Yankee Stadium

1976.6.1
Yankee Stadium

I'm sitting here in the lower level of Yankee Stadium, trying to just take it all in. It's very early in the morning and my mission, as it was yesterday, is security. The rally won't happen until tonight. So as I sit here I will try to get caught up in my journal.

I can't help but wonder what is the real meaning of Yankee Stadium? What does HF think and look for from this event? It means so many things on so many levels. I guess most important is it represents the top of the growth stage of the messiah's mission on the world-wide level, or perhaps it's the national level. Anyway, it's the point in the career of Jesus where he was betrayed and finally crucified. It's so difficult to really understand or appreciate. Sitting in this seat I'm in the same position as the disciples who fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane. So we must indemnify that failure by staying awake and guarding the stadium from saboteurs. Today will either be a day of glory or a day of tragedy.

The stage, which we watched them build yesterday, is in the shape of a cross. It will either be a throne for Father or the site of his crucifixion. We're told there have been many threats on his life and he has requested strict security. So all the MFT brothers have been chosen for this mission. Mr. Kamiyama said that he can only really trust MFT. I guess they figure a Communist infiltrator could never last more than a month on MFT, which makes sense to me.

We received our assignment the day before yesterday and they put us on special security teams. My captain's name is Paul Valin. He strongly resembles Greg Caputo. I told him I was on the sixth day of a seven-day fast. He thought about it for a minute, then asked me to break it. He said he didn't want me weak or spaced out when there were so many possible threats. He said that I would not really be breaking the condition because it was for a higher purpose. But I was hesitant to end my fast early. I only had seven hours to go. So he asked me, "Which is more important? Your fast or Father's life?"

So that sort of convinced me, and after I accepted it I couldn't wait to get something to eat. In my mind I felt I should probably clear it with Captain Yasuda first, since he was my Abel figure, but I didn't know where he was, and besides I was pretty sure he'd say I should unite with Paul, and if Paul said to break the fast I should. Anyway, I rationalized that I didn't need Captain Yasuda's permission to break my fast since Paul, my temporary Abel, asked me to. So I immediately headed over to McDonald's and ordered a Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries and a chocolate milkshake, because I had been craving chocolate milk more than anything.

I've always been told that breaking a long fast had to be done carefully and slowly, usually nothing stronger than miso soup. But I felt no ill effects from the Quarter Pounder, except I was a little sad the fast was over. I really had been looking forward to going the whole seven days, and I had been so close. Anyway, too late to do anything about it now.

Yesterday we came to the stadium and each person was assigned a section of seats to be responsible to watch. Of course, there was no one here except people building the stage and rigging giant bags full of balloons. But I understood it was more of a spiritual condition, just like when Jesus asked the three disciples to pray for one hour but instead they fell asleep. So the idea was to observe the activities and to meditate upon the significance of Yankee Stadium and above all stay awake.

Actually, it's too mind boggling to think about. Important Korean leaders of the Unification Church in Seoul and people like Lady Dr. Kim have been here to perform various rituals like driving around the stadium seven times, sprinkling holy salt. We finally left to go back to the World Mission Center about 8:30 pm to eat and get a little rest, but we had to come back at 1 am to keep watch until morning. It's been a struggle, but I've managed to stay awake. There's not a whole lot to do but just pray and set a good spiritual atmosphere.

Quite frankly, it will probably be a zoo tonight. Or so they say, based on past rallies. I really hope this one is different. I'm praying this will be a holy event, that people who come will see Reverend Moon and they will understand he is the messiah. I have half a notion that the sky will open up and there will be some sort of miracle that everyone will witness, like when John the Baptist saw the dove descend on Jesus in the Jordan River and he heard the voice of God say, "This is my son, with whom I am well pleased." If only people, especially Christians, would just give Father a chance.

It is now 5:30 am. What happens about 12 hours from now will alter the entire course of human history, but which way only God knows.