God has shown His will through two things -- through the creation, and through history. All that God created, man included, exists under a certain law. Nothing that goes against this law will be able to exist. Father has defined that law in one phrase: living for the sake of others. The heavenly law is that one should live for the sake of others. If we disobey that law of basic existence, we cannot exist. This is God's law, which resides within creation.

We also have a second teacher -- history. By history we mean history within God's realm of victory. God breathes and exists within history. At times, He has appeared as a pillar of cloud or as fire. At other times, He is invisible, like darkness. There is a time of silence when we do not know if God exists or not. The Principle defines this as a period of indemnity. Yet God is alive regardless of whether He replies or not. God's silence is yet another language of God, though without words. In language, there are many means of communication, including our expressions, signals we make with our eyes, the tears we shed and our smiles. In the same way, silence is also a language. When we are displeased, we don't say anything. This explicitly conveys the fact that we are not pleased. A smile expresses that we feel good. Consequently, even silence is God's language.

God is alive in history. He has existed throughout history. History teaches us important lessons. Yet, what event had the greatest impact on history? Countless things are done by numerous people in diverse fields -- politics, economics, culture... There were many events yesterday and the day before, a year ago, ten years ago, 100 years and even 1,000 years ago. Yet what event stands out above all of these events as the greatest in history? Some would say it was the birth of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. Yet, when we look objectively at the birth of Jesus, it does not appear to be a great event at all.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus' birth and life seemed truly insignificant. Jesus was supposedly born in a stable in Bethlehem in a small nation called Israel; he worked as a carpenter for thirty years, had a public ministry for three years, ate and drank with fishermen, tax collectors and harlots, and died next to robbers. He was not killed because of his messianic status. His death was not one to save this world. He was killed as a criminal next to robbers. That was all. That was his thirty-three years of life.

Who would have ever thought that this insignificant life would have a greater influence than Rome, in all its splendor? Who would have given attributed any significance to the life of the harlot, Mary Magdalene, or to Lazarus? Who would have noted the significance of their existence or recognized their historic value? The Bible talks about chaff and grain. There are people that remain in the annals of history and people that disappear from history. There are those who are remembered and those who are forgotten.

But in the end who has remained? These lowly people, who were not treated with respect in their lives, caught the attention of God and were able to meet Jesus. They felt comfortable with Jesus because, like him, they were also persecuted. Don't we all like people that we feel comfortable with? Maybe Jesus felt free and comfortable among those people, as well. In any case, he probably felt that he was similar to them.

The fact is, these people are remembered in history.

The same is true today. Who will remain in history, and what event will have the most influence in history? In all of history, how did Jesus, though insignificant in worldly terms, end up the man who had the greatest impact on history? Why is it that a great power like Rome gradually lost influence and ceased to be an empire, while the Christian community, small as it was back then, gradually increased and prospered and remains an influence in the direction that history will take? There are three answers to this question. Chaff is burned away and the grain remains. There are three ways to qualify as grain.

The first has to do with our original essence. We all have an original essence. If we lose that original essence, we lose life. What is that original essence? Original essence is eternal. It doesn't change. Jesus' works two thousand years ago, though not recognized by many people then, did not deviate from their original essence.

Father says that even God follows the law. In other words, God does not break the laws He sets up. If God in His almightiness were to change the laws He had established, His authority would be lost. Father has asked, "Where does the authority of God, the absolute being, lie?" He answered, "Although Satan has snatched life away from God, and though extreme sadness and anger remains, God cannot abandon the original essence called love." This means that if God had abandoned love, His authority would have disappeared. Were He to lose His original essence, even God would lose His authority. The reason Jesus' works have been remembered to this day, and exerted such great influence on history is that he never abandoned his original essence.

Dear members, what is our original essence? What is the original essence of the Unification Church? This morning while we were reciting the pledge, many thoughts went through my mind. We have faced many difficulties. We were not well prepared during the pioneering days. We were lonely and cold amidst persecution, yet we were filled with hope. The words "God's will" created a wave of inspiration deep within our hearts -- and behind all this was the "original essence."

My definition of original essence is heart [shim-jung], fellowship and a sense of common bond within the providence. These things made us who we are. The Christian church and other religions couldn't bend us. We found self-respect and hope, and a vision for the future. Though we were often in the dark, we were always able to find hope. That was because we were filled with the original essence. We were filled with the belief that God's will shall be fulfilled. God's will is eternal, and though the truth may not yet have been completely revealed, the truth is eternal. Today, this feeling may have been diluted. Yet, though we may be suffering, and feel hurt, this deep-rooted original essence is still within us. True Parents have never wavered.

On March 23, they were crowned king and queen of peace, in America. Father spoke to those gathered that day. At the end of his speech, almost in tears, he said, "I will continue to work harder than anyone else until the day the earth overflows with God's true families, guns in the Middle East fall silent and give way to fireworks of peace and joy, and shouts of "mansei" celebrating the unification of my homeland Korea echo across the Pacific to be heard in America."

Dear members, I ask that you look again at the video of that event. Firm resolution can be seen on the faces of members and non-members alike. Father has been unchanging on the path he has been forging throughout his life, from his time in Hungnam prison fifty years ago until after his being acknowledged as the king of peace. Father also has mentioned that on the path of restoration through indemnity many of True Parents' family members have died away from home. It was because this was the providence of restoration through indemnity. Father has said that he was constantly aware of that path. His philosophy of life is to be determined to continue, until the end of his earthly life, to work to establish God's tradition in the wilderness. Father has led a life centered on this core essence, a life that has never wavered. Whether a person is rich or poor, whether he's a simple member or a national leader, whether he has a public mission or not -- this essential content is the essence of our life.

The second way to qualify as "grain" and not be thrown away has to do with conviction and vision for the future. The message Jesus gave two thousand years ago initiated a revolutionary change. Jesus taught about a God of love to the Jews who only knew God as a God of law and judgment. The fact that God is a God of love can be easily talked about today, yet at that time it was a revolutionary message. How easy it is to say, "I do my Father's work." Yet it was because of such a simple phrase that Jesus was killed. At that time, it was a revolutionary declaration, a bombshell. At that time, God was not called "Father." Amidst revolutionary challenges and struggles, Jesus gave mankind a vision for the future saying, "The kingdom of God is at hand." Thus, an act with eternal effect -- an event that can affect mankind for eternity -- must be done by someone who does it in line with a clear vision for the future.

Dear members, where can we find a vision for the future nowadays? Can we find it in politics? In economics? Is anyone presenting a vision for the future? Can it be found in religion? No, it cannot. Which religion has a vision for the future? Yet among all religious and political leaders, who has not cried out for peace? They have all had that dream, but they have not been able to offer a solid vision for making that dream a reality. They have declared, "It's impossible. Mankind's eternal dream is peace, but peace cannot be realized."

What about us? We are presenting a vision to the people of the world that can dissolve all national boundaries and transcend religion, race and nationality on every level. True Parents have given us the ageless truth. We are putting this truth into action. Thus, the work we do now is offering an ultimate answer for this age, as did Jesus' message two thousand years ago. We have been enlightened as to how man should live, and what ultimate happiness is.

The third reason that Jesus' life was able to exert everlasting influence was that two thousand years ago he taught people about the spirit world. The Old Testament doesn't offer much understanding about the spiritual world. The New Testament, however, deals more with the concept of the spirit world. Jesus showed the people of his time many spiritual works. The same can be said of this age.

What is the blind spot of this age? There is a lack of spiritual values and belief in matters pertaining to the spiritual world. True Parents have put it in simple terms: No matter whom you meet, the only thing you need to change them is an understanding of the spiritual world.

Clearly, the providential situation today has reached a climax. This is an amazing time when a new lineage of goodness has arrived on earth in the name of the king of peace and the banner of Cheon Il Guk. This is reality. We should have even greater hope, because we are the central personages of this age. Yet, it is evident that we have lost our spirit somewhat. In the past, though we were few, love was burning within us. Now we have grown in number, but our passion and love have cooled.

It is now autumn, the season to put ourselves in order once more. Though we face trials, God has taught us many things. In particular, He has shown us the heavenly law present in creation and in history. We must not lose the essence of our lives. If we can find a vision for the future, we can become great people. If we are confident spiritually, there is nothing in this world for us to envy. Yet if we lose this vision, we will waver and lose direction. Thus, we must never be swayed in any situation.

Please, engrave in your hearts that the time has come for us to once more open our eyes and fill ourselves up with an awareness of the providence.

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