The Words of the Macijeski Family
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The Words of the Macijeski Family |
The refrain of this old Christian hymn* offers perhaps the best description of the present providential period in America. The words are drawn from the ninth chapter of Matthew: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest"
At the close of his speech at the God and Freedom Banquet on August 20, 1985, Father made a powerful call for a great new religious awakening to sweep across America.
"Christianity must repent with great anguish, and must unite.... We must fulfill the world mission which God has bestowed upon us. Without question, America must change. A new religious reformation must take place. Christianity must transcend denominationalism and ascend to a higher dimension. We must realize and consider seriously the mission of Christianity to lead a supra-denominational, cultural revolution on a worldwide scale.
Why do these words stir something within me? Perhaps because they help to clarify in my own mind what is really happening on a spiritual level in America today. In many local meetings with devoted Christians in recent months, I have sensed a longing for revival, in the deepest sense of the word. One woman who runs a Christian bookstore in a little Vermont town told me, "My husband [a minister] and I have been having weekly fellowship meetings in our home. We are praying for God's guidance, and for revival." I feel that she did not mean revival just for their little prayer group.
Many of the more spiritually-oriented, conservative leaders we've been working with here in New England have also testified to the heartfelt need for a "coming together" of all the different patriotic movements in the area, and they have even initiated several intergroup networks toward that end. Are these the signs of God's spirit at work behind the scenes, on a grassroots level, in all the little corners of our nation? I believe they are.
The Outline of the Principle, Level 4 describes the phenomenon of a third religious reformation and its significance (pages 283-4 in the pocket-size version). According to the Principle, this is the final stage of restoration, leading directly into the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. I would infer that this is the condition necessary for the victory of the Abel side in the Third World War. In other words, if Christianity, as the guiding spirit of the free world, can unite with God's will for the new age, grow to a more powerful internal standard than ever before, and bring about this third religious reformation, then the internal, substantial condition for the free world's victory in the Third World War will be accomplished. From this point of view, the success of this great revival -- the third religious reformation -- is of the utmost importance.
The emphasis on such a revival, or reformation, in Father's own speeches reinforces this conclusion. Therefore, it would make sense that God Himself and all the Abel-type spirit world would be focusing on this goal. It is my strong conviction, based on observations and experiences such as those I've already mentioned, that this is indeed happening -- right now! Righteous, sincere people all over America, especially Christians, are getting revelations, dreams, and inspirations that Christianity must unite and ascend to a higher level. They have some vague feeling or premonition that a providential moment of destiny is upon them; many recognize that these are the Last Days. What these phenomena mean is that God Himself is preparing the harvest: He is nurturing and raising up the crops. Christians all over America are prepared to meet the Lord.
It is no accident that Father has called for a nationwide prayer condition at this critical time. I feel this to my bones. We desperately need a new beginning in our movement in America. Why? Because it is we, the Unification Church members of America, who will decide the success or failure of this great new religious reformation. Yes, we humble little Moonies actually hold the destiny of America. Think for a moment: What is our movement, really? Is it simply an interdenominational or revival movement? No. First and foremost we are the followers of the Messiah. What is our Father's goal? It is God's own ultimate goal -- the salvation of the world. Father is living and working for this goal 24 hours a day. So then, know it or not, like it or not, the goal of our movement must be the same: working with Father to fulfill God's will -- the salvation of the world.
This places us in a very special providential position. We are not just humble little Moonies after all. We are not just some group of sincere, dedicated people who are sort of following a religious lifestyle, largely separated from the world around us. We are the reapers! In God's eyes, we represent the True Parents; we are their disciples and their ambassadors to the world. Therefore, who is in the position to lead this ultimate religious revival for the rebirth of the free world? We are. It is we who are in the position to encourage, lead, and teach the many great Christian leaders God is raising up at this time. From whom but us can they receive the message God has been waiting so long to give them, through the spirit and guidance of our True Parents? For whom has Father been educating and nurturing us so patiently all these years? For our own sake? Of course not. God always raises Abel for the sake of Cain. Now is the time when we must share the priceless gift we have been given. We are the reapers!
Jesus' disciples were nobody special to begin with, but they became the most significant historical figures of that time because they were God's reapers. They were the ones who responded and gathered in God's harvest for the new age. How desperately He needed them! Without the humble efforts of Peter and Paul and the others, mankind would never have known Jesus' message, nor heard the precious testimonies of his love. God used those beautiful and faithful men for His most precious task, and today He needs reapers again.
We are facing the ultimate challenge of our faith: Can we stand as Father's representatives before the leaders of the free world? This is our solemn and awesome task, for which I'm sure not one of us feels qualified. How can we stand? In the section of the principle entitled, Lessons learned from Adam's family;' there is a phrase which has given me a great deal of hope over the years: 'Any fallen man can accomplish God's will when he can find an Abel-type person and obey him in complete surrender:' We don't represent ourselves; we stand for our True Parents and even for God Himself. If we stand as David did of old, in the name of God, then God's power will fill us, and no Goliath will be able to stand before us! As our dear elder brother Dr. Bo Hi Pak likes to say, "God plus one is a majority.'
We are God's reapers for this cosmic age. It is my fervent prayer that more and more of our brothers and sisters, especially blessed couples, can awaken to a new awareness of the great mission at hand for us, to share True Parents' message, heart, and spirit with the Christian leadership of this land, and to labor with God to foster a new religious reformation.
The local Unification churches throughout America are especially important in this task. Father is trying to give his love and blessing to America. The pipeline of blessing runs from the True Parents through the elder blessed couples to the different levels of leadership, and ultimately down to the local churches. It is important for the American members to establish deep and constant relationships with each other, and the main place for us to do this is obviously in our local centers. Only through unity can we be a living witness to the heart of our movement.
Life in a small center can be very challenging, especially for those with families, but I strongly believe that that is where the elder members of our church belong. I have three young children myself; I am aware of the difficulties. But I also have had many experiences in which God took care of my family when I was unable to care for them myself. Through our blessed families, Americans must find hope. If we do not share our families with them in the community, where else can Americans learn about true families?
There is a quote from The Way of God's Will which I can never forget: "The agony of history is that those who have do not give and that those who have learned do not teach and show:" As disciples of Christ, this is our inescapable destiny. It is a fearful task indeed, but let us not allow fear of failure to deter us. God in His mercy will always love us; He will surely not love us any less for attempting something very difficult and faltering. He must certainly prefer that to having us not try at all.
We should remember Jesus' immortal words of encouragement: "He who loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). We may find hardship and suffering on the front line, but we will also find Heavenly Father there more deeply than we can find Him anywhere else. Let us work with Him to cultivate the harvest, and be His reapers. Let us experience with Him the beautiful and touching words of Psalm 126, "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!"
* Words by J. O. Thompson.