The Words of Young Oon Kim
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The Words of Young Oon Kim |
Some people think it is wrong to conceive of God as a personal God, to picture in your mind God in the form of a man. Great theologians, noted metaphysicians and spiritualists say that God is Infinite Intelligence, not a personal God at all. Yet, in their private prayer they contradict themselves. They pray to God to take care of their own personal affairs: if one of their children is sick, they pray for God to heal the baby; if they lose in business, they ask for help; if they want to sell a car, they ask God to send a buyer; if their thumb is hurt, they ask God for healing. So many people make God so trivial, so small and so personal; but at the same time they say God is impersonal and Infinite Intelligence, that He should not be pictured in human image.
Some think that Hinduism is great because it teaches Brahman in an abstract sense. They think Buddhism is profound because it doesn't teach God, but teaches that every man has God's image, the Buddha nature, and that there is no other Brahman. These abstract, philosophical concepts of God are highly regarded and accepted by intellectuals. But this kind of concept has not created a drastic change in the lives and personalities of its followers. The great changes have been brought about by the personal concept of God.
When we compare the teachings of the New Testament with the teaching of Confucius, Jesus' teaching seems very childish. Confucius was a great scholar; Jesus was an uneducated man. Jesus teaching is very simple. You can read it overnight. You cannot read Confucius' works overnight. There are volumes and volumes of a beautiful, profound explanation of ethics.
If you compare the teachings of Jesus with the scriptures of Buddhism, the teachings of Jesus are nothing, whereas Buddhism is so profound. Why is it considered profound? Because people don't fully understand it.
Jesus' teaching is very simple, yet the teachings of Jesus raise man's spirit much higher than Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, or any other religion. Higher and closer to God. Why? In his simple teachings, he revealed the heart of God, which is very personal.
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, verses 3-25 there are three parables of Jesus. In the first, a shepherd lost one sheep out of a hundred. Palestine is a very barren desert area; people have a low standard of living. One sheep is very important to them. It may not be important to Americans, but to Palestinians it is a great fortune. I think there is something more to it. It is not simply because of the money value, but because of the affection of the shepherd. He could not let it go. He forgot the existence of the 99 sheep and sought the one lost sheep in every valley and cave, running back and forth through the rough, hilly desert. His whole attention was concentrated on that one sheep. When he saw a light-brown rock, he would run to it thinking it was his sheep. He followed every shadow in the hope that it might be his lost sheep. And when he found his little sheep in a dark corner, he was so happy. He embraced it and brought it back to the flock. He was so overcome with joy that he called all his friends and neighbors and they rejoiced together,
A widow had only ten pieces of silver, and she lost one coin. She turned the house upside down to find it. Here again, most Americans cannot understand this. For people in other countries one coin is important. They live on only a few coins a day, maybe even a week. You don't mind losing a whole dollar bill for them one coin must be found. In desperation, she turned over all the furniture and finally found the coin she had lost. She was so happy she shared her joy with her friends and neighbors.
The last parable is that of the prodigal son. It is perhaps the same with all of us -- no matter how many times we read this particular parable, our hearts are touched again and again, Jesus described most beautifully the heart of the most personal God. He doesn't pay too much attention to the ninety-nine righteous people because they can get along by themselves. All His attention and concern is directed to the one lost. The prodigal son had forgotten about his father and had enjoyed himself -- but his father lost his appetite and wasn't easy in his bed at night thinking of his son. Where was he? What was he eating? What would he wear? What kind of friends did he have? All this concern and worry occupied the heart of the father. When the son came back the father was so happy! To him, the whole world was discovered again.
This is the heart of the Father. Even without the gospel, this chapter alone makes Christianity the superior religion. What is the use of knowing all the details of metaphysics, philosophies, religions and theology if you do not know this heart of Father, this love of God?
Your metaphysics, your philosophy, your religion, your theology have no value. No matter how plain and simple and childish the expression is, the teaching of Jesus is the highest religion and revelation Other religions have revealed part of the Divine Truth which have enlightened the hearts and minds of people, but the religion of Jesus alone unfolds the heart of Father.
If we have this affection, this love, this kind of heart toward our children and our loved ones, then we are the image of God. His love will be even more exquisite, more delicate, more minute in detail, concerned about the most minor things regarding us, yet also concerned about the overall plan He has for each of us and for the whole universe.
When I was in elementary school, one of the lessons was on "Parental Heart." I never forgot it, and it always comes back to me. In that lesson, a mother had an only son who went away to study. At first he wrote to her, then he stopped writing. One year, two years, three years -- no letter came from him. The mother waited; looking down the road every day, every month, every year, but he didn't come back and he didn't write. I think he had died. The mother waited and waited and finally became insane. I was only 10 or 11 years old but this struck me so deeply.
When my brother was away for five years, he didn't write to my mother often. I watched my mother's face. She became absent minded; her mind was in China where my brother was. I recalled that lesson again and again. My mother is not an expressive person, just like me. She doesn't express affection at all. Some friends who used to live with her told me; "She always talks about you and thinks about you." I never knew that but remembering her feeling toward my brother I could understand it.
While our Leader was studying in Japan, he returned to Korea by boat. He had written his home telling them what boat he would be on. That boat sank. It was written up in the newspapers. His mother was so worried she ran away from home to go to Pyongyang, about 120 miles away. Half-way there she discovered she didn't, have any shoes on. She had been so worried she just ran without thinking. Fortunately, our Leader had changed boats suddenly. He wasn't on the one which sank but his mother did not know that.
This is the heart of a mother, the heart of parents.
One knows and understands things as much as he has experienced. Often a man or woman can only understand and feel the heart of their parents when they themselves become parents. This is a sad thing, but in many cases it is a fact. The whole purpose of the restoration is to restore the hearts of the people, the children of the Father. To feel the heart of the Father is the key to your spiritual growth and to your success in witnessing. If you do not feel this heart of God in your witnessing, you cannot succeed. When you go out to find someone, pray before hand and feel this heart of God, like the widow who sought the coin or the shepherd who looked for his lost sheep.
Suppose a mother lost one of her boys. Would she be normal? She could not be. She would not be happy at all. She would probably cry day and night and wouldn't even do her housework. Her whole concern would be for her child. This is the attitude we must have when we go out to witness. We are going out to find our lost brothers and sisters. If you think of our Father's worried heart, how can you stay easy? You must go out and seek everywhere to find someone and raise him; experiencing lots of worries and problems and difficulties. Then you will know what problems your Father has had with you.
As you raise children, you grow; as you teach others, you learn the Truth. In this way your spirit grows. Your spirit does not grow in meditation. It does not grow in just reading the Principle in your own room. No, you have to exercise this Father's heart by actually raising; your spiritual children.
Although our Principle is very simple, contained in only one volume, it has introduced the deep heart of the Father even more clearly than Jesus did, The mightiest person is the one who is touched, moved by the impulse of love. When we are moved by love, there is nothing to be afraid of. You cannot defeat a person who knows God personally -- one who knows His heart by heart! He or she is the strongest, the mightiest person on earth. No one can change his mind. Nothing can trouble him.
In England I had many difficulties. I still have. I often repeat in my heart the words, "Nothing matters." Let others do what they will, nothing matters. I will go my way, I know God personally, I know what He wants to do, what He feels toward me and mankind. There is nothing to be afraid of. The wisest one in the world is the one who knows this love, who moves and acts motivated by it. That person cannot make a great mistake.
Like all of you, I have ups and downs in my heart. When I am in the pit, I often recall my first love with God. This brings me back to Him. If you want to be a wise person, keep your heart rooted in this love of God. If you want to be a strong person for good, you most stand on this faith.
In this sense, our God is a personal God. Our hearts are limited, but His is infinite. That is the only difference. The quality of the heart is the same. When we feel pain, He feels pain. When we feel alone He feels lonely. We may feel lonely for personal reasons, while His loneliness is for a greater reason; but the feeling of loneliness, of pain, of sorrow, of joy -- all are the same. If He is to feel joy with us, why should He not feel sorrow with us? His heart is bigger than ours but the quality is the same.
I want to give you this one thought: the key to fast growing and unchanging faith, the key to success in your work is to work and move motivated by this love. Unless you share the worries and problems with God, how can you share joy and glory with Him? When we come back to this love, pride disappears. When we approach people with this Father love, we forget our false dignity, false pride. When you don't have this love, you feel awkward in speaking with anyone. You see yourself as a third person. No, you must be completely involved in that person. Like the widow and the shepherd, nothing but, that person must be in your world. You will forget your dignity, your pride, and all your problems. Then you can win the heart of that person. This is very important.
When we did not know You personally, we felt very, very lonely. When we did not know that You loved us so much, we felt lonely deep in our hearts and we were restless. Father, when we discovered You were so near us, watching over us every day, every hour, we felt richer than any people in the world, possessing You in ourselves.
But often, foolishly, we go astray. We make You grieve, and ourselves feel sad, sorrowful and depressed. We repeat this mistake again and again. But, Father, Your unchanging love is like the heat and light of the sun, shining always. Rain and clouds may hide the light and heat from us, but it still shines without change.
And yet, You are so personal to us. Before we ask help for any small problem, You know and guide us. Father, when we discovered this heart of Yours, we could not rebel against You any longer. We could not hurt your heart, knowing what we are doing.
Father, help us not only to realize and feel this heart and love in You, but let us practice representing You and creating Your heart in our hearts. A son has the image of the father. We are creating in Your image. Let our hearts be the image of Your heart, let our thoughts be the image of Your thoughts; so that we may think as You think and feel as You feel and love as You love. Make us Your true children.
Father; how can we have pride before You who has suffered so much to reach each one of us, who has come such a long way to seek each one of us. Before You, we cannot hold our dignity because You forsook Your dignity in order to reach us. Father, this single heartedness of Your love may guide all our activities and daily life, You have called us, not just to bless us but to use us as Your instruments, to convey Your love, Your thought, Your plan and Your will to others. Father, fill us with this spirit and this love, that we may feel strong compassion and love toward our brothers and sisters who do not yet know You.
Father, strengthen each one of us and renew our hearts and spirits that we can start again with Your broken and loving heart. No matter how successful we are in our work, if we are not one with You at this level we will still feel empty, lonely and powerless. We want to be wise because of this love. We want to be strong because of this love. We want to be faithful to You because of this love. Remind us of our first love with You. Without You, our life was valueless; meaningless, wretched; but in You we found purpose, we found meaning in our lives.
Be with each one in our Family today. Strengthen them as they go out to seek their brothers and sisters. Fill them with Your heart, with Your inner tears, that they may approach people with genuine and pure love. If one rejects this kind of love, we will not lose what we have sown, Father, there cannot be failure if we are motivated by this love, and accomplish by this love. The result may not be visible or great, but there is no failure. Make us genuinely in love. This we have prayed in the name of our True Parents,