The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1972
|
|
The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1972 |
This year's motto is: "Defense of the Unified Front." I feel honored to come to the United States and welcome the New Year and God's Day.
Last year, the motto was "The Security of the Foundation of Unification." We worked hard for one year with this motto, and we have accomplished many things and received much blessing from God.
The democratic world is currently facing a very critical time. We know very well that it is threatened by communism. Not only the United States, but all of the democratic world -- Asia, Western Europe, all nations, organizations and churches -- are threatened by this ideology.
The free world is standing on the front line in order to carry out its external responsibility to defeat communism: However, if it becomes threatened and cannot fulfill its mission, those who bear the internal mission will have to fulfill the external one as well. In the democratic world, among the many religions, Christianity must be the choice to fulfill this internal mission.
But if we ask whether present-day Christians have a thought system capable of overcoming the communist system, and are devoting them- selves fully to help society and world, the answer is disappointing. If established Christianity cannot fulfill this mission, then another religious movement must rise up which can. This is, of course, the Unification movement. We have a responsibility to shield Christianity and all religions from the threat of communism.
So far, the Unification Church has been developing foundations in order to help Christianity and the democratic world cope with the communist world. Looking at the present situation from God's point of view, this unified front is clearly the final front-line force upon which God can rely, on the world level. Therefore, we have to defend this unified front not just for the sake of any one church but in order to take responsibility for saving all of Christianity, religion, and the entire democratic world. This is why our motto this year is "Defense of the Unified Front."
Externally speaking, our mission is for the world. We also have an internal providential world-level mission. The Principle does not allow us to accomplish just one part of the whole; achieving the internal victory is not enough; we must complete the external victory as well.
Then, which is more important -- internal things or external things? We should attach more importance to the internal things, since internal issues are for the sake of God, while external issues are for the sake of man. God's will takes priority.
God's will is for progress to begin with an individual who becomes one with God, and continue with a family who unites internally with that individual. It continues with a clan that is one internally with the family, a tribe that is one with the clan, and eventually a nation that is one with the tribe or race.
In all past ages, the goal of the dispensation has been to find the completely God-centered nation. Someone who can fulfill his total responsibility would also be capable of mobilizing a nation. Hence, for 4,000 biblical years God prepared for a truly responsible person who could become one with Him internally, and then take responsibility for a family, clan, tribe and nation. Jesus Christ came as the central person who could take on this responsibility on the foundation of God's hard work throughout the 4,000 years. However, the nation of Israel did not believe in Jesus and had him killed. Jesus passed away without creating an earthly victorious foundation on the individual, family, clan, tribal or national levels. The nation of Israel was left without any way to become one with God internally. Only those who believed in Jesus could approach God's heart. So, the history of restoration was prolonged for another 2,000 years.
Today the Unification Church is the most internal movement within the sphere of Christianity, which in turn is the innermost sphere among the many external spheres of the democratic world. Now God's will is to consummate this 2,000-year providence, centering upon the sphere of the Unification Church. Therefore, we need to consider what the problem was 2,000 years ago. Jesus Lacked Protection
At that time, Jesus was not protected on the individual level as God had willed. Therefore, he could not establish the earthly foundation on the individual level. Furthermore, their clans did not protect Joseph's family and Zechariah's family, which were supposed to have stood up with Jesus, and their tribes did not protect the clans.
We can understand that we cannot fulfill God's will until we resurrect the foundation lost when Jesus was not protected by family, clan, tribe, race and nation. Today, we must protect the Lord of the Second Advent on the individual level with our families, our families must be protected by our clans, and our clans must be protected by our whole movement, representing our tribe or race. Without strengthening these foundations, we cannot fulfill God's will.
So we must create the individual foundation to which heaven can give its official approval Externally then, we must shield that individual by creating a family foundation, shield the family with a clan foundation, shield the clan with a racial or tribal foundation, and shield the race with a national foundation. We have been fighting steadfastly so far in order to attain all of these levels. Our goal is to form new clans centering upon the new internal relationships, and we are forming a new race that is marching toward a new nation.
Each of you stands on the borderline between God and Satan and must shield those who are standing on God's side by gaining decisive victories over- Satan's worst attacks. For example, you should stand in a worse position than Peter, James or John and maintain the authority by which you can defeat Satan. Otherwise, God cannot protect you.
In the time of Jesus, Joseph's and Zechariah's families were in a position to fight the satanic world and gain the victory, thus forming a shield for Jesus' family. However, they did not do so. Jesus could not create his own family and instead went to the cross. We all know this very well. Therefore, in your own family, you must create the foundation to protect the family of the Lord.
The lower or smaller position needs to be saved by the next higher position. In order to protect Jesus' clan, the families around him had to gain a victory in the racial or tribal sphere, and stand on that victorious foundation. Therefore, Jesus' family could have been saved or shielded by Jesus' relatives or clan, the clan by the race or tribe, and the tribe by the nation.
Up until now, no one in the established churches or in the democratic world has ever thought about such things. Therefore, you who know these things now have the responsibility to create these foundations. You have been gathered here not for the sake of your own salvation or your place in the Heavenly Kingdom, but in order to protect the Lord individually. This is God's desire.
In the providence of restoration, Cain and Abel must become one, not only on the individual level but on the family level, too. Each of their families must be connected to one another and become like boards in a fence, joined together to protect something precious.
Likewise the Unification Church must shield the families of the church, and these Unification families must shield all families, becoming perfectly unified.- Then we will be beyond the reach of Satan's accusation and will have the foundation upon which God can make a new plan-and give us a new source of power and motivation.
The nation of Israel did not protect Jesus. When a nation takes responsibility to shield us, as Unification clans, that nation can be restored as the new Israel.
Why did we choose the motto "Defense of the Unified Front" for 1972? It is because this is a year of overcoming. Until now my history has been a struggle in order to protect you, your family, your clan, your tribe and your nation. But it should not continue this way forever. So far, I have been working on the clan and national levels. From now on, however, you must shield me in order to do God's will. You must take on a bigger responsibility and work on the world level.
So far you have just been following me. Now, that is not enough. You can continue to follow, but I can only take my proper position when you take a position of active service. Until now, I have not had my proper position as an individual. My family is in the same situation. If my family can take their proper position, then blessed families can take their proper respective positions. After that, a blessed clan can take its proper position. If the foundation is enlarged enough to establish one nation, other nations in the world will be restored in a short time. So you as individuals face a challenge. Can you inherit my mission and fulfill its responsibility?
I have been receiving persecution from the nation. However, you must determine to receive persecution from even the world. If you do so, the nation can stand within the sphere of that protection. If I have any problem and receive persecution, you have the responsibility to defend and shield me.
When there is a religious body which can shield the entire Unification Church membership externally, the Unification Church will be able to stand properly. If a nation can shield this religious body surrounding the Unification Church, this religious body as well will be in a position to reach perfection. If other nations take responsibility to shield the nation which shields the religious body, those nations can stand on a secure basis. Then the restoration of the world can be accomplished in a short time.
If God's center is protected on the individual, family, clan, racial, and national levels -- all in one nation -- then there will be no big problems.
When Cain and Abel on each level unite, restoration will be accomplished. This means that Cain and Abel on the individual level, Cain and Abel on the family level, Cain and Abel on the clan level, Cain and Abel on the racial level, Cain and Abel on the national level all must become united upon the one center.
However, what is the situation of the Unification Church? We have received opposition from nations, from Christian churches, from families, from everyone. The blessed families and blessed clans are actively supporting me at the center. By doing so, we have been growing gradually. Now in Korea, the Unification Church is the Abel church-and the established churches collectively are the Cain church. We are beginning to negotiate with them and are also entering a stage to negotiate with the nation.
It is possible that established churches will not believe us. Therefore, we are forming a union church, which is an intermediate stage. This organization was made possible by the cooperation among Korea, Japan and Taiwan. It must become one with the established churches, creating an Abel sphere centered upon the nation.
After this year, I must initiate an encircling, protective operation in the United States to save Korean Christianity. Since Korea is directly influenced by the United States, if the American people follow us to a certain extent within the United States, there is a good possibility that Korea will change favorably. I can see a direct possibility for it to happen. However, it is possible that American churches may not respond to us. So, I am going to create a group on the worldwide level.
The dispensation does not advance by keeping silent and sitting on chairs. When the time is right we must create a defense line and deal with Satan. Development can be accomplished by making bridges, so we need to enlarge our foundation for protecting ourselves and marching forward. Otherwise, the dispensation of restoration cannot advance.
We cannot perish. We must accomplish that which Jesus left uncompleted.
You would be happy if I came to the United States and worked with you hand in hand. But I cannot do that because we must enlarge our foundation, step by step. We must create an individual foundation, family foundation, clan foundation, tribal foundation and national foundation. Then, upon this basis, we can create a world foundation. Therefore, I cannot come to the United States until we create a national foundation.
If I stay here in the United States and Korea is totally destroyed, what will happen? Please understand that up until now, I had to focus only on Korean problems.
You are staying in the United States, but you are not only members of the Unification Church of America; you are also part of a larger clan. From the dispensational point of view, when you work for the restoration of one nation, you must do your very best to protect it.
You understand that you had to create evangelical work in all 50 states and to restore the United States and the world as soon as possible. In order to restore the world we must restore the nation. This is the Principle.
Whoever tries to restore the world must inevitably go through this course. The basis of the world is the nation; unless you grasp the very center -- the nation -- you will be destroyed by the world. So, what do we have to do? In order to restore the world through 50 states, we must bring the result of victory through our foundation to the national level of restoration, and we must create the path upon which we can go to the world. This is very important.
The core position is a trinity centered upon my family. The family needs a clan centered on it, but one family is not sufficient by itself. Both an Abel family and a Cain family are necessary. When they become one, they can restore a clan. Cain's family cannot restore its clan alone. Restoration requires Cain and Abel becoming one: Then it can proceed to the clan, racial, and national levels. We must become one and must march forward together for our mutual protection.
So we create our foundation for our protection. That means we must become one, completely one. For example, the relationship between Abel and Cain is like that between bone and flesh. The bone should not be hit directly. Jesus' body was beaten, but his bones were not broken. If his bones had been broken, everything would have been shattered.
We must totally unite in order to create a world-level foundation within 20 years; we need a World Mission Department for the world. We need to restore our own nation so we can save the world. I want you to clearly understand that the goal of all our activities is unity. We are not trying to save a country, Korea. We are trying to restore God's Kingdom. Korea is the nation where I was born, but it is not my own country. We are still fighting.
So far I have been fighting alone within the context of the family. But it is now the completion stage, the age of the children attending the parents. The parents have been working untiringly, and your protection is so precious to them. You cannot protect your parents unless you take over the things which they are doing, and assume their responsibility. This same principle applies in the Unification Church. Cain's family exists for the sake of Abel's family, Cain's clan for Abel's clan, Cain's race for Abel's race, and Cain's nation for Abel's nation.
Only this type of thinking can create a protective sphere. When difficulties arise, you must take total responsibility for them. The nation of Israel perished after Jesus' death because their thinking was opposite to his. They expected a Messiah to solve everything for them when he came, even if they themselves did nothing.
For example, it is a big mistake if our blessed families think that they can go somewhere and live a good life. You received the Blessing to shield Abel's position, namely, my family. Families in America should not accuse Korean families. You must feel responsible to stand on one line with them and work with them. That way you can become one with the Korean families. Don't isolate yourselves from each other, doing as you please. Someday we will build apartment complexes where families from 120 nations will live together and learn a cooperative way of life.
From now on, blessed families must become one. The 1972 motto, "Defense of the Unified Front," indicates that this is the historical perspective of our church.
In Korea, we must build houses and churches, and an international training center. I have vast plans, to be carried out in Korea, but I am thinking of bringing these plans to the United States, and carrying them out here, even though they were originally meant for Korea. I am planning also to found a theological seminary.
These plans will cost money. If we send money over there, are you confident that you will not become poor? When such a need arises, we must totally unite and determine to fulfill what is needed several times over by our own hands.
Restoration must maintain a straight course. If a plant grows straight, then the branches will be balanced in all directions. If the stem is curved, everything becomes unbalanced. Concentrate on how to grow straight. I am most concerned about this point. There is no use for branches unless they grow straight. One thing I don't worry about is whether you have the necessary materials to develop a proper standard and direction.
In conclusion, "Defense of the Unified Front" means this: When people on the outside take responsibility to stabilize the inside, the inside is secure. Therefore, all members in the entire nation must become one and work together for the sake of the center. In this way, the Heavenly Kingdom is established as this sphere expands from the individual on the world level, to the clan on the world level, and then to the race on the world level.
It is impossible to create this kind of ideal Heavenly Kingdom unless we create both the fundamental, philosophical foundation and the living foundation upon which we can defend this unified front. Realizing that you will have to do this kind of mission from 1972 on, I set this year's motto as "Defense of the Unified Front."