The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1989
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The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1989 |
It is raining today. Does rain make you feel good or bad? The spring rain is like magic. Once the rains of spring arrive, nature begins to change. There are marked differences every day outside. You notice these things, don't you? Whenever rain is about to come, the birds start singing loudly like a signal to us to expect rain. While it rains, the birds are quiet, but as soon as it stops, they start singing loudly again.
Many people say, "I hate rain because I hate to get wet." However, rain is an essential ingredient for growth of everything in nature. When people state that something is good or bad, their judgment is based on their own point of view. Therefore, one's self is the center.
History is the continuous record of human events. Let's imagine that history had its own mind, its own personal point of view. What do you think? What kind of era would history prefer? For all the elements of the universe--nature, the things of creation, as well as history itself--what kind of moment in history do they want to rejoice over? For God and the spirit world, too, what kind of age in history would they really like to see happen? What about humanity? What moment in history would humanity prefer to live in? No one can live throughout the long time span of history, so what segment of history would people prefer to live in? It would be the most dramatic moment, the moment in one segment of history in which God rejoices, the whole spirit world rejoices, all of nature, the creation, rejoices, as well as humanity rejoices.
We have been living in fallen history. Suppose there had not been a fall. Then what moment would everything rejoice to see? When can God truly take joy, when can humanity and nature all truly be ecstatic? If such a moment had ever existed, it would truly be the most important moment of history, without question. When would that peak of history have occurred? You know, originally in spirit world there were only God and the angels. On the face of the earth, there were only two humans--one was Adam and the other was Eve--only two persons walked. And surrounding them was beautiful nature. What would be the moment when they all--God and spirit world and Adam and Eve--would have rejoiced together in their highest joy?
Do you think that everything was separated? Did nature go one way, God another way, and humanity another way? Was everybody looking for their own joyful peak in history, or would there have been one moment in which all of them--God and spirit world, nature and human beings--would have rejoiced together? How can God, humanity, nature and spirit world all come together? Is there a way for the entire cosmos to be united? Do you think that when God saw a man and woman truly happy, dancing around and celebrating, He would just look at them and shrug, "What silly creatures." Do you think nature would say, "They are just crazy. What are they doing?" Would the other elements of the cosmos be apathetic to see human beings rejoicing? No, that would not be the case. There must be a moment when man and woman use every ounce of their energy, trying to express their joy in the most dramatic way, and God would be doing the same, as well as all things of creation. There must be one unified moment when all parties would participate in ecstatic joy, don't you think so?
How great and giant God is. "How great Thou Art," as the song says. Do you think God is giant, or is He tiny like a peanut? In our concept of God, God must be so big, so gigantic, that if you tried to grab onto Him, your two arms could never be enough. You could never embrace with God. There is nothing bigger than God. Therefore, you would feel that it was impossible to control Him. But you sometimes think, "I wish I could shrink God down to a small size so that I could hold Him in the palm of my hand and carry Him around with me."
Generally, men are bigger than women. What if the big man could shrink himself and the small woman could become larger, and they could both be big and small freely. If such a moment of total freedom were allowed, don't you think you would like it? God, man and all of nature become so excited and happy, they just hug each other and stop breathing! They want to continue that way for the rest of eternity. Then suppose everybody was holding their breath--God, humanity, nature--and then they all took a breath together. That's resurrection. All these fantastic expressions Father has been making this morning--what is the magic power that will bring God, humanity, and all nature into one? What is this essential element? (True Love.)
You know, this morning Mother was holding two of her grandchildren in her lap. They were perfectly happy, comfortable and confident in the lap of True Mother, and I watched them slowly falling asleep. Their eyes just slowly closed and they went into dreaming. For a little child to feel completely satisfied and that nothing more is needed, all he needs is his grandmother's lap. He feels, "I will stay here forever." The power of love makes everybody feel confident and serene so that they can go to sleep peacefully.
What power makes the beastlike creatures called man and woman unique among all the other creatures? Is it their capacity for violence? Man and woman are very different from one another. Woman is small and she has to look up to the taller man, while he has to look down at her. When the two embrace, they really don't fit properly since they are such different sizes. Perhaps, therefore, they should prefer embracing someone who is the same--would two women prefer to embrace each other, or two ugly men embrace each other? Why is it that these two very different creatures, man and woman, are attracted to each other? Why do they have that special kind of feeling for one another?
Imagine if a man and woman were just a chunk of bread dough. When they came together to hug, they would squeeze each other and what would become of them? They would each become like an hourglass in the middle from that embrace. Would they complain, "Oh, no, I look so strange, like an hourglass! I'm so unhappy and I regret hugging her." Or would they say, "Oh, please squeeze me a little bit more and I can become squeezed in two!" The woman feels that it would be wonderful even if her top half and bottom half were separated by the force of his squeezing embrace - dramatic. So, you always demand more. There is no time when you feel, "This is enough. No more. It hurts." Everything is sweet. What do you think?
If all these crazy acts happened centering on true love, would you rejoice over them, or would you criticize them? Where does this urge for crazy love come from? Humanity takes after its Creator--God. He resemble God. Therefore, all this craziness we have been describing originates with God, our source. Suppose my finger were your object of love. You would try to follow it whenever it moved, wherever it went. He can say the same thing about God. Even God is trying to grab His object of love. Do you think God would follow His object everywhere? Wherever true love goes, even to the bottom of hell, or to the top of heaven, it doesn't make a difference. God just follows it and wants to grab it. The most amazing thing about true love is that even Almighty God wants to follow it. It can even make God do crazy things, such as following it all the way to the bottom of hell.
Look at the miner who digs coal for a living. The person who digs coal will have coal-stained lips after working all day. When he comes home and proceed to kiss his wife, would she say, "No, go wash your lips first"? Shouldn't she be so glad to see him that she would say, "It doesn't matter whether your lips are black, brown or white. Kiss me." The power of love would draw them together and they would kiss, wouldn't they? You answer that with such strength, as if you had experienced it!
Therefore, in love there is no distinction between race. Whether a man is black, white, yellow or brown, the power of love affects him the same way. White people have many different colors of hair--brown, blonde, black, red, silver, white--and those variations are all within one race. Imagine a man following after woman, trying to get her permission to kiss her lips. Wouldn't he even run along behind her while her hair blew into his mouth for ten miles or more? That's a lot of indemnity to pay for her love, but wouldn't he do it? What about the other way around? Would you American women do the same thing to get to the man you love? There is nowhere love cannot reach. There is nowhere love cannot go. Love is omnipresent. Even Almighty God has to feel that love, so His love object, God can feel contentment and joy. Does God sleep? He doesn't sleep at any time throughout eternity? What power under the sun would make God sleep? The power of love, the blanket of love. Then God would just crawl under that blanket and fall asleep, snoring loudly. Imagine True Love looking down at God, sleeping like a little child, abandoning dignity and power. Would True Love laugh at God, or would True Love be joyful to see that?
What is the most precious thing you could possess? Yes it is true love. Could you buy true love? Could you pay money to possess true love? Perhaps you could find true love at a discount price. What would you be willing to pay for true love? You have to give your most possession in order to gain something which is even more precious. The most precious thing you have is your life. "For the sake of true love, I can pay with any part of my body. I will give up one of my eyes, or both of them. Or my nose, ears, arms and legs." You end up looking like an egg--giving up everything! But because of that, True Love would stay with that egg-like person. Would he be happy or not? Contented or not? What a strange crowd we are, aren't we?
Is there such a moment when a man or a woman would say, "Yes, I want to pay with my life to gain the object of my love." Imagine a competition or auction for true love. Someone might say, "I want to give every ounce of my possessions, every drop of my blood. That is what I will pay." How many men and women would be ready to make such a payment? Are you ready or not? What about you American women, are you ready to make such a payment? Most American women wouldn't even give one little finger for the sake of their husbands, isn't that true? American women pay everything by lip service, shooting out like a machine gun. All kinds of excuses.
True Love is observing American women and is shaking its head back and forth, asking, "How many pennies are the American women worth?" (Laughter.) What is free sex? Is that love? We will call it perverted love. It is rotten like spoiled food, smelly like stools. From the point of view of True Love, that free sex has no right to even come near it. True Love just kicks it away! When you behave in a beast-like manner by engaging in free sex, and then you get all dressed up in expensive clothing and walk around in a proud way, True Love is not fooled. The judgment of True Love is, "What a dirty person that is, wicked like a witches."
Do people who engage in promiscuous sex want True Love? They absolutely do not. When True Love is traveling and sees that such women are assembled someplace, True Love just wants to pass on by. True Love doesn't even want to touch that kind of people. So, if you have the desire for True Love, then you have to prepare for True Love. You've -got to be qualified. You've got to make an effort to be worthy of it. A total reconstructive surgical operation has to be done. Your eyes have to be taken out and washed, then replaced. Then your nose and ears have to be removed, taken out and washed with strong cleanser, then put back. You've got to remake yourself.
From the point of view of True Love, do you think you are qualified to receive True Love? You might prostrate yourself before True Love and say, "Please come here. I'm ready to welcome you!" But True Love would just turn up its nose and say, "No way. Get away." The point is that everybody desires True Love, but what position or level or at what historical moment would you want to receive True Love? What is the root of that True Love? It is none other than God. Therefore, you must be pure, as pure as God, in order to receive True Love. You must be as clean as God, as noble and sacred as God in order to be entitled to True Love. Are you that pure, clean and noble yet?
When my words bring judgment upon you, you just stop answering me, right? You shut your mouth and look like a bulldog! But this is truly the problem at hand and we've got to solve it. We have to solve it once and for all. It cannot be ignored or skipped over. The greatness of the Unification Church is our understanding of the Fall of Man. The outside world, including traditional Christianity, does not know about this. But we know about it and we also understand that all human beings have been born with the satanic lineage. When we know that truth, can anybody be arrogant or boastful before True Love? Does anybody have such a right?
You have to grade yourself on your achievement. What is your percentage of satanic impurity versus achievement of godly purity? Which side is stronger within you--the satanic side or the heavenly side? Why do you avoid my eyes when I ask that question? Look me in the eye and answer me: Do you weigh more on God's side or on Satan's? God's side? Does that mean you are so perfect? Everybody shouts out, "I like True Love," over and over again, but that does not make you a recipient of True Love. Perhaps you say, "I want to find the True Love King," and you go searching around all over the world. But you will not be able to meet him. He will not come to you, and you won't see him.
Those who think, "I have absolutely no problems," raise your hands, please. Who has more problems, the black people, the white people? Between rich and poor, who has more problems? In order to make yourselves attractive, you white people put on special makeup, go to a hairdresser, wear deodorant and perfumes, wear bright colors--trying to make yourselves colorful because you are so pale. You have the ability to add color, since you are white, but the black people can't do that. They don't have to put on any makeup, either. They are always dark, correct? How simple, and not so much trouble.
Who has the greatest potential to get closer to True love, white people or black people? Both, it is true, but first it is the black people. Black people are more likely to get closer to True Love. The Bible says that for a rich man to go to heaven is almost as difficult as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. There is no way a giant camel could make it through such a tiny hole, so for rich people to end up in heaven is so rare, so difficult. Jesus was saying it is virtually impossible.
Let's say the same amount of effort is being exerted by one group composed of white people, and another group composed of black people. The white people are giving to others and serving the poor. The black people are doing the exact same thing, serving and giving to others, except that those black people are extremely poor and needy themselves. Those black people are living under virtual slave conditions, but they are nevertheless reaching out for true love, going out and serving others. Let's say that the amount of work done in service to others is equal between the two groups, but which one will have more value in heaven? Yes, it is the black group. You white people should answer this question and the black people should be silent. I want to hear the honest answer from you white people. Well, you are honest people. Yes, it is the black people. Now at least you can have hope because you understand the truth.
Which people are most like to go to heaven--those who are at the top of human society, such as the rules and people in power or those at the bottom, who are at the lowest rung of society? Which group is more likely to go to heaven? Which is it, first or second? Do you like the bottom of society? You have to go through the bottom of hell in order to reach heaven. Therefore, unless you white people really serve black people like your kings, with honest, humble love, you cannot talk about heaven.
Do you like to eat peaches? In general, the sweeter the peach on the inside, the more fuzz it has on the outside. Most white people don't want to eat a hairy thing like that without peeling it. Well, the universe is very fair. If the white people don't want to bite into a hairy peach and just toss it aside, the hungry black people grab it and bite into it. They are surprised with the delicious taste, and they are actually getting the better deal! The white people may go and try to wash the fuzz off that peach, even shave it, but the black people don't care about such a thing. If they are hungry, they just pluck that peach right off the tree and eat it. They really enjoy such a fruit. Don't you think a peach would prefer to be eaten by a black man who appreciates it, fuzz and all? Would it like to be plucked by a finicky white person who dislikes tries to rub the fuzz off first? Wouldn't it love that black man more?
When you truly love something, you not only want to touch it, you want to bite it. You not only want to bite it, you want to eat it up! Not only eat it up, but you want to swallow it! Suppose you women love your husband so much, you just eat him up and swallow him whole. But the insides of that man are very dirty. After all, that includes his urine, stools, smelly saliva. Would you vomit him out, or do you feel that you don't care? Which way would you be toward your true love?
Why do you think I am talking about such things? What am 1 leading up to? The important thing is this: The world today is evil. There is a lot of filth, dirt and unholiness out there. Who is closer to true love: the people who are very welcomed and celebrated by such a society, those who are rejected and? What do you think" Yes, true love goes toward the rejected places in an evil society. But then when rejection is coming to you, do you say, "We are finished. It's all over." Or do you rejoice and say, "This rejection is proof that I have the potential to reach True Love." When you are persecuted for your goodness, you know you are doing something right. You can have a lot of hope that the peak of history is dawning, the golden age of history is about to come.
In order to truly pursue true love, do you think you must become men and women of courage and pride, willing to stand up and stick your neck out; or can you be cowardly? Why must you be courageous? When God is looking down from heaven, He will be very proud to see His son and daughter when they are displaying courage. But He will not be proud if you behave like a coward. So God will give you more courage and energy to jump over difficulties and do more when you are exhibiting great courage to reach out for True Love.
Which kind of people does God like to see? Courageous or cowardly? Are there courageous men and women on the face of the earth somewhere? Where are they? Throughout the Reverend Moon's entire life, he has been persecuted and ridiculed for his beliefs and actions. Let me ask you a very honest question, and you give me an honest answer: Do you really like me? Your "Yes" answer is very good for me, but in the past you must have had some resentments toward me, didn't you? How about the future? Do you have confidence? Total confidence?
The key question is whether you can genuinely trust yourself or not. Do you trust and love yourself? How much do you love yourself? You want to search after the absolute true love object or subject, completely investing yourself into that person. Are you that kind of persons? This is a serious point.
The problem isn't the universe or the outside world, the problem is always oneself. If I have a bad foundation, it is only my fault -- only mine. If you do not have the right foundation, you cannot have true love come and dwell in you. Do you understand? The problem is not anything or anybody from the outside, not even Satan. The problem is always with oneself. The problem is my eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, face, sexual organs.
The world as it is cannot continue forever in the sight of God. The time has to come that we clean up this dirty world. It has to be wiped clean and remade. True Love is always staying at the deepest point or highest point. True Love goes deep and high. But today in the American society, look at what is happening. Go to any park, such as. Central Park, under the shadows of the trees during broad daylight, and what do you see? Very likely you will see young people engaging in lovemaking activities. True love is like the most precious treasure. Therefore, you have to know how to preserve it, how to hide it in the deepest part of yourself. That means you never expose it during broad daylight to the rest of the world.
What do you think? Do a husband and wife who are truly in love want to make love behind closed doors or do they want to expose themselves to the prying eyes of the entire world? It's really private, something which they want to keep between themselves and God alone.
Think of an unmarried man who reaches the age of 50. That's rather old, but do you think he would still have an interest in women? Actually, as man advances in age his desire for love becomes deeper and greater. Ambition becomes greater. Suppose he meets a woman who also has a deep interest and desire for love. Don't you think they want to meet in genuinely pure love? Would they get together in some public playground, or would they want to go to some quiet, secluded place?.
Is True Love, then, looking for the noisy, public arena to express itself? Why not? It is because True Love always says, "This is only between you and me. Nobody can come between us. Nobody can separate us." People don't want to be public with their union of true love. Their love makes them shine like the sun, lifting them up into heaven. That's the power of true love.
When a loving mother and father unite in love, do they want to be seen by their own children*? Why not? The children are the fruits of their love, their offspring whom they love, but they stay away from those children when they are engaging in the act of love. That is because love is the root of all life. Roots must remain underground and covered up. If the root of a tree gets exposed, it will die. Life itself is not the root, love is.
What about humanity? Can mankind watch when God is engaging in love? What do you think? Do you think God would like to be in love? So God is in love, but love is root, then God wants to be seen by everybody when God is in love? Which one? This is why God created in such a way that there are two realms, the spiritual world and the physical world. The animal, physical eyes cannot see the realm of spirit. The animal world cannot see the activities of spirit world.
God is vertical love. Do you think God's love would like to be seen by everybody, or "Only God and I. " It is only you and Grid. The most secret place. The most private matter is love. Between the Western expression of love and the Eastern expression, which is closer to the root? Yes, the Eastern way.
History has always been determined by the way in which people treated love in that particular era. If the discipline of love is more clear and moral in a particular period, then that age will prosper. Whenever the discipline of love becomes lax and corrupted, then that will be an age of decline. That is a law of history. Do you agree? Look at Rome. Why did it collapse finally? During the height of the Roman Empire, the people began engaging in all sorts of sexual perversions. Men took many different women during one night. There were groups of people engaging in sexual activities swapping partners. There were public baths and public nakedness.
What about today's America? Love is exposed in the streets and all over the place, and people feel no shame to expose themselves in public -- that is the way it is in today's America. What does this mean? Does this mean America is in the midst of a great upward climb due to its disciplined love, or is America declining? It is a clear sign of decline.
The true way of love is to refrain from even touching hands in public. The truly loving husband and wife go into their most sacred, holy, clean and private place and there they engage in the exchange of love. The most highest, holy place is the secret dwelling place of love. Do you understand? Therefore, nobody will accompany you on that journey. You don't want to climb up the top of the peak of the mountain with somebody else. You don't want to share that glory with somebody else. You just want to claim it yourself.
Ask even those American women who engage in all kinds of sexual promiscuity, "Would you like to have a husband who does the same things you are doing?" They would say, "No, not at all." That is a normal human reaction. But then she has a double standard. How does she believe that she can do it, but her husband cannot?
Animal love and human love are entirely different. Animals have physical love, in the open, out in public. But human lone goes deeper; it is private and holy, and it is eternal. That is the difference.
The greatest worry is that of losing one's love. The person who loses his loved one is like a dead person. He is always looking back and sobbing over his loss. When you have lone, you have extra energy and vitality. But to a person who has lost love, broad daylight is like pitch darkness. Don't you think so?
Some people in the secular world think they are just totally free. They claim their right to free sex and free everything. But there is one group of people going exactly the opposite direction. That group is called the Unification Church Those so-called Unificationists are very weird people in this society. He don't even hold hands in public. Unification women always dress very modestly, not exposing themselves. You women even try to make yourselves unattractive do discourage attention from men. People in the outside world can meet anywhere, such as a train station or an airport, and if they like each other, they start trying to get close to one another. But here is a Unification girl with her shiny, attractive face and some man is trying to entice her. He shakes her hand and holds onto it, trying to pull her toward him. Then she just raises her other hand and gives him a karate chop! Bang!
You women can do all three actions -- kicking, throwing, and hitting -- you Unification women are fierce. You can do all those in a split second if necessary. You must be very proud of that! Nobody can bother you. The outside world is heading straight toward destruction, but you are rising upward and going toward greater prosperity by pursuing the opposite way. Two extreme ways: the direction of the outside world is one way. They go all the way in one direction. Unificationists on the other hand are going all the way in the opposite direction. Which one will survive and which will decline? It is not "Father's way," it is "Our Way." Our way. This is the Western people's problem: "MY house, MY country, MY friend, MINE." But the Korean concept is, "OUR house, OUR country, OUR everything." The-, just don't have the thinking of "MY" things. The American self-centered thinking is a big problem.
Throughout the entire life of Reverend Moon, criticism and persecution have been coming. Is that because Reverend Moon is so ugly, so unappealing and uneducated? Why is it, then, that Reverend Moon has been the target of criticism for his entire life? It is because Reverend Moon has always gone against many things which the world likes. They want to do certain things but Reverend Moon says no. "No" to tobacco, "no" to drinking, "no" to dating and free sex, "No" to drugs and crime. Reverend Moon has so many "No's"! (Applause)
People in the outside world are making a lot of money by selling tobacco, liquor, and drugs. Think how much money is made in the illegal drug trade each year. It is literally billions of dollars. And then along comes Reverend Moon, who is leading a movement of clean-cut young people. Once young people join the ranks of Reverend Moon's church, they stop smoking, drinking, taking drugs, stop having free sex. They even stop dating! People say, "I'm going to go out of business because of Reverend Moon!" Such people united together and went to the government in order to try to stop Reverend Moon, There truly was a conspiracy in this country in which people tried to use the power of the government to get Reverend Moon.
Furthermore, after those young people joined the Unification Church, Reverend Moon sent them out fundraising in order to make money to pay for the church's projects. Likewise, they work as volunteers, doing the work of saving this country and this world. Satan's side says, "What! Saving the world? We don't like that! If you are successful, we will be destroyed!"
What do you think? Is Reverend Moon the worst creature under the sun, as many people in the outside world have said? Do you agree with that? An amazing thing is happening. Those who have been opposing Reverend Moon have been declining, one after another. But the one who has been receiving constant persecution, Reverend Moon, has been climbing up the ladder. All of a sudden, he is coming to the top of the ladder and he realizes that there is nobody chasing him anymore. He is looking down upon the entire world. I am looking at you Unificationists. You may not be well dressed, you may not have the best appearance, but I see something much more important. I see that your eyes are shining brightly. You have clear, shining skin. I can see your spirit. I can catch it right away. The young people in the outside world wake up in the morning and think to themselves, "What shall I do today? Where should I go today?" But you jump up at 5:00 a.m. and say, "Let's go out to Home Church, let's get our fundraising underway! We've got witnessing to do! What about that rally?" On Sunday morning, you say, "Let's go to Belvedere!" You have lots of places to go.
People in the outside world have been predicting, "Reverend Moon certainly won't last more than six months or a year. His way will never be accepted. He will be kicked out of America very soon." But while they have been saying these things, they have been faltering, losing power, going down. Meanwhile, Reverend Moon and his group -- those who are supposedly on the verge of ruin -- have been steadily rising, becoming more and more prosperous, always happy and high-spirited.
Now even you can see it very clearly. You look at America and say, "This country is declining exactly as Father said it would." Look at the Soviet Union. They surrendered already. They know Marxism is not working any more. What do "glasnost" and " perestroika" mean? Perestroika is the Marxists' own sign of surrender. All right, then, both the free world and the communist world are declining. So who is left? Only we are prospering! Don't you think so? You can see it.
In your initial years in the Unification Church, some of you might have thought, "I have ended up in the wrong place! I don't belong here. Oh, well, since I'm here I'll stay a little longer." Then after three years, four years, suddenly you say, "Nobody else in the world has reason to hope like we do. We have the way of life which is truly bringing light to the rest of the world." You know, your own concepts have changed. You can see this. The highest peak of history comes when there are two extreme groups. It is the highest point of polarization between two extremes. One is extremely secular and degraded and that side is criticizing the other side. On the other side, there is a group, which says, "No matter what you say or do, we are going our way. God is looking down at these two polarized groups. Which side do you think God will vote for?
What sort of historical age are we in now? God is not only favoring His side, we are at the point where we are reaching up toward God and He is leaning toward us? Are the Unificationists' hands almost reaching God? Or are we at the point where God's hand is coming way down and is ready to lift us up by the waist? What age are we in historically at this time? God has just started coming down? No! This is the peak. This is the highest peak of history because God's hand is already coming down, lifting up Father by the hip, ready to catapult us upward. God is ready.
We are leading such an incredible life now. God is even serving you now, like your servant. When you feel tired, God says, "OK, get up on my shoulder and I will carry you." When you want to go faster, He says., "Ride on me and I will become your automobile." God will not only lift you up onto one shoulder, He will say, "You're a little heavy on one shoulder, so get up on top of both my shoulders." Your two legs are straddling God's neck so your sexual organ is hitting against the back of God's head. God can feel it. Will God say, "Oh, no!" Or will He say, "Fine." Reverend Moon's secret is this: the harder the circumstances I find myself in, the closer God comes to me, helping and lifting me up.
The same principle is true for all of you. You missionaries out there alone in foreign countries know this is true. Some of you have even been put into jail. At those times of worst difficulty God becomes closest to you, lifting you up and giving you revelations night after night. But when you are here, leading a regular life without any emergencies, God is not so close. That's true. I know this well. Whenever I have met serious, dangerous circumstances in my lifetime, God always came to help me. Those are my proudest times, my own personal golden times. Do you understanding? Those precious, most secret times with God are my golden times.
So I have become your teacher. Am I an easy teacher or severe teacher? I will hit you in one eye, since you have two eyes. Hit one ear, since you have two ears. This is a true teacher. This is why most of the American people are ready to run away. There are approximately 240 million American people. When Father is pushing them, suppose that one after another everybody went away. Except for one. One American, courageous, hangs in there saying, "God and True Parents, do anything with me." What do you think? Would that person be God's choice -- one out of 240 million American people. God's chosen man or not?
That is precisely what happened to Father 40 years ago in Korea. The entire Korean nation rejected Father, included the government, the churches. Father was all by himself. So in terms of outside appearances., he was the most miserable, defeated man. But Father's heart was never defeated. When he was alone, God was coming and became his cheerleader, saying "My son, Reverend Moon I am here with you. Don't be discouraged. I am going all the way. You shall be the winner." That was 43 years ago.
Suppose at that time, I had turned around and cried, "Oh, God, I am so miserable and afraid. Please, I need your help so desperately! " I would have been defeated and finished at that point. Instead, I turned to God and said. "Thank you Father, but I don't need Your help. I will show You I will bring Your throne!" My thinking is always positive. Once I began the course for which I was chosen by God, I was totally committed When I was rejected by the rest of the world, I simply looked at things realistically. I was healthy, I was not in danger of losing my life. Why should I have been discouraged or sad? Not at all. I had absolute confidence that I could do it. That is why I could say to God, "Wait and see. I will do it."
God knows my character very well. Sometimes God has tested me. When the U.S. indictment was issued against me, I was in Korea. I am not U.S. citizen, so some powerful American lawyers told me, "Reverend Moon, you are entitled to stay in Korea. Why should you return just to face this trial? It's certainly going to be a kangaroo court, so don't come back here." God was looking and thinking, "What are you going to do now, Reverend Moon?" Do you think I was telling God, "I don't want to go back there. Let me just stay here"? No, I told God, "I'm going back to take on this battle. I will win the victory for You, God"'
God even said, "Don't go back there, My son," but I responded, "Father, I'm going." I told Mother, "Let's go," and we packed and were ready to take off for America the very next day. I appeared at the courthouse for arraignment. When God looked at my action, do you think He saw a disobedient son? Do you think God was excited, or discouraged? At that moment, God felt, "I'm going to mobilize every American ancestor in spirit world! They are going to hit this generation, and My son will win this battle in the end!" Who would become the ultimate victor was the question. Would it be this great big country, the leader of the free world, or only one guy -- Reverend Moon? The indictment read, "The United States of America, Plaintiff, versus Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Defendant." This giant country was fighting against just one individual.
Isn't that dramatic and exciting? It was a difficult time, no question about it. In terms of trials and tribulations, it was the highest point. But at the same time, it was the highest point of history for my life. Should Father be very humble and bow down to the President of the United States? You may think President Reagan was a great president for eight years. I was the only one who predicted he would become president. After eight years, some people think he ended a glorious term in office. But actually, he was the one who allowed Father to go to Danbury. And he was the one who did not care about Reverend Moon's situation at all. What do you think history will say about Reagan in that case? Was he a great president?
Reverend Moon is trying to save and lift all aspects of American life. I am extending a warm, loving hand. How many American young people has Reverend Moon already literally saved? Those former drug addicts, hippies and all those young people who were no good for anything have been assembled and turned them around. What about this? At least you American Unificationists have one good characteristic, one virtue no matter what the greatest secular leader may say, you would rather listen to Father than anybody else, right?
As you know, I have instructed all of you who are living in the New Yorker to vacate the place by April 10th. I told you, "You are tribal messiahs, so go out to your territory." I expected some protest demonstrations on the part of American members, carrying picket signs, "Father, We Need More Time." America is the great country of demonstrations, right? It is almost like throwing you and your families out into the streets. From a normal perspective, it's inhumane, it's impossible. But you American people are willing to follow my direction saying, "I will not let Father down. I will do what he directs." Isn't that the American resolution? How proud that makes me of you! You are great people! You can say that of yourselves, too -- "What great people we are!" Isn't that true?
I feel there is so much to say to you today. Our pride is this: We are living contemporaries of the True Parents, living at the same time in history. You are learning from True Parents how to practice true love in order to remake and bring a brand new history to humanity. This is the time of transfer for all of history. What a great time we are living in! The highest point of history -- the time when you are living. Isn't that true?
This is the dramatic meaning of the life of the members of the Unification Church. We share history with the True Parents. God with us as every moment of the day ticks by. The highest point of drama is occurring on the face of the earth. The entire spirit world has been mobilized. The universe and all things of creation are looking at this moment as the most dramatic moment of history. Think of it: In this time, you were born and lived, joined the Unification Church, and went through persecution with Father. You received criticism from the outside world, laughed together with Father, ate, wept, and worked together with Father. This is. the highest, greatest honor history could have bestowed upon anyone.
This high point of history will never come again. That one time in history is happening in our lifetime. We can serve True Parents, we can serve the True Children, we can serve True Parents' grandchildren. We can attend the three generations of the heavenly family -- physically In the past two millennia, Christians have been waiting for this opportunity, but they never got it. It is a joy, privilege and honor to serve.
Think about it. You are serving the three generations of True Parents' family. At this time, everything you are doing, even everything you wear, becomes a part of history, an archive item. This includes the clothes you are wearing today. If you sack up your everyday dresses, overcoats all your life, they will be sought after by the entire world in the future. Museums will be constructed to keep those precious items, and after about a thousand years they will be offered in auction. "This is the sweater worn by John Doe in 1989 when he was working for the True Parents.. Here is a dress worn by Jane Doe during the Yankee Stadium Rally, and here is one worn at the Washington Monument rally." What do you think? Would the prices be astronomical? Yes.
If even a simple dress is going to be that valuable in the future, how precious is your own physical body? How precious you are! Don't you think your own self is something in which to take enormous pride? In that case, you must not only accept yourself, you must treasure yourself. You can praise your own eyes, since those eyes are seeing Father at this time. That eyeball is so precious because no other generations in the future will be able to see the physical body of the True Father. "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord!" Your nose could smell the True Parents, your ears have heard the voices of the True Parents directly. You have been mingling with Father's family. Can you imagine the preciousness of the time in which we are living now?
You can look at your hand and say, "This hand created a peanut butter sandwich which I gave to Father, and he ate it! I'm never going to wash that hand again. It's a true museum piece." Even a pair of socks, or a lock of your hair. You Americans have lots of hair, after all. Your MFT shoes, your Home Church shoes -- all of these become priceless museum artifacts for the future. Think about it.
Imagine an auction of your clothing taking place a thousand years from today. What would the people want to buy? Would the clothes in excellent condition have much meaning? Or those worn out pairs of shoes have more meaning? Those most shabby things, which were worn out in service to God will have the most value. Those become the most precious things in a thousand years.
When I went to Danbury, many members cried out in agony and fell to the ground weeping because of the injustice the government of this country was committing. Let's say that somebody took a picture of you that day. Maybe your face looked so ugly and distorted, and water was coming out of your nose, mouth and eyes. But will that picture be a precious artifact in the future? Have you thought about these things? Once you have lived life with Father, everything becomes a part of history, part of tradition for your own family, your children, grandchildren, and all your descendants. Everything you do, everything you wear, every deed you do becomes a part of history and tradition for generations to come. Don't you think so? Is this understandable?
Ultimately there is no question that Unification ideology, worldview and teaching shall govern this world. Amen? Amen! Furthermore, I have given each of you a gigantic, tremendous title: "Tribal Messiah." Each one of you, including the women, has the title of messiah! Women messiah! Whoever thought about women messiahs before? But it has become real. What do you think? Am I telling the truth, or does it sound like a lie? How do you know I am telling the truth?
I know how you think. You Americans thought at first, "It sounds good," but you didn't believe it. You didn't take it as the truth. Many people thought, "It sounds good, although it's probably impossible, but I'll join up anyway." After one year, two years three four and more, you say, "This is amazing. It's really the truth. I've gotten hold of a jackpot." You are not dumb. Therefore, once you have joined the Unification Church, you test it out to the best of your ability. You tested Father with your ears, eyes, and by your own feelings. You studied, you worked, you followed. And many times you wanted to get out of here, but you always said, "Oh, no, I can't do that." Some power keeps pulling you to stay. That's why you always say from your guts, "Yes, Father!" How wonderful you are!
This is the greatest honor that has been bestowed upon you. Do not ever stain it. Keep it holy. If you dishonor this Blessing, the consequences would be incredible, not only for you but also for your posterity. Your children and grandchildren will be the ones who come out and accuse you. That is the most fearful thing, above all. I knew that. Therefore, no matter how difficult the situation I have faced in my own life, I didn't care! Compared with the misery I would face after passing away and receiving the accusation of others, it was nothing. No matter how much persecution I received in this world, I clearly knew it was easy compared with that. I could not look in the mirror again if I failed. I knew that. Do you understand? How fearful is that position.
Therefore, it is actually the easy way to continue marching forward doing God's work. That is my situation. Recently tribal leaders in Korea visited my residence at my invitation. They wanted to see me, even more than some of you.. Many of them came rushing up to me, bowing down and conveying deep feelings of respect. Yet they are not Unificationists. This was their first time to meet me. They wanted to take pictures, they were so excited. More than you! Father sometimes follow you in spirit. Always you are thinking, "What a miserable situation we are in." Then I see ugly face, ugly eyes, ugly ears, ugly mouth, ugly mind, ugly body. You did many bad things in the past, didn't you? Shameful. Compared to you I observe outside high level people, I am amazed at how well they understand me, how much respect they have for me. Is that bad or good?
Father gave you what kind of messiahship? Tribal Messiahship. What shall you do? Already the cosmic messiahship, world messiahship place finished. Prepared this like precious mountain. True Parents are waiting for you. All you have to do is take the messiahship and carry it everywhere. Water pipe. You are strong, bringing that thick pipe down from the mountain, water running down. Many times people in the past were accusing you, but not at this time. Anybody who receives this mission and doesn't make it a success will be accused by his descendants in the future. "Why didn't you make a success? You were a Blessed couple, living at the same time as True Father. He gave you that Blessing as your foundation. You didn't make payment." How can you escape that accusation? No way. God doesn't help you, Father doesn't help you, Mother, too. Father's children, too. All Unification Church too. How miserable you would be. Do you understand? I know this well.
That is why I have never stopped throughout my lifetime working to make a success. Same situation. You have to follow Father's footsteps exactly. Wherever my feet went, your feet have to go too.
Are you ready this time, without any mistake, to become the Tribal Messiah? Will you go alone, or will your family go with you? In the past, the Messiah was only one man. From now on, you are receiving from me the family messiah position. When you were alone as messiah, you would be persecuted, but now you have a family, going out as tribal messiah, and you settle in your hometowns, doing the messianic work, you will be welcomed. Nobody will persecute you. That is the difference.
Yesterday at the Leaders Conference, Father that everybody be out of the New Yorker Hotel by April 10. Does that make you feel bad? When the Israelites arrived at the land of Canaan, they too quickly wanted to settle down. They became the prey of Satan after they went into Canaan, but we cannot allow this at this time.
You may think the Jordan is a deep river, like the Hudson, but it is not. People can walk across it at certain points. Even if you don't completely cross over, even if one foot is still in the water and one hand is touching the land of Canaan, then you lie down and sleep, that's okay. And if you die in that position, that's okay, too. That's okay. You touched the ground, the goal.
Don't you think that even the most foolish, dumb American cannot help but understand Fathers" sermon this morning, correct? Have your legs become lighter or heavier this morning? Do you think my 70-year- old legs are lighter than your 30-year-old legs? No, your young legs are lighter! Let me ask you, do you want to come ahead of me, or lag behind me?' When the Jordan River is right in front of you and you can see Canaan on the other side, that is the time when you must not rest. That is the time when you must move forward with even greater vigor. If someone is lagging behind, you just push them forward. That is exactly what I'm doing to you.
When they were in the wilderness, unable to see the Jordan and Canaan, they didn't have much hope. That's why Moses had to keep pushing and telling them to follow him. But as soon as their eyes could see the Jordan River, they started running ahead of Moses and crossed before him into the Land of Canaan. That was the way it should be. The Israelites were so excited and happy, crossing the river and dashing over into Canaan, ready to occupy the territory. Moses stayed behind, the old man who couldn't keep up with them. Did Moses complain, "How could you do that to me? You just crossed over and left me behind! " No, Moses only felt, "God bless you, my children, go and create your kingdom." He was so proud and happy to see them, saying to God, "God, look at those courageous Israelites, they are greater than I. Please bless and help them in the future and forever!" When God heard such a prayer, He said, "You are a great leader. I will see that your prayer is fulfilled. Please take a rest now." How wonderful that was.
I have thought about Moses' situation. You have been following me, but now I want to see you going ahead of me. I am getting very tired. It has been a long journey. Now that we are getting to our own Jordan River, I want to see you running ahead and crossing courageously and eagerly. I will feel the same thing as Moses to see my people, "How wonderful they are." Can you do it? Really? But you are Americans and I am a Korean! We are a different race. Moses and his people were the same race, after all. Are we a different race? (No, we are the True Love race.) You sound good. We are the True Love race, correct? We contain all the colors and races of man, we are the Love Race. That means we are all one. Not dual race, just one race.
"Well, Father," you say, "I have listened to you many times in the past but it was only halfheartedly. This time at this highest peak of history, I will not let you down again. I am going to my tribal messiahship and claim my territory. I am going to claim my people and win the victory for you." Yes or no? For you and your posterity, this is like the organization of the twelve tribes of Israel. During Moses time, the land of Canaan was a small area. But now during the 20th century, our Canaan is the entire globe. Wherever you go, that is the land of Canaan. One nation, one country of the world under God. One global nation under God.
Therefore, you can't move out. Korea is Canaan, America is Canaan, Africa is Canaan, so is South America and so forth. At the time of Moses, the Israelites did not obey the law when they moved into Canaan. They did not clean up the land. They became contaminated by the pagan people who were living according to satanic customs. But this time when you go into Canaan living according to heavenly tradition, the people will welcome and embrace your way of life. The reason is that their own way is crumbling before their eyes. Their families, nation and culture are failing in the face of all the drugs, crime and all those terrible things. They know they have to change. They see hope in you. That is a key difference between the time of Moses and now.
The Israelites entered Canaan and were envious of the people there who were living well and appeared happy. So the Israelites became absorbed by that alien culture. But now that the outside world's culture is so obviously crumbling, including the United States and the Soviet Union, there is nothing attractive there. The only bright spot is you. In you the outside world is finding hope. Father's teaching alone brings hope. That's why they will come to you, instead of you coming to them.
You shall be prosperous, you have a great way of life and ideology that you can be proud of. Those Israelites of the past were envious of the Canaanites and their possessions. They even married their women. Seven tribes. They wanted to become a part of that prosperity, hoping to gain wealth, but eventually they became slaves to them. They entered the land of Canaan and became beggars.
Everything looked good, so they followed the culture there. They actually made the foundation for their own destruction in the future. Do you understand? At this time, we are the center. The outside world is corrupt, decaying, without hope. They look over at Unificationists' place and see hope. They want to come over.
Therefore, as a tribal messiah, you must be bold and strong and push forward. Everything will be moved by you. You hit and the other side will retreat. You are protected by the power of God, True Parents, true family, and the Unification Church. That is like your own fortress as you go marching onward. The one way course.
We need to make a resolution today to be as serious as Father going into the prison. You think that, "I am going to be as serious as Father at that time. I am going out with that determination to become the Tribal Messiah." That is the resolution we are going to make today. Are you ready? Yes or no? You are not alone. You and your family cannot follow your physical parents' tradition, grandparents' tradition, and so forth. Now you are following True Parents' tradition. A new tradition has come down to your children. Unless you follow this, your family will be corrupted by the secular, hedonistic culture. To become the messiah, you have to be absolutely correct, absolutely right. You are moving toward perfection now. Father gave you the title of messiahship. This is the highest point of history.
You shall be praised by heaven and earth. That is the kind of tribal messiah we shall become. Those who say, "Yes, Father, I am a tribal messiah. I will do it. Trust us, True Parents. Thank you, Father." raise your hands please.
Let us pray.