The Words of the Durst Family
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The Words of the Durst Family |
The first meeting of the home church department following the Unification home church convention featured a new movie, entitled "People of the Quest," words by Dr. Mose Durst and testimonies. Here speaking for the American headquarters, on the vision of his work is the President of the Unification Church of America.
Our goal in the public affairs department the last two years was to make available a good booklet, a good pamphlet, a good film, and (soon) a good book. Our goal is to show the church from the inside, the true story of the Unification Church.
Our purpose is to fulfill a need -- to introduce the church to the American public in a way that they can really receive and embrace our True Parents and to embrace all of our activities, and to allow the public in this country to appreciate all that our Father has done, to see the range of projects and to see the kind of inspiration that he has been to us. Hopefully the film fulfills those needs.
Counting the ticket stubs, we know that we had about 2000 guests this year, and we have a goal of 30,000 next year.
Our family was inspired, and that was what inspired me most -- to see our brothers and sisters going around ooh'ing and aah'ing at all the things that we are doing. We need to witness to each other. There is a saying about "Don't preach to the converted," but there is another that says, "Always preach to the converted."
Brothers and sister really gave their best and we could see by the quality of the booths and the displays the kind of investment they gave. It was really an inspiring experience for me.
They key thing to remember is that we are no longer concentrating on single events. The spiritual foundation has been set. Now our purpose in the children's course is to bring to fruition all the spiritual conditions which we've done.
Now we must build a fruitful home church community, on a personal level, with our wives and husbands, then on a district level and then with the 50 districts coming together.
The effect we have brought this year can be multiplied many times over if we can truly, diligently work each day at loving the community. Our life is a life of love. Indemnity just means loving people even when they don't respond. To me it comes down to that. Since I'm a simple fellow, it comes down to just loving people, and then you can find out who's Cain and who's Abel. I was never really good at that part, anyway.
The part of just getting out there and making it happen is really what we have to do.
We inspired the people and the speakers who participated, and certainly I was inspired! It's great to have an experience -- seeing all the exhibits of our activities was really wonderful.
There were a hundred ways for people to connect to us. Even if they didn't find one single thing here to connect with, we certainly have a beautiful physical space here in the World Mission Center that we can share with them. Maybe next year we can encourage many of the home church people themselves to have booths. We can let them get more involved next year. Let them inspire us. We want to be inspired too, that is what we are living for. We live for that spirit to come into us. If anybody has more spirit than we've got, then let them come; I never get negative when people want to love me.
Father has told us many times that if we can maintain our own inspiration then there's no problem. People persecute us; we will prosper. If they accept us, we will prosper. The only way we lose is if we lose our faith.
Prayer (devotion), study and active service: these are the three hallmarks of every great religion, and we must come on the foundation of the great religions. Prayer is the key to success in our home church work. We have to be serious in our devotion to home church work. Our laughter is just a way to keep the seriousness going.
Some significant people from the New York area have spoken at both the Prayer Breakfast and at our home church convention. This is a sign that our credibility is improving. Watch for a turnaround in the next few months. Everything depends on our work in home church area. "Ask not what the Unification Church is doing for you; ask what you are doing for your home church area."
Don't worry about how the leaders are doing, and whether or not they are as good as you want them to be. Redeem us if you think we are not as good as you want us to be, by accomplishing more. That is the best way.
Read St. Paul. Love the people in the faith, just show them by your example how they can be inspired and redeemed.
So often the Principle, for me, comes down to two words, "Redemptive Love." And that's what we have to do, redeem each other by our loving example.