Hak Ja Han
March 31, 2014
Fifty-Fifth True Parents' Day
Hawaii Queen Garden
Hak Ja Han, July 22, 2014
Do you all know about the True Parents? The term "blessing" came about thanks to the True Parents, right? The blessing, blessed families -- this is a surprising historic revolution. The fall of Adam and Eve, the first ancestors of humanity, caused all people to have false parents. We became the offspring of Satan, the devil. Even in the secular world, those children with parents that lived a shameful life, parents who committed sins or are in a position where the world criticizes them cannot live with a clear conscience. They cannot see light. Hence, imagine how much indescribable sorrow and despair the Fall would have caused God who had created Adam and Eve, the first ancestors, with dreams and hopes.
Our world today has become one in which the original mind with which we were created does not work properly. Yet, we know that because Heaven could not just leave this in the air, God worked to educate us through the different ages. Didn't the four major religions appear in the end through this? Among them, God raised the people of Israel for four thousand years and promised to send them the Messiah. However, what happened when they failed to receive the Messiah? There was a reason that he had to come in the flesh; however, the people of Israel took a position that rejected the Messiah and ended up crucifying him. What happened to the people of Israel as a result? They ended up paying immense indemnity.
Heaven does not work again through a central figure or nation that failed once. What did Jesus say as he died on the cross? He said he was going to come again. And after his advent, what did he say he would do? He said he would hold the feast of the lamb. Jesus came as the Messiah, but because he did not fulfill his responsibility, where is he now? He is in Paradise. Until now, the highest place humanity could attain by believing in Jesus and living a good life was paradise. Paradise is a waiting room to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Until now, for two thousand years, Heaven has been painstakingly cultivating the Christian cultural sphere. Christians paid a lot of indemnity in the beginning. They preserved the hope of their faith -- the one time when they can meet the returning Messiah coming on the clouds -- which took two thousand years. Throughout the process, didn't Christianity form many denominations? The United States was born as a Christian nation after the sixteenth century. It was here, to the United States, that Puritans emigrated in search of freedom of religion.
Didn't they first revere Heaven's will and show respect to God by establishing a church in the beginning? Then, didn't they establish a school for their children? It was after building these that they built their own homes. They made preparations to create a good environment. But what happened? The United States stood on Heaven's side as it went through a history of about two hundred years. It was blessed and enjoyed great wealth. Heaven blessed the United States in order to make a Christian civilization that could become central to the world. However, they thought lightly of it and -- in the same way that fallen people continually speak of quitting -- they could not continue to the end and ultimately failed.
Even though the United States rose as a central nation in the world in the 1970s, it still suffered from many internal problems -- the breakdown of families and of morality, confrontation between communist ideology and the democracy, and the self-centeredness of capitalism and of the free world. The nation begun by brothers and sisters ready to meet the Lord in love, ended up drifting into individualism. Heaven could no longer wait upon seeing the United States drifting into self-centeredness.
Didn't True Father come to the United States then? As a result of the breakdown of families in the United States, he said, "I have come as a doctor and as a fire fighter." He then went on a lecture tour of America's fifty states, awakening a sense of calling among those listening to him, in regard to America's original mission, and in an effort to revive the United States. In the beginning, many people with a meaningful purpose followed him. They respected him. But what happened to the United Stated in the end? Did the United States, which represents the Christian sphere that God established after paying tremendous indemnity for two thousand years, recognize the Messiah directly? Did they accept the Messiah? The United States ended up sending him to Danbury prison.
Tragic first messianic mission
Two thousand years ago, the people of Israel crucified Jesus and caused his death. Finally, Heaven sent the Messiah to Christians who had longed for him. Heaven had enlightened and raised Christians for two thousand years. The United States, however, did not recognize him and ended up sending the Messiah, who had come to help America, into prison. In the midst of his imprisonment, True Father, who wanted to prevent South America from becoming Communist, helped resolve the Nicaraguan problem through the Washington Times. When will South America and North America repay this huge debt to True Parents?
Today is the 55th True Parents' Day. Fifty years marks a golden anniversary; interestingly enough, 2020 would mark True Parents' diamond anniversary. That will be a day to commemorate our diamond anniversary. I heard that leaders of this nation are here today. With only a little more than five years until this diamond anniversary, will you buy a large diamond for True Parents? Will you offer this nation to God? Furthermore, will you offer the world to God?
You should think about what kind of mindset you should have in welcoming today. Because of True Parents, you are the first batch of blessed families in history. Thanks to True Parents, you welcomed Foundation Day and have all gathered in a position where you could register as citizens of Cheon Il Guk. Even though there are seven billion people in the world, you are the only ones who know of this amazing universal and cosmic great secret. You are able to be in the position of an ancestor.
Let us look back two thousand years: What happened to the dignity of Jesus' twelve apostles? You must think about this. How should blessed families spend their entire lives as people who have welcomed the returning Messiah and received the blessing? You are in the position of the first and last ancestor. You can become a representative of the royal family and form a dignified family; your efforts will decide this. What will you choose to do?
There's a saying that that happiness increases if it is shared with others. You should share the things that you know with others. You must inform the world's people. You should reveal the True Parents to them. You must be able to show them. If you think lightly of your responsibilities, spending day after day in the same way, you cannot be in the position of the first ancestor of a noble family. Even though you may be the first now, those in the last position can take your position.
However, this applies to the time when True Parents are still alive. The fact that I am still alive is precious and important. If you do not take part in the providence I am conducting now, you will have nowhere to stand. You may say, "I will go to the kingdom of heaven since I have received the blessing." Yet, if you fail to make a good environment for yourself, you cannot become free. Now you can see me up close and you can talk to me; however, what do you think will happen if you die without fulfilling your responsibilities?
You all know how your conscience works. You come to understand where you are by assessing yourselves. The longest we can live with our physical bodies is a hundred years, but the place we must go to is eternal. If you are wise and not foolish people, what kind of decision should you make and how should you act? You should be able to show how proud you are of being in a blessed family for twenty, thirty or forty years while True Parents are still alive. How should you act? You must change.
The external world of today is a world of extreme speed. What I am saying here now will be connected in a blink. This is how much Heaven has developed civilization for us and for humanity; hence, please make good use of it, fulfill your tribal messiah mission and restore the nation and world. This is the purpose for which you are living today. Only by doing that will your descendants, the second -- and third -- generation children live in joy.
Are you keeping the Family Pledge and practicing it in your lives every day? I have told you everything as to how you must live. Bearing fruit, however, is your responsibility. Only by fulfilling your responsibility can you enter the ranks of the children who took part in True Parents' realm. What will you do?
Just like candlelight that is brightly illuminating the front of the offering table, will all churches in America blaze up in the flames of the Holy Spirit and the truth and restore the entire area? You should be grateful that I, who praises you and overlooks your shortcomings, am here. Please be sincere. Were you happy or unhappy to see me this morning? Do I give you hope? Are you grateful?
I also want to praise you in front of our Heavenly Parent. If the people of the United States, of this huge country, all catch fire, can the world become one? Two thousand years ago, it was said that all roads led to Rome. Two thousand years later, wouldn't it be great if all roads led to America? True Parents are your backers. Without True Parents, you are empty shells that become useless. Please become proud Unification Church leaders of the United States that attend True Parents and practice the word.