The New Jersey program was held in Hopewell Baptist Church in Newark, a very large church that's respected throughout the state and the nation. Rev. Levy Daugherty, Secretary General of ACLC, led the program as emcee. As a guiding light, Rev. Daugherty helped set the stage for all of us to come together. The program was truly an event that all people of faith would love. We were touched to have Mzuri perform so beautifully. She is an actress who has performed in "Sankofa" and she lifted our hearts and brought unity.

A very prominent local official came and greeted True Mother and also welcomed the distinguished gathering of Ambassadors for Peace, clergy and community leaders to the event. The New Jersey affair was very well attended by civic leaders from many different political perspectives. Ambassadors for Peace were appointed early in the program and included state senators and mayors. Truly the efforts of Ambassadors for Peace and of the clergy have created the mainstreaming of our movement in this area.

Hopewell's pastor, Rev. Dr. Jason Guice, gave welcoming remarks and testified how he has stood with Rev. Moon even from the time he was a pastor in Tarrytown, New York, years ago. When Rev. Moon first came, Dr. Guice was shocked at the amount of criticism and rejection he received. It reminded him of what it must have been like when Jesus was doing his work. Later Dr. Guice moved to New Jersey and was always a good friend. Just recently he's taken a more prominent role in the ACLC, joining together with the former state president of the NJ Baptist Convention, Rev. Elton T. Byrd. Some of the most prominent clergy are standing with the ACLC and the blessing movement. Dr. Guice testified that truly Father's teaching is blessed by God, a teaching that will strengthen and develop the family.

Rev. Dairo Ferraboli, coordinator of ACLC in New Jersey, mobilized heaven and earth, and the clergy came out as never before. Having the blessing program in a church like this was most appropriate because it's a holy space. Because of Rev. Guice's and Rev. Ferraboli's work, clearly our movement there has gone beyond the boundaries. There was a feeling that this movement for the blessing was for all faiths. Dr. Dawoud Assad and Imam Ameer Pasha Salahuddin were among the Muslim leaders well known in New Jersey who understand that the blessing is beyond the boundaries of religion and it is from God for all people.

Rev. Dr. James P. Page gave the invocation for the event. A state senator received strong applause as he testified that cooperation between the religious community and elected officials is crucial to strengthening and improving our community. Rev. Kwak and Dr. Yang spoke, and then Hyun Jin nim took the podium. There was overwhelming support from young people in the audience. As they followed the speech, they would shout in emphasis of certain statements, such as "where there's a will there's a way, especially when it's the will of God." This excited the whole audience, as the feeling of youth taking ownership of the family and blessing movement is most inspiring.

Hyun Jin nim spoke with great power. Again, Archbishop Stallings got excited because the son is inheriting the vision and spirit of his father. As Hyun Jin nim speaks, he resonates with the words, and the feeling is growing that a new movement has emerged in America, one that covers all generations.

"Respected leaders! Our bondage to the lineage of Satan has caused so much suffering throughout history. Let us now boldly step forth to sever it and be grafted onto the root of the lineage of the True Parents. Why should we foolishly continue to live and die as wild olive trees? A wild olive, even if it lives for 1,000 years, will only continue producing the seeds of more wild olive trees. Where can we find the path to escape this vicious cycle? It is through the Holy Blessing. The Holy Blessing Ceremony offers the grace of being grafted onto the true olive tree. It was instituted by the True Parents, who bring God's true lineage to humankind. Once you change your lineage to God's lineage, your offspring will belong to God's lineage naturally."

Again ___ performed beautifully, and then True Mother came on stage. Her presence is very powerful and yet always brings the greatest dignity and a sense of heart and love. Although she and Father bring many of the same qualities, certainly Mother comes bringing a mother's love, which is very different from that of the father. Somehow through True Mother love, incredible unity, and transition are occurring. So many walls are coming down.

The blessing came after True Mother's speech, and again it was just an overwhelming outpouring of couples from all races and religions -- Hispanic, youth, families, Muslims, Christians standing together, holding hands, receiving the prayer of blessing from True Mother and Hyun Jin nim. The blessing is now being given on three stages. First, rebirth, which means a special blessing for babies in the womb. They will be anointed and cared for and protected by God. Then resurrection, from birth to 18 years old, meaning all youth will receive a special blessing of protection and engrafting into the Tree of Life by this ceremony. Third, eternal life, from age 18 to the time you go to spirit world. This means a new dispensation has begun where even individuals can change blood lineage and be engrafted. Still they must complete the blessing process to become true parents and part of the true olive tree, but the engrafting process severs them from Satan's accusation that he has a claim on their future children

Many people who never were able to attend our events before are now attending. Some kind of spiritual phenomena has occurred wherein walls that once were impossible to overcome have now been dissolved and the people are flooding through the gates. It was so beautiful to see Mother delivering this message of love and also to see representatives of the Newark police with their spouses, representatives of the various branches of the military with their spouses, many educators and professors there. The message is rich and is so well-developed that it communicates profound understanding that we are entering a new age in history, an age when religions must cooperate and live together as one. Through this unity the problems of our communities can be addressed and solved.

Mother emphasizes so deeply that love is the most powerful force and is what binds us together with God. She also clearly explains the purpose of marriage. She states, "Why should we get married? It is to restore the position of an owner. A man or woman alone can only be one half of the whole. That is how God created us. For that reason, He has interchanged the owners of the reproductive organs, the love organs. The owner of the wife's organ is the husband, the owner of the husband's organ is the wife. Only when each is rooted in love for the other can they stand in the position of owner of their spouse. We marry to secure this position of the owner. What are we trying to achieve by restoring the position of the owner? It is to fulfill and embody God's love from that position."

Archbishop Stallings and Rev. Jesse Edwards, along with Rev. Daugherty and Rev. Cotter, have been representing the Family Church movement as well as the ACLC movement, attending Mother throughout the tour. Dr. Hyun Jin Moon and True Mother were so moved that Rev. Edwards and Archbishop Stallings would attend every program. They are not always speakers on the program, but simply there to meet the clergy and help them understand.

In New Jersey Rev. Edwards gave the call to action, and a new dimension of the Holy Spirit was revealed. We can see a blessing movement is being started that will cover all humanity. Rev. Edwards stated that the answer to our problems is not bigger prisons, or more money to fight drugs. The answer is that every family must be blessed and become whole as God's temple.

The program ended with great fanfare and joy as we all sang together, "Peace, Shalom, Salaam Aleikum," blessing Muslims, Christians and Jews on the stage of history.

MWJ

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