Based on extracts from his speeches throughout his life
Earlier installments are available for reading.
The Founding of Our Church:
The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was founded on May 1, 1954. On October 7, 1955, after True Father was released from Seodaemun Prison, the Headquarters Church moved to 71-3, Cheongpa-dong 1-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul—the address at which our church was first registered as a non-profit civil organization. This is the building that is preserved as the Old Headquarters Church in Seoul and where many providential events took place.
Due to the historic value of this building, this week’s installment is extracted from Father’s words in ChamBumo Gyeong.
Part 54
The Cheongpa-dong Church was built on the site where a Buddhist temple stood long ago. During the Japanese occupation, Japanese families lived there. This is such a historic building.
After I was released from Seodaemun Prison in 1955, I had nowhere to go, and I did what was necessary to purchase this property. At first the condition of the house was so terrible; it was like a den of ghosts. Even the poles supporting the ceiling were tarnished black, and we had to wash them with harsh soda to get them clean. So many past relationships were intertwined within the structure. So after I bought this house, I resolved, “While I am living here, I will ease the pain in all those spirits’ bitter, vengeful hearts that have accumulated here over its long history.”… Even now, I have not forgotten my resolution. Even if everyone leaves me and I am all alone, I will not forget. I will always keep the spirit to subjugate the entire fallen world.
The meaning of Cheongpa-dong is “green hills,” and green hills symbolize the ideal. At Cheongpa-dong, people live singing and aspiring for the ideal world of peace and freedom, where people sing with hope that is fresh and green. Hence, our Headquarters Church in Cheongpa-dong is the base where we began the four-position foundation on the horizontal plane. Some people ask me why Cheongpa-dong Church Headquarters is so shabby, even as the Unification Church makes such a sensation worldwide. Indeed it looks shabby, even to me. Its roof was messy with broken tiles and in need of repair, but I leave it as it is without fixing it. It is not because I do not have the money, but I would rather save that money and spend it for the salvation of the Korean people.
I know it is not easy to live with so many people crammed into this small church. We are not the only ones who are aware of this. God knows it even better than we do. Seeing us like this, people outside our community may think us foolish, but I do not agree. I have never prayed to God, asking, “Please build me a church.” I even feel honored to be in this situation, with so many people in this small, cramped place. When there is an event here, everyone pushes and shoves to come inside. When this happens, rather than feeling miserable, you should have the heart to comfort God’s sorrow, praying, “Aren’t we fortunate to be in this situation?” You need to attend events with this kind of heart. When our church has people with this kind of heart, we will be able to pay the indemnity to restore the world. These miserable circumstances are a true treasure that we Koreans experience, and they are a resource we can use for restoration through indemnity. These circumstances are not a condition for unhappiness. They are rather a condition that bestows upon us the benefit and grace of deeply penetrating God’s inner heart and situation, connecting us to the level of His heart and His desire to build us a better church.
If I wanted to build a new church building, I could do it even now. But this house was the main church where many historic events were held. It is the place where heaven and earth wept profusely. It is the place where many people wept as they experienced God’s bitter pain. It is the place where I desperately appealed to God, even shedding blood. The stains of my tears in this place are connected to unforgettable memories. It is a sacred altar stained with countless tears of mine and others. It is not the kind of place you can walk in and out of casually. I have never treated this place in such a casual way.
I would like to ask you: When you kneel down and pray in tears on this wooden floor, do you feel that this is the ground of hope that Heavenly Father has eagerly awaited for tens of thousands of years? Do you experience the feeling of your bone marrow melting and feel in your heart that you are connected to God in flesh and blood? Are you ever overwhelmed by sorrow and grief that begins with tears but that tears alone cannot end, so much so that you forget about yourself? Also, when you pray in your daily life, do you ever completely forget about your personal situation? I have laid my foundation with deep prayer and sincere devotion in the most difficult situations, and you need to do likewise. If you have not, you will be accused by the level of my devotion. It is the same for me. God has walked the path of suffering for eons while offering devotion for the Will, and I think that I shall be judged by the standard of His devotion.
At the Cheongpa-dong Headquarters Church, we held True Parents’ Holy Wedding Ceremony, an event unprecedented in history. Here too, we conducted many historic works; God’s Day, Parents’ Day, Children’s Day and the Day of All Things were inaugurated here. The Holy Wedding took place here in 1960. The 36 Couples and 72 Couples were given the marriage Blessing here as well. This is a historic place and we must not disgrace it.
The central Unification Church is here in Cheongpa-dong, Seoul. Do those who work or live here have any qualification to do so? Even though I do not say anything, I shed tears many times each day. Those who live close to me know how I live. I am sensitive to the point that when I hear one word from a member, I can burst into tears. Even at this moment, I hear family members throughout the nation praying in pain and sorrow. Some are going hungry; others are suffering from persecution. Still others are in circumstances that allow them no freedom. You who work or live at Cheongpa-dong need to be the catalysts for conveying my heart to those family members. Since you work here, whenever it is necessary you must be willing to pay a greater price. That is why whenever I want to reveal something new, I do not first speak about it at the Headquarters Church. I share it with the members in the local churches first, and only afterward at the Headquarters Church. Those who live in the local churches pray more than those at the headquarters. As people who belong to the Headquarters Church, you should set the highest standard, so that you will not be ashamed before heaven and earth. You need to know that there are people who shed tears when they just look at a photo of Cheongpa-dong Headquarters Church or even when they simply remember it. You have to be able to welcome those who come here in tears, become their friends, and comfort them from the bottom of your heart.
I sincerely want you to receive many blessings from heaven and become people of whom I can be proud before God. This is because you live together with me and we have a special bond, a bond formed from having shared all kinds of life experiences, both joyful and sorrowful.
In the future, people from around the world will come to visit Cheongpa-dong Church. This is not just an empty dream; they will come. Because I lived here, and because from here I pursued the Will of God, they will come, crossing national borders to follow the vision I have been teaching about.
To be continued….