Belvedere
Translator - Sang Kil Han
To speak of the whole is to include everything. Thus "the whole" pertains not only to America, but it encompasses the world and beyond that the entire universe, the vast realm of creation. Since creation is the realm of result, there must be a realm of cause-the world in which God dwells.
This world we are living in is the world of result, but what did it result from? The human fall. Thus it is far removed from the original world. This fallen world is certainly not the world in which we long to live; it is the culmination of thousands of generations of alien ancestors. Looking back upon history, we find that our ancestry is not what we would have desired.
This is not the world which God planned, but rather the fallen world. Each generation has multiplied the results of the fall; thousands upon thousands of fallen generations have brought the world to its present state. Each segment of history was terrible. When you think deeply about fallen history, can't you feel how shockingly horrible it has been?
Think of mankind's sinful history as a person who fell overboard into deep water and tries desperately to reach the shore. The current is very swift and, not knowing how to swim, mankind has been floundering and thrashing about, screaming for help, praying for someone to come to the rescue. A person in such desperate circumstances doesn't even notice whether the water is clean or dirty, or in which direction the current is flowing. A drowning person doesn't feel free to complain that his mother didn't love him enough, or that his girlfriend wasn't nice enough to him. Under desperate circumstance, such thoughts are out of the question.
What does a drowning person focus on? He only cares about how to get out of the water and save his life. He doesn't worry about food or clothing; none of that matters now. All he desires is for someone to snatch him out of the river, regardless of how they do it. His rescuer might grab him by the hands, feet, hair or nose and he wouldn't mind; even if his foot were snagged by a fishhook, it would be okay as long as he got pulled out. If he is saved, he won't complain about his foot being mutilated. He thinks of nothing except being saved. In such a situation, one experiences the strength of the will to survive.
You could create such an experience any time. You might, for instance, run water into the bathtub and lie face down in it for about 40 seconds, and see what happens. You would probably start out filled with different thoughts and aspirations but 40 seconds later, all you would want is air!
Most people take everything for granted, doing things the same way those in the past have done. They live habitually, doing basic things without question, with little excitement or desperation. But is that the true way of life?
When a person floundering in a rushing river manages to grab onto a passing log, that log makes a huge difference in his life. Or suppose a boat passes by and he is able to climb aboard. Once he is aboard, the only thing separating him from the water is a mere half-inch of wood forming the bottom of the boat. The difference between where he was before and where he is now is a mere half-inch. He is only a half-inch away from death!
That torrent of water represents hell, and that half-inch above the water is heaven. This analogy is no exaggeration. At one time you were fighting for your life but now, a half-inch above the water, you can look down and even enjoy the scene. You can row your boat and sing a song. Hell knows no songs or laughter; it is a desperate world where people think only of getting out. But heaven is a world in which you can enjoy many things.
We can imagine what it would feel like to be caught in a raging torrent. Being sinful is like being in that water, but do people know that they are in dangerous water? Which is more difficult: to struggle for survival in rushing water, or to fight to escape the fallen world and return to the original world? Is the condition of fallen people any less desperate than that of a drowning person? It is actually more critical.
If God's own child fell into the water and was drowning, wouldn't God be desperate to reach down and pick him up? But when Adam fell, did God rescue him or leave him where he was? Actually, God chased Adam out of the garden; so Adam's situation was more serious than someone falling into a river. God even seemed unsympathetic as He drove Adam away. The struggle to return to God is immeasurably more difficult than falling into a river and struggling to reach the shore. Deep within you, you must feel the truth of this statement. Mankind has truly fallen and must sooner or later get out of the water and be saved. You must face that fact. This is no flight of fancy.
Can you respond, "Well, Father, you may think like that, but I don't have to"? Can you presume that it applies only to Koreans but not other nationalities? This truth affects all races and peoples. No matter who you are-rich or poor, great or humble, man or woman-you share the common fate of all humanity. As long as you are an offspring of alien ancestry, what I am saying holds true.
There could be two kinds of people struggling in the water: those who can swim and those who cannot. Someone might say he doesn't intend to learn how to swim until he happens to fall into the water-and then he will quickly learn. That sounds good, but does it work? A beginning swimmer, dressed only in swimming trunks, might paddle awkwardly in the chilly water, and someone looking on might say, "I don't want to go through that!" The observer will be all right as long as he stays on land; but if he ever falls into the water, he will have no alternative but to try to swim. The one who has already learned how to swim will be much better prepared for an emergency. Even struggling in turbulent rapids, he will know the best way to reach land; if he cannot get to the shore right away, he will be able to breathe and stay afloat.
Can someone swim without making any motion? Good swimmers use all parts of their body-arms, legs, hands and even the head. Especially if you fall into rapids, you know that you have to move every part of you in order to get out. A non-swimmer in deep water will flail his arms and thrash about, but it doesn't get him anywhere; it doesn't help him. Which is more reasonable: to put off learning to swim until you find yourself in deep water, or to resolve to learn now, in case you might someday fall overboard? Rather than waiting until you are in desperate straits, you should learn in advance how to swim and practice the proper movements.
As you are learning, would you practice only in warm water? You never know if you will fall into warm or cold water. If you practice swimming in the cold ocean water, for instance, you will be prepared to survive in any kind of water. Swimmers usually train in cold water. If you are going to learn to swim, learn the standard by which swimming ability is evaluated, and then keep working until you reach it.
In Oriental thought, the world is compared to a bitter sea, not a sweet one, and the human situation is like being dropped into the ocean and having to swim to the shore. Ask the average person whether he is desperately seeking to save himself, or whether his condition is generally happy and needs no improvement. Some people are trying to save themselves, but a lot of Americans, for instance, appear to be contented with life; they go dancing, they dine out, and so forth. They are comparable to a group of people on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, relaxing on top of a sand dune. The waves are not hitting them yet, but the more they dance, the more the sand beneath them erodes. That is a description of some Americans today.
Suppose a storm arises. In the ocean, surrounded by nothing but water, where would you go? The people on the sand dune might have a nice large island, but the storm of communism could completely smash their island. Then what awaits the inhabitants?
In the news these days there is much talk about El Salvador and whether America will help it. What does the United States have to do with that tiny country? The Reagan administration is disturbed because the communists are there. Are you Americans confident about the future of your country? No, you cannot feel very reassured.
All mankind is in the water, but one group is trying desperately to get out of the water, by one means or another, and the other group is not even conscious of their situation. Perhaps they are drinking the water and thinking nothing of it. The ones trying to learn to swim are the religious people. There are different styles of swimming: you can float relatively motionless on the water's surface, or you can paddle with lots of motion. Buddhism is like the first style and Christianity is like the second. The Buddhists gaze up at the blue sky of heaven as they are swimming; they cannot see to either side of them. Some people can swim in an almost vertical position in the water; others consider it strange, but still it is swimming. Is it better to stick to one style of swimming, or to learn various strokes? It isn't easy to learn many strokes, so some people prefer to concentrate on only one.
In addition to a variety of styles, there is a variety of places where people can swim. Some swim in a small pool, others in a pond or lake, and still others in the ocean. There is no rule forbidding someone who learned to swim in a pool from swimming in the ocean, or vice versa.
Unification Church members learn to use a variety of swimming styles; also you learn how to swim rapidly. Some of you are thrown into African waters teeming with alligators; there you will swim quickly! If you are dropped into the Arctic Ocean, you will also want to swim rapidly to the shore. You are learning to adapt to different waters and survive under any circumstance.
So is the Unification Church a good place to be? Certainly we can say it is a good place. We want a place that is good not only for ordinary life but also during emergencies. Likewise we want a place that is good not just for emergencies but also for daily life. Is the Unification Church good for both? Now you tell me it is good, but ordinarily you complain about it: you don't like fundraising and witnessing, you would rather not go out in the rain to witness. You don't like it, but at the same time you know it is good! People who observe you from outside the church may understand that you feel it is necessary to do the things you do, but they feel that they don't have to do them. "Maybe Reverend Moon and the Moonies need those activities," they might say, "but I don't" They are like the people who don't care to learn how to swim.
But suppose a huge storm comes, with high winds and heavy flooding. We know that our chance of survival will be much better than those who are unprepared. If the Unification Church is providing the only survival training for the future, then we can clearly call it a wonderful place. Do you like this "wonderful" way? I don't! This wonderful way is very difficult, but we can see how necessary it is.
Once we master the art of swimming, we can be absolutely confident. Nothing can threaten us then, not even the biggest storms with the most enormous waves and severe floods. Because we are expert swimmers, we know we will survive. In other words, if you pass the complete course of the Unification Church, you can survive in any situation you might meet anywhere in the world our topic today is, "I Am the Center of the Whole." The question is whether you are the center of the whole in a good sense, or a bad sense. For someone floundering in deep water, swimming is a good thing; that is what makes good sense. In addition to wanting to be the center of the whole in a good sense, you should want to be the center on a large scale. If you can swim very well, you will be the center of the whole in a very good way.
I started swimming from my home country and continued all the way across the Pacific Ocean. On the way over, I encountered people of every different race blocking my way, like various creatures of the sea. America is like a whale, Japan like a shark. You have to learn how to survive in deep water. Can you survive? The largest sea monster is communism. You have to fight against the monster and win over it.
Can you do these things without knowing how to swim? No, you must learn to swim. You cannot just ignore the danger of communism. Communism is like a storm and you must be prepared for its arrival. You have to know everything about communism: its history, its tactics, its strategy.
Where is the dirtiest, most foul-smelling kind of water? It is in places where free sex is practiced. Alcohol and drug abuse are dreadful, but sexual promiscuity is the worst pollution. The waters of the world's religions, including the Unification Church, are like spring water, clear and pure. Although we are still struggling, at least the water is clean and not toxic.
In this fallen world, the members of the Unification Church are linked to heaven with an invisible rope. If you start to head in the wrong direction, that rope will yank you back toward the right path. If you think about the value of that kind of protection, you don't mind the Unification Church so much, do you? If a hungry whale comes along and tries to swallow you, the heavenly winch can hoist you up and set you down in a different place. Isn't that great? So what kind of place is the Unification Church? One which protects you from the whales and sharks.
Why would heaven do that for you? Heaven takes extra care of you because you are a special kind of seed. Without that precious seed, mankind will not be able to continue in the future. Wanting to preserve you, heaven goes out of its way to help you. With such protection, you can take many risks and have many different adventures. Ordinary people would predict that if you continue doing such things you would soon die. But rather than dying, you prosper. Heaven intervenes on your behalf. Do you understand that? Even though all other people may pass away, God knows that the special seed must be preserved.
All you have to do is tie that rope around your waist and make a little hook in it. You may think that is too much trouble and wonder why you have to do it. You don't need to understand the reason. Just make the hook, and then heaven can drop its rope and pull you up whenever you need it. Even though it may be difficult, our responsibility is to do what we are told and secure the rope around us, with the little hook for heaven. The rest is up to heaven.
Since you do not understand the purpose of this hook, you don't want to go through the difficulties to create it, but I keep urging you to do so. "What for?" you cry, but I chase you out to try harder. Finally you do what you are told, and that is very good.
The other day I heard a report about someone who had left the Unification Church after being a member for three years. He told one of our members that because of the training he had received in the church, he had no problems supporting himself and making money; he was better equipped in whatever he did. He said that after three years of training, he finds that nothing is impossible. We could say that he learned something about how to swim!
Is it easy or difficult to learn how to swim? It is extremely difficult, but we have to keep practicing and pursuing the perfection of this activity. As for any worthwhile goal, you must be persistent and never give up. Keep trying with all your might. Even though it may take a long time-perhaps even the rest of your life-you should make up your mind that you will continue to perfect it.
Before training you, I trained myself. My training was much more difficult than what you are experiencing. If I had not undergone such intense training, I would have run away from the Unification Church faster than anyone. You Unification Church members want to be like me someday, don't you? That is good. However, in order to resemble me, you have to do exactly what I tell you to do. "No. Not that!" you object. "I want to be like you, but I don't want to do all the things you tell me. I want to resemble you automatically, by magic"
One of the national leaders told me, "I am 42 years old, and I am a leader. Now you are asking me to go back to the beginning lessons again?" He thought he had already finished basic training, but I could see that he needed much more. He was still a beginner. Until we die, we must keep on training ourselves.
There are two kinds of seas in life: the bitter one and the sweet one. The sweet sea stands for heaven and the bitter sea for hell. We have to move from the bitter sea to the sweet. To do that, we have to swim against a strong current and overcome sharks and alligators. As you know, Satan waits for you at the point where you try to enter the heavenly sea, at the cross over point. You have to be able to get past him. If you are not properly prepared when you arrive at the junction, you will become frightened and lose confidence. Then Satan will surely stop you.
Knowing that you have received excellent preparation, you Unification Church members can be very confident. Moreover, you have that special belt so if you cannot reach the heavenly side by yourself, somebody else can hook you with a rope and haul you over. I know that you need preparation. Satan himself is waiting at the very gate of heaven hoping to stop you, so you should be well prepared for that confrontation. That is one point where you have to fight and win.
With training and preparation, you will become the champion for all time. To be a permanent champion, you need help from spirit world. That means you must do everything a person possibly can-and more. Then spirit world will be able to help you. Your responsibility is to be well prepared. Runners train for months, even years, in order to compete in a marathon. To gain the victory in a two-hour race, they have to train for thousands upon thousands of hours. We must train just as seriously.
Marathon champions train for many years while you are seeking to become the princes and princesses of heaven; so can you train for just a few years and quit, complaining that the course is too hard? Someone who wants to gain such a distinction without making the necessary efforts has a thief's mentality. To obtain a Ph.D. from a fine school, say Harvard University, you have to go through some 20 years of schooling, including elementary and high school. How tedious that is! Which should be more difficult: getting a Ph.D. from Harvard, or becoming a heavenly prince or princess? How many hundreds of years should you invest in order to achieve your heavenly goal? A lifetime, and even more.
The Unification Church is good, you say, but you don't like the indemnity course. You think everything would be fine if only you didn't have to go through indemnity. But you should realize that indemnity is what makes it possible for you to complete your training for heaven. Because you know how to pay indemnity, you can hope to reach the sweet sea of heaven in less than thousands of years. Only indemnity makes that possible. If you could not pay indemnity, you could not even do home church. Because of indemnity, you can come here and listen to me directly, face-to-face. Without indemnity, that would not be possible.
Try to connect the parts of your body with indemnity. "This is my indemnity nose,' you can say; or "this is my indemnity mouth" Since your mouth is an indemnity mouth, it must like what other mouths don't. Since your feet are indemnity feet, they will take a different direction from other people's feet. Americans usually like to sleep on their stomachs, so you could sleep the opposite way for indemnity.
You may have considered indemnity something to be avoided, but once you understand its true meaning you can feel attracted to it. To take the indemnity route to the 40th floor of the World Mission Center, would you ride the elevator or walk all the way up? To take the indemnity route from Belvedere to the World Mission Center, would you ride in an automobile or run the whole way?
No one has to tell you each time which is the indemnity course; you know it. Will you devote your lifetime to a normal way or to the indemnity way? Do you like the indemnity way? You have changed your opinion about indemnity this morning! The only standard I strive towards is to be the champion of the indemnity course. When you come to a hill, you can say, "To climb this is good training" You can look at everything that way.
The best people in the Unification Church are often the ones most criticized. Likewise, the best work in the church is often considered undesirable because it is all indemnity. Those who have never despised the word indemnity, please raise your hands. The rest of you should apologize to the word "indemnity"! Will you do that today? If indemnity accepts your apology, it will become your foundation and your foothold. You have to understand clearly all the things that we are doing.
God loves the Unification Church and has great hope for it; mankind, too, will love the Unification Church; heaven and earth both cherish the Unification Church. The essence of what they esteem is indemnity. Because we know about indemnity and because we are putting it into practice, heaven and mankind will absolutely love the Unification Church. So you first have to become familiar with the term indemnity and learn to love it.
When you say, "Reverend Moon,' for instance, you are saying my name. The name is not the person himself, but represents the person. Likewise, the term "indemnity" is not indemnity itself, but just the label. But if you don't like the name Reverend Moon, that means you don't like the person either. If you don't feel love for the term indemnity, you do not love indemnity itself. A person who dislikes a name usually dislikes anything attached to the entity it represents. People persecute you when they hear you are a Moonie, for example, because they don't like Reverend Moon.
Our topic today is "I Am the Center of the Whole." What is the center of America, or American people? Is it their vices? The person who most hates the vices of America and most desperately tries to stop evil and bring people to the side of goodness is the center of America. Likewise, the central person is the one who suffers the most. If you want to be the center of America, you should suffer the most for the sake of this country. Along the way, you will face all sorts of trials, perhaps even risking your life. The greatest of all sacrifices is that of one's own life. He who offers his very life for the sake of this country has paid the greatest indemnity, because there is nothing more he can give; he has more scars than anyone. Thus, the center of this country will be the person who loves it at the risk of his life.
Within a family, whoever works the hardest and does the most difficult tasks will be the center of that family, even if he isn't one of the parents. The father may have a lot of money, but if one of the children works the hardest and gives the most, he will be that family's center. Can you disagree with that?
Do you white people agree with me and you black people disagree? No? Can black people become the center of America? Of course, they can. In general, who has suffered more-black Americans or white Americans? Then why aren't the blacks the center now? Although they suffered, their suffering was not for the sake of America but for their own survival. So far, black Americans have not been able to tell white Americans, "I suffered and sacrificed for the sake of this country. Now I will serve you and teach you how to follow my path" No black person has gone to serve a white family with such a viewpoint. When a white family lives in a way that is detrimental to the country, there has never been a black person who came and told them to change for their own sake, as well as for the sake of the country. If black people had been able to do that, they would have been the center of America by now.
Black members of the Unification Church should resolve to use their membership not just for their own salvation but for the sake of America and even the whole world. If they serve the world more than white, Oriental, or Hispanic people, they will soon become the center of the entire world. The principle behind this is unchanging; God will see that it is carried out. If black people work so earnestly for the sake of the world but are still rebuffed by white people, God Himself will intervene and place them in the central position.
Which is more precious-you or the Unification Church? Think about it. Did you assemble and create the Unification Church, or was it already in existence when you joined it? To put it another way, should the Unification Church follow you, or should you follow it? Does God need the Unification Church, or does the church need God? This may seem a simple question and you laugh, but it is critical. The national church leaders have worked very hard for a long time. They must have wondered, "Am I leading the Unification Church, or should I be led by it?" How would you answer such a question? What about those of you who are national leaders? Does the national church lead you, or do you lead it?
Today's topic is "I Am the Center of the Whole," not "We Are the Center of the Whole" Which do you prefer- for the church to lead you or for you to lead the church? The individual leads the church, but who is the true leader? The one who suffers the most. Is it correct to say that? Can you leave out indemnity and still be a true leader? No, you must embody indemnity. At what stage is the Unification Church working-national or worldwide? You can answer with the right words, but do you actually feel that our stage is the world? When you are ready to go to bed, have you ever considered the people on the other side of the world who are just getting up and make a resolution not to be outdone by them?
The southern hemisphere basks in the warmth of summer while the northern hemisphere is shivering in its winter. The eastern hemisphere is bathed by daylight when the west is cloaked in darkness. We are surrounded by opposites. Can you say, "I like only the daytime, not the night"? If there were no night, how could we sleep peacefully? We need darkness to sleep. Do you understand?
Americans like cheeseburgers and hamburgers, while Koreans like kimchee and kochee chang with rice. You should be able to appreciate all kinds of food, not just that of one culture. There is nothing wrong with liking hamburgers but you should also learn to enjoy kimchee and kochee chang. Whatever you happen to be served-whether Eastern or Western food-you should be able to enjoy it.
A Western-centered person would say, "Since I have blue eyes, I want a wife with blue eyes, too" But the world-centered person would say, "Since I have blue eyes, I need a wife with brown eyes-in fact, a wife who is black" Blue eyes are like daylight and black eyes nighttime. Together they represent a complete day. People develop this sort of attitude within the Unification Church. Members ask for a spouse of a different race in order to become world-level people. Their relatives back home sense that something momentous is happening within their family.
Unification Church members are different. We work not merely for the sake of the country but for the whole world. Through such work you are becoming better people. In economic matters, we do not think in terms of a particular country, but of the world economy. For us there are no barriers of nationality. Ordinarily Japanese people, for instance, would not be willing to work in Africa for the sake of the world but Japanese professors will go to Africa to do difficult work there. In the future, the world will be preferred over any one country. That is the logical result of living the universal way.
I can visit and work anywhere because my efforts are for the sake of the world. What about you? Do you suppose I want you to remain in your own country or to travel all over the world and work in many places? You want me to be able to work anywhere in the world, don't you? Where do you think I will go next?
I assemble members from around the world and ask them to work in different countries-not for the benefit of just that nation, but for the world. When our movement bought a factory, it wasn't bought for the sake of the Unification Church but so our church members could work there for the sake of the world, suffering there and earning money for the world. If that money were used for my benefit or for some individual purpose, you could certainly complain but as long as the money is used for the sake of the world, you will not complain.
We are a unique species of people! If you are asked, "Which is your country?" you could say, "My country is the Heavenly Kingdom" Has a heavenly country actually been established on this earth yet? No, it hasn't. Therefore, we are fighting for the independence of the Heavenly Kingdom-a kind of independence army. We should master all kinds of trades and activities so we will be able to do anything. If the enemy attacks us, we must be able to defend ourselves. When there are not enough men to comprise an army, what about women? Would you be willing to continue as a soldier in the independence army for your whole life?
I am the general of the independence army of heaven. That was my attitude in my struggle against the Carter Administration. Whatever country I visit, the leader of that country pays attention to me. When I spent three months in England, I waged a battle with the English government. In Japan I did the same thing. If the free world will accept and welcome me, together we can fight against international communism.
I received a report recently from a person who attended a high-level communist meeting. They discussed the Unification Church and they listed seven ways in which we pose a serious threat to them. The communists feel that they have to protect themselves against the Unification Church. I know communism better than anyone-the strategies they adopt, the way they fight, and so forth. When I talk to you, you learn these things from me. Would you like to be the true heroes of America? Suppose I asked you women to form a women's army, the strongest one in the world; would you do it?
Suppose millions of people were to assemble to hear me speak. Should I talk for two or three hours? No, I would give a lightning-fast speech, for jut a minute or two. I would speak better than General MacArthur!
This army must stay invincible; therefore, you must train in every way. If you are not well-trained, you will get shot. The communist guerrilla forces in El Salvador are comprised of people from around the world: Asians, Cubans, black people, etc. Why can't the entire free world assemble an army to resist them? Why isn't Mr. Reagan appealing to the world and calling for volunteers to defend freedom in El Salvador? Why is he just trying to help El Salvador through the United States? Who in America wants to oppose communism? Only us. Are you confident enough to participate in an army against the communists?
We are the heavenly army yet we are a religious group, not a secular army. However, when the communists attack religious people and try to destroy the churches, should the believers just sit tight, pray to God. and die?
What about US congressmen and senators? Many of them seem to feel that church people should just sit back and let themselves be destroyed. But the Unification Church is different-we do not listen to such advice from anyone. When the communists actually launch a physical attack, we must be able to resist them. Is that wrong thinking? I am a religious leader, but if the time comes when religion is threatened and attacked, I will reach out to awaken leaders and people in all other fields. If they all fail, I will meet the challenge in their place. If the US Department of State or Department of Defense fails to act, then Americans themselves must rise up and accomplish their mission. Only in that way can America survive.
This should be the normal American way of thinking and religious people should be no exception. Is it wrong to think like that? In reality, we must be willing to fight for the sake of the world.
Wherever you go, you must be independent and confident. Even in an enemy country, you should be able to adapt and do well. Well-prepared people do not need to worry about what they may encounter. So you must understand that my thinking extends further into the future than yours, preparing for that eventuality. If you are not getting ready, it is unfortunate. Do you understand?
If we are an army, we will be the strongest one in the world, because in whatever we do, we should strive to excel. If you ever become a government official, you should be the most competent and most enthusiastic. If you are needed as an automobile driver, you should be the best driver; you should be capable of driving for 24 hours without tiring. Someday you may need to reach a certain place by a certain time and if you don't make it, the world itself will be in jeopardy. You would have to be the kind of driver who can stay alert and reach the destination.
Perhaps in a very hot climate where people want just to sit around and sip cold drinks, we must go out and dig foxholes. Someday in a tropical zone we may need to fight against an enemy and dig trenches for protection. Once I went to hunt in the coldest part of Korea, taking many church members along, because I asked myself, "What if we face such a situation in the future?" If you have felt, "As religious people, we have to be soft,' you had better change your thinking quickly. We are the independence force.
God has no country He can call His own. If there were such a country, with the same sovereignty as America, who would go against Reverend Moon and the Unification Church? Since God has never had His own country, religions have been persecuted and good people pushed around. Now, at the finale of fallen history, we are organizing a strong and powerful independence army. You must understand this point.
God's people have had to live like gypsies, moving from place to place with nowhere permanent to settle. Dr. Durst is a scholar but he must become a brand-new kind of scholar: one who can encompass and serve the entire world. The same applies to other national leaders. You should not limit yourselves by thinking you are simply a religious leader, because you are a different kind of religious leader. Now is not the time to settle down, either. Now is the time to man the front line, not to set up your own cozy home.
When General MacArthur retired at the age of 73, he said, "Old soldiers never die!" That is the kind of soldier's spirit we need. Am I an old soldier or a young one? Most people think I look young, but I can show you my white hair.
Should you be weaker or stronger than 1? If someone wanted to evaluate the Unification Church, all he would have to examine is you young people. When you church members are filled with hope, they can say that the Unification Church has great prospects for the future. If they cannot see hope in you, they will conclude that the church will not amount to anything.
We must become the strongest soldiers and army ever formed. Therefore, I will have to train you. You will have to be better than George Washington's troops who were fighting for the independence of America 200 years ago. There have been no other soldiers with a mission like yours. Our heavenly country must never be destroyed; therefore, we must be strong enough to preserve ourselves. That is why I have to train you under the most difficult circumstances, under conditions so impossible that everybody will criticize us. A general has to do that because when he gets old and retires somebody has to be able to follow in his steps. The general needs to be strong in order to ensure the survival of the country.
George Washington's forces were predominantly white men but the heavenly independence force includes all colors of skin. It remains to be seen which of the five colors will produce the bravest soldiers.
It might be assumed that white soldiers need such things as cheese, pickles and Cokes and will work only eight hours a day. Perhaps they need eight hours of sleep before they can rise and fight again. But we are different; we are ready to fight at any time, 24 hours a day. We must be always advancing, never retreating. I want to see you women become generals, too, capable of supporting yourselves without depending upon anybody else. You must be able to confront anyone, including police chief, and negotiate with them, protesting against wrongs. Every one of you women should have that kind of spirit. I want to see a five-star woman general and salute her.
American people must change quickly. If you don't change now, the communists will soon be able to overcome this so-called free country. Do you understand?
Many wars have been fought in history but this one will be the most complicated and unique one. Therefore, I resolved to train the members in the most difficult and unique way. If a regular army requires three years to attain a high standard, we must accomplish it in three months. That is how I think. In whose name will you train? Not in my name, but in the name of God and all humanity.
Is it bad to think that way? I can imagine that in the future people will say, "In Reverend Moon's March 8 speech he said all kinds of things about training for the army. He certainly seems like a dictator. I told you so," I am expecting such talk, but I must say what needs to be said. Even though I know that such remarks will probably stir up more controversy and make me more unpopular, how can I not say them when it is for the sake of God and humanity? However, I am also optimistic that those who hear about this speech will say, "Oh, Reverend Moon has said that kind of things so many times-so what?" It doesn't matter what people are saying; while they are talking, we will prepare.
When we are fully trained, God will be able to trust us absolutely. Looking down at the world, God sees that although there are millions of Christians, His providence remains in jeopardy, and the communist forces are determined to destroy religion itself Would God want to see this enemy stopped by fighting? Would He rather have the American army or some Christian army fight them? Because this is a heavenly war, not a secular war, God prefers that religious people fight communism. If the religious people remain seated quietly, doing nothing, the communists will keep building their strength until one day they will attack us. Knowing that, how can you remain gentle and silent? You should certainly train harder than the communists do.
We are front-line soldiers in the fight against communism and the world knows that. This is why the communists consider the Unification Church and Reverend Moon such a serious threat. They are looking ahead when they recognize that danger. Meanwhile, the free world also calls me a threat but they do so out of short-sightedness and ignorance. If they knew why the communists oppose me, they would immediately realize that I am their best friend. The communists, quite simply, want to destroy the free world.
Why do I make you suffer so much, sometimes to the point of being ridiculous? There must be some reason. Men and women need a far-reaching way of thinking. You need to realize that you must build your own heavenly country here on earth and become its citizens before you go to the spirit world to rest. We need our country. Even if you must go without food or sleep, you can tolerate it when you consider the importance of our work. Something of far greater value awaits us.
The divisions between North and South Korea and between East and West Germany are symbolic of the world situation. A few years ago I predicted that when American morale slackened, the communists would attack in Central America, Mexico and even Canada, using guerrilla warfare-just as they did in Southeast Asia. When the American army withdrew from Vietnam, Americans thought, "Let the Vietnamese handle their situation now and we will take care of ourselves. We will be comfortable from now on" But things did not turn out that way. The Vietnamese could not take care of their situation. Now through El Salvador, the communists have come to the very doorstep of this country, using the same tactics. This time America must not retreat.
To achieve the goal, we need to connect with the Latin American countries, too. The United States should make friends within this region. North America and South America need to be united in order to contain the communist regimes in Central America, sandwiched between the two.
Many South American leaders have asked people from the Unification movement to come and teach their people anti-communism. In Uruguay we will help start a newspaper to guide people away from communism. Uruguay is an important country in South America, with a role similar to that of Switzerland in Europe. What do I have to do with this country? If I did not reach out in this way and train you to be strong soldiers, we could not accomplish our heavenly task.
The Soviets will soon make a big push to influence Western Europe. Therefore our movement has secured a big machine company in West Germany. West Germany's situation is serious; East Germany wants control of the West German machine companies and heavy industry. Who else will protect West German industry? We are compelled to buy such a strategically-located company.
Even though I had been thinking about this for a long time, I could not speak of it publicly. Instigated by the communists, the world has been calling me a dictator and a militarist. But now the worst storm is over. The picture will become clearer and clearer as I explain what I am doing. Do you understand?
We are the independence force. In the course of leading a guerrilla group, the leader often gets arrested. This is why I have frequently been incarcerated in several countries. This will continue until we have our own heavenly country. Our life is constantly threatened because we lack the security of our own country. Under such circumstances, we have had to suffer so much, but finally we will become the actual center of the entire world. This is how I look at our situation.
As much as possible, we will accomplish our task through shedding our tears, sweat and blood-not by arms. Therefore, we must suffer. To shoot somebody is a simple method of dealing with him. How much more difficult it is to shed tears, sweat and blood for others! But that is our challenge.
As I look at each face here I feel a momentary happiness; but I immediately wonder, "When will he run away? How long will she stay? If the enemy were firing shells and bullets at us, would he or she remain and continue marching forward?"
How to guide the country in a rightful manner is the focus of much of my thoughts. The real question is not how to combat America's evils, but how to educate this nation. This is my immediate task. Whenever a war is fought and won, the victors must educate the conquered. By the same token, if we can educate our opponent now and do it well, we can avoid a war.
You are being trained according to the highest standard of history. Thus the world considers this church formidable and fearful. I welcome such a reaction. We are strong, but we are also intelligent. This is our source of pride and our hope for success. Such a strong army will continue to prosper and will develop in every area. As long as our goal remains unaccomplished, our activities must continue.
Where would you like to get married, raise children, and live a happy life: as citizens of the heavenly home country, or as nomads in different lands? The United States offers the best setting for accomplishing our goal; it is the prepared nation in that respect. Many American citizens are descendants of Abel-type people who were chased out of Europe for their religious beliefs. How nice for you to be centrally trained here in America!
Those of you from other countries will always be welcomed back when you return home. You will become the Abel figures in your home countries, with the responsibility to love the Cains there. When Cain comes to understand and love Abel in your homeland, won't that become a heavenly country?
Every nation is represented here in the United States. Blacks and whites live side by side, whether they like it or not. This is a melting pot arranged by God. The true natives of America are the Indians. The name "Indian" signifies Oriental. The American Indians are cousins of Asian Orientals, so I came like a cousin to this country; but the white people have opposed me. If my American cousins stand against me, they will come to regret it. In the past, the whites destroyed many Indians, and they may be forced to shed their own blood in recompense. If you really think about it, the whites plundered this nation and killed the people of Oriental ancestry. Even now, a good many Indians feel that way.
I came to this country to make peace and resolve the racial problems once and for all. In the course of my work, I have been persecuted by the government. If that is not rectified, the United States will fall prey to communism. Any administration who persecutes me is making a big mistake. If Richard Nixon bad listened to my words and followed my advice, America would not have gone through all this recent turmoil. I also wrote an encouraging letter to President Reagan and told him, "Be strong and bold. Then God will be with you. If you do not, you will encounter extreme difficulties in accomplishing your work"
The communists have never lowered their goals or abandoned their strategies. Soon you will see demonstrations against Mr. Reagan and his new administration worldwide and even in this country. They will all be encouraged by communists.
Just a few days ago, The News World began a serious barrage against The New York Times. You may have thought we used rather strong language in accusing The New York Times of actually helping communism, but that is really their weakness. Those on their staff and their board of directors who are sympathetic to communism will be very sensitive to our attack. The New York Times has enjoyed the giant's position for a long time. Nobody dared to speak out against them-or if they did, it made no difference.
Although I am a religious leader, I am also a spiritual warrior. You are following a fighter, so you will never see the day when we shall all live in a comfortable, easygoing way. Why don't you just pack up and leave? You answer "No,' but that can also be spelled "know" Do you know the truth? Does that mean you are here to stay-forever?
Why do you think I pound on the heads of brothers here on the front row? I am always thinking about how to avoid a physical war, how to go over the hill and accomplish God's will and build His country.
For many days now I have been very serious, and all of spirit world has been focused on my concerns. The spirit world is going out of their way to help our fundraising members who have the same standard of seriousness. Spirit world can work on somebody with large financial assets and motivate him to make a substantial donation. Suppose people formed a committee to stop Reverend Moon, but could they take me to court for what spirit world does to motivate people to make donations?
Nobody becomes the center of the whole by having money. Only through paying indemnity, through caring for others and living with more indemnity will we become the center of the whole. Do you understand? The more one suffers for the sake of God, the closer he will be to the center of God's world. The hardest worker in the company will become its center.
Then are you working and suffering now for your sake, or for the sake of America? As long as you are truly working for America, and as long as Americans survive in this land, you can continue to work without complaint, even though it may take longer than you anticipated. There are many areas in which you can help people.
If our suffering is for the sake of the world, can we protest that it is too much? As long as work remains to be done, you cannot say it is too much and then quit. The only valid complaint is that 24 hours are not enough time to do everything you need to accomplish in a day. You do not achieve restoration by indemnity if you work out of duty or because somebody forces you. Only through joyful and willing efforts can you establish an indemnity condition. If I were standing behind you, pushing you on, it wouldn't fulfill the condition. At some point, you need to become autonomous and work on your own; then you are paying true indemnity.
If you want to be the world's best husband, you must be willing to love the world's ugliest woman and be the best husband to her. That is the best short-cut to becoming a superior husband. If you have a demanding wife who gives you difficulties and makes you work hard, she will eventually acknowledge that you are the best husband in the world because of all the things you did for her. If your wife isn't so demanding, it will take an indefinite time for you to become the world's best husband. So the quickest way to that goal is to marry the world's worst wife and make her the world's best wife!
The same principle applies to other relationships. Why love people who abuse and persecute you? When you treat the worst person with love and help him to become the best person, you become a world champion. That is the shortest path to becoming a success in life. Whoever perseveres through the most difficult trials with a willing and grateful heart, happy to do something for the ultimate goal, will be the truly successful person.
Members enter the Unification Church on their own free will, yet their parents often accuse me of forcing their children to join. I love and care about those persecuting parents and want to help them become our members' best supporters. That will be the shortest cut to my becoming the champion religious leader. Do you think this is true, according to the Principle?
God thinks this way, too. He wants to be able to certify you as the greatest champions of the world in the shortest possible time. He wants to do it in 10 years, not prolong the process for 20, 40, or 60 years. This is why He pushes you through such intense suffering.
I promised God to accomplish the task within the next 20 years. I asked Him to give me every difficulty that I ought to encounter. "Dump it all on me!" I asked Him. I never complained that the load was too heavy or asked Him to spread it out over 30 years.
Without bothering to research the facts, the American news media and the American public immediately pounced on me. They did so because the spirit world pushed them to. Thus God could award me my diploma as fast as possible. Any evil person or activity that the world attacks usually diminishes, but when I was pounced upon, I just grew bigger and bigger! That is also the work of God and that is exactly the method I want to use on you.
God has a smart strategy! By making you suffer, He raises you up to be great people. Also, you can go through this path but Satan never can. Satan wants to persecute you but he can't accept persecution himself. Everyone may oppose me but if there is no fault within me, my persecutors will be the losers in the end. Eventually, the world will be able to see the truth clearly. Rich and poor alike will admit their error and want to repay me for having persecuted me. If Mr. Rockefeller felt that way, I would tell him to use his money for the sake of the world. What would he reply? Even he would say yes.
These are not just words; the spirit world has been working very actively. Whoever treats you unjustly and persecutes you now will weep and repent later.
Through indemnity you can bring the whole world under God. For whom was the world created? For human beings, for men and women. Who is the center of womanhood? She who suffers the most for the sake of the whole. Each of you wants to become an outstanding woman, don't you? Nobody wants to be mediocre; you naturally want to excel. But to want to be the best without making any changes or investing much effort is to have the mind of a thief. To become a superior woman, you need to work harder, serve more, and be kinder than others; that way you will work out more indemnity. Is that easy? No. In fact, you have to pass through much indemnity in order to qualify as the best woman. Do you understand?
To desire to excel is good, but then you must do what is necessary to achieve that desire. The formula for becoming the best woman is to do something no other woman can do. Once you do that, you can hope to become the best. It is impossible to attain that distinction without going through such a course. Furthermore, you will have to embody the men's standard for a superior woman, not just the women's standard. The men's standard may be more difficult but when you accomplish it, all men will testify that you are the best woman. So men, not other women, are the judges of the most outstanding woman.
To become the best person requires accomplishing all the most difficult tasks. To desire the best position without fulfilling that requirement is wrong. Of all the multitudes in spirit world, do you think most people suffered a lot on earth or had a relatively easy life? The majority suffered. To become the center of the whole includes becoming the center of the spirit world. How can you become the center of the people in spirit world if you have endured less than they have? Do you think suffering on earth will continue? How will you be able to console the people who arrive in the spirit world in the future if you haven't endured as much as they have? Unless you suffer and overcome, you cannot teach them about happiness.
God has suffered far more than any human being; otherwise, He would not be qualified to teach suffering people. Parents can educate their children and the children listen because parents have endured more. The teacher who has experienced and suffered a lot is a better-qualified instructor. If a student has endured more suffering than the teacher, the teacher does not know how to guide him. Do you understand?
The world of creation exists for human beings, and it is pleading with us to be used for a good purpose. Even the fallen world will say, "Please apply the law of indemnity and use me through it" Indemnity is necessary everywhere. We must understand clearly what we are living for. The direction in which we are headed is the path of greater indemnity for the sake of the world. This is the path that leads directly to the center of the whole. This is our daily direction. Wherever we go-whether a family, a company, a nation or the world-we must show the example. Our task is to overcome the indemnity on all those levels. Do you understand?
Eventually all the barriers that separate people and all the causes of persecution will crumble. But every time we demolish a wall in order to reach the center, we must suffer. Eventually people will no longer persecute you because they will realize that the law is on your side. Satan understands this and is smart; he will stop opposing you when he sees it is futile. After completing that indemnity, you will go to the center and be able to settle down permanently. If you do not make it all the way to the world level, you will be like a swimmer approaching the shore but unable to climb completely out of the water. You will not reach the connecting point with the spirit world and you will be unable to go to Heaven.
The Unification Church is like a speedboat which will shoot us through the water straight towards our destination. We need a fast boat because we have to go from one end of the world to the other; the whole world is our arena. We need a powerful engine in our relatively small boat because we have to be able to cut through the swiftest currents without being swamped.
Each of you as well needs a powerful internal engine. Eventually, you will become perfectly strong and swift but until then, you have to pay indemnity. Wherever you go you need confidence that you can survive. To endure alone, huddled in a corner is not enough; you should be a happy survivor, surrounded by other people. When you are joyful, heaven and earth are joyful because you are the center of the whole. That is the way I live each day.
We may be going through storms and blizzards now, but they will not last forever. We will surely see a bright and beautiful day. Until that day comes, I am resolved to do my work and not worry. Only he who has endured the fiercest storms can truly appreciate the peaceful sunshine. Those who have enjoyed fair weather all their lives cannot deeply appreciate a beautiful day. For them, one day is the same as another.
When you go to the spirit world and settle there, you will be able to feel true happiness. Because you suffered so much in the past, you will appreciate the value of everything. That is the kind of person I want to train you to be.
Wherever I go, I try to become one with the people. If I am among fishermen, I want to become a good fisherman; when I go to a factory, I want to become a skilled worker. I don't consider myself above the workers just because I am a leader. You need to experience all areas of life.
If you put on nice clothes, you may act like a president or king but if the people are unhappy, you cannot be at Peace. When everybody is contented, you can put on royal robes and rejoice as well. Our task is to make others happy. We are devoting ourselves to this goal.
It is for the world that we are paying indemnity, not just for our own benefit. Whatever has bothered you and whatever you hated doing you took as indemnity, didn't you? But once you deeply understand the truth of indemnity, you realize how precious it is. Regardless of how much you may suffer, indemnity will demand "More, more!" It will even kick you and push to you greater heights. Why does the law of indemnity operate like that, and why do I encourage you to live this way? It is so that one day you can become the center of the whole. This is my sole motivation.
Would you like to be the center of whole? Your answer is clear. God knows it well. I know it well. Thank you very much. God bless you.
