First, the Power of God. God is most definitely alive (and well), and He lives in the Holy Land. I use the word "Holy Land" intentionally. In developing the language for the banner, at first we printed "Israel," but that irritated our Palestinian friends. Then we used "Israel & Palestine," but that meant we were taking a stand, that we prefer a two state solution to the conflict. Our mission is to tear down walls, not add bricks to existing walls. Abraham¹s descendants should co-exist and co-harmonize, therefore the best answer is to say "Holy Land."

Remember in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," when talking about the Ark of the Covenant, they said it was a radio to God. That¹s what everyone unanimously feels when they come to the Holy Land. The power of God can be felt in the historic sites and archeological ruins, the Western Wall, the Al Aksa Mosque, etc. God is here, and He¹s just waiting to talk to us.

Some of the historic sites are controversial, for example, they don¹t know precisely where Jesus was crucified, but it really doesn¹t matter because for hundreds of years faithful pilgrims have shed tears, prayed, and experienced miracles at these sites, so all the sites are overflowing with holy spirit!

Second, the Power Struggle between God & Satan. Traditionally, the West deals with problems in two ways ­ money and military, and the quicker the solution the better.

The Principle explains the problem in the Middle East not in political, economic, or military terms. The root cause is spiritual. Restoration has to take place between the descendants of Abraham, the two estranged half brothers.

Americans, in general, are inclined to support Israel, but when I got here, I discovered there exists another side of the story. The truth is that if you spend the day with an Israeli Jew, then after awhile, you would say, "You are right, the Arabs are wrong." And if you then spend the day with the Israeli Arabs, after awhile, you would say, "you are right, the Israeli Jews are wrong." The issues are very complex and both sides have legitimate grievances. Both sides are right AND both sides are wrong. There is so much emotion, and so much blood has been shed that neither side can see the issues clearly.

They¹ve forgotten what¹s the benchmark or the standard of right and wrong. For example, in the middle ear there is a delicate mechanism that allows us to maintain our balance. The first American into space was Alan Shephard in 1961. Two years later he had an accident in his own bathroom where he slipped, hit his head and upset the middle ear. He could no longer maintain his balance. Corrective surgery was needed. Just as our bodies need a balance mechanism, so does our mind and spirit. Presently, the Middle East has no such balance. That¹s where the Divine Principle comes in. DP is the framework, and the only paradigm to make any sense out of the situation.

Third, the answer is reconciliation. On one level it¹s very complicated but on another it¹s very simple. It¹s complicated because on September 11, 2001, the descendants of Ishmael murdered over 3,000 Americans and people from over 80 other countries in the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

I got to know some Palestinians very well. One fellow in particular, Asaad from the travel agency, has 3 beautiful children. Everyday he has to drive them 1 hour to school not because the facility is far away, but because they have to pass through a check point. The Wall was constructed only 3 blocks from his home. He¹s angry as hell, he told me, but he and his wife try not to show it in front of the children. This is the parents¹ heart. He doesn¹t want them to grow up with resentment. They plan to relocate to Australia so the children can grow up without feeling like second-class citizens.

A new strategy of peace must emerge. We promote restoration, but restoration doesn¹t mean compromise, indifference, or tolerance. Reconciliation is starting from scratch and re-creating.

I had an experience that brought that lesson home. There was one brother on the staff who frankly I had some difficulty with. His character was very prickly and difficult to work with. After a few weeks he was ready to go home. I said, "fine, I¹ll drive you to the airport." But to my surprise, one of the leaders brought him on board as his assistant, and in the end, he did a great job. It was a total win-win situation. This is the meaning of reconciliation.

Once I dropped my concept about this brother, the wall that I myself had built, and viewed him from God¹s point of view, I "discovered" his value. This was the beginning of reconciliation. This is what the Arabs and the Jews have to do. They have to drop their concepts, tear down the wall, and see each other from Heaven¹s point of view. The Arabs have to realize the Jews have value, and the Jews have to realize that the Arabs have value. This is reconciliation. Both cultures can offer enormous contributions for the betterment of the WHOLE society.

It¹s the classic King Solomon situation where two women claimed the same child. The King ordered the baby be cut in half. It was the true birth mother who gave up her claim so the baby might live no matter who got the credit as the mother. What¹s important is not the survival of the Jewish culture or the Muslim culture or even the Christian culture. What¹s important is the survival and prosperity of God¹s culture. It¹s time to let go.

Fourth, the power of True Love. News came of Pres. Arafat¹s passing early Nov. 11. Our group drove to Ramallah (30-minutes from Jerusalem) and arrived midday, including: Rev. Michael Jenkins, Israel NM Dr. Masatoshi Abe, Africa Continental Director Rev. Sang Jin Lee, Antonio Betancourt, myself, the film crew, Philip Schanker, Simon Kinney and Peter Lewis, and photographer Ken Owens.

We were allowed to enter the central headquarters because we were guests of a member of the executive committee of the PLO and key advisor to the late President. His son was our guide. It was a difficult journey through a mass of people trying to get in. In total, more than a half a million people assembled and if it wasn¹t for the fact that the check-point gates were closed by the Israelis, probably 2 million would¹ve been present which this place would have been impossible to accommodate.

Because Dr. Yang and Rev. Jenkins have invested so much love into our contacts we were allowed into the inner chambers. At the funeral, we passed through the receiving line and met the "who¹s who" of Palestine and Israel. We were even interviewed by a reporter from the New York Times! Rev. Jenkins told the report, "We¹re here to pray for the president, for the people of Palestine, for the Jewish people and for unity." He explained that the IIFWP was founded by Rev. & Mrs. Sun Myung Moon.

Out of the most wildest experience I could¹ve imagined, an article appeared the next day in the NY Times quoting Rev. Jenkins. The U.S. administration and the entire world want access to the new Palestinian administration, yet heaven put us right smack on the front line and printed the story in the most widely read newspaper in the world!!

Under the most unexpected circumstances, we made heartistic contact with the interim president, the prime minister, and all of the leaders of the provisional government. We met all the patriarchs of the different Christian religions in Jerusalem. Many were crying and sobbing. There was one European government official who cried openly on Antonio¹s shoulders.

We really didn¹t have credentials like the ambassadors or government ministers, but what we did have was a heartistic connection and bond with Pres. Arafat and his people. It was through the power of true love that the doors opened wide.

Fifth, the power of a kiss. In Ramallah with guns blasting, I watched Rev. Jenkins and Antonio open doors and pass guards by smiling and embracing each one with a kiss. Middle Eastern men kiss each other on the cheeks several times. It is the great equalizer between an ordinary taxi driver and an educated statesmen. The guards never questioned us. How could you doubt someone who comes up and kisses you on both cheeks? When Jacob offered up all his possessions to Esau, surely his brother¹s heart was touched, but what really won his soul was his total unconditional love. With Rev. Jenkins and Antonio leading the way, I just followed along kissing everyone one by one.

Conclusion: Father gave direction for each continent to send high-level delegations to the Holy Land, and upon the successful completion of that condition, the president of Palestine was invited into the spirit world and given the mission as, "Spiritual Ambassador for Peace." As we¹ve heard Father say, "America belongs to the one who loves it the most." It¹s the same with the Holy Land. If we continue to bring our best contacts, the ambassadors for peace, if we show the Jews and Palestinians that we unconditionally love this land beyond politics, race, and religion, then heaven will work and ultimately bring peace to the Holy Land.

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