PeaceTV

This is the keynote address True Mother delivered to an audience of thousands at the Peace Starts With Me rally, in the City of Refuge Church, in Gardena, California, in the United States on April 6.

 

Respected dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen, my beloved religious leaders and all of you blessed families that have received the blessing from True Parents, I welcome you all. Family Federation members from all around America, I am happy to meet you.

Today, we have gathered to realize Heavenly Parent’s dream and all humankind’s desire. Through receiving the blessing from True Parents, the door by which you can stand in the position of true children in front of our Heavenly Parent has opened. Today, I wish to speak to you on the topic, Christianity’s mission from the viewpoint of God’s providence and United States’ responsibilities.”

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came to earth as God’s only son. Unfortunately, he could not complete everything, and as he went the way of the cross, he prophesied that he would come again. Afterward, through the resurrecting work of the Holy Spirit and the Apostles’ work—as is recorded in the Bible—the Christian cultural sphere expanded. However, in the church’s early days, Christianity received severe opposition and passed through unimaginable difficulties.

Then, in a. d. 313, Christianity was officially permitted by the Roman Empire. It expanded from the Italian Peninsula, through continental Europe to the British Isles.

 

Mission work and exploitation

Then, from the United Kingdom, Christian missionaries went out into the world. Unfortunately they didn’t understand Jesus’ essence. They did not understand the principles through which God created the universe nor the principles through which he led the providence. In Jesus' teachings, it reads, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Unfortunately, these missionaries, who went out in Christ’s name, placed their nations’ interests and their self-interests first. In other words, rather than a culture of giving, they established a culture of taking away from others.

In the seventeenth century, King James translated the Bible, which was written in Hebrew and Greek, into English, and as a result, many ordinary citizens gained access to God’s word. To this day, because they failed to understand Christ’s essence, they have emphasized secularism and secular traditions even among religious believers, creating many mistakes. For example, from the midst of the Christian sphere, communism emerged claiming God was dead. This is humanity’s mistake.

At that time, ordinary believers did not wish to practice a secular faith. They wanted to worship God freely in their own homes. In wishing to do so, they crossed an ocean and settled in a new continent. This is the genesis of today’s America. However, even they could not understand Heaven’s providence. Originally, God created the heavens and the earth in his own image—and then created the first human ancestors, Adam and Eve. God gave human beings responsibilities.  During their growth period, they had to grow to perfection while maintaining absolute oneness with God. However, during their growth period, Adam and Eve became self-centered and allowed greed to consume them; that is the origin of today’s fallen humanity.

 

Christianity’s expectation

God, through our human ancestors, wished to become the Heavenly Parent of humanity, but Adam and Eve ruined that dream. Nevertheless, since God, had created based on the principles of creation that the universe is eternal, God has had to go through the unwanted and painful history of the providence of restoration through indemnity.

In the Bible, it is written that God chose the people of Israel, who being in the position of indemnifying everything over a long period of four thousand biblical years, established a national-level foundation. God waited until that time and finally sent his only son Jesus and proclaimed, “This is my beloved son.”

Still, even Jesus’ mother, Mary, Zachariah’s family, the Jewish leaders and the Israelites, did not fulfill their responsibilities in relation to Jesus. Through Jesus, God wished to realize his dream. Jesus knows how painful it was for Heaven to see, once again, such a sad and painful outcome.  That is why he said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” [Matthew 26:39]

Once again humankind brought sadness to God that could not be atoned for. God had created a man and a woman in accordance with the principles of creation. As Jesus went to the cross, he prophesied that he would come again. Today’s Christians, however, say that they are saved by the blood Jesus shed on the cross. Do you know how far this viewpoint is from Heaven’s providential view?

Since God created us to be eternal, Jesus prophesied that he would come again to host the marriage supper of the Lamb. So whom should Christianity await today? Prior to waiting for the True Parents, they needed to meet God’s only daughter, the person who was to become the True Mother.

 

Korea’s course

God raises central figures and nations and when they fail in their responsibilities, Heaven finds and establishes another chosen people. Just as you saw through the video today, God’s only daughter was born in 1943 in Korea.  

Korea’s situation was extremely difficult during that time. Righteous men and women wishing for Korea’s independence, notably Christian believers (when Christianity had not yet even celebrated its centenary in Korea) and young students, rose up during the March 1 Independence Movement. This year marks its 100th anniversary. The wish of all these students and Christian believers was for Korea’s protection.

According to the principles of creation, God sent his only daughter and granted her a time period through which she could reach maturity. In 1945, Korea was liberated and in 1950 the Korean War erupted. At that time, Korea was powerless. It was divided into the communist North and the democratic South.

South Korea at the time had embraced a democratic regime, but it took time for that system to fully develop. That is why, in 1950, when North Korean communist forces invaded South Korea, South Korea was unprepared. Like a miracle, Heaven sent sixteen UN member nations to come to protect democracy in South Korea.

 

The position of a True Parent

In 1960, the time had come when I could decide by myself, and in that year I ascended to the position of a True Parent. Fallen human beings yearn to return to God’s bosom but they cannot go before God by themselves. Due to the Fall, human beings were born into a lineage not connected to God, Satan’s fallen lineage. Only through True Parent’s blessing can a change of bloodline take place and fallen human beings receive rebirth as God’s beloved children.

If key figures had understood the providence, Christianity would have become the foundation. At that time, filled with the spirit and the truth, the Christian spirit in Korea was stronger than in other places in the world. Since Korea was in such a difficult situation, more than ever, Koreans yearned for the Messiah, and because of their earnest desire, Heaven sent True Parents.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ had to go the way of the cross because the nation where he was born did not recognize him. Yet, True Parents’ blessings and the True Family Movement took root in an environment with Christian opposition and we have been continuing these around the world for almost fifty years.

 

Problems are multiplying

The time has come! We can no longer hesitate. Many problems are arising all over the world that cannot be solved by human efforts and power. Ethnic, religious, cultural and ideological walls have arisen. In addition, due to human ignorance, we have created many pollutants and caused pollution.. Even if we look at this country alone, it has suffered many natural disasters due to global warming. Many lives all over the world are being lost.

Heaven cannot sit idly by and watch. This world, which our Creator, God, created for us from the outset is suffering and dying due to our ignorance. As God’s true children, we cannot just sit by and observe this situation. Don’t you agree?

According to scientists, after 2030, there will be more plastic waste in the ocean than fish. As blessed families that are aware of this, what should we do? We should attend God, the Lord of creation, live in accordance with the eternal principles of creation and find the right solution. Only then can we solve the problems.

It is true that we are living comfortable lives today through human efforts, especially thanks to scientists. However, this convenient lifestyle is causing many problems. In other words, we should live in line with the principles God originally established. Through the cycles of nature, everything is meant to last forever, but because people abuse the natural world, the balance of these cycles is disturbed and many problems arise. We, therefore, feel the limits of the resources we have for the benefit of all living things on earth.

The United States’ responsibilities

Blessed family members who received the blessing today, you would not want your beloved children to live in an even worse environment than today’s. Isn’t that so? Before it is too late, let us find solutions to these problems. This means that selfishness and nations that place their national interest first will ultimately not have a future.

One way or another, we have to work together to get rid of pollution. We must combine our efforts and unite in order to do that. Many organizations around the world are worrying about global environmental problems and future food security. However, they too also think of themselves first. The only solution comes through blessed families, those who received the blessing from True Parents.

Throughout history, there have been many cultural developments, but there have also been many difficulties. This is because, there was no center.  In particular, America is a nation that Heaven has blessed. God wants to save the world through its Christian culture. Originally, Native Americans were living in this country. However, God worked with the Puritans and blessed America to become the central democratic nation of the world within a short time of less than two hundred years.

This blessing, however, is not for America itself. As I earlier said, with every blessing from Heaven comes a responsibility. Heaven blessed America so that America can embrace all of humanity. However, the leader of this nation and leaders of other countries in the world are engaged in politics and actions centered on their own interests. Going that way means there is no hope for the future.

All of you here that have received the blessing today, please fulfill your responsibilities as tribal messiahs, and all ministers of religion participating today, please go to your places of worship and accomplish your responsibilities. We have to start a movement that will bring this country to attend our Heavenly Parent, our Creator God, even one day sooner. This is the only way for America to fulfill its heavenly mission as a nation blessed by God. In this way, God’s dream and humanity’s yearning to see the heavenly kingdom of one family of humankind under God can be realized. Today is the blessed day of the realization of this dream.

 

Unificationists’ role

The West Coast is considered Family Federation USA’s Sub-region 5. FFWPU has been divided into five areas. Now Sub-region 5 is on fire! Am I right? [Yes.] Would you like this flame to go to the Midwest and East Coast? Will you make this country one that our Heavenly Parent loves and cherishes? [Yes]

Thank you very much. I trust your determination. Around us, many unacceptable things are happening, things that people should never do. We must wipe away all of these things! On the path to a peaceful world, do we need guns and swords? On the path to a peaceful world, we do not need guns and other weapons. You all know very well, that as a result of these, innocent lives are taken every day. We can no longer watch this happen. What should we do? Let us practice true love. This can only be achieved through the blessing.