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True Parents Words from 1981 |
Parents' Day And This Age
Reverend Sun Myung Moon
April 5, 1981
World Mission Center
Today is the 22nd Parents' Day. Parents' Day was established on April 10, and after that came Children's Day, Day of All Things, and God's Day. Centering on Parents' Day and Children's Day, Day of All Things, God's Day and the Day of Heaven would all have come into being at the same time. Then, of course, the history of restoration would not have been necessary. As a result of the fall, however, children have no connection with parents, and the things of creation have no connection with either parents or the children of God. Certainly, no true parents have been found in the world of the fall.
Salvation actually means saving the four heavenly days also. They should have no other origin except God. The first Parents' Day marks the beginning of transition from the old world to a new world. This transition is not a concept; in the 21 years since the first Parents' Day, the world has really changed in dramatic ways. There has been no comparable period in all history, and now the completion of that transition is inevitable. One day we will also bring a Day of Heaven into being, the day when the world will be united. The Unification Church is marching toward this definite goal.
This new history is not compiled by the human element alone; God has an active part in it. Therefore, in the past 21 years and in the 21 years still to come-roughly forty years-we will witness unique developments. The first 21 years was the period in which the Unification Church emerged in this new world, becoming quite visible to the communist and democratic blocs. Also, a world of Unificationism will come into being. What characterizes that world? It puts God at the center of life; we can call that ideology Godism. The three ideologies-democracy, communism and Godism-will interact as the new way of life is brought in. Increasingly, however, Godism will be brought to peoples' attention.
What is communism? It is materialism based on Satan. What is democracy? It is chiefly centered around religion, particularly Christianity. It is a way of life centering around children, for Jesus was filling the position of adopted son. Democracy stresses spiritualism and things of the mind, instead of material things. In contrast, communism stresses materialism and is servant-centered; in Principle terms, it is the Cain-side. Thus, democracy would be the Abel-side.
Just as the mind and body of the fallen individual are always in conflict, communism and democracy are always in conflict. The contemporary world is a reflection or deployment of that individual conflict on a world scale. There are broadly two kinds of person: one, who is pursuing material things, and the other who is turning inward to spiritual things. Which would be the ideal way of living? The original way would be for the mind and body to be in accord.
Where would the mind send the body? The original goal of the individual was to follow his parents. Where would they go? Toward God. Once they reached God they would not face Him, but stand behind Him. Wherever God goes, the parents would follow; and wherever parents go, children would follow. If the body raised any objections, the mind would refuse to change direction. The mind would have firm control and tell the body that it cannot go anywhere it wants to, but must follow the direction of Principle.
Why should the path be uniform? Because everyone and everything want to go where love is. Thus, it is inevitable that they go in the same direction. Love is where God is and where parents are; therefore, all things are directed there. When seen through the glasses of love, everything is beautiful and nothing will be disagreeable to us. Wherever we are would be a place of happiness.
Freedom is very precious, but it becomes meaningful only after we find happiness. Which is more important- freedom or love? Love is by far more precious. Love must exist only according to God's law of creation. It only comes when we follow parents and when parents follow God. That is the Principle. Love comes into being whenever that happens. In other words, there is no love unless we follow parents and follow God, and there is no freedom when we do not have love. Today we see that the world is confused, that young people are searching for freedom without even knowing what it is, without knowing what will lead them to love.
American members in Unification Church who were used to doing whatever they wanted are now challenged by everything we do here, but now they know why they must do those things. We do them because true freedom comes from true love; once we have true love, then we will have true freedom. To reach true love, however, we have to abide by God's rigid law, and in doing so we do things we may not enjoy. We accept that with the knowledge that we are guaranteed to reach parents, God and love. Through this gospel we realize that in True Parents there is a way to get to heaven and God.
Meeting God does not mean we become His equal in a democratic sense, but that we follow God. When God and His children meet, where would they go together? Certainly they would go to heaven. Certainly if there had been no fall, going to heaven would have been automatic. As it is, would the few fallen people who find True Parents and God leave everyone else behind and go to heaven? The first few individuals would assemble as families and a clan, and ask God to be their leader. After more clans are assembled, they would ask God to be the leader of the nation, and then to be the leader of the world.
This is what we have stood for all along. In Unification Church our goal is to bring the whole world under God, and with God as a leader to go forward in the ultimate direction. Will it be an easy thing to achieve? There is only one style of life in the Unification Church-even if the individual sees he must be sacrificed, still he feels the family must get ahead. Each one of us is determined that the nation and the world will get ahead because of us. Otherwise, it is wishful to think of bringing the world under God.
Is it easy to live the Unification Church life? We have to go through difficulty so great that, though we are alive and moving, still we are like dead people. If someone talks to that person, he will not respond, but will keep on going. Jesus said that those who are willing to die will live, and those who want to live will die.
Are we going to follow the servant's ideal, which is communism; or the children's ideal, which is democracy; or the parents' ideal, which is Godism? It was inevitable that these three ideologies appear in our age. Even though people may find the ideal of Godism in Unification Church, from lack of understanding they may still be inclined to either Cainism or Abelism. The whole world will come to this ultimate crossroads.
Then how will Godism continue to exist? The only way for Godism to flourish is for the people who believe in it-the Unification Church members-to work harder and more bravely than the communists and those under democracy. What is the essential difference between the two old ideals and the new ideal? First, Godism has the vertical relationship, whereas the other two are horizontal and have no vertical connection.
Certainly the vertical connection would be closer to the original way. Without the fall it would have been automatic. God created Adam and Eve in a vertical relationship with Him, intending for them to deploy that in a horizontal relationship with each other. First Adam was created from the image of God, and then Eve was created from the image of Adam. First came the vertical relationship, and from that the horizontal relationship.
Throughout history, East and West have had a different emphasis, with the East emphasizing the vertical, or spiritual side of life, and the West focusing on the horizontal, or physical side of life. It is only natural, then, that the four major religions have begun in the East. Buddhism began in India, Islam in the Middle East, Confucianism in China; Judaism and Christianity also began in an area considered to be the East. The Unification Church also sprang from an Eastern civilization.
The more you search for spiritual things, the more you have to discard material things. Since the physical side of life cannot be totally wasted and disregarded, custody of its advance and development was given to Western civilization. Today we see an Oriental nation starting to surpass the materialistic West in industrial matters. Why would that happen? The time must come when the spiritual side and material side will connect somewhere. Japan is taking that role.
Westerners must be aware that material things do not belong to them, but belong to God. Those who were given custody of material by God should follow a course back toward the spiritual side, but instead they have followed a materialistic way of life. God will make them understand they are wrong and try to change their minds. If they still do not change in time, then He will allow the communists to deprive them of all their wealth. Westerners must quickly find the reason they have been able to accumulate so much material wealth, which is to make it of use for the spiritual side. If they can quickly make the transition, then fine. But if they don't, the communists will deprive them of their wealth anyway.
The present American government is really rocking in uncertainty. It is still undecided about whether to boldly confront the situation in El Salvador or not. The winds of communism are like a typhoon blowing those two countries together. Since a collision is inevitable, we should be determined to deal with it, not be broken by it.
At this point only the ideal of Godism is strong enough and all-encompassing enough to solve the situation. Neither democracy nor communism is adequate. This is a dramatic age of uncertainty, with people under both democracy and communism unsure of what to do. We can be assured that at such a time Godism will come to the forefront.
Democracy has always worked to make each nation a better place for its citizens to live in; witness such countries as Denmark and England. They tried to do that in a material way and were able to succeed somewhat without really looking toward God. Those nations seemed to be progressing, but today we know that those countries have come to a standstill. We see every day that America also is floundering without direction. This is the result that comes when man tries to work by himself, without God.
Japan has set itself a new course as a developing nation. The West has criticized it for not paying much attention to social welfare and security, but Japan doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of the West. Japanese workers are content with longer hours and lower wages, but in the West workers want fewer hours and easier tasks, like the grasshopper in the summer. The Japanese work industriously like the ants, and when the cold winter comes it will be the ant which rescues the grasshopper.
I knew this is how things would develop. I am committed to change this trend in the West, based on Godism, and I want to make Westerners strong enough to do even more than the Japanese.
Though Godism is the stronger ideology, the only way for people under Godism to win the victory is to work harder than the opposition. It is only reasonable that without working harder we cannot become better than democracy or communism. Do you have confidence to do that?
Rather than simply getting along with the other two ideologies, I want to be an independent central figure. I want to grab both of them in our hands and bring them closer to God. You must clearly know that this is our goal. If the members and leaders think that they cannot meet a higher standard-or are reluctant to work in Africa, for instance-with that limited thinking they will never meet the goal. Godism has no boundaries; it will go beyond all boundaries and encompass the last person on earth. There is no distinction here between black and white. It is imperative that we go beyond racial feeling, and not be aware of who is white or black. We must bring the black nations with the left hand and the white nations with the right hand, and make them one in love. This is why we have stressed international marriage.
In the present age we must bring these three "isms" together. Today in the democratic and communist countries we see the symptoms of the end of ideals in the immorality and the drug use. We have to wash away all those things and make new people there. We have to make and administer a medicine for all that. Democracy and communism have both gone as far as they can, so this new Godism will have to rise up strongly and reach out nation by nation. When the time comes, you must approach the nations; you cannot remain a lone individual. You are working impossibly hard in order to better yourself, so that when the precise time arrives you will be prepared. In a short time here in America, I have brought people of all races into oneness.
Godism is here to fulfill the ideal and purpose of creation; that ideal is for parents and children together to center around God, making the four position foundation. Then all men will yearn to go in only one direction, to one destination, which is to become unified with love.
We go to every corner of the world to bring people into love, into one unity with God. Once we do that, we will have heaven on earth. We only cherish a person as God's child, not for his race or nationality. The only thing I remember is whether a person is in God's image, not that he is of a certain race; not whether he is handsome or beautiful, but whether he has much or little love.
What is the difference between children, servants, neighbors and cousins? The children are different in that they will fight against anything that threatens their parents' ideal. You can recognize a true child of God by his sensitivity and willingness to risk his life to protect God's ideal. Cousins and neighbors will tend to be critical of the direction God and parents may go. But a child would love them even if they did something upside down, even if they were limping. He would feel that his parents are limping because they worked so hard taking care of their children. He would be proud of his parents, not ashamed.
If you apply this criterion, you can immediately discern what position someone is in. Which position would you like to be in? When the parents carry a cross on their shoulders, we also want to carry that cross. Whoever is reluctant to carry that cross is more of a cousin or neighbor than a true child. Are you sons and daughters of God?
Are you Americans going to go out of your way to help protect the cause of a yellow man like me? When there is pressure and persecution from the government, will you shrink into a corner, or will you shout out, "What's wrong with the Moonies?" I don't like those who try to hide; they can never be real sons and daughters. What would have happened if I hadn't fought back against the accusations of the Fraser committee and the Carter administration? If anything blocks God's way to the world, I will say so without hesitation and get rid of it. Are you 120 day trainees children of God, servants of God, or bystanders? Will you confront anything that opposes you? I have found in the past that Americans give nice answers very easily. Is your answer today a cheap one, or an expensive one?
God created religions, and Christianity in particular, so that democracy could grow and fallen man could be free to reach perfection. America was started by the Abels of the religious world who gathered here to build a new nation. It stands to reason, then, that America should always be ready to stand up for God with unswerving belief. It should have strong families which unite around a belief in God, but today America is not that way.
God has three major problems today-the churches are separated from Him, the young people indulge in immorality, and families are breaking apart. If the churches and families are broken down then eventually the country will break apart under the force of communism. The problem of immorality, the social permissiveness toward homosexuality, free sex and drugs, are all fragmenting American families and churches. If God wants a strong America then Satan will try to weaken it through all these trends.
The communists want to destroy everything the free world stands for, such as spiritual life and strong families. Thus, we can see that communism is a satanic ideology. Communists discourage good traditions, trying to influence people to deny America's ideals. The communists always want to cause separation-between children and parents, between families, between old people and young people. Then they try to cause conflict there. Satan characteristically tries to cause division and conflict, and that is exactly the technique used by communists. In the beginning Satan separated Adam and Eve, and they inherited that quality from him. When the communists cause separation and conflict between parents and children, Satan will approve it.
In contrast to that, what is God's ideal? He wants to unite instead of separate. He yearns for everything to be united with Him. We see this struggle throughout the world. Every day in the news we hear of fierce fighting in the world, with one side promoting God's cause, and the other trying to destroy it by slandering God's side and misleading people. You must understand the significance of this age-it is the culminating theme of these three ideologies.
Then why do parents come to this earth? There is a twofold purpose-to realize God's ideal, and to save fallen mankind. If there were not fallen people then certainly the task would be easier and more pleasant. If there were only a million people in the world, don't you think the word of God would have been established already? This is why religions have always encouraged people to remain celibate and not have children.
Then what is the objective of true children? It is the same as their parents' ideal-to help establish God's original ideal of creation, and help restore all the fallen people. How do you save people? By recreating them; to restore people means to recreate them. In the garden of Eden there were Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. When they reached perfection, God wanted them to become completely one, which meant that God could be situated right between them. The process of becoming completely one is love itself; without love, it is impossible.
If there was any rift between Adam and Eve then certainly they could not become one. But when they become one in love then God would live with them and they would wear the clothes of love. God wanted to cover them up with love. Then wherever they went they would inhale the fragrance of love and see nothing but scenes of love. If God was pulling Eve around, Adam would certainly follow because of love. Once love sets in, there can be no separation.
Is love necessary even when we eat? Why? If you are eating for the sake of love, how much more joyful it is. If you have beautiful clothes, you wear them for the person you love, not your enemy. If you have a beautiful mind of love, you wear beautiful things for the subject of your love. Then wearing nice clothes is a wonderful thing to do.
Do you need love when you are sleeping? Do you need more money or more love? American women are so practical that they would want money, right? You only need money on a few occasions, however, not every minute. If you go to your husband's bedroom, must you carry money? If you are full of love, that is all that is needed. We know that love is more necessary than any other precious thing. Does God need money, power, knowledge, or love? ;
When love is fulfilled then the archangel has no place to invade. He can come close and stand on the periphery, but can't get in. True children should stay close by, wherever their parents are, but because of the fall that did not take place. Adam and Eve did not become close; because there was division between them, God could not dwell with them, and their children went away on their own independent course. Wherever they went, Satan stood guard and demanded a passport, asking where they were going and why they should be allowed to move freely.
Satan has been working that way all through history for a good reason: as long as the boundaries remain, Satan can dominate, but when they are eliminated then the satanic world is no more. Satan set up a checkpoint which he won't allow people to cross, so that he can keep his own domain. Larger checkpoints were needed as societies and nations developed, but that pattern has lasted until today. Instead of allowing God to be at the center of the original world, Satan has used a similar pattern to bring everything under him.
There has to come a time when the satanic side will have to do its worst, promoting everything that God hates most. When that happens we will know that even the end of communism must be near. Parents and children should be the closest, so when they feel like enemies it will mark the ending of the false world. If parents and relatives try to prevent the children from going to the godly side, then we know that Satan must be working.
We can figure out that what Satan would hate most would be for God to expand His foundation. That final foundation would be the new religion of God's original ideal. Another distinguishing characteristic of the God centered movement will be unity in its families, for in Satan's world parents and children would be enemies. The most difficult thing to achieve, even though people have talked about it for centuries, would be unity between black and white people and between East and West. But the God-centered church will achieve it.
This is precisely what Unification Church is doing, and we are carrying it out with our lives to the world level. People will be wild to oppose that movement, just like mad dogs. A mad dog doesn't know why he is mad, but just barks at everyone-the master, the servant and the children. If a mad dog starts barking, other dogs will join in, even without a legitimate reason. But one dog has a keen enough sense of smell to recognize the master, and that is the Unification Church.
In your opinion will communism or democracy survive the longest? Unificationism or democracy? God protects us because He loves the cause we are working for. How could a country boy from the mountains of northern Korea survive great opposition and come to world prominence if God was not there? God protected me because He loves me. God protects us because He needs us. I have always been alone, with no nation taking my side or helping me. That is why the world will call me a fearful person, a heroic, indestructible man.
How can we say we have True Parents now? Always the evil side has attacked goodness and taken it to the evil side by force. But now with True Parents the good side will deliver the evil side with love. No brothers can come into unity horizontally without parents. First Cain and Abel come into unity, then become one with parents, and then become one with God Himself. This is the pattern of restoration, the four position foundation. Once the children become one with their parents, becoming one with God is automatic. This applies to nations as well. There will always be conflict in the satanic world, but by following this heavenly pattern mankind will always come into unity.
The Cain individual will follow the Abel individual. The church is in Abel's position to the country, like the mind is Abel to the body. Together they can go into heaven. Through Abel the country will eventually enter God's world. The individual will follow Abel, who is in a position following the family. In other words, the individual Abel's position becomes Cain to the family level.
The clan is Abel to the family; that family must follow the higher Abel. The nation is Abel to the clan. Because the nation must bear more difficulty and pay more indemnity, it is Abel to the clan. Whichever has more difficulty is Abel. The spirit world will be on a higher level; since it includes thousands of generations, it has a more difficult burden.
How can an individual take the Cain position to the family, and then in the family take the Cain position to the clan, then be Cain to the nation, and finally the world and spirit world, all in one lifetime? All of this has to be restored in actuality, not just concept. But God has arranged a passport system; if you are issued a passport which shows that you have followed Abel, you can go everywhere. Do you need that passport? The person qualified to sign your passport is the one who is king on the individual level, and king of the family, clan, society, nation, world, and spirit world.
When the President visits a governor's house, he is automatically welcomed there, and also in the homes of individuals. He doesn't need some passport to go to those various places. Whoever has the President's signature authorizing him to travel can also pass as freely as the President. Isn't that reasonable? What would you call the person who could sign your heavenly passport-your brother, teacher, friend, or parent? God knows you would call this person your parent. His signature will authorize another person to go anywhere.
Here is a sister from Russia, an enemy country. If however, President Reagan signs a paper authorizing her to travel, she can go anywhere in America, can't she? Travelers don't have to get clearance every time they want to journey to another place. If True Parents come in the name of God, then the individuals they authorize can travel freely anywhere. This is the only way anyone can go all the way from the family to the national level.
Do you want to qualify for this passport? You have to meet some standard first. If you finish home church successfully, then you can have a passport clearing you to go to any level. Everyone has to meet the same standard in order to get that pass. Do you think American citizenship exempts you from that qualification? Do you need Unification Church? Do you need Reverend Moon, who is an Oriental? How can you say it doesn't matter if my eyes are black and yours are blue? We can say so because the color of love is the same for everyone. Since you all need love, you need parents.
From this transition point on, the horizontal ideal will not suffice; we need Adam's country and Eve's country as a vertical foundation. When that foundation becomes the focus of the horizontal relationships of other nations, rest assured that the last days are near. When countries representing Adam, Eve, and the archangel are finally united, the democratic nations and communist nations will come into unity without fighting. That is spiritual law.
Korea, Japan, and America are the focus of world attention, each being unique. They are still overcoming the feeling of being enemies from forty years ago, but with the love of God they can form unity. Then, according to God's law, the rest of the world will become one. Under what ideal can this unity come? Not under communism or democracy, but Godism.
America, under democracy, cannot bring Korea and Japan into unity to oppose communism. Korea will always be anticommunist, and America also is basically anticommunist. But Japan still entertains the possibility of following communism, and needs a strong leader to direct it the other way. Japan is an island, an Eve country. Eve will do better to listen to the Adam country than to the archangel, or any other nation. Can Korea exercise any influence over Japan? Korea does not have horizontal influence over Japan, but in the vertical way it has some influence.
America must follow the example of some country; it is helpless under democracy, which it has tried for two centuries. If there is any FBI or CIA agent here, he can tell the government that I said the only way for this gigantic nation to survive is to listen to Reverend Moon.
Try as it may, no individual nation can find the solution by itself. When South Korea, Japan and America and the free world all make unity, they can exercise meaningful influence over the communist world. As soon as Christianity wakes up to its mission, this will not be difficult to do. For many years the Unification Church has been establishing the pattern of what a family should be, showing what morality young people should follow, and working to revive Christian churches. This will help America be reborn as a great nation. With that great nation as the center, the whole world can be united under Godism. This is God's blueprint.
What if America fails to achieve this? Then it will cease to exist as the great country we have known. Then the center of Unification Church activity will move to another country. We are working to eliminate racial awareness among us. International marriage is a difficult thing, but we are working headlong on it.
Today is the 22nd Parent's Day. This has come into being because God worked for this goal. The fallen seed was planted on this earth, so Adam, Eve, the archangel, Cain and Abel must be restored to the original ideal. Individual nations are already assuming the roles of Adam, Eve and archangel, and the communist nations and democratic nations represent Cain and Abel.
Japan is taking the role that England should have assumed, but failed to fulfill. Economically, Japan has done more than anyone in restoration. Because Eve fell, the Eve nation should work to bring Adam and the archangel into harmony. In just the last four years Japan has brought an incredible degree of achievement in playing this dispensational role. Japan is like a beautiful naked woman, coveted by everyone. Korea wants to be friends, America wants alliance, and the communist world wants to take it to the communist side. Which country Japan marries will be important not only to Japan's future, but the world's future.
Today's young people have cut themselves adrift from the past generations, which have so loudly opposed me. These young people will all come to the Unification Church in the future. Can any military or political power digest and influence the Moonies? Will the small number of Moonies digest America, or will America engulf them? We are following God's blueprint to bring unity and peace to mankind. Then former enemies can come into unity and establish a new tradition. For instance, Japanese members love me more than their own emperor, and when they come to America they love this nation more than Americans do. The Unification Church has caused that amazing phenomenon.
Not too long ago American members wondered why so many Japanese members were needed here, but now you know. They are fulfilling a different position than Americans; also they take me more seriously than American members. Naturally those in the archangel position must listen to those in the Eve position.
The world is divided into two big blocs of communism and democracy. Korea and Germany are both divided nations; one is divided horizontally, east to west, and the other divided vertically, or north to south. This is symbolic of all the separations in the world. The division of Germany represents separation between brothers, or the human element. Korea's division represents the elements of the satanic world and heavenly dispensation. Korea is being offered as an altar for all the heavenly elements God has worked on.
If the situation in Korea is worked out, the other kind of division can automatically be solved. As soon as East and West come into unity, the problems of Western civilization will healed. If Korea were a big country, with hundreds of millions in population, that would be difficult to achieve. But because it is small, it is easier for God to work there.
If the Unification Church will grow in numbers, then Korea will automatically turn to the heavenly path and unity will be attained. Then unity elsewhere will follow. It is not so difficult for 50 or 60 million people to support us; just think, if the New York Times and Washington Post endorsed the Unification Church and said it was good, many people would listen. If I had been a white man, they probably would not have opposed me in the past. If they ran positive articles about me for one week, all America would support Unification Church.
If those papers repent then they will prosper again and be trusted by people. But if they continue going the wrong way then I will buy them out. We will make much money in the future so we can speed up the restoration; that's the only reason we need money. Recently those two papers are looking at me in a different way. The News World has spoken out bravely about what is wrong with those papers, which no one else dared to do.
If I don't carry out this purpose then you can do that in my place. You are smart, so you can judge what you must do. This is the day I have been working toward all the time. If I teach the presidents of any other nations exactly what I have taught here, they will accept it better. This will certainly be done. Are you going to stand by and watch, or will you participate in doing that?
We are not following the Oriental way, but the providential way. I brought the Japanese members here because here we are making unity between the three providential nations. At engagement time, white members weren't so interested in marrying other white members, but in marrying men or women from the fatherland, or from Japan. Some American women complained, "What about us? " It is according to Principle that men from the archangel nation like the women from the Eve nation. Do American women think I am right or wrong? If I were you, I wouldn't think I was shortchanged. If you marry a Japanese or Korean and dedicate yourself to that country, you will be the central figure. How can you complain then?
We are Abel, and Abel must digest the four great cultures. Those are the Adam nation, Korea; Eve nation, Japan; Cain nation, the Soviet culture; and the archangel culture, which is America. If you can unite those four cultures then you can win the whole world, and by doing that you can accomplish God's purpose. As Moonies, we must establish a new culture, so we must digest four cultures. We are already on that road-you like rice and kimchee, and are encouraged to learn Korean and Japanese. One day we must also learn Russian. Then you can win over everything.
Now you know what I mean by "this age, " or "today's world. " You cannot connect God to the world on an individual basis, but through the five positions-Adam, Eve, archangel, Cain and Abel-and the formula course of restoration you can do it. You only have to wait a few years to judge whether the world is or isn't going in that direction. Are you confident to do it now, or will you wait and see? There is no question that this is the future trend of the world.
Everything I have predicted in the last twenty years has come true, no matter how incredible it sounded. It doesn't matter whether people help or criticize-this will come to pass because God is working. Regardless of what the world is today, the fact that True Parents have established Parents' Day is truly the gospel. At this unique time in history you can work, sweat and receive the same persecution with the Parents. Will you drag along in discouragement, or will you go with a shout? God and the spirit world will go along with you if you go joyfully. If you go dispiritedly, later they will ask why you did not work fully when the opportunity was there. Divine Principle directs us clearly this way, and spirit world already knows it.
You cannot go to heaven whenever you like; spirit world must endorse you. History will judge whether you lived up to the standard of the Abel side. Unification Church members have not understood the formula clearly enough to be determined to follow this path, but have vacillated. If you can correct that now, then you will go straight forward.
It will be more difficult to see me in the future; I will not always be speaking every Sunday. Not everyone will be able to come where I am, whenever they want. Already you have seen that as the dispensation broadens I am away more and you do not see me as much. If presidents of 120 countries want to see me for three days each, that alone would take 360 days. When would I find the time to see you and encourage you? I certainly have to visit many countries.
As time goes on you will have more and more to do. Especially here in America you have heard enough about God and the dispensation already, so even though I don't talk to you every week you should be able to carry this out.
It is up to you. It remains for you to live up to what heaven has shown you; you don't need me to lead you by the hand. Unless you go forward on your own, you can never be independent. In doing home church you will be doing exactly what I have been doing on earth, so you are stepping into my shoes, into what has already been established on a world scale.
Unification Church leaders will consult with everyone who works hard for the heavenly cause and will work with them for God's goal. If some members are working harder than the leader, he must consult with them; then the work and that leader will prosper. If not, that leader will decline and the harder-working person will prosper. That is because God's mainstream always follows the one who works hardest.
Some person may speak very well and have many nice ideas, but his endeavors may not last long. God's work will be expanded through the person who works hardest and gives his heart the most. All my life I have been working, even after my responsibility was finished. I only want to add to the foundation that has been built, not to live off it. God does not follow the person who expects recognition, but follows the person who does more than his share and still continues to give. That is the mainstream of the Unification Church.
This is the tradition the True Parents leave behind, and is what I want you to inherit; it has much more value than leaving you money or property. I am entitled to rest now, but I don't, so no one else is entitled to take things easy either. This tradition is the best gift I could give you. It is the result of my sweat, and through home church you can distribute this to the world.
If I had only given orders in my capacity as Abel, then Unification Church progress would have been very slow. But instead I carried out everything myself and showed the members through my example. That is my tradition. Now the leaders have seen this clearly-not by being taught, but by seeing me do that firsthand. If they follow my tradition then many people will follow them. If you follow my direction in this then your members will more easily follow you.
I have no choice-that is the Divine Principle way. If the grandfather does that, then the parents and children must also go that way. There is no exception. This is the precious tradition you are to receive and follow. Now under my authority you carry this out in home church, shedding sweat to leave the best tradition. If you don't do that, then the next generation will have to do it.
Communism, the decline of morality among young people, and the decline of Christianity are the big problems we must be responsible for. These are God's biggest problems, and as His true children you must inherit them. I will solve this source of God's agony, and will gather all the countries to work on this also.
We are all in the same boat. You may have a nice first class cabin, but if there is a hole in the boat then the water will eventually reach you. You have to be alert for that, and help repair any hole to make sure there is no danger to the ship. Can you rest and do nothing then? There is hardly time to eat. You even have to think about educating some person who can take your place if you collapse. This is a holy war we are fighting.
The crew of the boat may not be aware of danger if they see that the boat is dry. God knows more about the future of Unification Church than you do, and what dangers lie ahead, so He needs people to share His concern and make certain the boat reaches its destination. We must not just feel that if our cabin is all right that we don't have to worry about anything else.
You can't feel that you don't care what America does. We have to reach shore safely by a given time. If we take too long then danger is always increasing, so we should only care about the boat going faster. We have to work desperately and hard, day in and day out. If each of you will live up to this Principle standard, then already there are more than enough people here.
Those who are determined to live up to that standard raise your hands. Then please be confident that your fist will have enough power and your muscle enough strength to accomplish it, as long as you are willing.
God bless you.
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