1) The Cycle of Civilization Zones and the Task Confronting Humanity

If we look back over the history of human civilization, we come to realize that the ancient civilizations all began as tropical civilizations. In other words, the birthplaces of the ancient civilizations were tropical regions. The Mayan, Incan, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Indian, and China's Yellow River civilizations were all ancient civilizations whose birthplaces were the tropics or subtropics. Subsequently, these civilizations moved; but if we ask where they moved, we have to say that they moved into the region of cool-zone civilizations. Our present 20th century civilization undoubtedly belongs among the cool-zone civilizations.

If this is true, how did civilizations begin in the tropics and then move into the cool-zones? If we look at the providence of nature, we can see that spring, summer, autumn, and winter follow one another in order, and even if we look at a single day we can see that it is divided into morning, daytime, evening, and night. If human civilization, therefore, should also have begun as a morning civilization (spring civilization) and then become a daytime civilization (summer civilization), then an evening civilization (autumn civilization), and then a nighttime civilization (winter civilization), why did it begin as a tropical civilization of the summer and daytime and then move into the autumn season of the cool-zone civilizations?

This happened solely because of the fall of the first human ancestors. Because of the fall of the ancestors of humankind, we have suffered unspeakably complex difficulties. As a consequence humans could not help but fall down to the level of savages and primitives. For this reason the human ancestors had no option but to live a primitive way of life in the tropics. Although humankind should have originally begun in the spring climate of a warm zone civilization, it began in a tropical civilization and then moved into the autumn climate of the cool-zone civilizations.

If we ask which civilization will come after the cool-zone civilization of autumn (Western civilization), it is the frigid-zone civilization of winter. Therefore, the north wind from Siberia, the icy cold of the frigid-zone civilization, in other words the breath of Communism, has violently swept over the cool-zone civilization of the 20th century, which is now falling like swirling autumn leaves.

It would be fortunate, therefore, if one fruit of the original ideal being were brought forth in this cool-zone civilization and could create human culture anew and also present an opportunity from which a new history could begin. Tragically, however, this cultural sphere has reached its end without bearing fruit. If one fruit had been brought forth from this 20th-century cool-zone civilization, it would have remained as one seed of life that could have gathered even stronger life force and energy, no matter how cold the winter. Once the winter had passed, it could have sprouted as a shoot of life and blossomed as a flower of the temperate-zone civilization. But the cool-zone civilization of the free world of today has not come to the point of fruition and produced this one fruit, but rather it is lying utterly exhausted beneath the lash and cruel blast of the bitter north wind of Communism. It is imperative that we announce the coming of the end. Therefore, the most urgent task confronting all humankind in the 20th century today is clearly the overcoming of Communism.

If this is the case, as we face the crisis of the cool-zone civilization, where must we search for the true civilization of spring, namely the temperate-zone civilization, which humanity has sought since ancient times? Originally the spring civilization was to have started from the seed of the original ideal being desired by humankind. In other words, where can we find the ideal spring civilization which God and humankind originally desired, God's ideal garden of nature out of which spring's new shoots would sprout, then blossom in the summer season's luxuriant adolescence, and finally bring forth fruit in the autumn season's age of completion? This is quite simply the most important problem facing us today.

We are now welcoming the spring season. When we ask what are the things that like spring, we can first mention the grass and the trees. Then the insects like spring, and after that the birds and animals like it.

Among the animals the one which we can say likes it the best is man. Humankind likes spring and especially welcomes spring even more than the other animals. If we look at the birds twittering on this spring morning we can realize that they are also sensitive to the arrival of spring.

If God exists, when will He welcome the spring? If God created all the things that appear in the spring, when He comes to see them greeting the spring, we can see that He begins to greet the spring at that moment. If we should say that the grass and the trees are the very first to welcome spring, then that is where the first stage of God's welcoming of the spring takes place. Then whenever the insects and such animals as birds come to greet the spring, God also greets the spring. While passing through all these stages, where is the place that God finally desires as the best place to welcome spring?

You all need to know what kinds of phenomena occur in spring. Although spring starts from the moment the plants put forth new shoots, above all it is the time when animals mate and conceive their offspring. By twittering, the birds find their mate. We can know that they are starting to murmur love to one another. The singing of birds on a spring day is for the purpose of making a new start and reproducing new offspring.

In that case we need to think about the moment when God is most joyful. Without doubt God also wanted a place where He could sing together in harmony with His object. The insects are singing. The grass and trees are singing and humans are also singing songs of spring. In that case, although it is a fact that God Himself wants to sing spring songs, it is a serious problem when we think how God can be enabled to sing songs of spring. In the beginning God was unable to welcome the normal spring that He desired. Owing to the fall of man, God was unable to welcome the spring. Throughout past history although spring and summer have come, they have all been sorrowful seasons. Therefore, we must welcome spring again. If we look back over our human history, from the beginning of history we have welcomed sorrowful springs. We have started out not with songs but with tears. This means that the human ancestors Adam and Eve suffered expulsion from the Garden of Eden as a result of the Fall.

Although the ancient civilizations began in a spring climate, because humankind lost its position, they shifted. They then came to be located in the tropical zones. The Egyptian cultural sphere came into being with the onset of the age of agriculture. Ancient civilizations originated along the banks of the River Euphrates.

As such tropical-zone civilizations declined, they moved again and became temperate-zone civilizations. Today's Great Britain, Germany and the United States all belong to the temperate-zone civilizations. They all lie north of the 23rd parallel. This means that they are all approaching the zone of the autumn season civilization. Therefore, at this time everything must bear fruit. All aspects of art, culture, literature, and so on must show their fruits. It is also the moment when philosophy must bear fruit. The democratic world, of course, must bring everything to a conclusion.

Now the age of temperate-zone civilization is passing, and we can see that the time when the frigid-zone civilizations will move the world is coming. Everything is falling apart, as the time has arrived when the democratic world is being threatened by the Communist world centering on the Soviet Union. Withered trees that have lost their life force all get broken, while living trees will preserve themselves.

Because of this, once the frigid-zone civilization has swept by, only two kinds of things will remain in this world of fallen people. Only those things with life already within them and those things containing the seeds of life will remain.

In that case what is the life force of humankind? The root of humankind's life is God. Then the trunk and then the branches form. just like such trees with roots, only people containing the life that belongs to God will remain. Such people will never fall over no matter how hard the wind blows, and finally will be able to overcome the winter. Those things that contain the life force that is able to defeat the winter will undoubtedly survive. If the seeds that fall to the ground are tough, when the winter comes they will freeze and burst open so that in the spring the new shoots can appear through the cracks. The seeds with this kind of life force have the capacity to be able to welcome the spring again. Within the seed are contained the roots and also the trunk, branches, and leaves. We can see that a seed compresses the whole being and concentrates its life force.

When we come to look at the history of human civilization until now, the time when the frigid-zone civilization will sweep over the temperate-zone civilization has undoubtedly arrived. The Communist sphere has expanded into Europe and, of course, even into Africa. The United States is also being threatened. Even though it will be very serious if every continent comes under threat in this way, the new spring will definitely arrive. Because God knows this, He will send the Lord to welcome the new spring. Because God knows that the ideal age is coming, it is reasonable to conclude that He will send a central being who is able to prepare to welcome that age.

The problem confronting all of you today is whether you are becoming the seeds or branches of the living tree. Although that mission seemed to be taken care of by Judaism, because Jesus was nailed to the cross 2,000 years ago Judaism could not accomplish the mission. Although God then wanted the mission to be managed by Christianity, what kind of situation is Christianity in today? This is the problem. If there are gaunt branches, the problem is whether they are living or whether they are all dying. Do you think that Christianity is living? We have to ask ourselves whether the many religions are living.

No matter how broad the base of a tree's trunk may be, if the roots are dying, that tree has no life force. One tree cannot have two trunks. The trunk has to become a truly living one. No matter how much the winter threatens, it must repulse it and live on majestically. The question is whether Christianity is like that. The problem is that when Christianity is unable to fulfill its mission it will be just like a tree that is uprooted and discarded when the base of its trunk is dying.

Christianity is the spiritual root of the democratic world. The Soviet Union is within the sphere of the Orthodox Church. Is Europe, centering on the Catholic Church, now becoming like an evergreen tree? Beaten by the wind, not only are its branches being broken off, but the whole tree is dying and falling over. Nevertheless, we must provide nourishment for the root so that it does not die and so that new shoots will appear without fail.

If not even one new shoot connected to the one root appears, in view of the threat of the Communist bloc there is no hope. There is only despair. If that shoot does not form normally then even the root will die. Then what is it that will be able to greet the new spring in this season of despair brought on by the frigid-zone civilization sweeping over us? New shoots must be able to spring forth. We must be able to greet the new spring after growing even in the winter. We must become evergreen trees. We need that which will enable us to overcome even the threat of Communism.

Human culture revolves. Ancient cultures were tropical cultures. The civilizations of India, Egypt, and Greece all belonged to tropical or subtropical regions. Present-day civilization is in the temperate zone. For example, such countries as the United States, West Germany, Japan, and Great Britain are all within the temperate region and have consequently all become major powers in the world. Inevitably, however, history is moving toward the frigid-zone; namely, the Communist Soviet Union. Nowadays, therefore, the frigid-zone civilization is causing a blizzard to rage all over the world.

Nevertheless, if we look at the history that is revealed in the Bible, the original human civilization began as temperate-zone civilization in the spring climate of Eden, then became a tropical civilization like the summer season. Civilization then shifted to a temperate-zone civilization, corresponding to the autumn season, and then moved into the frigid-zone civilization of the present Communist empire, corresponding to the winter season. We are now living in the chilly season of autumn. Communism is roaring into this autumnal civilization zone and telling us that winter is coming.

All the leaves are changing color and falling. At the same time autumn is the season of harvest. Harvest means the existence of seeds that hold the promise of a new generation. Although the trees become bare as the leaves and fruit fall, within those fruits exist the seeds of life. When winter passes, after a while the new civilization corresponding to the spring will be born from these scattered seeds. So who will become these seeds of a new humankind?

I think that what I am telling you is that the flow of human civilization corresponds precisely to the course of restoration. There is a basic structure and logic in restoration. There is a central point. That is the seed. The essential part of the seed is hidden within an outer skin, and, regardless of the weather, it never decays. It is stronger than anything else. Until the new day comes, it preserves itself, persevering in silence. Although a seed is a small and worthless being in one sense, within itself it has a powerful life force. No matter how cold a winter suddenly sets in, the seed alone greets the spring. Furthermore, the harsh winter becomes a unique help in strengthening the seed.

This is not some special theory that I have made up but the fundamental principle of history. In that case, where can we discover this truth? This new way of life, this way of faith is not some weak thing that can be invaded by Communism. Neither Communism nor Western culture, nor any other philosophy, religion or ideology can be stronger than this way of life. Without being affected by the temperature of any season, a seed continually preserves its life for tens and hundreds of years. The seed is none other than the Unification Church.

Do you yourselves all have a real feeling of becoming seeds that can stay alive no matter how cold it gets and will be able to greet the spring? This is the first time you have learned and become conscious of this kind of concept, and if there are any persons among you who have wisdom, I believe that you have realized the greatness of life and the providence and made them your own. If all of you here have the absolute conviction that you will be able to become seeds without fail, then it is a historical event. In a good sense, if it is a momentous problem, it becomes an enormous source of energy for all of you.

God made the spring, but if you try asking God if He has welcomed the spring and experienced love, He will reply, "I do not know about that." Although He made the spring, He does not know the spring centering on love. In that respect God is an unfortunate person. If there is someone who knows the way to make that spring happen, God will want to work together with that person.

When someone says to God, "Let's go and play spring games together," God will say that he cannot go. He is a God who is unable to go. There is some intrinsic thing that makes Him incapable of going. Until that intrinsic factor is solved, He cannot go.

If humankind had not fallen, God would have been able to greet the spring day. As a result of the fall of humankind, God encountered a winter day. The problem is by what means may we melt God's frozen heart and also melt that winter.

In order to melt something that has frozen, there has to be something that is hot. There has to be something that is hotter than before the thing froze. Who will melt the frozen winter inside God?

Humankind and, of course, all created things that have their origins in God are longing for God's winter season to end and God's spring season to begin. But the problem is who will melt that winter season? Both God and humankind want that, but we have to ask what is required to melt that winter season. Only absolute love, unchanging love is capable of doing that. Only such unique love is capable.

The next problem is: who will melt it? Can God melt it himself? God cannot do that on his own account. Because humankind fell, God became that way regardless of His own volition. Therefore, someone from among humankind must appear who moves God and is able to raise up a movement that is able to have an effect on God.

Those who present such a movement are those who say, "Let's go and look for the way of unchanging, direct love." Religion exists to take responsibility for this area. Because it is not right to fight centering on love, all the conflicts among religious denominations were wrong. As a result there is no way to melt the frozen winter season inside God.

Therefore, what must we do if we intend to melt all the frozen piles of ice inside God's heart? We must determine to melt not just north, south, east, and west but all 360 degrees in three dimensions. If only Americans say that they love God, they cannot melt it. All races and colors must come. Transcending past and present, even those people who have gone to the spiritual world must sing in the heart of God, and even those people who are to come in the future, singing the love of God, must come to a focus and bring forth fruit in the bosom of God.

If there is no religion that can create this kind of movement, it will be impossible to melt God's frozen heart. If all religious organizations become one and come to love God, then God's heart will melt. If we can only do that, then even if we only hear the word, even if we are unable to eat, it is good. Even if we are cursed, it is good, and even if we experience suffering it is good. No matter how much love there may be between people so that they live and die together, when they are told to go and find God's love, they will stop everything to go before God. Before God's love, relationships of worldly love are all washed away. You are all living like this.

When we look over the history of the world, the nation that controlled the greater part of Europe, North Africa, and even part of Asia, while blossoming into a brilliant culture as the greatest empire in ancient Europe, was the nation of ancient Rome.

Not only did the culture of ancient Rome become the basis of Western European culture, but it also continues to exert its influence on the world today. What is the reason for this?

Italy is a peninsula nation located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean sea was the place that became the source of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures, so that it is even said that "Europe's ancient culture is a Mediterranean culture." Also the Italian peninsula on the shores of the Mediterranean, being a temperate region with the four distinct seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, is a place where the natural providence of the seasons is clear, just as in our country. In other words, one of the best places in the world for climate and natural environment is the Italian peninsula.

When we look at the fundamental principle underlying the formation of human culture, the place in which the united-civilization sphere of spring, summer, autumn, and winter can be formed is a place with climatic, conditions like Italy's. That is, the place where all kinds of civilization zones, such as temperate, tropical, cool, and frigid, can be produced and united into one is a nation like Italy. The fact that the culture that could control the world blossomed in the climatic conditions in Italy, which are a heavenly blessing, was not a historical accident but rather inevitable. But Rome could not fulfill the historical mission with which it had been endowed by God, namely, the formation of the temperate-zone civilization of the spring season, sought by God and humankind on this earth, by restoring the whole world into one unity under the dominion of God, centering on the Roman empire. Consequently the temperate-zone culture that flowered in Rome could not continue and simply shriveled up along the way. That is why the temperate-zone culture could not blossom and come to fruition property in Rome.

The Mediterranean-type civilization, which was flowering magnificently centering on ancient Rome but ultimately failed, is now returning. In that case, where will such a temperate-zone civilization, similar to the Mediterranean civilization, be born today? It is Korea, which is a peninsula nation like Italy. If the cultural trend is moving from the western hemisphere to the eastern hemisphere, then there is no other peninsula nation like Italy that is similarly blessed in terms of climate and natural environment than the Korean peninsula. This is the place in which the new civilization, like to the Mediterranean civilization, can flower magnificently.

Think about it! Korea is truly marvelous. The four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter are clearly distinguished, and the beauty of its scenery is such that the saying "embroidered rivers and mountains" is used to refer to our country. Furthermore, we even have the climatic phenomenon of "three cold days followed by four warm days" in the winter season here. Not only that, from ancient times our country has been referred to as "the Land of the Morning Calm." Also, if we look back over the history of the world, only our country in all the world has uniquely formed the "morning repast cultural sphere". In this way our country is sufficiently endowed with all kinds of objective potentialities to be the birthplace of the spring civilization.

In all the world, the only place where the extremities of north and south meet each other is the Korean peninsula. Do any of you know how the problem of this confrontation of the extreme poles of democracy and Communism on the Korean peninsula came about? The north of the Korean peninsula is the extreme point into which the bitter wind of the frigid-zone civilization is sweeping. On the other hand, South Korea is the extreme point of the temperate-zone civilization.

Therefore, at this time the Korean peninsula, which is the extreme point of two civilization zones, is overcoming that frigid-zone civilization even in the harsh, bitter wind and is surviving as one seed of life that is able to digest that situation. In other words, only when there comes into being an ideology that can digest and overcome Communism on the land of South Korea, which is the extreme point of the democratic world, will the historical, temperate-zone civilization sphere of the spring season be born.

Therefore, on the day Korea, as "the Korea of victory over Communism," makes a firm foundation and becomes the leading nation in the world of victory over Communism, without doubt the temperate-zone civilization that is without historical parallel, namely, the "civilization of harmonized centrality", which is able to bring all things into harmony, will be born on this Korean peninsula.

If we acknowledge the movement of civilization in cultural history and recognize its relationship with climate as well as realizing the course through which culture develops, then without doubt Korea will become the site of the creation of a new civilization in world history. That is why the extreme points of Communism and democracy are confronting each other on the Korean peninsula. Because the temperate-zone civilization of the democratic world and the frigid-zone civilization of the Communist world are directly confronting each other on the Korean peninsula, the most important task for our Republic of Korea is how we will be able to subjugate and be victorious over the Communist civilization.

Because Korea is the chosen place according to the heavenly providence for the 20th century, powerful nations such as the United States have been unable to ignore Korea. Furthermore, the powerful nations of the world have also wanted to grab hold of Korea for a similar reason. In the Far East, the nation that gains mastery over the Korean peninsula will be able to control the whole of Asia. We know full well from history that because of these geopolitical and climatic conditions, numerous powerful nations have tried to overrun the Korean peninsula. That is why the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War broke out on this territory, and democracy and Communism are confronting each other along a front line that divides the Korean peninsula.

Nevertheless, because Heaven has chosen this people, and because of the secret heavenly principle that the site of the new historical civilization must be established on this territory by this people, Heaven has protected us through all kinds of suffering and tragedy. After passing through the forty years of suffering under the Japanese empire and being liberated, came the providence of the agonizing tragedy of the fratricidal Korean War, in which the youth of our allies in the free world shed their blood for this land. After the war our country accomplished a miraculous economic resurrection. In fact, this too was the secret providence of Heaven to give birth to a new history and a new sphere of civilization centering on Korea. (1980.11.2)

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