The Year 1985

Chung Hwan Kwak
January 1985

Mr. Kamiyama is welcomed back from prison at East Garden on December 4, 1984.

I would like to extend my best wishes for a Happy New Year to all of our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

The year 1985 marks 40 years since the second world war, the time in God's dispensation when our True Father could begin his public teaching and public mission activities. With 1985 it will be fully 30 years since the Unification Church was established. In 1985 we will also be entering the last three years of the first seven years of our Children's Course.

For these reasons, for God and True Parents as well as for us, the year 1985 is a declaration year of hope and year of victory. Still, before we can fully share in this kind of hope and victory, we must once again reflect upon and digest the meaning of the year 1984.

If we look at it simply from an external point of view, 1984 was a year of sacrifice and incredible difficulty. What happened in 1984 is like the cross of the 20th century. In the beginning of 1984 there was Heung Jin Nim's Seunghwa, then the Supreme Court refused Father's appeal, and in the middle of 1984 True Father went to prison. We must truly repent because we failed to fulfill our responsibility. Yet because of Heung Jin Nim's pure dedication and sacrifice and True Parents' unconditional sacrifice, God gained a historical victory in 1984. Even though True Father is completely innocent, he offered his own self for the sake of God's dispensation. He never once scolded or blamed any leader or member, and he continues unselfishly to love America.

As with Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, although God's dispensational process is very serious, the resurrection and foundation of victory that can result is truly amazing. As we know, God has been maintaining the progress of restoration through history based on invisible conditions. Even though human understanding may not be adequate, by laying certain conditions one can gain an internal victory which then relates to an external result or victory. The entire history of religion testifies to this kind of process.

Recognizing the incredible sacrifice on the part of the True Family and our precious True Father's daily sacrifice in prison, we believe that one day's sacrifice can lay the indemnity condition to restore all our mistakes as followers as well as the mistakes of the country and world. Even though we might have regret, we should never feel defeated. Instead, we should focus on True Parents' tremendous victory and the tremendous indemnity conditions that have been laid. Because of the dispensational victory that has been wrought, we can have great hope as we participate in the resurrection that will come with the close of the 20th century.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus told the disciples he would die and then rise again. But even after the resurrection there were those among the disciples who doubted him. Thomas, for example, wanted to see his body and touch his wounds. This kind of thing might seem a very practical and rational approach, but because of their lack of faith in God and their disbelief in the spiritual world and the miracle of God's providence, these disciples became very ashamed. Once they recognized their faithlessness, they suffered deep remorse. Even though we regret our mistakes, I would like to urge all of our members throughout the world to focus on the victorious foundation of our True Parents and the resurrection taking place in the 20th century. Resurrection is a process, so please do not be discouraged and do not repeat the shame of the disciples.

In the year 1985 we have to inherit True Parents' tradition, especially by linking the events of 1984 to 1985. We know that throughout True Father's whole life he has served as a marvelous example to all humanity. I believe that last year, in his going to prison, True Father shared with us a remarkable teaching and example to follow. His attitude in daily life -- even while in prison -- and his offering of himself for America and the world, for Christianity and all religions, at e an eternal example that history will record. We have to inherit this example of our True Parents and share it with our neighbors and country and world by walking our Children's Course victoriously.

In 1985 we must work to see the liberation of God and True Parents, and on this foundation, victory will be ours through the resurrection. Resurrection can come because of the cross borne in the 20th century by our True Parents. But before our resurrection can take place we need to be closely united and even more dedicated and hard-working.

If we seek to escape bearing the cross we cannot receive the benefit of resurrection. We must strive with all our effort in order to reach the resurrection on the individual, family, and the national level.

We expect that as usual True Father will declare a motto for the year 1985 and give us guidance about our mission and direction for the year. I anticipate that Father's expectation and desire will concentrate on our creating harmony and unity with Christianity, on our assistance to Christianity, and on a revival of Christianity for the sake of America and the world.

Through the worldwide CAUSA and VOC movements we can create a grassroots movement of patriotism throughout the whole world that will protect our society, country, and world from communism. We believe that because of True Parents' internal foundation of victory, the communist world has been weakened and is struggling. We have to use this historical chance to establish a worldwide VOC foundation. Through our movement to support minorities in America, through our mission activities on six continents, and through the relief work of the International Relief Friendship Foundation, we have to share the love of God and True Parents with all humankind. Through our student and youth movement we have to foster hope for the future. Through the Assembly of World Religions, a movement to unite and harmonize the world's religions, we have to achieve world peace. We have confidence that the future will lead to one world under God centering on religion.

All these activities are connected to True Parents' world-level home church mission. We, too, must dedicate ourselves through our missions to these goals, and we must connect with True Parents' mission through the 360 homes at our own home church level. During this year all blessed couples, blessed children and all members should become even more focused on establishing tradition centering on the True Family. Through our publications we will focus on giving internal guidance and education to all the various age groups and levels of our membership. Let us inherit God's and True Parents' foundation of victory.

God bless you and your work throughout this historic year.