Father’s speech at the God’s Day 2006, January 1, 2006
Blessed families of the Unification Church recite the Family Pledge. What comes before the words, Cheon Il Guk? [Owners!] As owners of Cheon Il Guk, whose family does the Pledge refer to? [Our family!] What does it say about our family? [It’s centered on true love!] This phrase, “our family,” refers to the three generations centered on the four-position foundation of the father and the mother, that is, you and your families. Were you around in Adam’s time, your families should have encompassed three generations before you could refer to yourselves as “our family” in the Family Pledge; you should realize that you have attained the position without having done anything to deserve it. You should know that you are like empty cans, with the contents missing. Do you understand that? [Yes.] Do you? [Yes.] What good are empty cans?
The bloodline, what comes after the bloodline? Siblings! Siblings do. Aren’t the sons and daughters of God siblings? And after the siblings comes the right of ownership of heaven and earth. Since it was completely snatched away from God, He needs to take it back, not by fighting but by reaching the state, centered on absolute love, of being able to love the one who took it more than He does His own sons and daughters. The archangel himself cannot deal with sons and daughters who are above Adam, sons and daughters who are superior to him and come from a different bloodline….
That is why we held the Holy Wine Ceremony before the [December 27th] rally. What the Holy Wine Ceremony does is sever the fallen bloodline. Yes, it is not something that can be buried just where it is. Based on the blessed families, families should first be restored and then made ideal.
Because True Parents have succeeded, united as one, you need to unite and apply the teachings of True Parents, with absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience. Though True Parents have completed the indemnification, and the world is now full of billions of those born sinless, similar to the son and daughter born sinless in the Garden of Eden, they do not have a nation to which they can belong, a nation wherein they can register their births, marriages and deaths….
What connects with the ideal of peace in heaven and on earth? […the model providence.] The era of the model providence, the era of the model family refers to the Old Testament Age. Next comes the era of the model world, which refers to Jesus’ era. The era of the model world refers to the unified spiritual and physical worlds. You have no idea how wonderful it is that, through the the Second Coming arriving, embracing the one family ideal, the kingdom of heaven on earth and in heaven can be established—a breakthrough that was reached without struggle or conflict—and the announcement of the era of the model providence of the family for the ideal of peace in heaven and on earth. Do you realize that? [Yes.]
You have passed through the era of the family and the era of the nation, and once issues related to the era of the world and the issue of the Bering Strait are settled, everything will be brought to a conclusion. Through the blessing, the Unification Church has already recovered all that was brought about by wrongful marriage. The Old Testament Age and the New Testament Age were recovered. In the Completed Testament Age, though, Catholics and Protestants opposed us in Korea; the central religion, Christianity, and ten other religions opposed us. If this Cain and Abel, that is, if Christianity and all the other religions, had become one and if the union thus formed had absorbed the nations of the world from the position of Abel, everything would have been immediately restored.
If the religious realm could be brought under control centered on the Bering Strait Abel realm that is mentioned in my speech, there would be no need for nations to intervene. States, in the position of Cain, have suppressed Christianity, in fact, religion generally, until now. Isn’t that so? They are enemies. Abel has shed blood until now without having gained sympathy from his enemy….
Were religious people to support the Bering Strait project, it would be accomplished quickly. It would be ridiculous for it to take thirty years; it would take me seven, eight years—no more than ten years. Seven years remain until the twelfth year. Isn’t that so? [Yes.] I’ll complete the work in seven years.
That is why in the twelve months of the year I will visit separately the representative organizations of the twelve religions. Therefore the road going around the world should have more than eight or ten lanes. Eight, nine, ten! What would it be? Ssang hab! Ssang Hab what? […Shib Seung Il!] Haven’t I previously announced Ssang Hap Shib Seung Il? That is why everything must be completed in units of eight, nine or ten. It should not take more than ten years, and even if it does take more than ten, it must absolutely not take more than twelve.
Within this period of time, I must embrace the entire world. Satan swallowed up the bloodline of Adam, the siblings and the right of ownership, making them completely his. In doing all that he desired to do with them, he destroyed them, but all avenues for his continued work have been blocked during my time, in the True Father’s era. And so the Old Testament Age needs to come to an end, and the 38th parallel, which is all political, got caught in the issue of Cain and Abel. Next came the issue of the Bering Strait, over which the United States and Russia are in conflict.1…
So pressing is this issue that I am emphasizing the importance of the quick resolution of the problem of the Bering Strait. Repeat after me. Quickly! What about it? [Quick settlement of the Bering Strait!] I am managing religious problems with my own hands, and the United States too….
I hold the Old Testament Age, the New Testament Age and the Completed Testament Age in my hands. They must be brought to a point of settlement. [Applause] You need to realize this. It is Adam’s family that can liberate everything: it is in Adam’s family that the bloodline can be liberated, the battleground of brothers liberated and the right of ownership regained. After surmounting these three obstacles, the Messiah needs to redeem the mistakes of Adam, the mistakes of Jesus, and as the Second Coming, break through the boundary of the right of ownership….
Japanese women should educate people wherever they go. They need to raise the children of the world. That is why I instructed them to translate Japanese junior high and high school textbooks ten or fifteen years ago….
What? Hello, where did she go? Mother! [Laughter] Bring Shin-joon here for a minute, so I can get a drink of water, my throat is hoarse. [Applause] [Father cuddles Shin-joon nim] Let’s sing a song after I have drunk this. Mother, let’s sing. Hey, come on out here, with your sister. Hey, come; come out here. Ajuma, you too. [Shin-joon nim dances to Father’s singing of “Milyang Arirang”]
Let’s sing a song. It seems you are not in the mood for that! [Laughter] Though there are thousands of people here, he is not shy; he is dominating the stage with his wonderful performance. Look at the audience admiring him. His one-man show is simply superb.
You people, are you hopeful or hopeless? [Hopeful!] This is really hopeful. [Yes!] At least 70 percent of the Palestine region, the 38th Parallel and the Bering Strait will be resolved.[Applause]
Now all blessed families need to be dispatched; to do that, and to solve these problems, all those who have received the blessing and consider themselves blessed members and a part of the realm of the chosen people of the kingdom of God should not object to my instructions to move.
I have turned eighty-seven, haven’t I? Have I, or not? [You have.] By the Korean system of reckoning age, on the sixth day of the first month, or is it February third?2 [Yes.] On that day, I will completely become eighty-seven years old. I can’t shave off a few years. Eighty-seven years of age… Seven times eight is fifty-six, and it is hard enough for those who are fifty-six years old to work, isn’t it? By that age, many are retired and leading a restful life. Well, you should appreciate my sitting here for hours on end and speaking to you. Do you understand?
We need to save the nation and the world and liberate God, even if it means our young people have to suffer. This work must be accomplished without fail. We fast up to forty days, and it is ordinary for us to do week-long fasts. So, if you become upset because you have missed a meal, you are worse than wild boars. They go for days without eating if there is no food. Once it starts to snow, they find themselves some shelter and never come out, sometimes even for a month, not even to dig up and eat arrowroots.
Is there anyone here who would like to be in the vanguard? [Yes.] If I were you, I would have gotten ready before having been told, dressed in a military uniform and waited for the command to mobilize; you need to take part in it.
See for yourselves. Now the families of the 36 couples will be dispatched worldwide, then those from the 72 couples, then from the 120 couples and then from the 430 couples. This is the new tradition that arises from the fact that the gates to the kingdom of heaven have been opened for anyone from the Republic of Korea to enter, and this tradition must be implanted in all nations of the world.
Yes, I have told you this on various occasions, haven’t I? I have told you to bless 36 couples, 72 couples, 120 couples and 430 couples in your own clans and to wait for further instructions. Did I direct this, or not? [You did.] Well? [You did.]
So, do you think this mobilization is possible? Would it absolutely be a mobilization? Would it possibly be a mobilization? Or will it just be a conceptual mobilization? What would it be of the three? [It would absolutely be a mobilization!] Those who prefer the absolute one, let me see you raise your hands and applaud! Wow, wow, wow, wow! [Cheers and applause]
Now then, the ultimate conclusion we can reach today is that the lineage, brotherly ties and right of ownership lost in Adam’s family are now in our hands, in the hands of blessed families. If you were to fail to fulfill this task, and consequently failed to inherit the 70 or 80 percent of the work that True Parents have accomplished up to this point, what would happen? Would the kingdom of God perish, or prosper? It would not matter so much if it were only you who would experience destruction. But if you were to fail, you would block the path for God and True Parents as well.
It is truly regrettable to have something you have worked on for ten years come to naught; how, then, would it be to have nothing come of your work of fifty years? Since the work has been carried out, before you reach your end in this world you should endeavor to push through with it to its conclusion. You should take it in your hands, hold out to the end and fight desperately, so that in the end you can triumph. At your death, you should have a notice board put up claiming your victory, in front of which everyone, even the spirits from the spiritual world, can shout out cheers of mansei. Only then can the will be fulfilled in this world. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? I will bequeath all that I have accomplished to anyone who has done this, even if it is only one person.
This tour encompassed 120 nations; I was thinking to myself that of the people who listened to my speech, at least one person from each nation who understood this concept would stay with me. That is why I put my heart and soul into my speeches. To the people from each nation who came, I was a foreigner. They saw this very old foreigner come to their nations and take to the streets, shedding sweat and doing his utmost; and they came to respect me more than anyone from their own nations. On many occasions I saw them cheering; some even wept who were sorry to see me go.
Should people who are from my own country surpass people from other countries, or not? [We should surpass them.] Well? [We should surpass them!] Should you surpass them, or not? [We should surpass them!] It is only too obvious that you should surpass them. Raise your hands only if you are sure that you will surpass them! Ah, put up your hands, why are you hesitating? You don’t have confidence….
You didn’t come here to enjoy yourselves, did you? [No.] What? [No.] What did you come here for? Aren’t you the group who has come to liberate God, Father, the nation and the world, and to take everyone to the kingdom of heaven? Are you, or aren’t you? [We are.] You can achieve that only when you are ready to stake your lives on it.
When I set out on that tour, it was at the risk of my life. How far should I have gone before returning to Korea? The trip back to Korea seemed thousands of miles long; I thought of Korea as a faraway dreamland, a land on the other side, surrounded by misty clouds. That is how I have come so far without succumbing to death. If you lose heart, you will fall. I know this only too well.
You need to become a member of a peace-preserving corps and a peace-preserving police Let me see the hands of those who are going to apply to join the peace-preserving police. Let me see your hands if you are going to become a soldier of peace in the peace-preserving corps. No need for men to raise their hands, they have to go anyway. [Laughter]
I am a ruthless man. I’ll illustrate that with an example. I heard where the largest roe deer in the Korean peninsula lived, that is, the leader roe deer, in fact, a buck and a doe. I climbed up to catch them and came face to face with both of them at once. It was around nightfall, and snow was falling; it was getting darker every minute. I found them puffing and panting as they dug a hole to get arrowroots.
After I shot them both, the doe and the buck, I cut a hole in their bodies with a knife, stuck a straw in their hearts, and sucked their life blood from them, thinking of their hearts as those of an enemy. I was ready to do more than that, but at the same time, my heart to love and forgive was greater. Thus, God and even Satan could not help admiring this.
That is why those blessed by me are the most feared by Satan. Their lineage has been converted, and the situation would get out of hand if he were to meddle with them, wouldn’t it? God is watching over them, and True Parents are not easy to deal with, either. I am a man of strong ambition. Back in my school days I never allowed anyone to beat me. If anyone studied for three hours, I studied four; if he studied for ten hours, I studied twelve. I had to be in the lead. Well, that is how my grandchildren are now. Shin-joon also takes after his grandfather. He is so much like me! While others went round our village, I went further into the hills and valleys and searched day in and day out. After many failures to find God, I finally found Him, and have come so far. Since He is capable, God has no difficulty in choosing people like me.
It is only too true. Look at this fellow [Shin-joon nim]. No matter how much you admonish him, if he decides to do something, nothing can sway his determination. In my case too, I told my parents to repent for being wrongful parents. I told my mother, when I was very young, “Mother, you must repent.” She scolded me, “You rascal! You are too young to know anything. How can you say such things when you don’t know anything about your mother?” I answered, “Though you may be my mother, in my opinion you are wrong.” I was beaten, but no amount of beatings would change my mind. I would endure the blows until I passed out, if necessary. I did not even try to escape from it. That’s the kind of man I am.
I do not like to look at my mother’s picture hanging in Sutaekri. Though I may look and look, she is not my mother. Because I know her faults, I can say such things about her. My mother was very good-looking. She had been quite a beauty, but having nothing to eat made her the way she was.
In her youth, she came from a renowned, noble family. Whenever I visited my mother’s maiden home, I saw the garments worn by state ministers of old in the ancestral shrine. It was great fun to go in there, put them on and play act, though my maternal uncles ill-treated me rather than praised me. In such a way, I had to investigate everything until I was satisfied. I didn’t care whether I was scolded for it or not. That is a part of my character.
Bear this in mind, that there is no other way; this work must be done. It is only I, and no one else, who can pull out by the roots the cancerous germs that have been sown in Adam’s family. The lineage that proceeded from the wrongful marriage must be righted. As of now, 250 billion spirits in the spirit world have received the blessing. They will come to earth and treat those people and nations who do not believe accordingly.
The era of restoration through indemnity is now past. We have entered the era to be governed by the law. There are many who are unwilling to believe in this. There is no need to talk of those who do not believe, for I’m sure they know plenty enough already. We are now living in a time where the germs infecting Adam’s family can be uprooted. If the world does as I would like, there will be many people in the peace-preserving forces and many peace-preserving police. Do you understand? [Yes.] ….
Those who have been in a mission a long time will be shifted. The people who have not done graduate studies in theology will either have to study or return to their hometowns to cultivate the land of their ancestors. From now on, everyone needs to go to a graduate school of theology.
Kwak Chung-hwan and other leaders, have the directors of the six continents meet and have those who wish to be shifted write down their names. [Yes, I will do so.] Is that clear? [Yes.] And whenever possible, install a person who has attended a graduate school of theology. It would be better for those who have not gone to graduate school to do so; study there for two or three years. Those who were just appointed to a post, if you don’t want to go to graduate school, you should go to Sun Moon University or the University of Bridgeport at the very least.
Cheongpyeong should be strengthened. The time will come for me to go to the spirit world. We should do things well. We should not make any mistakes or errors, otherwise problems will arise when I go to the next world….
From now on, I plan to follow instructions from the spiritual world whenever personnel changes are to be made. Until now, you have all done as you pleased, for decades, for fifty years in fact. What is there to show for it? The year before last, the person who’d witnessed to the most people had blessed forty-eight, hadn’t he? My word! It would be good if it were 480, or 4,800. That goes to show that the members are like parasites on the Unification Church. I do not want such people in the church. Don’t make personnel changes of your own accord [Yes.] Working on this, you will stay here past April, until June of this year, until we enter the palace, and then you will go to the United States.
Hwang Sun-jo, you’ve been busy until now, haven’t you? [Yes.] You will return to your old post of the president of the Korean church. In every job he has done, Hwang Sun-jo has always organized things cleanly. Though I have set him many tasks to do, his reports have always been accurate. You should continue to take charge of the History Committee as well, and you should publish many textbooks in the future.
Kwak Chung-hwan, you don’t have time to make them yourself, do you? [No.] Even after you have gone to the United States, you should consult with each other and the two of you should become one. In other words, we are now entering an era in which, though you may be stationed in the United States, you can take charge of Gyeongsang Province as well. [Yes.]
First of all, based on Cheongpyeong, since we are here, I will now make personnel changes in earnest. It is all right for those who are over sixty or seventy years of age to return to their hometowns….
Yoo Jeong-ok! [Yes.] Aren’t you supposed to educate the nation of Japan first with the materials translated into Japanese, and then in the Korean language? [Yes.] In order to educate the whole nation of Japan, when you return there, you need to give missions to the ten thousand people who came here this time. A public announcement has already been made that they have been appointed as ambassadors for peace and assistant ambassadors. Forty thousand Korean people, too, should be appointed as official ambassadors for peace and assistant ambassadors and be educated. And then hoondokhwae should be held! Through hoondokhwae, you will be able to teach the Korean language wherever you go, but until then we should make preparations here until the translation work is completed.
The Interdenominational Christian Assosiation must fulfill its interreligious responsibility. Isn’t it true that not one person from that organization participated in the cross-cultural blessing at this time? Centering on the interreligious area, the religious realm should concentrate on educating people, because Korea is the homeland of the world. Only then can they develop too. The time will soon come for the abolition of interreligious and international.
Only the other day, where was it? Two hundred or two thousand nuns came to listen to the speech. When I told them they would all end up in hell unless they got married, they all clapped for joy! The same is true of Buddhist temples, Buddhist monks and priests. The gates should be opened to them all.
Enough about that! [Yes.] I think I’ll stop here. I think I have given most of the essential points to you, so should I stop talking now, or should I go on? Hey, be quiet for a moment. [Laughter] It’s not even twelve yet, so why are you in such a hurry? [Laughter] Just one more hour to go, one more hour. Then we will be finished in time for lunch.u
Notes
1 Father may be referring to the fact that the Russian Duma has not yet ratified the 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement, nine years in the making, that clarifies control of water adjacent to Alaska.
2 On the lunar calendar, Father and Mother’s birthday is the sixth day of the first month. This year, that falls on February 3 on the Gregorian calendar.