Session 7 - My Family Is the Hope of the Future

ICEBREAKER:

Break up into groups of two or three to discuss the following statement:

My hopes and dreams for my family are _____________________________.
(Take ten minutes total for this sharing.)

Tell the group about your experience with your action step from our last session.

READINGS:

Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.”
(Genesis 1:28)

Because you have done this [Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac], I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.
(Genesis 22: 15–18)

God knows that a selfish relationship is self-destructive. Nothing can flourish based on selfishness. Selfishness eventually leads to self-extinction. God knows that an eternal and prospering relationship can never come about through selfish taking. So God built the universe upon the principle of unselfishness. God created everything in this universe to be complementary. Everything is made for others.

The ideal husband and wife live for each other. Their children will live for each others’ sake. The family will live for the society, the society for the nation and the nation for the whole world.
(Rev. Sun Myung Moon)

When there is oneness in the individual, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is unity in the village. When there is unity in the village there is stability in the nation. When there is stability in the nation there is peace in the world.
(Confucius)

True parents do not tell their children, “Once you become children of true filial piety, do not become loyal citizens.” True parents should teach children of filial piety to sacrifice their family by following the way of a loyal citizen in service to the nation, and to sacrifice the nation to fulfill the way of saints in service to the world. Then parents should teach their children to sacrifice the world in service to Heaven and Earth, and to sacrifice Heaven and Earth to come to God. In short, “Living for the Sake of Others” is the root of the family, society, nation, world and Cosmos.
(Rev. Sun Myung Moon, June 16, 1997)

As it says in Proverbs, “Without vision, the people perish.” All families need a sense of mission. Without this in a family, the opposite will take place -- no mental creation, no envisioning for the future. Just to let life happen, to be swept along with the flow of society’s values and trends without having any vision or purpose of our own.
(Steven Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families)

Everything that I am speaking of comes down to one simple word: harmony. The ideal world is not a world of uniformity and regimentation, but a world of harmony in which each person plays a distinctive role. Here we are, white people, yellow people, and black people, products of the things that have happened to our ancestors. Though we all started from common ancestors, we have discriminated among ourselves, and divided into many streams.

In the sight of God, there is no such thing as Orientals, whites, and blacks. Just think of the different colors -- they are only our various complexions. Underneath, we come from the same God. Be proud of what you are. We are all God’s children; we are brothers and sisters in God’s family. If your hope is that the entire world can be embraced in your arms, then you have the right idea.
(Rev. Sun Myung Moon)

DISCUSSION:

(Consider which ones you have time for)

Remember a time when you were proud of your family, either in your childhood or presently.

Have you ever thought that your family is actually responsible for building a better world? What does this mean to you? How will you live by this idea?

The readings indicate that making a better community, nation, and world actually starts at home. How have you seen this to be true in your life? You may use painful examples as well as hopeful ones.

In very practical examples, discuss what your family can contribute to making a better community, nation, and world.

As we conclude this group, write a reflection for a few minutes on what you have learned about yourself, and hone in on one key idea that you can use to improve your life.

Reflection: (Use other side if needed) ______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Key idea: ____________________________________________________________

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ACTION STEP:

Review the six action steps you committed to during this study. Which one stands out to you as the most important; the one needing your most dedicated attention. As we end this study, commit below to further action in this area: