Hyo Jin Nim’s speech at Midnight of God’s day on January 1st 1988 to the members in the Grand Ballroom of the World Mission Center.
In Korea it’s already 1988. Father Gave This Motto for the year: “The Unification of the Fatherland;’ the same as last year’s. Everybody here knows that Heavenly Father is working to build an ideal world. If Adam and Eve had obeyed God’s words, they would be in a position to receive Heavenly Father’s love and have a true, ideal relationship. They would have produced the seed of Heavenly Father’s true love, love that is absolute, unchanging, and unconditional. God’s ideal was to have goodness always subjugating evil.
In the ideal world, will we be automated, like machines, without any sense of being tired? No. I may feel very physically strained and tired, but if my Father asks me to do something, my purpose is to be a true object to a true subject. I exist for my Father, in the simplest terms. So my good, ideal mind will overcome my physical pain and suffering, and I will work for the sake of goodness and for the sake of my parents. Simply put, goodness is when somebody works for the sake of another, for the sake of the whole, not himself.
Though we individually desire to avoid pain, our motivation for the whole should not be suppressed by our individual motivation. That is the ideal way for good to subjugate evil. You have to subjugate your self-centered desires for the sake of God.
How the fall came about
The relationship between God and the archangel was a master/servant relationship, but it was based upon true love. So, in a sense, God and Lucifer had a direct, true love relationship before the creation of man. God’s ideal, however, was not to stop at the master/servant level. God’s ideal was to establish a parent/child relationship.
Angels were there to serve the children of God, to serve Heavenly Father’s family. Before Adam and Eve came, I’m sure that the angel Lucifer was very content, because he was having give and take with God’s reciprocal true love. Then Adam and Eve came and began engaging in give and take action in a parent/child love relationship with God, and all the love between God and Lucifer now had to go through Adam and Eve.
But Lucifer did not love Adam and Eve as Heavenly Father did because he felt they were taking away the love that was directed at him before. This is the first fallen nature-to not love from God’s viewpoint.
What is the second fallen nature? Leaving one’s proper position. Lucifer was the servant, but he longed for Adam and Eve’s position because he wanted to receive the same love from God as Adam and Eve were receiving.
Thirdly, Lucifer denied the true order of dominion. He was supposed to serve Adam and Eve and educate them about true love during their growth period. But he left his position by tempting Eve and dominating her. She offered herself to Lucifer instead of denying him.
Fourth, evil was multiplied because this reversal of dominion did not stop with Eve. The moment Eve had give and take with Satan, she realized she was intended to have this kind of love only with Adam. She thought the only way that she could erase this misdeed was to go to the partner God planned for her. The true object, Eve, now clearly subjugated the true subject, Adam.
God never intended a fall, but even in this tragic situation, there is a way for mankind to return and be forgiven. This principle of indemnity is a great, great blessing and comes from God’s great love.
True love standard
What is the true love standard? It is an absolute standard, which directs you in exactly the opposite direction of the fall. Adam and Eve were willing to die for Satan. So in order to win over that foundation, you must be willing to live and die for Heavenly Father. Without true love, the ideal world cannot come about.
Jesus achieved the standard of true love; as he was literally dying on the cross, he gave himself totally into God’s hands. He was willing to follow God’s will, even unto death on the cross. That is why Jesus is great. That is a true love standard.
In Christianity we can see that even through persecution and martyrdom and all those horrible, horrible experiences throughout their historical growth, Christians were willing to embrace even those people who were killing them, raping them. Historical Cain was killing historical Abel, but Abel did not falter in his position. He did not waver.
Because the fall was caused by love, the only way we can restore it is through the true love of God. How many of you are willing to die for Heavenly Father and True Parents and your faith? I know that through this one body, in this one lifetime, I must show Heavenly Father that I am living for the sake of true love. That is also why you have your bodies.
Satan wants to create evil habits in you, but you can make good things into a habit. You can become a drug addict if you decide to put effort in that direction, or you can make it a habit to be a man or woman of true love, by sincerely working at it. The key to overcoming bad habits is to see your value from God’s point of view, from an ideal perspective, under true love.
Although it’s not easy, I’m choosing to stand here in front of you because I must substantiate true love. True Parents didn’t tell me to do this. My Parents gave me love. They served me. They couldn’t take their minds off me for even a single second, and they wanted to take responsibility for the things that I messed up. Because that love came to me, I must give that kind of love back. I must want to take even Father’s responsibility. That’s why I am determined to speak to you when Father isn’t here. How do you expect true love to thrive if you don’t give it back? Takers are only thieves. In Heavenly Father’s eyes, how many of you are true men and how many of you are thieves?
Who is going to do it?
The only way you can go to God is through True Parents. You stand on top of the foundation that Father built from scratch. If you cannot live up to Father’s standard, who is going to? You are supposed to be his children; you’ve been adopted into his lineage. You are attached to Father. If you don’t feel the significance and the desire to truly give your utmost to fulfill the will of True Parents, who is going to? When you are running a relay race, the last few steps are more important than the first. You have to keep it up. This is a spiritual battle. I have a lot to learn and so do you. I want to carry on not my tradition, but Father’s tradition.
Sometimes that’s very hard. When you feel betrayed by someone, you want to just cut the relationship off, don’t you? That’s the way God felt. Heavenly Father could have just cut off Adam and Eve and all the people who betrayed him, but He wants to bring them all back and restore them.
We must make a true love standard-an absolute, unconditional, unchanging, eternal foundation. If True Parents were to slap me for doing something wrong, I should say to myself, ‘Ah, this is true love’.’ If Father told me to go to the Soviet Union, I should think, “Oh, that must be true love’.’ That is the attitude to have. Satan fears the absolute standard. Because you don’t have an absolute standard, Satan can come and tempt you.
Time is crucial. But how much awakening do you need? After all your needs are satisfied-then are you going to wake up? No. You’ve got to give your life because you received life. You must establish a true love foundation and make that into the ideal world. Then you won’t have to ask for anything; it will be given to you because you will be living in true love in the ideal world.
Focus of the free world
Korea’s situation right now is fragile and dangerous. The Olympics are coming, and the entire focus of the free world will be on Seoul. Now the world is going to see for itself that the situation in South Korea is actually much better than the way North Korean propaganda has been describing it. The communists will be shown to be liars. The only way they can diffuse the Olympic spirit now, they strategize, is to create fear and practice terrorism.
Kim II Sung is proposing to let all the people from North and South Korea decide who is going to be the president of the whole country. He is stressing that the only thing stopping free elections from being held are the South Korean bureaucrats, dictators, and tyrants. There is a lot of pressure to reduce America’s support for Korea.
Father has been bringing education about communism and Godism to the people of South Korea, even those in the smallest villages and towns, so they will not be brainwashed by communist ideology. Heavenly Father needs a homeland. Father said that the patriotic desire for our original homeland should be our standard; it should be rooted in every man’s heart.
I want to stand only for True Parents. I’ll give my life to substantiate the true love standard. It is never easy to do this. I have to lead you and the second generation. I was born for you, in a sense. I’m here to give myself to True Parents, 100 percent. Wherever they stay, I stay. Whatever they do, I do. That is the way true love works.
A parent can give up his life for his child. Even this fallen world has that kind of example. Father said he will forgive and forget all the things you did wrong and all the suffering you caused him. It is time for you to start new. Whatever you did in the past, whatever you failed to do, whatever you took from Heavenly Father, Father will forgive you for it. From now on, you have to be 100 percent centered on True Parents and nothing else. I’ve got a long way to go-I know. But I’ll do it.
Every mission you do is important. When you’re fundraising with flowers, that flower is something that is from True Parents, and anything that comes from True Parents represents true love. Everything in the universe down to the smallest intangible cell is made by God out of His true love. Heavenly Father sees value in the simplest and most insignificant things. Offering yourself for the sake of true love is the only attitude to have.
Unification Church members must unite together and love each other. This is a good time to examine yourself and get all the dirt out before you start the year. Whatever ways you fail to meet the true love standard, get it out of your system and try to find a way to grow. This year, first of all, there cannot be any complaints or separation. If you need inspiration, study the Principle. That’s how I get my inspiration.
Father and our movement have touched many people at all different levels of society. You are in a position to guide them. How should you do this? Through True Parents’ absolute standard of love. How can Heavenly Father work if He has no true love standard?
True Parents’ family learned your tradition, so you must know our tradition. Learn Korean. It’s improper to receive Father’s words translated through someone else. Father’s words contain true love, so how can you let that love be filtered through someone else’s understanding? We cannot build an ideal world, our homeland, if we do not speak one language and understand Father directly. You have to learn Korean for the sake of true love.
Please try to understand me with a true love heart. If I ever scold you, if I ever hurt you in any way-my only intention is that I want you to be ideal men and women of God. I’m here to carry out Father’s will and teach what Father has taught me, as long as I live.
I respect my brothers. They all try their best to serve Father absolutely. The Olympic year is coming for Hyun Jin Nim. He’s going to ride for the Korean National Equestrian Team. That’s not easy. He rides every day, giving his utmost, because he is going to be representing Father and Mother. Many times his physical body is very tired and he doesn’t want to do it, but he always says, “This is for True Parents, so I’ve got to do it’.’
As for Kook Jin Nim, he shows an absolute standard in trying to do his best in schoolwork. The only reason he is working so hard is because it’s for Father’s sake.
Absolute commitment
If you give 100 percent, something has got to happen. How much are you going to give this year? Those who are going to live true love, let’s see a show of hands …. What about those who did not raise their hands? You don’t want to do it or you just don’t understand it? Those who didn’t raise your hands, why didn’t you? [One brother says: “Because I tried and never accomplished it. When I do it and know I did it, then I can say it:’] No! First say you will do it and then do it! That is where responsibility comes in. Adam and Eve had to establish their true selves before God; then they could manifest true love. You have to commit yourself first-then you have to do it. Don’t think in such an individualistic way. When we say something together, we’ve got to do it together.
You are trying to separate from the standard and make your own standard. You just broke the subject/object relationship. When Father, or anyone in the True Family, asks you to do something, your commitment to try until you succeed has to be absolute. You have to show an absolute standard. If you failed to live true love after raising your hand and previously pledging it, raise your hands now and do it this time! This is important. The smallest thing affects the whole. The Unification Church members are one body. We must all work together within the Principle, within the True Parents’ standard.
Think about Noah’s situation. Ham saw his father naked and drunk and told his brothers about it and covered him up. Look what happened in that small instance of going against the absolute standard! When the parents do anything, the children must absolutely follow, absolutely accept them.
Whatever Father does is out of his true love, so when Father asks you a direct question, your reply has to be absolute, not conditional. That is true love’s tradition. When we pledge, we pledge with an absolute heart. Don’t think, “I want to make a foundation first’.’ No. You must think like Heavenly Father. When all of us say, “Yes, we’ll do it;’ it is not just a symbolic act but it is how we come together, united.
If you want to live in true love, your lives must belong to Heavenly Father. Everything. Every little gesture. You must understand Father’s will, True Parents’ will, and you must all follow that way. That is the only way to reach the ideal world. Many times we will have to sacrifice, even shedding our blood and giving up our lives, as long as Satan exists.
If you want to live for the sake of True Parents, what is stopping you from saying so? Only your ego, your subjective will. That is fallen nature. I addressed a simple, direct question to you. I can understand your individual intention, but your individual intention should never overwhelm the whole. Adam and Eve’s intention went over Heavenly Father’s intention. Do you have those kinds of thoughts in your mind when Father asks you that kind of question-or is it only in my case? You should not see True Parents and the True Family as separate.
What I want to achieve, you all want to achieve, right? You want to be the best and give true love to True Parents. Of course we want to fulfill our own responsibility, but we must be willing to carry even our Parents’ responsibility, right? That’s the spirit of ’88. We will liberate Heavenly Father. And not only Heavenly Father, but True Parents as well. Will you pledge that to Heavenly Father and True Parents? God bless you.