new spring after growing even in the winter. We must become evergreen trees. We need that which will enable us to overcome even the threat of Communism. (86-320) 
 
(3) The Cycle Of Human Culture And The Seed Of The New Civilization
 
Human culture revolves. Ancient cultures were tropical cultures. The civilizations of India, Egypt, and Greece all belonged to tropical or subtropical regions. Present-day civilization is in the temperate zone.

For example, such countries as the United States, West Germany, Japan, and Great Britain are all within the temperate region and have consequently all become major powers in the world.

Inevitably, however, history is moving toward the frigid-zone; namely, the Communist Soviet Union. Nowadays, therefore, the frigid-zone civilization is causing a blizzard to rage all over the world.
 
Nevertheless, if we look at the history that is revealed in the Bible, the original human civilization began as temperate-zone civilization in the spring climate of Eden, then became a tropical civilization like the summer season.

Civilization then shifted to a temperate-zone civilization, corresponding to the autumn season, and then moved into the frigid-zone civilization of the present Communist empire, corresponding to the winter season. We are now living in the chilly season of autumn. Communism is roaring into this autumnal civilization zone and telling us that winter is coming.
 
All the leaves are changing color and falling. At the same time autumn is the season of harvest. Harvest means the existence of seeds that hold the promise of a new generation.

Although the trees become bare as the leaves and fruit fall, within those fruits exist the seeds of life. When winter passes, after a while the new civilization corresponding to the spring will be born from these scattered seeds. So who will become these seeds of a new humankind?
 
I think that what I am telling you is that the flow of human civilization corresponds precisely to the course of restoration. There is a basic structure and logic in restoration. There is a central point.

That is the seed. The essential part of the seed is hidden within an outer skin, and, regardless of the weather, it never decays. It is stronger than anything else. Until the new day comes, it preserves itself, persevering in silence.

Although a seed is a small and worthless being in one sense, within itself it has a powerful life force. No matter how cold a winter suddenly sets in, the seed alone greets the spring. Furthermore, the harsh winter becomes a unique help in strengthening the seed.
 
This is not some special theory that I have made up but the fundamental principle of history. In that case, where can we discover this truth? This new way of life, this way of faith is not some weak thing that can be invaded by Communism. Neither Communism nor Western culture, nor any other philosophy, religion or ideology can be stronger than this way of life.

Without being affected by the temperature of any season, a seed continually preserves its life for tens and hundreds of years. The seed is none other than the Unification Church.
 
Do you yourselves all have a real feeling of becoming seeds that can stay alive no matter how cold it gets and will be able to greet the spring?

This is the first time you have learned and become conscious of this kind of concept, and if there are any persons among you who have wisdom, I believe that you have realized the greatness of life and the providence and made them your own.

If all of you here have the absolute conviction that you will be able to become seeds without fail, then it is a historical event. In a good sense, if it is a momentous problem, it becomes an enormous source of energy for all of you. (95-33)
 
(4) Who Will Melt The Winter Season?
 
God made the spring, but if you try asking God if He has welcomed the spring and experienced love, He will reply, "I do not know about that." Although He made the spring, He does not know the spring centering on love. In that respect God is an unfortunate person. If there is someone who knows the way to make that spring happen, God will want to work together with that person.
 
When someone says to God, "Let's go and play spring games together," God will say that he cannot go. He is a God who is unable to go. There is some intrinsic thing that makes Him incapable of going. Until that intrinsic factor is solved, He cannot go.
 
If humankind had not fallen, God would have been able to greet the spring day. As a result of the fall of humankind, God encountered a winter day. The problem is by what means may we melt God's frozen heart and also melt that winter.
 
In order to melt something that has frozen, there has to be something that is hot. There has to be something that is hotter than before the thing froze. Who will melt the frozen winter inside God?
 
Humankind and, of course, all created things that have their origins in God are longing for God's winter season to end and God's spring season to begin.

But the problem is who will melt that winter season? Both God and humankind want that, but we have to ask what is required to melt that winter season. Only absolute love, unchanging love is capable of doing that. Only such unique love is capable.
 
The next problem is: who will melt it? Can God melt it himself? God cannot do that on his own account. Because humankind fell, God became that way regardless of His own volition. Therefore, someone from among humankind must appear who moves God and is able to raise up a movement that is able to have an effect on God.
 
Those who present such a movement are those who say, "Let's go and look for the way of unchanging, direct love." Religion exists to take responsibility for this area. Because it is not right to fight centering on love, all the conflicts among religious denominations were wrong. As a result there is no way to melt the frozen winter season inside God.
 
Therefore, what must we do if we intend to melt all the frozen piles of ice inside God's heart? We must determine to melt not just north, south, east, and west but all 360 degrees in three dimensions. If only Americans say that they love God, they cannot melt it.

All races and colors must come. Transcending past and present, even those people who have gone to the spiritual world must sing in the heart of God, and even those people who are to come in the future, singing the love of God, must come to a focus and bring forth fruit in the bosom of God.
 
If there is no religion that can create this kind of movement, it will be impossible to melt God's frozen heart. If all religious organizations become one and come to love God, then God's heart will melt. If we can only do that, then even if we only hear the word, even if we are unable to eat, it is good.
 
Even if we are cursed, it is good, and even if we experience suffering it is good. No matter how much love there may be between people so that they live and die together, when they are told to go and find God's love, they will stop everything to go before God. Before God's love, relationships of worldly love are all washed away. You are all living like this. (1978.4.16)