Two representatives of True Parents' family, Un Jin Nim and Hyun Jin Nim, were selected to participate in the Olympics

Chung Hwan Kwak
October 1988

Greetings from Korea to our members around the world! Recently I've been thinking about the 1988 Seoul Olympics and how it is related to God's dispensation. We know how important the year 1988 is, and also how important the Korean peninsula is. The Olympics is not just a sports event. It is a historical celebration of all mankind centered on culture, communication, harmony, and world peace. This year, 161 countries participated in the Olympics, making it the largest ever, both in terms of the number of nations and the number of athletes participating.

The eyes of the world are turning toward Korea. Why is Korea suddenly such an important country? It is not just because of the Olympic Games or because of Korea's rapid economic development. The real reason is because of True Parents and God's dispensation.

That two representatives of True Parents' family, Un Jin Nim and Hyun Jin Nim, were selected to participate in the Olympics on the Korean team is itself very significant. Athletes have such a strong desire to participate in the Olympics, that for a brother and a sister from the same family to be selected is highly unusual. We must realize that this phenomenon is linked with God's will and the dispensational timetable.

Once again, each one of us must reflect on how fortunate we are to have received True Parents' teaching. Through the understanding of the Principle, we have come to know the essence of God's wisdom and all the fundamental questions that have plagued philosophers, historians, theologians, etc., throughout history. Furthermore, through Father's teaching we have gained incredible wisdom that relates directly to how to live our daily life. For example, each one of us has learned clearly that God is just, that He is my Parent, and that He is the origin of Shim Jung, the source of true love, and the source of my life.

I personally am so grateful to God that I have met True Parents, heard Father's words, and followed him. Compared with other people, how lucky we are! Many people on earth have no clear direction, no ultimate goal or purpose, no idea about the meaning of the present time. As a result, they are unstable; their daily lives are easily confused, hopeless, visionless. This instability affects not only the individual but badly influences the family and society, especially the younger generation, which so much needs clear guidance. I want to share with you that now when I am meditating, my original heart and Shim Jung are very easily moved. Something inside of me, some inner sense, is already crying just at the thought of our Heavenly Father, and a certain indication of the presence of the living God touches every cell of my body. Just by feeling God's presence with me, I know that any problem I need to digest and deal with is already more than 70 percent solved.

This kind of intimate relationship with God does not come automatically. To approach this type of relationship with God, we must first of all understand the Principle. Second, we must live in a righteous way. Lastly, we must develop a revolution of our own heart, or Shim Jung.

The Principle explains or offers an understanding of God, but that is not enough to feel God. The Principle book itself brings intellectual knowledge, but it is most important to deal internally with the details of life on a daily basis. By following a righteous way, we lay indemnity conditions which can separate us from Satan, and then God can appeal to us and reach out to us more easily.

Originally, God was present with man and related with man not through knowledge or a system of logic, but through a heartistic, Shim Jung relationship. If we understand the Principle and live a righteous life, and then if we continue to seek an inner vertical relationship with God, our own Shim Jung will develop. It may be a gradual process, but it will happen as a natural consequence.

I really beseech each one of our members: When you have some experiment with God or receive some sign from Him, no matter how small, please latch onto it as precious. Use it to dig deeper and deeper into God's heart. God's spark is very precious for fallen man. God is always there, wanting to reach out, but because of our own limitations, God finds it hard to break through to us. Please don't forget this point but dig in deeper, and then it will be easier to develop to the next higher stage.

In the biblical record there were many prophets who communicated with God. But how often did they actually talk with Him? Definitely not all the time. But the prophets cherished each experience they had with God and kept it alive in their hearts for a long time. They believed in God's commitment to them and they trusted His love, and on that foundation God gave them more -- a deeper stage of communication.

When we maintain this kind of attitude of cherishing God, automatically we become more humble and focused on the inner realm, not on external matters.

By doing so, we can also become much more sincere. Our vertical relationship with God is the core element of faith and the real source of life, love, and the ability to practice the Principle.

True Parents have taught us about our spirit self and about eternal life. If we clearly understand and believe this, then we won't feel that our daily life is simply performing the mundane tasks of the day, but that we are living with history. I have had many experiences with True Parents, and I am always amazed about this point. Not just one day or one week, but throughout his entire ministry -- alone or with his disciples, in public meetings or private meetings, in a lonely moment or a glorious moment, faced with an easy task or a tremendously difficult course -- it doesn't matter: Father gives us the true example of a public and righteous lifestyle. According to his relative's testimony, Father followed this same pattern even before his public ministry. In our daily lives we have to practice this same public way and live in accordance with this righteous principle.