Hyung Jin Moon
June 13, 2010
Cheon Bok Gung
Yongsan, Seoul Korea
Korean War Military Cemetery in Daejon Korea
Yesterday, we traveled to Daejeon to conduct a Seunghwa Ceremony for the 4,024 patriots who lost their lives in the Korean War. With the special amnesty blessing by True Father, the Seunghwa Ceremony for these soldiers who died in defense of Korea was allowed.
I officiated the ceremony in place of True Father, but some amazing military men participated. There was a general in active service, local politicians and regional leaders, and many elder citizens, who had fought in the war, approx. 200-300 took part.
I said to the participants, "I am honored to be able to speak before you, because in Tongil-gyo, we believe that our country is not just a small country in the Orient, but that it is the center of the world. We believe that this country is a holy ground, where the Lord of the Second Advent has come. You fought to defend this country, so I wish to offer you my heartfelt respects. And I offered a bow.
We are grateful that you risked your lives to fight to defend this Fatherland.
After the Seunghwa Ceremony and Holy Wine Ceremony were over, many of the veterans came up to me, saying, "You were raised well by your Father. You were born in America but you studied Korean well, and you were raised in the US but you value Korea well."
I said to that General, "I'm not special. All of our Unificationists are like that. I'm grateful that I can offer a bow to all of you."
Brothers and sisters, why did True Father say to offer the 120-day Jeong Seong condition? Have you thought about it? Already 100 days have passed, but have you thought about this? Why did he gather you from all over the world and say, bring together your Jeong Seong, and return to the principle?
It's quite amazing. This 120-day condition ends on June 25 (the starting day of the Korean War). Your Jeong Seong period ends on 6.25. Do you think True Father looked at a calendar, chose 6.25 and counted 120 days backwards? Why is the day of 6.25 at the end of this Jeong Seong period, and why did the sinking of the Cheonan ship take place during this time? And why are North and South Korea in a situation like the brink of war again?
Why did the explosive events worldwide take place this year -- Iceland's volcanic eruption, the Haiti earthquake, many deaths in Chile? It's like the Last Days. It was the first time that Europe's skies were so dark, in broad daylight.
In Korea as well, there was incredible snowfall. Why have such strange phenomena taken place this year? And during such conditions, why has True Father held numerous Seunghwa Festivals throughout the world, moving on the frontlines, offering Jeong Seong and conditions, and asked all of you to offer the 120-day Jeong Seong as well? These are not coincidences. The heavenly fortune is at an incredible time of risk now. True Father had already felt this, and someone had to be offering Jeong Seong. Is there another church, another religion offering this kind of intensive Jeong Seong at this time?
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 6.25 Korean War. It is exactly the 60th year, and double that is 120. When offering Jeong Seong, it's not just True Father, but True Mother also offers it together. So 60 doubled is 120, as True Parents are one.
If during this period, we had not offered our sincerity, and the world leaders and public office holders of the church worldwide had not come here to hear God's words, there was the possibility that an incident much more serious than the Cheonan ship accident would have taken place. If someone had not become an offering before heaven, had not set up new conditions centered on God's word, it would have been difficult to move together with heaven's fortune.
Do you understand the meaning of this? Because of the Jeong Seong conditions, North and South did not have to enter into war. The reason why a war did not erupt between North and South Korea, was because of the Jeong Seong conditions set by True Father.
Please understand this. Why do we want all of you to become experts of the Principle? When True Father speaks about January 13, 2013, please believe in it. At that time, he said an incredible change will come about in the world, and that Cheon Il Guk will become established, so please believe that. True Father said that at that time, a great transition will take place in the world, and as True Father already knows where heaven's fortune lies, amazing things will occur. I myself am not able to see this heavenly fortune, so I will just feel it. At that time, a truly amazing incident will occur. Especially, a great event related to North-South unification will occur.
Brothers and sisters, our country is now at the brink of war. It's possible that North and South will again enter into war. North Korea is only a few hundred kilometers away, so it's possible that in an instant, half of Seoul will disappear.
It's quite amazing that we are almost at war. When this issue of North-South unification arises, people will come to seek for the savior. When a country is happy and rich, we live easily and don't seek for a savior. But when war is at hand, a savior who can solve this problem quickly is needed. All of us are searching for the Messiah.
Many years ago, True Father said, that one day, people will flock to the Unification Church. One day, all religious leaders will come to the Church, and even if we build a wall to keep them out, they'll climb over it to join the Unification Church. Now, because Korea is faced with possible war, all are looking for someone who can resolve the situation. Today, the South Korean government and the North Korean government are not communicating; the Lee Myung Bak government isn't communicating with the North. Hyundai, Samsung, and other organizations have been kicked out by the North. Who is the only person with a connection to the North now? The Lord of the Second Advent. The only person in the world, who still has a connection with North Korea.
Next Friday, the Venerable Rev. Jaseung of the Buddhist Chogye Sect with 20 million followers will visit the Cheon Bok Gung. He is the current Secretary General and one of the top leaders of Korean Buddhism. The top monks and their staff will visit the Unification Church Headquarters Church. We've had Christian ministers visit us also. Last week, two Christian ministers came to visit. They are watching how we will solve this issue. Last week, several monks also visited, and through one of them, Rev. Peoban, we came to organize the Seunghwa Ceremony for the war veterans.
Rev. Peoban built over 130 monuments for Korean soldiers who fought for our country. He is closely connected with the military because of the soldiers, and because of him, the Wonbul-gyo (one Korean Buddhist sect) was able to enter the military. This time, this Rev. Peoban set the Unification Church Seunghwa Ceremony completely at the center! An active two-star general and current politicians also attended. In the next two months, over 2,000 Korean veterans who live overseas will be visiting Korea to attend this special Seunghwa Ceremony.
We will be offering prayers nationwide for all of these people. The military approved that these events proceed centered on the Tongil-gyo (Unificationist) Seunghwa Ceremony. A Buddhist representative of the Wonbul-gyo sect is now allowed into the military as a pastor, and this time, a Unificationist pastor has been allowed into the military at, I believe the Nonsan training center for Korean soldiers. It's the first time in history that a Unificationist pastor will be accepted by the military.
Why are these things happening? During this Jeong Seong period, why did the North Korean incident take place, why are religious leaders visiting and why is the chief monk of all Korean Buddhists visiting the Unification Church headquarters Church? Why, after the Seunghwa Ceremony was allowed, has it already penetrated into the military? Why are past war veterans receiving the Seunghwa Ceremony? We have to open our spiritual eyes. These incredible events are all taking place during the Jeong Seong period that True Father has set.
I am feeling this spiritually, that at this time, whether we will have North-South unification or not, a very great opportunity will come. And the 20 million people of the North will enter into a certain new relationship with Korea, and they will witness how much greater South Korea is, compared to the North. They will fall into great despair, and feel isolated. Throughout their lives, they believed in Kim Il Sung, and that North Korea was the best in the world, but now, when they further their relations with the South, they see that they were nothing. And then 20 million people will experience a deep identity crisis. The people of the North are very patriotic. Isn't that so? Probably more so than the South Koreans. Having lost their identity and feeling totally isolated, what kind of faith, what kind of religion do you think will fill their heart?
For the Christians, it was the Messiah from the Middle East, India for the Buddhists, the Middle East for Islam. The Lord of the Second Advent who was born in North Korea, and brought followers from the whole world. When they hear that millions are now facing North Korea, True Father's homeland and offering bows, the passionate patriotism of the North Koreans and their sense of lost identity will come together, they will know that True Parents are the Lord of the Second Advent born from our country, that the center of the world is our country, and that the center of the heart of all the cosmos is the Korean peninsula. The passion of the 20 million, and their patriotism that died and was reborn will become one with faith. Even if not all 20 million will, even two million or 10% will come to think in this way.
Japanese members must know -- the faith of Japanese members is extremely strong. When you go to a Unification Church in Japan, their faith is incredible. They witness, witness, witness every single day.
What I feel is that if North Korea comes to know True Parents, think about what will happen to Leader Kim Jong Il? Didn't President Gorbachev become a Catholic? He became someone who believed in God. If Leader Kim Jong Il had to choose a religion, do you think he'll choose to become a Catholic? Italy? Or do you think he will choose Tongilgyo, who can help illuminate North Korea? We'll be able to see firsthand the history of King Constantine.
Then, if two million people come to truly believe in True Parents, and their hot patriotism and passionate faith wanting to testify to the Lord become one, two million will become missionaries, and if their lost identity and lonely hearts can be filled with the love of True Parents completely, they will become warriors for True Parents. I believe they will go out into the world, and produce amazing spiritual works to establish Cheon Il Guk.
When crowds of people become Unificationists in this way, won't we have to be teachers? We will need people who live centered on the Principle, who offer Jeong Seong centered on the Principle. True Father taught you to return to Jeong Seong, spirituality and True Father's words during this 120-day Jeong Seong, didn't he?
Against this backdrop, the North-South issue, the incident that almost brought about war erupted. Heaven's fortune is beginning to change. The final path connected to North Korea, is our Lord. Why at this time does True Father write as the title of the Seunghwa Festivals, that South Korea is the Cheon Il Guk? South Korea is the completion of Cheon Il Guk.
Because we are at such a time, let's go forward with True Parent's words, before True Parents, believing in True Parents. We did not know about this kind of heavenly fortune.
I also repented from my heart. I didn't know this content. I just went ahead without knowing, but such events kept occurring and so I was wondering about them. How can it be that the last day of this Jeong Seong period falls on the day the Korean War began? When True Father says that a great global transition will take place in 2013, this is no joke.
Especially at this time, we have to offer Jeong Seong, we have to pray so that all people can become one with True Parents. We are all sinners, and we were forgiven before True Parents, so we must repent and offer Jeong Seong for their glory.
Let's all return glory to True Parents at this time. What is your greatest responsibility? Your second? Third responsibility? To return glory to True Parents, and there is nothing else.
This is what I always speak about. We all will come and go. We are not eternal. I say this to our 2nd generation too. They will be happy if they hear that the age of the 2nd gen is here. I'm sorry, but there is no age of the 2nd gen, nor the age of the 3rd gen, or the 4th gen, or the 100th gen. There is only the age of the True Parents. We must know this clearly.
Christians don't say, now that our elders have left, it's the age of the 2nd gen. No Christian talks in this way. It was Jesus' spiritual love and the works of the Holy Spirit that dominated Christian history.
Jesus' love is eternal, for every generation. The love of the Lord was the center. It's the same with our 2nd gen. When a 1st gen gets old, he may become a Unification Church leader, but it's different for the 2nd gen.
If that 2nd gen doesn't believe in True Parents, there is no value, and if s/he is not a Unification Church member, there is no value. If the person doesn't believe in True Parents as the Messiah, doesn't know the love of True Parents and does not repent, there is no value… no use. We are in that kind of an age, and we must know this clearly. There is no era of the 2nd gen or the 3rd gen, only the era of the eternal True Parents. Our eternal king is the True Parents, our eternal parents are the True Parents.
There is nothing else. So, in the future there will be tons of 2nd gen Unification Church members, but there is no such thing as the Unification Church era of the 2nd gen. 2nd gen should know that if they don't believe in the True Parents, they are not Unification Church members. Some 2nd gen go against True Parent's words and don't listen to them. Such people cannot be called Unification Church members. The first criterion is faith.
It's whether you believe True Parents saved me or not. That is the basic standard of the Cheon Il Guk citizen. If you believe that, how you are living, whether you are making constant effort to practice the love of giving no matter how many times you die… even if not perfect, always trying to practice this. Have you come to hate the sin you've loved until today? Through your encounter with True Parents, through faith centered on God's word, have you come to hate the sin you loved? Am I now living a life of repentance? This is the basic standard.
Isn't that so, as a Unification Church leader? Our senior members, isn't that so? Are you living in that way? It's exactly the same with 2nd gen Unification Church members also. It is not that we can go before True Parents because we don't have original sin. Absolutely not that we can go to heaven because we don't have original sin. What True Father says is, it's absolute faith, love and obedience. We may have official positions but we are human, so, of course, we waver at times, and there are difficulties. To sort out those difficulties always, repent and try to live in that way is the training of our lives. That is Jeong Seong. And that is our joy. Please don't make a mistake. If you think this is suffering, then it is not love for True Parents. If you love True Parents, and if you know that they have given to us even if they've had to die and die and die for us, then it becomes a joy to constantly repent, offer bows and gratitude.
But if you think that is suffering, then you can never become a Unification Church leader. We are not able to repay our debt no matter what we do, so instead, the more we offer repentance and gratitude, this becomes our joy. If we really love True Parents, trying to pay back even a little of what we owe them, that will become evident in our life. It will clearly show in our life.
Are we living a life of Jeong Seong and repentance? Have we come to hate the sin we used to love? Are we always making effort to resemble True Parents? We will never be able to become the True Parents. There is only one Messiah, and we are not the savior, nor are we God's perfect offering. So, our efforts to resemble True Parents should be evident in our life.
We want to always be with people who try to lead that kind of life. We want to be with people who believe in the True Parents, love and repent. Or do you want to be with those who constantly argue and complain? Do you want to be with secular people? Then, we can see where our heart is. That is a test of our faith that everyone can see.
The more we resemble the love of True Parents, the more we should pursue the great love of the parents. We should try, offer Jeong Seong and try to resemble them. As we try to constantly seek for true love, we will begin to hate sin more and more. That sin is what builds a wall before the love of God and separates people, so when we see this sin, we hate it. We must love others constantly. Brothers and sisters, we must love the person we hate the most in this world. That is truly the right thing to do.
At this moment, we must hate the sin within us, we should witness to others, and love them so that they can repent before True Parents, and remove their sins. They are not able to stand before God and True Parents, so as missionaries, we should love all people and help them remove their sins, guide them to the way of repentance.
We should become those with faith, who take initiative to practice the way of repentance. Then, at the same time, our guests, or 2nd gen who have left the church but want to return, can learn to live the life of repentance from us, with joy, and come to know the True Parents. When they repent and learn to remove their sins, we can also feel their liberation together. We should become people with that kind of faith.