Based on extracts from his speeches throughout his life
Earlier installments are available for reading.
Part 84
Continuous Initiative and Expansion Worldwide
Father shares his view of the developments he and Mother were leading in the late 1960s.
The Blessing of forty-three couples
During my world tour, I blessed many couples in America, Germany and Japan. Why did I give the Blessing during my tour in my second seven-year course? I did it in order to indemnify the failure of Jesus, who could not fulfill his worldwide mission even though he came as the second Adam. So, I established forty-three blessed families representing the world. The number forty-three includes the number forty, which symbolizes the standard of four thousand years, the period prior to the time of Jesus…. Forty-three couples correspond to the four hundred and thirty couples. In other words, I connected the four hundred and thirty couples with the forty-three couples from ten countries. By doing that, the environmental foundation corresponding to the world was established.
For the Blessing this time, I had married almost everyone as international couples. Americans were matched to Germans, French people to British people. I married the couples in that way. I did not match people of the same nationality. In order to restore the world, people must have a global sentiment that transcends love for a particular race. That is why I made them international couples this time. They all were happy and I was happy seeing them happy.
Women over forty-two years old are usually already married. Yet, a thirty-three-year-old bachelor volunteered to marry one woman that age. Western members cherish honor and achievement very much. He is that type of man. To him, a person’s personality depends on how much honor and achievement he or she has. They differ from people in the Orient in that respect.
This man, Teddy,[1] pioneered the Netherlands. He was a lathe engineer who graduated from a technical school that is famous in America. After he joined our church, he went to the Netherlands for pioneer witnessing. He established a church center there and became the spiritual ancestor of the Netherlands.
When I asked him, “With whom do you wish to be blessed?” He said, “When I was in America, I worked with a woman truly faithful to God’s will. I want to be blessed with her.” He told me her name was Pauline. She had joined the church eight years before, when she was thirty-two years old. She was in a trinity with a woman named Doris. To establish the Unification family tradition in the Netherlands, Teddy insisted that he would need a woman like his mother, who would genuinely love the country and could embrace everything, good and bad, internal and external. When I held the first Holy Blessing Ceremony in Europe, I told the participants, “Make effort to live an interesting life, and you will surely have good sons and daughters.” The next time I visited England, the woman brought her baby to me. As I had predicted, the baby looked so smart and cute that I would have liked to have taken him home with me!
Instructions during a visit to Japan April 18–May 2, 1969
When I visited Japan in 1965, I spoke with a high-ranking government official. I strongly asserted, “If you continue to have a feeble attitude, as you do now, in the end you will not be able to stand up to the communists.” In fact, with the beginning of the 1970s, the communists will begin preparing for a revolution centering on university campuses across the nation. Even as we speak, they are creating confusion, not only on the campuses but also in the Japanese society, with the university students at the front of their activities. This fact tells you plainly that they are aiming for more than just creating confusion on campuses.
Places like Osaka, Nagoya and Kyoto are now under communist influence. Our CARP students have risked their lives in carrying out desperate activities in these cities. As a result, all Japanese economists have come to realize that they need to fight against the communists. Thus, they have formed a nationwide supporters’ organization, remaining in the background, but providing funds for CARP activities. There is a world of difference between the activities of communists and of CARP, which both take place on university campuses in Japan. Indeed, God’s work and Satan’s work are being carried out simultaneously. Therefore, we need to confront communists, even if it means sacrificing ourselves in the process.
Considering this, we need to realize the urgency of the situation. If Japan is communized, no matter how much Korea may boast of being an anti-communist kingdom, Korea would be no better than a rat in a trap….
I visited a diplomat in charge of public information at the Korean Embassy in Japan and told him, “I know that you have criticized the Unification Church, but Japan is now in need of us. Nevertheless, you are still opposed to our church, aren’t you?”
He replied, “That will not be the case from now on.” We are now preparing to organize nearly 60,000 to 70,000 healthy young people into a strong organization to fight the Japanese Communist Party. During my stay in Japan this time, I talked with prominent leaders and exchanged opinions on how to bring down the Communist Party. I made plans for that purpose and came home….
The United States cannot even think about retreating in the fight against communism. I have emphasized the need to work in every way possible to defend the battle line in America. It is up to CARP and the Federation for Victory over Communism to carry out this work.
In Israel
When I visited Jerusalem during my recent tour, I went up the Mount of Olives and saw a three-thousand year old olive tree. Two-thousand years ago, Jesus took three disciples, Peter, John and James, with him to the garden of Gethsemane and prayed three times. It is most likely under that very tree that the three slept while Jesus prayed. This is an incredible place. Jesus rebuked his disciples there, and there Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Yet, the people who come there simply think that the lord came in order to die, that he came to die for my sake and that his death was a victory. I was at a loss for words at seeing that site.
Overcoming hardship
I went through major battles and struggles during this world tour. I could not be more exhausted. Since most members met me for the first time after longing to see me for many years, they had no time limit. No matter how late at night, whether it was midnight or 1 o’clock in the morning, they wanted to be with me for as long as possible. Since I knew what they had in mind, I could not neglect them and go to bed even though I was exhausted. I visited the United States, Germany and other countries in Europe. I visited and Asia and ended in Japan. I was able to complete the tour because I was supported by spiritual forces. Otherwise, I would have collapsed in the midst of it all.
A global prayer condition June 1–September 30, 1969
Currently, the Unification Church is in Abel’s position facing a danger of being struck. So, we must invest all our sincere heart into our work before being struck. Accordingly, you must understand that it is urgently necessary for you to offer special prayers, bearing responsibility for this nation’s destiny, with the heart of praying for Cain’s good fortune. That is why I came back in a hurry as soon as I had completed the world tour.
For four months, from the first day of June, you must invest your sincere heart for Korea’s sake, which is the fatherland of faith for our members around the world….
You should also know that our Japanese members in CARP and the IFVOC are fighting at the risk of their lives. You must pray and begin anti-communism activities in Seoul from June. We cannot avoid doing these two kinds of activities.
Everyone should witness
If you are a Unification Church member, what kind of responsibility should you bear? You must bring one new person each month. Do not bring in two. Just focus on bringing in one person a month and set conditions. Don’t go to other houses, just focus on one house. Set conditions daily and convey the Principle every day to restore one person a month. If you can do that, how many will that be in a year? Isn’t it twelve? I am saying you should bring in just twelve people. I will prevent anybody who fails to bring in one person a month from coming here. Some may say that they are in charge of a company and therefore are unable to do this, but I will not accept that. Managers here today are no exception. You all must take responsibility and do this. Rev. Yo-han Lee must also do this. You can sit here and give sermons but you should make time to witness. I have already given the order worldwide to witness to one person a month. I will collect statistics to see what percentage of its goal Korea achieves.
To be continued…
[1] Teddy Verheyen